1 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.

NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012

Rochester, NY VOL 5. NO. 35
June 25 - july 1, 2012
www.MinorityReporter.net w t
From Information to Understanding
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Te a c h e r
Evaluation?!
2 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Minority
Reporter
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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COLUMNISTS
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Minority Reporter, Inc. is a family of publications
and other media formats committed to fostering self
awareness, building community and empowering
people of color to reach their greatest potential. Fur-
ther, Minority Reporter, Inc. seeks to present a bal-
anced view of relevant issues, utilizing its resources
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In This Issue:
COVER Pg 8
-Teacher Evaluations?!
By Dave McCleary

LOCAL Pgs 4 - 5
- Police ID Man Fatally Shot in Bar
Brawl
- Rochester City and School
Budgets Approved City Council
- School of the Arts Issues
Consequences For Student
Vandalism
- Chief Sheppard Says Fatal
Shooting By RPD was Justied
- Senator Joe Robachs Kodak
Retiree Healthcare Legislation
Passes Senate
- Swimming at Ontario Beach Now
Open for 2012
STATE Pgs 5-6
- 32,000 Phones Seized in NY
Counterfeit Crackdown
- NY Moves to Restrict Welfare
Spending Alcohol
NATIONAL Pg 7
- Police Chief Fired Over Trayvon
Martins Shooting
- Senate Bill Brings Some Big
Changes to Farm Policy
HEALTH Pg 11
-Strokes Can Happen In Anyones
Neighborhood
POLITICS Pg 12
-Romney Faces Latino Group Amid
Immigration Debate
COLUMNS: Pg 14-15
-Recent Examples of Racism 2012
By Gloria Winston Al-Sarag
- Why Schools Cant Discipline
By Diane Watkins
- Monroe County Sheriff
By Davy Vara
1 :: WWW.0,125,7<5(3257(5.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY1, 2012 Rochester, NY VOL 5. NO. 35 June 25 - july 1, 2012
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3 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Editor@MinorityReporter.net
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The Jeerson Avenue
Revitalizaon Project
By Honorable Willie Joe Lighoot
Assistant Minority Leader
The Jeerson Avenue Revitalizaon
Project is one of the most excing and
worthy programs I have been involved
with in my me as an elected o cial.
As most folks in our neighborhood
know, this program is about breathing
new life into our community through
infrastructure improvements, quality
of life enhancements and cizen
involvement. This program is guided
by the seven pillars: spirituality, family,
community, economic development,
social interacon, good health and
polical parcipaon.
Contrary to what some in our
community think, this project is
not about gentricaon or having
power over people. Instead, this
project is about empowering people
to improve their surroundings and
their neighborhoods with the help
of their friends and neighbors. With
the assistance of great community
leaders like Congresswoman Louise
Slaughter, we have been able to
secure much needed funding to
improve infrastructure and allow local
businesses to obtain free one-on-
one business training and counseling
through the Urban League.
Using these seven pillars as a guide,
we have been focused on increasing
spirituality by bringing together
dierent houses of worship to help
unite and empower worshipers.
We have worked on strengthening
families, planning safe playgrounds
for our children and promong
more family-oriented events in
our community. We have sought
to strengthen our community by
encouraging residents to get involved,
while also increasing job opportunies
and bringing much needed economic
development to our area.
We have pursued a strategy of
increasing social interacon and
improving health by, among other
things, encouraging community
gardens to increase the availability of
fresh foods.
Finally, and of signicant importance,
we have tried to increase polical
parcipaon by building relaonships,
registering new voters and holding
open discussions about issues of
concern.
This is just a small sampling of the
important work contained in the
Jeerson Avenue Revitalizaon Plan.
In order to succeed, everyone must
parcipate. It is absolutely crical that
we have boots on the ground to help
improve not just each of our lives,
but the quality of life and economic
opportunies for all cizens.
Anyone interested in learning more
should contact the Democrac
Sta O ce of the Monroe County
Legislature at 585-753-1940 or visit
our website at www.democracledger.
org.
4 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Police ID Man Fatally Shot in Rochester Bar Brawl
Authories have released the name of
the 21-year-old man who was fatally
shot during a ght that started inside
a Rochester bar and spilled onto the
street.
Rochester police tell local media that
Deavoughn Hernandez-Ru n was
shot in the upper torso early Monday
morning outside the Bug Jar bar.
O cials say the nightspot was hosng
a rap concert when a ght broke out
and connued outside.
Hernandez-Ru n was taken to a
Rochester hospital, where he died.
Police say its unclear what sparked
the ght.
No one has been arrested. The
shoong remains under invesgaon
Tuesday.
Rochester City and School Budgets Approved by City Council
Sta
Tuesday, June 19, Rochester City
Council members approved a $488
million operang budget for the Citys
next scal year beginning July 1, and a
$705 million budget for the Rochester
City School District for the 2012-2013
school year.
Were going to keep our libraries
open. Keep our rec centers open.
Weve maintained and been able to
hire new policemen to replace the
complement. So that weve been able
to ght o for another year, explained
Rochester Mayor Tom Richards in
comments to the media.
The mayors budget includes spending
cuts the mayor says will not have
signicant impact on services.
As I have said before, a city budget is
more than balanced numbers. It is a
statement of aspiraons for the City,
the mayor said in his budget address
last month. The important balance
that we strike is not in numbers, but
in services, programs and facilies. We
balance police o cers, reghters,
libraries, recreaon centers, roads,
refuse collecon, fesvals and many
other things.
The signicance of the balance is not
found in money, but in the quality of
life we can deliver to our cizens.
The mayor added that the city will sll
need to nd long-term soluons to its
nancial problems.
Rochester City School district o cials
say they plan to add about 70
addional teaching posions mostly in
music, art and physical educaon.
The district says their goals for the
2012-2013 budget are to: Target
resources to increase student
achievement; Increase resources to
our schools; Introduce stability for
students, families and sta; Increase
e ciencies in Central O ce and
throughout the District.
By Sta Reporter
Rochester police o cials say o cers
tried to use a stun gun to disarm a
shotgun-wielding man before being
forced to shoot him aer he red at
them.
Israel Andino was killed by the return
re during the confrontaon on the
street outside his home Thursday, his
20th birthday.
In a press release to local media Thurs-
day, Rochester Police Chief James
Sheppard outlined the incident as fol-
lows:
On todays date at approximately
7:15am Rochester police o cers were
dispatched to 72 Locust St. for the re-
port a male who had called 911 and
stated that he had just stabbed his
mother, and that he was going to kill
others. The rst responding o cer
found an injured and bleeding woman
on the porch of 72 Locust St., and she
stated that her son had stabbed her,
and she pointed him out as he walked
down Locust St., armed with a long
gun.
Addional responding o cers en-
gaged the individual and aempted to
contain and defuse the situaon, giv-
ing several orders for him to drop the
gun. The o cers tried to engage the
individual in conversaon for several
minutes as he walked throughout the
neighborhood. However, near 103 Lo-
cust St., this individual red a round at
the o cers. Several o cers returned
re.
Sheppard said Andino was yelling as
he walked down the street with the
shotgun. O cers used a Taser on him
but it didnt work.
O cials say when Andino red at
the seven o cers nearby, all of them
opened re and killed him.
According to local media reports, sev-
eral neighbors witnessing the events
said it did not appear that o cers had
to shoot Andino. One witness said he
saw Andino point the gun at o cers
but did not seem to re at them.
Chief Sheppard, oering condolences
to Andinos family, said his o cers are
trained to use deadly physical force
when they sense an imminent threat
to either themselves or a third party.
The involved o cers were: Sgt Aaron
Colle , 36 years of age/13 years of
service; Sgt. Mike Nicholls, 46 years of
age/17 years of service; O cer Anto-
nio Gonzalez, 31 years of age/11 years
of service; O cer Brian Cala, 38 years
of age/14 years of service; O cer Greg
Karnes, 39 years of age/16 years of
service; O cer Onasis Socol, 38 years
of age/8 years of service; and O cer
Eluid Rodriguez, 43 years of age/19
years of service.
Andinos mother was treated at Strong
Memorial Hospital for minor injuries
and released.
Chief Sheppard Says Fatal Shoong by O cers was Jused
5 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
School of The Arts Punishes
Students for Vandalism
The School of the Arts and the
Rochester City School District say they
have completed their invesgaon
into the vandalism that started as a
senior prank during the early morning
hours of Tuesday, June 12, 2012 and
will punish students for their acons.
In a press release to media, school
o cials say the students responsible
for painng gra across the front
of the building on Prince Street will
be required to complete a minimum
of 10-hours of community service at
School of the Arts prior to Thursday,
June 21 at 4:00 PM. If the students
complete their community service,
they will be aorded the privilege
of parcipang in SOTAs graduaon
ceremony scheduled for this Friday
night at the Auditorium Center
Theatre.
We are mindful of the importance of
allowing young people to learn from
their mistakes and of the powerful
educaonal message conveyed when
a student crosses the stage to receive
their high school diploma. Though,
it is important to dierenate rights
from privileges. This has been the
single most-di cult and heartbreaking
experience of my 28-year tenure in
the Rochester City School District.
The enre school community will
have cause to celebrate once these
students have completed their service,
and earned the privilege of walking
across the stage at graduaon, said
Brenda Pacheco, Principal of School of
the Arts.
Principal Pacheco hosted a meeng
last Wednesday morning for the senior
class, and their parents and guardians
to provide the nal decision regarding
the consequences and to prepare for
commencement. During this meeng,
the expectaons for appropriate
behavior at graduaon were outlined
and closure was brought to this painful
incident, explains the release.
The community service includes:
interior and exterior locker cleaning
and gra removal throughout the
building. The students are being
supervised by sta members and the
senior class advisors. SOTAs custodial
department has ouied each student
with RCSD regulated cleaning soluon,
gloves, masks and buckets.
Video of Greece Bus Monitor Being Bullied Goes Viral
Sta
A video of a Greece School district bus
monitor being cruelly taunted by the
middle-school students has gone viral.
The incident which took place last
Monday on a Greece Athena Middle
School bus was captured on a cellphone
camera and posted to Facebook but
was pulled o Facebook and posted to
You Tube late Tuesday. By Wednesday,
it had gone around the world receiving
more than 130,000 hits overnight.
The ten minute video shows Athena
middle school students connually
taunng bus monitor Karen Hu Klein.
Among the taunts: Dumb-ass, fat-
ass. Maybe she is an elephant.
Shes gonna pick out which kid shes
gonna rape next. Karen wants
herpes. F**king hearing aid. Ill
egg your house. Whats your address
so I can p*ss all over your door.
A spokesperson for the Greece Central
School District says the incident is
being invesgated.
The Greece Central School district has
a clear code of conduct and all sta and
students have been fully trained, the
district said in a broadcast to parents.
This behavior will not be tolerated.
District o cials say upon being noed
of the video and conrming that Karen
Hu Klein was in fact an employee
of the district they immediately
acvated the districts bullying and
violence prevenon response team to
invesgate the maer and contacted
the Greece police department to
conduct their own invesgaon.
Klein did not report the incident. She
said she gured she had just ended the
school year on a bad note.
Two similar videos of Klein being
harassed has also surfaced.
One bit of good news for Klein is that an
online eort on Indiegogo.com to raise
funds for her reported they had raised
$500,000 by last Friday morning.
The internaonal crowd funding site
was set up by Max Sidorov, a 25-year-
old Toronto nutrionist.
Sidorov says he is raising the money
to send her on a nice vacaon.
Greece police say they interviewed
four of the students, but no arrests
have been made. The Greece school
district said the students will be
disciplined.

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6 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Senator Joe Robachs Kodak
Reree Healthcare Legislaon Passes Senate
By Earl Gonzalez
On June 13th, the New York State
Senate re-passed legislaon that
would protect healthcare benets
for employees and rerees of
Eastman Kodak, a major employer
headquartered in Rochester, NY.
The bill (S.6740b), sponsored by
Senator Joe Robach of Rochester,
serves to provide a safety net for the
former employees of the company
as it reorganizes under Chapter
11 bankruptcy protecon. This
protecon would come in the form
of a demonstraon program that
would provide group health insurance
coverage for former employees of a
major New York-based employer, such
as Kodak.
Senator Joe Robachs sponsorship of
the bill was prompted earlier this year,
when Kodak asked a federal court for
permission to cut healthcare benets
for thousands of its rerees. Although
Kodak later withdrew the moon,
former employees of the company
are concerned that it could sll cut
reree benets at a later date in order
to cut its costs. If Kodak were to cut
these health benets, rerees under
the age of 65 (the age to qualify for
Medicare) would become uninsured.
Those unable to aord the higher rates
of the private pay market would be le
without any coverage at all.
Senator Robachs bill would protect
Kodaks rerees from this scenario
by creang a health insurance
demonstraon program that would
facilitate the provision of aordable
group health insurance coverage to
them by an eligible insurance company.
Although the bill inially passed the
New York State Senate on May 8th,
Senator Joe Robach, aer consulng
with several constuents and Kodak
rerees, has since amended the
legislaon to ensure that all insurance
companies can compete to provide
the healthcare coverage.
The amended bill, which was re-
passed by New York State Senate with
unanimous support, has also, with the
support of Assemblyman Joe Morelle,
passed the New York State Assembly.
The legislaon now awaits Governor
Cuomos signature to complete its
passage into law.
Friday, June 15, a Flag Raising Ceremony to commemorate Naonal Caribbean American Heritage month was held at city hall. The event was sponsored by the
Rochester Jamaican Organizaon(RJO) and the Rochester West Indian Fesval Organizaon (RWIFO) and hosted by City Council President Lovely Warren.
The RJO will be celebrang Jamaicas 50th indepencence with a gala at the Hya Regency Hotel, July 27, 6pm
(L toR) Dr. Joel Frater, President RJO; Lovely Warren, President City Council; Horace
Byeld, President (RWIFO)
Entertainment was provided by Urban Steel Band from John Marshall High School
Commemorang Naonal Caribbean American Heritage
Senator Joseph Robach
Swimming at Ontario Beach Now Open for 2012
Season for popular County desnaon
runs through Labor Day
Monroe County Execuve Maggie
Brooks last week announced that
public swimming at Ontario Beach
Park, located in Rochesters Charloe
Neighborhood, is now open for the
2012 Season.
Once again, we welcome the start of
summer with the opening of swimming
at Ontario Beach Park, said Brooks.
Each year, thousands of residents and
visitors alike, enjoy the sandy shore
and cooling waters of Lake Ontario at
this wonderful beach operated by our
Monroe County Department of Parks.
This is yet another family-friendly
acvity that we are proud to oer free
of charge.
Monroe County lifeguards are now on
duty and swimming will be permied
at Ontario Beach Park daily from 11:00
a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Swimming is only
allowed when lifeguards are on duty.
As Lake Ontario is a large natural
body of water, swimming will only be
permied when condions and water
quality are favorable. A recorded
telephone message will be updated
daily at 753-5887 with informaon
on beach condions and whether
swimming will be permied or not.
It is important to note that even
if swimming is not permied, the
beach at the park will remain open for
recreaonal use.
The 2012 Swimming Season at Ontario
Beach Park is scheduled to end on
Labor Day.
7 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
32,000 Phones Seized in NY Counterfeit Crackdown
NEW YORK (AP) -- Authories in
New York say they have seized more
than 32,000 bogus cellphones and
arrested three individuals as part of a
crackdown on counterfeing.
The arrests came Tuesday aer
an invesgaon by U.S. Customs
o cials and the Nassau County Police
Department.
The invesgaon started last January
when Customs o cials at JFK Airport
became suspicious of a shipment of
cellphones from China.
Agents removed some of the phones
and sent them to the purported
manufacturers for tesng. The tests
showed the phones were fake.
Search warrants were executed
Tuesday at warehouses in Plainview
and Hicksville and on another
shipment at JFK. More than 32,000
phones valued at $2 million were
seized. Authories say they also seized
$539,710 in cash and 40 fake iPads.
Three alleged distributors were
arrested on counterfeing charges.
NY Moves to Restrict Welfare Spending on Alcohol
By MICHAEL GORMLEY
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ New York would
prohibit welfare recipients from
spending their tax-funded benets
on cigarees, alcohol, gambling,
and strip clubs under a bill passed
overwhelmingly by the state Senate
on Tuesday.
Ten other states have already ruled
social services cant be spent on items
from beer to guns.
``I understand that people need food
stamps, said Republican Sen. Thomas
Libous, a Broome County Republican.
``What I dont understand is why they
need to go to strip clubs, buy loery
ckets, go to a `racino or buy alcohol.
Libous said New York must restrict the
spending by recipients whose benets
are linked to debit cards to conform to
federal law. President Barack Obama
signed a law in February that will
require states to restrict how the cash
poron of social services is spent, or
lose 5 percent of Temporary Assistance
to Needy Families funding. New York
risks losing $125 million next year.
Others quesoned the need for the
restricons, saying they were a slap at
the poor.
``Its a prejudice, I think, about poor
people that we are seeing represented
more than any stascal or study of
behavior, said Sen. Bill Perkins, a
Harlem Democat and one of the few
senators to vote against the measure.
``If they have evidence that theres a
rash of that, Id like to see it.
Libouss ``Public Assistance Integrity
Act would specically prohibit the
purchase of tobacco products, alcohol
and loery ckets, which would be
a regulaon that could be hard to
enforce. Easier to enforce because of
its paper trail would be his proposed
ban on the withdrawal of cash from
the Electronic Benets Transfer
card at automac teller machines
in liquor stores, casinos, and adult
entertainment bars and clubs.
Perkins said the bill would penalize a
poor mother who simply withdrew
money to buy milk if she used an ATM
in a banned establishment to do so.
Many states, including New York,
issue welfare recipients an Electronic
Benets Transfer card, or EBT card,
with cash benets. The systems have
simplied the distribuon of nancial
assistance, but they also provide a
way of tracking where the benets are
withdrawn.
Washington already bans purchases
of alcohol, tobacco, gambling, loery
ckets, and adult entertainment
while Indiana bans the purchase of
guns, gambling and alcohol using
social services. Other states with
restricons include Arizona (loery
ckets), California (gambling, adult
entertainment), Colorado (alcohol,
gambling, guns), Maine (alcohol,
gambling, adult entertainment),
Massachuses (alcohol, tobacco,
gambling, and loery), Minnesota
(alcohol and tobacco), Pennsylvania
(alcohol and tobacco).
New Yorks Republican senators who
led the biparsan 56-3 vote Tuesday
said New Yorkers are amazed the law
allows such spending now. The law
prohibits the use of food stamps to buy
alcohol or tobacco products, but its
allowed under the ``cash allowance
contained in the EBT cards.
```They can do that? Are you kidding
me? said Sen. John DeFrancisco, a
Syracuse Republican, in recounng
constuents reacon. ``That outrage
is well placed, he said.
``Right now, under the law, you can
use the cash assigned for gambling,
alcohol and loery ckets, Libous
said. ``We get quite a few complaints
on an annual basis.
Some state o cials are concerned the
federal measure, and its 5-percent
penalty for failure to enact restricons,
infringes on states rights to distribute
federal welfare benets under their
own rules.
Libous says that if New York doesnt
act to restrict spending using welfare
cash, the state could lose $125 million
in federal funding ed to the federal
iniave.
Now the bill goes to the Democrat-led
Assembly, which hasnt introduced it.
8 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Te a c h e r
Evaluation?!
By Dave McCleary
Three months aer lawmakers ap-
proved a state-wide evaluaon system
for New York teachers, the state Leg-
islature on Thursday passed a plan to
limit the public disclosure of teacher
evaluaons.
The measure, passed on the last day
of this years legislave session, was
introduced by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
on Monday night and will allow par-
ents and guardians to see the evalua-
ons of their childrens current teach-
ers; but the general public will only be
allowed to see evaluaon data aer
the names of teachers have been re-
moved.
While the new law is a big victory for
teachers unions who oppose wider
disclosure of the teacher appraisals
it limits the ability of parents and
guardians to shop for good teachers
for their children, because evaluaon
data would only be available to par-
ents if they have a child in the teach-
ers class.
Minutes aer the passing of the bill
New York State Educaon Commis-
sioner John B. King, Jr. issued a state-
ment saying the legislaon was a wel-
come step.
Teacher and principal evaluaons
help teachers and principals improve
their pracce, which in turn helps
students improve their performance.
Public disclosure of individual rangs
would just get in the way of that prog-
ress, the commissioner said.
Chancellor Tisch, the Board of Re-
gents, and I, have repeatedly stressed
our opposion to the disclosure of in-
dividual rangs.
Public disclosure of the teacher and
principal evaluaons became an is-
sue aer a court, in February, under
the freedom of informaon law, al-
lowed the release of evaluaon data
for some 18,000 New York City school
teachers to news organizaons.
The move angered teachers and teach-
ers unions.
In August, evaluaons for fourth
through eighth grade teachers of Eng-
lish and math around the state are due
and based on the February court or-
der they would have been available
to the public beginning August 15.
The new legislaon disallows the
public release of those performance
grades.
New York City Mayor, Michael Bloom-
berg was vocal with his posion in
support of full public disclosure of the
evaluaons.
Bloomberg had been lobbying heavily
Tuesday to kill the Governors eort;
but as the bill neared a vote by law-
makers, he said he was willing to ac-
cept a compromise.
The governor is trying to come to a
compromise and do something right.
So am I, Bloomberg told the New York
Times, Wednesday.
Aer the bill passed Bloomberg issued
this statement: I believe that parents
have a right to full disclosure when
it comes to informaon about their
childs educaon, and I am disappoint-
ed that this bill falls short of that goal.
Rochester Teacher Associaon Presi-
dent, Adam Urbanski said he thinks
the bill is a fair concession. It protects
teachers reasonable right to privacy
but also gives informaon to those
who are entled to know: parents of
students, he said.
The Senate debated only a few min-
utes before passing the bill, 58-1, with
only Sen. Andrew Lanza, (R-Staten Is-
land), vong against it. The Assembly
passed the bill with an overwhelming
majority, 118-17.
Being able to have some informaon
on the people who are spending a sig-
nicant amount of me with our chil-
dren is important, noted Candice Lu-
cas, chair of the Rochester City School
District Parent Advisory Council. We
feel that this is a step in the right direc-
on for teachers and parents.
Lucas says that while she understands
a parents desire to get as much infor-
maon as possible so they can select
the most qualied teachers, she also
respects the right of teachers to have
a level of privacy.
There is denitely more work to be
done, she said. Im sure this issue is
not going away any me soon.
The disclosure of teacher evaluaons
is an issue that may require future leg-
islave acon.
Since the passing of the disclosure
law there are already conversaons in
cyberspace about ways to bypass the
law, by parents sharing the informa-
on or posng them on websites for
public access.
Other topics being discussed include
the passing of so-called parent trigger
laws that allow parents to seize control
of low-performing public schools and
oust the teachers or bring in a private
management company.
Teacher Evaluaon Bill Passed but Issues Surrounding it Remain
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reacts aer same sex marriage was legalized aer a vote in the Senate Cham-
ber at the Capitol in Albany last year. AP Photo
9 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Police Chief Fired over Trayvon Marn Shoong
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) Saying hes lost
the trust of o cials, a city manager
red a central Florida police chief
who was cricized for his agencys
inial invesgaon of Trayvon Marns
shoong death at the hands of a
neighborhood watch volunteer.
Sanford City Manager Norton
Bonaparte said in a Wednesday
statement that he relieved Chief Bill
Lee of duty because he determined
the Police Chief needs to have the
trust and respect of the elected
o cials and the condence of the
enre community.
We need to move forward with a
police chief that all the cizens of
Sanford can support, Bonaparte said.
I have come to this decision in light
of the escalang divisiveness that has
taken hold of the city.
The inial lack of an arrest following
the death of Marn, an unarmed
black teenager, by neighborhood
watch volunteer George Zimmerman
in February led to protests across the
naon and spurred a debate about
race and the laws of self-defense.
Zimmermans father is white and his
mother is from Peru.
FILE - In this March 22, 2012 le photo, Sanford
Police Chief Bill Lee speaks to the the media
during a news conference as city manager
Norton Bonaparte Jr. listens at le, in Sanford
Fla. Lee, who was strongly cricized for his
agencys inial invesgaon of Trayvon
Marns slaying, was red Wednesday, June
20, 2012, city o cials said. Photo: Julie Fletcher
/ AP
Senate Bill Brings Some Big Changes to Farm Policy
WASHINGTON (AP) Briey pu ng
elecon-year polics aside, the
Senate on Thursday moved toward
strong approval of legislaon assuring
that farmers hit by bad mes will be
protected and that millions of others
hurt by the bad economy wont go
hungry.
The Senate is expected to show
biparsan support for the $500 billion
bill that sets farm safety net and
conservaon policies and funds the
food stamp program over the next
ve years. The vote will come aer
lawmakers nish the nal eight of
more than 70 amendments the Senate
is considering as part of the 1,000-
page bill.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
D-Nev., and Republican leader Mitch
McConnell of Kentucky opened
Thursdays session by praising the
Senates recent successes in ge ng
bills passed. McConnell said they were
ge ng back to operang the way the
Senate tradionally has.
The bill goes next to the House, where
theres less enthusiasm for it among
conservave Republicans. The House
Agriculture Commiee has delayed a
vote on the farm bill unl July 11, and
its uncertain when the full House will
vote. The 2008 farm bill expires at the
end of September.
One issue the Senate le unresolved
that the House will have to consider
is a division between northern and
southern farmers over safety nets.
The Senate bill makes major changes
in past pracces, eliminang direct
payments to farmers regardless
of whether they plant a crop and
replacing the payments with greater
emphasis on crop insurance and a
new revenue protecon plan that
compensates farmers for minor losses
unl crop insurance kicks in.
Northern and Midwestern corn and
soybean farmers support the change,
but southern rice and peanut farmers,
who have relied more heavily on direct
payments and a target price subsidy
that would also be eliminated, are
looking to the House to keep at least
some parts of the old system.
Senate supporters say the changes to
the subsidy programs will save $15
billion over the next 10 years. The
enre bill, with savings to conservaon
programs and food stamps, formally
known as the Supplemental Nutrion
Assistance Program, or SNAP, would
save the treasury $23 billion over that
period.
The Senate bill also limits subsidy
payments to those with adjusted gross
income of less than $750,000, half the
current ceiling, and caps payments at
$50,000 for an individual or $100,000
for a couple. An amendment approved
Wednesday would also reduce by 15
percentage points the taxpayer share
of crop insurance premiums for those
with incomes of more than $750,000.
The government now pays an
average 62 percent of crop insurance
premiums.
The bill also ends payments to farm
managers, somemes wealthy people
who may have an interest in a farm but
dont live on the property or acvely
engage in farming.
Food stamps connue to command
the great majority of farm bill dollars.
Spurred by the bad economy, there
are now 46 million people ge ng food
stamps, at a cost of about $80 billion
a year. Thats 80 percent of the enre
farm bill budget.
The farm bill does make an eort to
end abuse or misuse of SNAP benets.
Loery winners and college students
being supported by their non-low-
income families no longer qualify. The
bill cracks down on benet tra cking,
prevents liquor and tobacco stores
from accepng food stamps and
closes a loophole in which some states
give as lile as $1 a year in heang
assistance to people, even when they
dont have heang bills, to increase
their food stamp benets. That saves
about $4 billion over 10 years, a ny
part of the $770 billion the program
is expected to spend, and senators
rejected amendments that would have
made deeper cuts in the program.
The measure also diers from past
farm bills in paying more aenon to
what are called specialty crops, mainly
fruits and vegetables. It expands block
grants to states to support research
and promoon of specialty crops,
assists organic farmers and expands
support for farmers markets and
programs that help get healthy foods
to low-income areas.
Sll, there are numerous groups that
say the bill doesnt go far enough in
casng o old farm bill habits. The
conservave Club for Growth said it
sll asserts too much government
control in the private sector. The
public interest advocacy group U.S.
PIRG said the bill will connue the
current pracce of disproporonately
subsidizing the largest agribusinesses,
who are already protable and dont
need taxpayer handouts.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., long a
watchdog for special interest projects
included in highway and farm bills,
noted that the bill doesnt change the
program that protects sugar growers
from foreign compeon and creates
a new $3 billion program for coon
growers. He said there is also money
in the bill to improve the U.S. sheep
industry, study the health benets
of peas and lenls and plant trees in
urban parks.
10 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
HCR treats me
like family.
HCR Home Care provides culturally sensitive care
in the security and comfort of your own home.
Skilled Nursing
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Home Care Services Available:
Medical Social Work
Home Health Aides
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Registered Dietitians
At HCR Home Care, we understand and
recognize your cultural preferences regarding
health care. Our goal is to meet your home
care needs in a culturally-sensitive manner
that is most appropriate for you and your
family. We respect and support your family
traditions, religious beliefs, and facilitate your
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HCR is known for providing the best quality care get the peace of mind and comfort
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11 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Strokes Can Happen in Anyones Neighborhood
By Susan S. McDaniel, M.Ed. CCC-SLP
(Speech Language Pathologist at HCR
Home Care)
James Mullen lives in your
neighborhood; you probably have
seen him around. Maybe he is your
brother, your cousin, or your neighbor.
He is quiet in the morning, but the life
of the party at night. He has been like
that for years, and anyone who knows
James nds it hard not to like him.
When he started acng silly one night
and falling down, everyone thought
he was just being himself and goong
o. But that night was dierent from
most others. Actually, that night his
life was changed forever. A stroke
can do that to you, and a stroke did
just that to James. Once he got his
friends to nally recognize he wasnt
horsing around, they drove him to
the emergency department of a local
hospital where he remained for about
ten days.
Strokes occur more oen in the United
States than you may think. Stroke
is the third leading cause of death,
killing more than 150,000 American
Adults every year. And about four
million people live with post stroke
aects. In our region, the average rate
of hospitalizaon for strokes is 388
per 100,000, and African American
mortality rates for stroke are higher
than other groups (when compared to
Lanos and White/non-Lanos).
There are many risk factors that
can cause a stroke such as: High
blood pressure, diabetes, heart
disease, smoking, high cholesterol,
lack of exercise, excessive alcohol
consumpon, life style, ethnicity, and
diet. Symptoms of stroke include:
Weakness or numbness of the face,
arm or leg, especially on one side
of the body, a sudden confusion or
trouble talking or understanding,
sudden trouble moving or walking,
severe sudden headache, to name a
few.
Strokes happen suddenly and can
leave permanent damage; just ask
James. When he was discharged from
the hospital to go back home, James
could barely walk by himself because
of paralysis on his right side. When he
spoke, James talked in a so whisper
that was hard for everyone to hear.
He could not feed himself easily, as he
only had use of one hand. And for the
rst me in his life, James had been
prescribed several medicaons, all of
which he had to manage on his own.
It was at this point that James
physician realized he needed
assistance at home and ordered home
health services. The primary goal of his
muldisciplinary Stroke Rehabilitaon
Team was to make sure James could
live safely and independently at
home. James Social Worker located
a used refrigerator and a microwave
to replace the broken appliances in
his home. The Occupaonal Therapist
got him a one-handed can opener,
so he could open up canned foods
by himself. The Physical Therapist
worked with him on his walking and
balance so he could get in and out of
his apartment safely, and walk around
with the proper assisve device like a
cane. The Speech Pathologist worked
with James to get him use to a loud
voice regularly and encouraged him
to eat so foods to prevent choking.
Nurses who worked with James to
make sure he understood his new
medicaons and how to feed himself
through the gastrostomy tube (tube
inserted into his stomach because his
swallowing muscles were damaged by
the stroke).
The Stroke Team of HCR Home Care
worked with James unl he was able
to receive out-paent rehabilitaon
services at a local center where he
could connue his therapies. While
James may not be able to party as
he used to, he is sll walking around,
living independently by himself, and
spending me with his friends. He
is prey happy about that. A stroke
came on suddenly and changed his life
forever, but because of his therapies
and the detailed care of his stroke
team, James is living on his own, just
where he wants to be.
Susan McDaniel is Speech/Language
Pathologist with HCR Home Care
whose Transcultural Teams purpose
is reducing disparies in health
outcomes of African Americans and
other minority groups. HCR provides
nursing, therapy, home health aide
service, and companion care to older
adults in the comfort of their homes.
It is the only home care agency
in our region to be designated a
winner of the naonal Top 100 Home
Care Elite Award, and is a valued
partner of Minority Reporter and the
Perspecves TV show. To learn more
call us at 585-295-6590, or visit www.
hcrhealth.com.
Learn the National Stroke Associations
Act FAST test:

FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one
side of the face droop?
ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms.
Does one arm drift downward?
SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple
www.hcrhealth.com
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A message from the Boomer Mentor Project of Rochester Mentors at Lifespan.
Youve got what it takes
tomake a difference in
the life of a child.
Call 271-4050 or visit www.RochesterMentors.org
12 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Summer is sweet
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Romney Faces Lano Group
Amid Immigraon Debate
By STEVE PEOPLES |
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Mi Romney is
taking an economic-focused message
directly to Hispanic leaders, facing a
large gathering of the inuenal vong
bloc for the rst me since immigraon
was thrust into the forefront of the
presidenal contest.
The presumpve Republican
presidenal nominee on Thursday is
addressing the Naonal Associaon of
Lano Elected and Appointed O cials
in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. President
Barack Obama will speak to the same
group Friday.
Romney has struggled in recent days
to clarify his immigraon policy as he
pivots from the harsh rhetoric that
dened the monthslong GOP primary
to a general elecon audience in
which Lanos will play a crical role.
The stakes are high not only for states
with larger Hispanic populaons such
as Florida, Nevada and Colorado,
but for a growing number of other
balegrounds Ohio, North Carolina
and Virginia, among them where
even a modest shi among Lano
voters could be signicant.
At least 1 in 6 Americans is of Hispanic
descent, according to the Census
Bureau.
Were talking about a signicant
share of the American electorate that
could well decide this elecon, said
Arturo Vargas, execuve director of
the Lano associaon. Its only now
that both candidates are turning their
aenon to the Lano vote.
Romneys speech comes as the
Supreme Court prepares to render
judgment on a get-tough Arizona law
and aer Obama announced plans
to ease deportaon rules for some
children of illegal immigrants.
Obama is riding a wave of Lano
enthusiasm over his decision to allow
hundreds of thousands of illegal
immigrants to stay in the country
and work. Under the administraon
plan, illegal immigrants can avoid
deportaon if they can prove they
were brought to the United States
before they turned 16 and are younger
than 30, have been in the country for
at least ve connuous years, have no
criminal history, and graduated from
a U.S. high school or earned a GED or
served in the military.
The new policy could help anywhere
from 800,000 young immigrants,
the administraons esmate, to 1.4
million, the Pew Hispanic Centers
esmate.
Romney has refused to say whether he
would reverse the policy if elected, but
he has seized on the temporary status
of Obamas plan as his prime cricism.
The Republican has also highlighted
what he calls the presidents broken
promises to deliver comprehensive
immigraon reform during his rst
term.
These people deserve to understand
what their status will be long term,
not just 4 1/2 months, Romney said
on Fox News Radio this week. And
thats why I think its important for me
and for Congress to come together to
put together a plan that secures the
border, that insists that we have an
employment vericaon system and
that deals with the children of those
who have come here illegally on a long-
term basis, not a stopgap measure.
Both sides are craing aggressive
strategies to appeal to a demographic
that is by no means monolithic but
has supported Democrats in recent
elecons. Some Republicans fear
and Democrats hope that Obama
could capitalize on this moment
to help solidify Hispanic voters as
predominantly Democrac this fall and
for years to come, much as President
Lyndon Johnson hardened the black
vote for Democrats as he pushed the
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
As is typical, Romney intends to
focus on the economy when he faces
the Lano convenon. The former
Massachuses governor argues that
his economic credenals would benet
all people who have struggled under
Obamas leadership in recent years
women, younger voters and Hispanics
among them.
Thats a message that resonates with
Lanos, according to Vargas. Overall,
whats on the minds of the folks who
will be gathering here is the state of
the economy the need for more
jobs, he said. Lano workers have
suered.
Regardless of his focus, Romneys
appearance will draw aenon to his
recent rhetoric on the issue.
Facing a Rhode Island audience in
April, for example, Romney drew
large cheers when he said: We want
people to come here legally. And we
like it when they come here speaking
English.
He did not support the Obama
administraons lawsuit challenging
Arizonas hard-line immigraon law.
And he said that he would veto the
DREAM Act, which would have given
legal status to some children of illegal
immigrants.
Obama so far has vastly outspent
Romney on Spanish-language
television and radio. But Romney has
released targeted TV and radio ads in
Spanish, including some that feature
one of Romneys sons, a uent Spanish
speaker.
Romney is set to leave Florida later
Thursday en route to a three-day
retreat with fundraisers in Utah.
minority reporter
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13 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
NOW LEASI NG
20
Wegmans Concert by the Show Series
TIme: 7:00pm-9:00pm
Locaon: Ontario Beach Park Lake &
Beach Ave.
Featuring The Invictas
21 Mambo Kings
Time: 12:15pm
Locaon: Granite Mills Park - 82
Browns Race
Lan-Jazz ensemble featuring Afro-
Cuban rhythms and jazz improvisaon
26
Free Concert: SWAN (South West Area
Neighborhood) Community Band
Time: 3:00 p.m.
SWAN Band is a group of mul-
generaonal musicians who love
to entertain. Come to listen, enjoy,
dance, feel the rhythm of great music
with this neighborhood band, let by
Nate Rawls. INfo: (585) 428-8212
[voice]
30
Miss Puerto Rico of Rochester
Pageant Time: 3:00pm
Locaon: Rochester Museum &
Science Center 657 East Ave
Rochester, NY
Come support these young women
showcase their talent and culture as
we look to crown our new winners.
Cost: $10.00

July
6
Execuve Jibaritos Networking
Time: 5:30pm Locaon: Tapas 177
St. Paul St Rochester, NY
Come join us as we have our
networking event. Females wear your
countrys ower in your hair or colors
for a chance to win Puerto Rican
Fesval ckets. Males are encouraged
to wear Guayaberas. Cost: FREE!!!
13
Lano Night at the Public Market
Time: 6pm 10pm
Locaon: Rochester Public Market
Rochester, NY
In conjuncon with the City of
Rochester the Puerto Rican Fesval
brings you the annual installment of
Lano Night at the Public Market.
Live performances TBA. Come
support and enjoy good music. Cost:
FREE!!!
20-22
Puerto Rican Fesval
Theme: Remembering the Past,
Building the Future
Time: Friday 12pm - 11pm, Saturday
12pm - 11pm, and Sunday 12pm -
7:30pm
Locaon: Froner Field One Morrie
Silver Way Rochester, NY
Cost: $10.00 per day or $25 weekend
passes
Celebrang our 43rd annual Puerto
Rican Fesval. We will be joined by
Our Lan Thing, Nklabe, Luis Enrique,
Mario Hernandez, and Elvis Crespo.
21
SSGT Javier Orz Memorial 5k Race
and Fitness Walk
Time: 9:00am-10:30am (registraon
starng at 8am)
Locaon: Froner Field One Morrie
Silver Way Rochester, NY
Cost: $15.00 early registraon / $20
day of race
Race beneng the Veterans
Outreach Center. The race will
feature a kids fun run at 8:30, music,
and many other things. Come show
your support by running or walking.
Volunteer opportunies are available.
21
Puerto Rican Parade Time: 10:00am
Locaon: Liberty Poll Grand Marshals:
Ivee Salgado & Henry Soublet
21
Health Fair sponsored by Lifeme
Care Time: 2:00-5:00pm
Locaon: Froner Field One Morrie
Silver Way Rochester, NY Cost: FREE
(once inside PR Fesval premises)
In eorts to connue promong a
healthier lifestyle we will have: on-site
nurses, provide screening, workshops,
discuss results in private, tness
demos, and much more.
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www.blogtalkradio.com/filmstress
14 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.
STRAIGHTNO CHASER
Recent Examples of Racism 2012
One would think
that aer decades
of concentrated
a w a r e n e s s ,
a c t i v i t i e s ,
o r g a n i z a t i o n s ,
eorts, and events
to combat racism
more progress
would have been
made by 2012.
One would certainly
think that aer the
Civil War allegedly ended the peculiar
instuon called slavery that we could all
get along.
The late Rodney King oen given credit
for being the father of the Los Angeles
riots coined a phrase that is oen ignored:
Cant we all just get along?
Recent events that occurred in my lile
corner of the world suggest we may have
come a long way baby, but we have miles
to go in this ongoing bale with racism.
Most people who look like me are
accustomed to racial proling, and
recognize it occurs more so when certain
cars are being driven by men of color.
I have one friend who drives a car that
some young folks would die for. I wont
bother with too much of a descripon
because I dont want to contribute to the
potenal for harassment that accompanies
any cricism of law enforcement at mes.
Lets just say the vehicle has eight cylinders
and is an aenon-geer. My friend
recently stopped by a store in the burbs
in a small plaza.
Because parking was not a luxury he found
a space to the le of an inconsiderate
driver who had straddled lines when
parking his/her vehicle.
My friend managed to get his car in a
space that was alongside a handicapped
parking zone. He was unaware that his
front re was about an inch o the line
and sat inside the handicapped zone.
You just have to see the pictures to really
comprehend my descripon. His car in
no way prevented another vehicle from
ulizing the handicapped parking space,
but managed to get him a cket from a
less than sensive o cer of the law.
A cket he will ght, hopefully before a
judge that will determine how vindicve
the o cers a tude that wrote the cket
was.
My friend bit blood into his lip and tongue
trying hard not to respond to the nasty
a tude that accompanied this o cer in
the line of duty.
According to my friend the o cer in blue,
while wearing a gun, a billy club, and mace
dared him to say anything in protest of the
cket.
I honestly felt he would have wound up
behind bars if he had said anything that
could have been misinterpreted by the so-
called peace o cer.
Our recent heat wave has given rise to
another incident I perceive to be racially
movated.
Again, I will not name names to protect the
innocent. I invited four of my nephews
to take a dip in the pool. I am allowed to
entertain guests at this pool if I so choose
to.
My four nephews all stand about 6
feet 2 inches tall. Their pigmentaon
is representave of people of color; we
come in all avors.
These young men are all in college, home
for the summer and represent the posive
side of our community.
They are all in their twenes and by the
Grace of God have never been in jail.
They are not thugged out, drugged out
and any less than respecul to adults and
their elders. They are what most adults
would call nice young men, with a future.
So, why when they entered the pool
did others who did not share their
pigmentaon choose to leave? What
threat did they pose?
Did someone think they were going to
drink all the water or leave stains that
chlorine could not kill?
People literally went to the rental o ce to
complain about their presence I was told.
The rst day they came, armed with a
football they tossed, no one including the
lifeguard, found it to be a problem. It only
became a problem when they returned
the next day.
In trying to give folks the benet of the
doubt all I could do was revisit and old
movie in my mind where white kids were
pulled from a pool because a black kid
stuck their feet in the water.
The incident was surreal to me and was no
less than racially movated.
I couldnt help but imagine if four white
males in college would have been treated
with such disdain.
All I know is the cowards, reporters and
those who fear being in the presence
of young black males need to get over
themselves, because they will be back per
my invitaon.
Bullies never have done any more than
irritate me. I dont nor do I encourage
others to run from them. It is just sad to
me that in 2012 we sll have folks in the
community inmidated by presence alone.
If folks were acng out like some young
folks can, it is understandable.
But what we encountered, in my opinion,
was a mindset based solely on appearance,
along with the assumpon there was
going to be a problem. And they felt the
need to correct it even before a problem
manifested itself.
Yep, there were folks who seemingly were
in fear of their lives and ran for the hills,
but not before stopping by the rental o ce
to queson the four bucks in the pool.
They wanted an explanaon as to who
they were and who they were with. They
felt unsafe. They also assumed their
children were in harms way also because
they were sharing a pool with four young
men of color who were looking to do
nothing more than stay cool.
These are just some examples racism that
came across my radar screen this week. I
am condent there are more.
We all have to be careful and recognize to
paint a picture with broad strokes from a
brush can be dangerous. First impressions
are never wrong unl we take a second
look.
GLORIA WINSTON
AL-SARAG
----------------------------------
Gloria Winston Al-Sarag is a Community Activist, Writer,
Communicator, Political Activist. She is a native Roches-
terian and has been involved with numerous community
orgainzations in Rochester.
Contact Gloria at: JazzyG4202@aol.com
Why Schools Cant Discipline
I have discovered
over the years that
school sta has
lost the ability to
discipline students.
My father used to
say that he didnt
have to do anything
but stay black and
die; everything else
was a choice.
Some students live
by this literally!
They have chosen
not to comply
with even the most basic direcon given
by adults.
My theory is that school policies, pracces
and procedures in high density black and
Lano, urban districts have become so
rigid and prison like, that some children
have learned to push the envelope and
accept the worst punishments that we
have to oer.
And, in light of all of the local, state
and federal policy that governs schools,
what stay black and die students have
discovered and shared with the masses
of other students is that our worst
punishments arent so bad.
In one building I was in, a student slapped
the principal right across the face as hard
as she could.
They held a hearing and aer a ve-day
suspension, the student was allowed
back into school.
In a dierent school a child told the
principal to get the h--- out of his
face when he was asked to get into his
school uniform. Another student told the
principal to shut the h--- up when they
were asked to go to their class.
Some students feel that they are well
within their rights to address not only
their teachers, but the school principal
with disrespect and belligerence.
I shudder to think of what would have
happened if I ever cursed at, toward or
around my old principal, Dr. Thieme,
my dean, Mrs. Robinson or any of my
teachers.
I dont what to know what they or my
parents would have done and I wasnt
going to be the one who found out.
We have some very well-behaved
students in the Rochester City School
District. I can tesfy to this rst hand,
but when they witness other students
get away with egregious behavior over
and over again, and they realize those
students always come back as if nothing
happened, the enre system loses
credibility.
Students are very astute; they have seen
our hold card it is frightening.
Children intrinsically feel that adults in
school cant keep them safe because
legally, adults cannot even keep
themselves safe.
My best guess would be that some adult
in the district is cursed, pushed, hit or
worse at the hands of someones child.
The well-behaved child bears witness
to maladapve behaviors of a child who
misbehaves, gets put out of class, and
gets sent right back for the teacher to
provide a consequence.
In most cases, the children are not forced
to oer the teacher an apology for
DIANE
WATKINS
15 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
Monroe County Sheri Patrick OFlynn
Sll in the Wrong Aer Death of an Innocent Dog
Despite his
d e p a r t me n t s
support of the Do
The Right Thing
program, which
encourages kids to
do good in school,
respect adults,
stay out of trouble,
and tell the truth,
Monroe County
Sheri Patrick
OFlynn did the
wrong thing on Friday, June 15, when
he announced that the killing of Diablo,
an innocent, loving, family pitbull, by two
Monroe County Sheris depues was
jused.
Acng like a typical polician, OFlynn
intenonally waited unl the weekend to
announce what he knew would be very
unpopular news.
Then OFlynn, not only jused the
shoong of an innocent pet by his
depues, but it appears he also lied in an
aempt to cover up his depues acons.
Depues Shaun LeClair, and Ma Clancy
red at least four rounds at Diablo, with
at least one of those rounds penetrang
through the homes garage door,
ricocheng o the cement oor then going
through a garage window, nearly missing a
house next door.
One very disturbing thing is that it appears
that 7-year-old Diablo, was shot in the
back of the head, indicang that he was
retreang, and therefore contradicng
Sheri OFlynns claims that Diablo was
charging at the depues, in what he
referred to as an extremely aggressive
manner.
OFlynn, who inially stated that his
depues were dispatched to the home
for a call about a house party, changed
his story less than 48 hours aer the
shoong, saying that the reason they went
to the residence on Whitney Road was for
an illegally parked vehicle in front of the
residence.
Gary Brockler, Diablos owner, was in his
living room watching a movie when he
heard what he describes as several loud
bangs. When he opened his front door
and walked outside he saw LeClair, Clancy
and several other Monroe County Sheris
depues and his dog Diablo, laying in dead
in the driveway.
When asked why it takes several o cers
for an illegally parked vehicle, OFlynn
stuered, back-pedaled, then stated:
That is what I am trying to determine.
In announcing his decision that his
depues were jused, OFlynn made
no comments as to why it took several
o cers to come tell someone their vehicle
is parked illegally.
The only thing OFlynn said was that the
responding depues were alerted by a
Monroe County Sheris O ce sergeant
who had driven by Gary Brocklers
residence and noced the illegally parked
vehicle.
According to OFlynn the o cer had no
citaons with him so therefore could not
write any ckets.
That sll doesnt answer why it took
several Monroe County Sheris O ce
depues to respond for an illegally parked
car.
On Tuesday, June 5, 2012, shortly before
I held my rst Rally for Diablo outside
the Monroe County Sheris O ce
headquarters downtown, Patrick OFlynn
was on a local morning radio show
laughing about the planned rally outside
his o ce.
At one point, when the shows hosts joked
about a bunch of people holding candles
for some dog, and asked OFlynn if he
would be watching the rally from his o ce
window, OFlynn laughed and said he
would.
It was on that same radio show appearance
that OFlynn connued his cover up of the
incident.
In a commonly used law enforcement
tacc, and a clear aempt to take aenon
away from the publics outrage of his
departments shoong of an innocent pet,
OFlynn announced that someone had
posted a $1,000 bounty on Facebook for
anyone who would shoot the depues
involved in the shoong and killing of
Diablo.
As expected, local media ran with the
story, and, along with OFlynn connued to
spin this injusce, and take the aenon
away from the real issue that depues
LeClair and Clancy illegally entered Gary
Brocklers private property, and executed
his dog, ring at least four shots, recklessly
pu ng innocent peoples lives at risk.
Its interesng that, with todays
technology, where just about anything
and everything can be traced through a
persons ip address, etc., if in fact such an
incident had occurred, where someone
used the internet to threaten the lives
of two depues by oering a bounty
then why hasnt anyone in the Monroe
County Sheris O ce commented on this
incident?
Why havent there been any updates on
any invesgaon while aempng to
locate this individual? And why hasnt
anyone been arrested?
Perhaps, one of the most ironic and
disturbing things about this incident is that
OFlynn serves on the board of directors of
the Rochester Humane Society.
It seems to me that there is nothing
humane about two cops needlessly
shoong to death an innocent dog.
DAVY VARA
disrupng the educaonal process.
Lets take an historic trip through the halls
of student discipline in American schools
and compare it to where we are today.
Some methods that have been used
to insure student compliance have
been corporal punishment, detenon,
suspension or expulsion.
Corporal punishment a.k.a paddling, is
outlawed in 30 of the 50 states in the
U.S. It is perceived as one of the most
unpalatable of forms of disciplining
children in schools. NYS banned this
pracce in 1985 therefore this form of
discipline has no bearing on current
students.
Detenons (lunch & aer school) are
probably the most commonly used form
of discipline for RCSD students. For the
most part, the onus for administering
this form of discipline falls directly on the
classroom teacher.
Many mes what happens in middle and
high school is; the more undisciplined
students simply do not show up. They skip
both lunch and aer school detenons!
It then becomes the obligaon of the
classroom teacher to follow up with
the schools administraon to try to get
them to assign the student some form of
discipline.
Meanwhile, the student connues
to show up in class as if nothing ever
happened.
Somemes, administrators will assign
non-compliant students to the In-School
Suspension room and guess what? Some
of them skip that too!
They choose to stay home instead. This
kind of defeats the purpose because the
next levels of punishments include out-
of-school suspensions. Out-of-school
suspensions have also proven to be non-
eecve for the undisciplined student. It
is as if they are okay with being forced to
stay home.
The longest suspension that a principal
can assign, aer a hearing, is 5 days.
A superintendent can assign a longer
suspension.
The most severe and extreme form of
student discipline available to school
districts is expulsion. This means to put a
child out of school for an extended period
of me oen for an enre year.
In NYS, a child under the age of 17
cannot be expelled, for any reason. The
lack of ability for schools to eecvely
discipline is one reason that they have
become reliant on the Rochester Police
Department to deal with things like st
ghts or students refusing to leave school
grounds.
All in all, stas at RCSD schools do not
have the capacity to eecvely discipline
deant students. This is why it is so
important that parents have control, not
only over their childs behavior at home,
but how that child acts in public places,
including school.
If you have lost control of your child,
please get help from your family
members, friends, neighbors, your
pastor or any other caring soul because
schools have lost the ability to deal with
undisciplined children.
The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.
16 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012
7:30 pm: Steve Grills & the Roadmasters
9 pm: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Michael Butterman, Conductor
10 pm: Fireworks over Downtown
7:30 pm: Steve ve ve ve ve ve ve vvve Gr Gr Gr Gri GGr Gr Gr Gr Gr r Gr lls ll ll lls lls lls lls lls s lls lls & & the the the eee the eee he Ro Ro Ro Ro Ro Ro Ro Ro Roo RRoadm adm adm adm adm adm dm adm adm adm admast as as as as as as as as as ers
9 pm: Roches e ter Ph hhhhhhhil lha haarm rm rmon on on on ooooonic ic ic ccccc O OOOOOOOOOOOrc rrrrr hestra
Michael Butterm erman, an a Co Co CCC ndu ndu nd nddddd nd cto cc r
10 pm: Fire ewo work rks ss ov ov ov over rr er D DDDow o ntown
Main Street
at South Ave. &
Exchange Blvd.
With the Rochester
Philharmonic Orchestra
With the Rochester
Celebration
free parking at city garages:
souxe Avsus - counx sxnssx - sisxsn cixiss
Outside the city call 428-5990
ussxiosz cii a!! - www.cixvo=nocessxsn.cov