Worcester Is MAJOR!™: 2/27/11

NAACP: A New Day

L-R: Ravi Perry(President), Calvin Hill(Third VP), Andrea Park(Second VP), NaTonia Trammell(Secretary), April Slater(Asst. Secretary), Veronica Thomas(Treasurer), Elizabeth St.John(Executive Board Member), Dorothy Ware(Executive Board Member), Cedric Arno(First VP)

Today marked a new beginning for the NAACP in Worcester, which has laid dormant for over 8-years. Well, that all changed today with elections taking place at the Worcester Public Library.

What struck me as a huge plus, was the fact that the people that attended the meeting and elections were from various walks of life and showed just how diverse Worcester is.

There were women and men of various racial backgrounds, and people, genuinely, wanted to know what the National Office of the NAACP was planning to do with changing the perception that the NAACP was only for Blacks. While the National Office has a game plan of what's going to be done on the national level to change those perceptions, there's a void at the local level that will take creative minds and a willingness by the local chapter to do things differently.

Allow me to share the background of the NAACP:

The NAACP was formed partly in response to the continuing horrific practice of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield, the capital of Illinois and resting place of President Abraham Lincoln. Appalled at the violence that was committed against blacks, a group of white liberals that included Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard, both the descendants of abolitionists, William English Walling and Dr. Henry Moscowitz issued a call for a meeting to discuss racial justice. Some 60 people, seven of whom were African American (including W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell), signed the call, which was released on the centennial of Lincoln's birth.

And with a principal objective,"to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of United States and eliminate race prejudice. The NAACP seeks to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through the democratic processes."

I'm sure I'll post some other articles about the NAACP, the upcoming meetings and opportunities for you to become an active member of the chapter.

Here are two videos that I filmed with my phone.

Announcing the winners of the elections:

Swearing in of newly-elected members:

Labels: Diversity, elections, equality, local news, NAACP, people, race

Fuel prices: Steadily Rising

Luckily for me, I'm self-employed and don't have to drive alot other than local runs in the City. But, I've been watching the cost of gasoline continue to increase since the last quarter of 2010.

With the cost of oil already being expensive, many economist are predicting that this summer we may see fuels prices topping $4 a gallon! Damn!

Thank goodness for credit card promotions, along with grocery store "frequent buyer" programs, which allow me to save on gas dependent upon how much I spend on groceries.

So, after you've purchased gas, snap a picture and send it to WorcesterIsMAJOR[at]gmail.com along with where you were and I'll post them in on the site.

(I filled-up at Sunoco A-Plus on Southwest Cutoff near Greenwood Street. And, yes, I was running on "E".)

2012 Olympics: Velodrome

Having broken ground in March 2009, the 2012 Olympics velodrome is the first structure to be completed for the games.

The architectural team, Hopkins Architects, completed the building on time and within the budget. (City Square take note.)

The 6,000 seat arena boasts a 35-mile track that was built of sustainable Siberian pine by 26 carpenters over an 8-week period. The banks, a beautiful 42-degrees, with a long straight-away towards the finish that is going to be perfect for those last minute, gut busting, sprints, will surely make for some great races.

With sustainability being the key word for all Olympic venues, the velodrome employs a lightweight, cable-net roof construction that uses natural light and features a roof that captures the rainwater.

I'm sure Major Taylor Association is pleased with the facility. Now, if we can only get them to name it after the "Worcester Whirlwind", then, that would make it perfect!