Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. hosted the Essex County LGBTQ Pride Month Celebration on Tuesday, June 19. During the ceremony, DiVincenzo presented Pride of Essex County Awards James Credle, Diversity Consultant and Retired Dean at Rutgers University; Donovan Scott Linder, Outgoing President of RU Pride; Rev. Ann Ralosky, Senior Minister of First Congregational Church in Montclair; and the John J. Gibbons Fellowship in Public Interest & Constitutional Law for its commitment to tackle important public interest issues.
“We are proud to celebrate Essex County Pride Month and raise awareness about the LGBTQ community in Essex and how this segment of the population has contributed to the development of our County. Our year-long cultural heritage series recognizes the diversity of our residents and it is fitting that we include the LGBTQ community,” DiVincenzo said. “Mr. Credle, Mr. Linder, Rev. Ralosky and the Gibbons Fellowship have worked hard to provide support, promote understanding and protect human rights. They are exceptional people who have not always followed the popular path but have always done what is right,” he noted.
James Credle, a Newark resident, spent 38 years at Rutgers University in Newark before retiring in 2005 as Assistant Dean of Students. After serving in the Vietnam Conflict, he used the GI Bill to attend Rutgers, where he also attended law school and served as Director of the Office of Veterans Affairs. He helped establish and served as a board member with numerous organizations and services advocating for Vietnam and Vietnam Era Veterans. Credle also was a Gay/Human Rights activist/leader serving as the Co-Chair for Men of All Colors Together/New York; Co-Chair of its national organization, the National Association of Black and White Men Together; member of the “Gays for Jessie Jackson,” co-founder of Project “FIRE,” an HIV/AIDS education and prevention program in Newark, and co-founder of the Newark Pride Alliance. During his tenure at Rutgers, he was awarded the Human Dignity Award, the university highest award for service to a diverse community. He now works as a Food/Diversity Consultant.
“We understand very clearly the issue of marriage equality, however the challenge is much greater and much broader than that,” said Credle. “Here in America, LGBTIQ people are as poor and jobless as the rest of America, so we need to let them lean on us. There are people in our County that need our help and assistance. We need all of you to be persons they can lean on,” he added.
Donovan Scott Linder, an Edgewater Park resident, is the outgoing President of RU Pride. He graduated from Rutgers University in Newark with Bachelor’s Degrees in psychology and sociology. He plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. While serving as President of RU Pride for the last three years, the organization was recognized by the university as Student Organization of the Year in 2009-2010 and received an Educational Program Award. Linder has received the Dean James Credle Award, Emerging Leader Award, Campus Leader Alumni Scholarship, Angel Claudio Award, Psi Chi, the National Honors Society in Psychology and the Rutgers University 2012 Human Dignity Award, one of the University’s highest honors. He was also a Peer Advisor Student Coordinator in the Dean’s Office, NYC AIDS Walk team leader, Co-Chair of the Chancellor’s Office LGBT Task Force, a member of NJPAC LGBT advisory board, an Ambassador for Out for Undergraduate Business Conference and Managing Editor for the Observer Rutgers Newark newspaper.
“I am humbled to be receiving such a high honor. I received the Human Dignity Award, which is one of Rutgers University’s highest honors, but this really touches me on a greater level and I want to thank the County Executive and the Essex County LGBTQ Advisory Board. This award is only a testament to the young people in this County who are continuing the work that so many of our predecessors left for us to do. Throughout my tenure at Rutgers-Newark, I was a very busy person, but I must say none of these opportunities would have been possible without support from God, my family and friends and, most of all, my LGBTQ community,” said Linder. “These are the times when each of us has to put aside our differences and come together united with civil rights, marriage equality and things of that nature. I know it’s not always easy at times, but we have to look at the bigger picture and we owe it to our society to make it better each day. Progress is in the making, and I see a society where equality and justice for every citizen is mandated across the board,” he added.
Rev. Ann Ralosky, a Montclair resident, is the Senior Minister of First Congregational Church in Montclair, an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. The congregation voted to become ONA in 2005 and its membership is almost 40 percent LGBTQ singles, couples and families. The congregation is also the home of the Garden State Equality headquarters and has partnered with that organization to raise awareness and support for Marriage Equality. Prior to serving at FCC, Rev. Ralosky was the Protestant Chaplain at Montclair State University, was a strong supporter of the LGBT Center and created many opportunities for conversation and faith development for students, faculty and staff around the issue of faith, spirituality and sexual identity. In her role as ordained clergy, Rev. Ralosky has testified before the State Legislature in Trenton in support of Marriage Equality. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Fordham University in 1985 and her Masters of Divinity from Drew University in 2007 where she graduated summa cum laude.
“My part of the journey is being the Pastor of First Congregational Church. They are an extraordinary group of people. It is a blessing to be a part of that community and to allow that community to be a voice for equality, liberation and grace within Montclair and beyond. It is a privilege to receive this honor, and I hope that it will allow the light to shine a little brighter on our corner of Montclair, that it can be a beacon for equality in this County,” said Rolasky.
The John J. Gibbons Fellowship in Public Interest & Constitutional Law is sponsored by the Newark law firm of Gibbons, P.C. under the guidance of John J. Gibbons, former Chief Judge of the Third Circuit, and Lawrence S. Lustberg, Director of the Gibbons Fellowship Program. The Gibbons Fellows, together with the law firm, undertake public interest and constitutional law projects and litigation. The Fellowship Program has become widely known in New Jersey and nationally as a voice for the poor and underrepresented. In the New Jersey courts, the Fellowship has acted as one of several lead counsel challenging racial profiling on the New Jersey Turnpike; has long been an advocate for poor, inner city students in the landmark Abbott v. Burke school finance litigation; and has represented battered and low-income women in cases concerning domestic violence, criminal prosecution of pregnant women for injuries to their unborn fetuses, and denial of welfare to children in families already receiving welfare.
“We have fought for marriage equality and other issues in New Jersey, which I know will be a reality in this State sooner rather than later, and we will continue to fight until the end,” said Lawrence Lustberg, Executive Director of the Foundation. “We would do what we do without recognition, but we are extraordinary grateful for the recognition you give us today. On behalf of the Gibbons law firm and the John J. Gibbons Fellowship, we accept this award and thank the County Executive and the Essex County LGBTQ Advisory Board,” he added.
The Essex County LGBTQ Pride Month Celebration is the part of a yearlong cultural series created by County Executive DiVincenzo to highlight Essex County’s diversity. Other cultural heritage celebrations include African American History Month, Irish Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage, Portuguese Heritage and Latino Heritage. Created in December 2010, the Essex County Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Advisory Board is one of several volunteer advisory boards that discusses issues affecting the community and provides recommendations to the Essex County Executive.
Source: www.nj.com
Coryton Oil Refinery: Workers demonstrate at minister meeting - BBC News
Oil refinery workers from Essex facing redundancy are to demonstrate at a meeting at the Department of Energy and Climate Change later.
Union officials and local politicians are meeting energy minister Charles Hendry to discuss Coryton Refinery.
The Unite union has attacked moves to start laying off 180 workers.
The union said a buyer could be found for the site which went into administration when the owner, Swiss-based Petroplus, collapsed in January.
Unite national officer Linda McCulloch said: "Unite will be asking for an update at the meeting on any bid that is on the table to safeguard Coryton and the 850 jobs under threat.
"We have called for short-term state aid to tide over Coryton until a viable purchaser is found.
"The Coryton workers are demonstrating outside DECC to drive home the message that the refinery can have a viable future if the necessary political will is there.
"The closure of the plant would be a disaster for the workforce and the surrounding local economy."
About 180 jobs will be cut next week at the refinery, its administrator PwC has announced.
The administrator has confirmed that while it continues to work with various parties which have expressed an interest in acquiring the Coryton site, it was highly unlikely that it would be sold as a refinery.
Last week the government ruled out state aid for the plant, saying that "overcapacity in the refining industry and declining demand for petrol mean that it would not be sustainable for government to provide assistance".
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Quick change! TOWIE's Sam Faiers swaps her frumpy lace dress for a sexy LBD as she heads to dinner with Joey Essex after Amazing Spider-Man premiere - Daily Mail
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She may have worn a black lace dress especially for The Amazing Spider-Man premiere, but it seems Sam Faiers couldn't wait to get changed out of her fussy gown.
Following her appearance on the red carpet, the 21-year-old found the time to change into another garment to enjoy a dinner date with her boyfriend Joey Essex.
The Only Way Is Essex stars were spending the whole evening together and decided to round their night off with a meal at Langan's in Mayfair.
Different looks: Sam Faiers arrived at The Amazing Spider-Man premiere in a long lace dress but changed into an LDB for her dinner date with Joey Essex (R)
Where's your other dress gone? Sam emerged from Langan's in Mayfair wearing a plunging LBD and patent heels
When they arrived at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square, the happy couple spent time posing together on the red carpet before Joey left her side and allowed her to work the camera on her own.
The long-sleeved Maria Qureshi dress featured an all-over black lace pattern and Sam wore the garment with minimal accessories and a severe quiff.
Joey had made just as much effort by wearing a smart black suit, a white shirt and a bright red tie.
He decided to remain in his outfit for their romantic meal, but somewhere along the way, his girlfriend slipped into a different look altogether.
Ready for the red carpet: The 21-year-old posed for photos at the Odeon Leicester Square wearing a lace Maria Qureshi dress
Special day: Sam and Joey were celebrating their one month anniversary after deciding to give their romance another go
As they emerged from the restaurant, Sam's tall quiff was still in tact but her floor-length gown was nowhere to be seen and instead she was showing off her tanned legs in a little black number by Lisa Jayne Dann.
The low-cut garment featured thin straps and Sam teamed it with a pair of patent heels and a silver necklace as Joey pecked her on the cheek.
The Essex pair were actually celebrating their one-month anniversary yesterday after they decided to give their romance another go.
However, Sam was apparently annoyed with Joey and tweeted earlier in the day: 'Looking forward to the spider man premiere tonight with @JoeyEssex_ ... Whos in my bad books .. ;-) tut tut.'
Moving on? The pair are apparently in talks about starring in their own spin-off show
But Joey's response was rather sweet, with him saying: '@SamanthaFaiers well I'll make it up to you tonight. Its our 1 month Anniversary today I can't be in the bad books!!!'
The couple are apparently planning their own spin-off show as they apparently see themselves as the next Katie Price and Peter Andre.
According to The Sun, Sam and Joey were spotted leaving a London hotel last week following a meeting regarding their future TV plans.
'Sam and Joey were talking about how they were going to do their own spin-off show and how they’d love it to be on ITV2,' an insider told the newspaper.
'Joey said he thought Sam would be perfect starring in her own show and that people would finally get to see her funny side.'
However, at the weekend Joey’s manager denied anything concrete, saying: 'There is nothing official being discussed yet and there are no plans for Joey to go anywhere at the minute. But the guys may chat about ideas they have.'
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Sussex Police hunt for suspect in Arundel rape case - thisissussex.co.uk
Sussex Police are trying to trace a man who is wanted in connection with a rape near Arundel in 2010.
Detectives are urging members of the public to come forward with any information they may have concerning the whereabouts of Abdul Bieeu, 23.
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Police want to speak to Abdul Bieeu
Mr Bieeu has already been arrested in connection with the rape but he was released on bail and failed to answer bail.
It is thought he may have gone to Libya for a time but may have now returned.
The rape, where the victim was a 19-year-old woman, took place on the site of a Comfort Inn Hotel in Lyminster Road, Lyminster between the 8th and 9th of September 2010.
Mr Bieeu is also known as Marney Rafah, Abdel Sadik, Marney Bieeu and Abdel Sadiq.
A second man has been arrested and charged with rape in relation to this incident. He is Richard Wooster, 24, of Highfield, Wick. He has pleaded not guilty to the offence and is due to appear on trial at Chichester Crown Court on September 3rd 2012.
Detective Constable Andrea Watts of West Sussex CID said: "We have been working to establish Mr Bieeu's whereabouts but have been unable to trace him so far. We are appealing for anyone who has information about his whereabouts to contact police.
"It was believed that he may have gone to Libya for a short time and may have now returned. He also has links to Manchester, Bolton, Chester and Southsea.
"Mr Bieeu has been known to work for cash-in-hand at restaurants and bars and may be using a different name."
If you have any information about his whereabouts please contact Sussex Police on 101 quoting serial 297 of 9/9 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Source: www.thisissussex.co.uk
Kent And Jill Easter, California Couple, Accused Of Planting Drugs In Parent Volunteer's Car - Huffington Post
IRVINE, Calif. — A California couple was charged Tuesday with felony conspiracy and false imprisonment for allegedly planting drugs in the car of an elementary school parent volunteer they disliked because they felt she didn't properly supervise their son, prosecutors said.
Kent Easter, 38, of Irvine, planted prescription painkillers, marijuana and a marijuana pipe in the woman's car and then called police to say he had seen her hide the drugs in her car, according to the district attorney's office. Easter was in constant contact with his wife, Jill, by cellphone and text message as he did so, prosecutors said.
Investigators interviewed the school volunteer for two hours but turned their attention to the Easters when they realized the woman was in class at the time Kent Easter accused her of hiding drugs in her car, authorities said. She also vigorously denied knowledge of the drugs.
A video surveillance camera captured Kent Easter calling Irvine police from a business center in a hotel near his legal office, prosecutors said.
Kent Easter did not return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday.
The couple will be arraigned July 17.
If convicted on all charges, they would face a maximum of three years in prison.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
DOWN MEMORY LANE: A family historian’s dream - Chichester Observer
A wonderful resource for family historians whose families lived in West Sussex north of the Downs 100 years ago has just been made searchable online by West Sussex Record Office.
This is the catalogue of photographic portraits of more than 7,600 former inhabitants of the area, which were taken by the photographer Walter Kevis of Petworth between c1876 and 1908.
Walter Kevis was born in 1854, in London, the son of James Kevis, a licensed victualler, and Harriet his wife.
At some time between 1861 and 1871, Harriet died, and it is likely the family household broke up.
James went into private service, and it may be that Walter went into service during that period.
In 1875 he was briefly in service at Petworth House as a footman.
He established himself in Petworth as a photographer in c1876. From the surviving negatives he produced, it seems likely that much of his time was spent in making portraits.
Negatives
Kevis retired in 1908 and left his negatives in his studio in Lombard Street, Petworth.
The shop below was taken over by his nephew, Henry Earle, who carried on the tobacconist’s side of the business until his death in 1950.
After his death, the negatives were rescued by George Garland, himself a Petworth photographer.
When Garland died in 1978 the Kevis negatives were bequeathed to the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester, as part of the Garland Collection, along with his own negatives.
The Kevis portraits have been indexed by Roy and Sheila Morgan, two long-standing volunteers at the Record Office, who undertook the long and arduous job with their customary dedication and efficiency.
Sheila then transferred the data onto a spreadsheet which could be transferred on to the computer system, and uploaded onto the internet.
Portraits
Despite their uncertain history, the negatives are mostly in excellent condition, and the photography is of a very high standard.
The majority of the portraits are taken in Kevis’ studio, with his scenery and props, which were designed to give people something to lean on or hold onto, so they could keep absolutely still for the long exposure time needed.
The collection includes every rank of society, from Lord and Lady Leconfield at Petworth House to a workhouse inmate.
It includes more than 300 portraits of people in service at Petworth House, where Kevis himself was a footman for a short time, and a smaller number of portraits of servants in other great houses in the area.
Some of the servants were photographed in their livery or working clothes.
There are also portraits of soldiers and sailors, policemen and firemen, a post man and a nurse, all in their respective uniforms.
Information
There is the sad portrait of Harriet Holden, the invalid daughter of John Holden, on her sick bed, probably shortly before she died in 1884, aged 23.
And there are even portraits of people’s pets – dogs, cats, and even Miss Daintry’s pet rat.
The only information we have about any of the subjects of the portraits is what was written on the envelope in which they were kept.
The information which has survived about each negative is variable, sometimes consisting only of a surname, or there may be a surname and a parish or house name, and a date.
It is hoped that as more people become aware of the collection, in many cases descendants will be able to add information about the subjects of the portraits.
For some lucky people, the Kevis Collection will give them their first opportunity to see the faces of their ancestors.
The Kevis Collection also includes more than 600 images which are not portraits. These include local views, objects, and groups such as wedding parties, schools, servants, and cricketers, The catalogues of these have also been added to the database.
Get in touch
Have you got a memory you would like to see featured on the Down Memory Lane page?
You can email vintage@chiobserver.co.uk or write to The Observer, Unicorn House, 8 Eastgate Square, Chichester, PO19 1JN.
Email to a friend
Print this pageSource: www.chichester.co.uk
Tricycle theatre's new director aims for more diverse audience - The Guardian
The Tricycle theatre on Kilburn High Road, in north-west London, is opposite Planet Pizza and Lanny's Barbar (sic) Shop. The entrance is discreet and the auditorium only seats 240, but since its foundation 32 years ago this small theatre has packed a hefty theatrical punch, pioneering tribunal plays, constructed from verbatim accounts of public inquiries, such as Half the Picture, based on the Scott inquiry into arms sales to Iraq by British companies, and The Colour of Justice, based on the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.
For 28 of those years it was ruled by Nicolas Kent, but last year he announced he was stepping down as artistic director because of a £350,000 cut in the theatre's grant – a third of its subsidy. Kent is a hard act to follow, especially in straitened financial times, but Indhu Rubasingham, who formally took over from Kent a month ago and this week announces her first season, is as yet showing no signs of strain.
"I'm an optimist," she says. "The opportunity here is fantastic. You can change ways of thinking. Having been resistant to taking on a building, I've realised the potential is huge. As a freelance director I used to be a commitment-phobe – it was like having a string of affairs. But now I feel I've finally got married."
She recognises the financial pressures will be considerable, but the Arts Council has at least agreed to cushion the impact of the cuts in her first year.
Rubasingham, 42, wants to attract a younger and more diverse audience to the Tricycle, and her first season – four shows running from October – has a crowd-pleasing feel. Her debut show, which she will direct, is the world premiere of Red Velvet, a play by Lolita Chakrabarti about Ira Aldridge, Britain's first black classical actor. Rubasingham's trump card is that Chakrabarti's husband, Adrian Lester, will star as Aldridge.
Red Velvet is followed by a Christmas show – a first for the Tricycle – based on the Arabian Nights; a comedy called One Monkey Don't Stop No Show about a middle-class black family in Philadelphia, which Rubasingham describes it as "The Cosby Show meets restoration comedy"; and Paper Dolls, another play with music (a term she prefers to musicals) about Filipino care workers in Tel Aviv who in their spare time form a cross-dressing cabaret group. "It's about immigration, Israel, religion, sexuality – and it's got music!" she says, making it sound like a Jewish-Filipino Full Monty.
The trick will be to attract new audiences that better reflect the local community, the most diverse in London, without losing the old predominantly white, professional one. She reckons that if she can engage the myriad cultures that swirl around the Kilburn High Road, then by definition the work she is putting on has more than local significance. "I'm interested in looking at the world through different lenses," she says, "and if I'm speaking locally, I'm speaking internationally."
How hard is it to follow someone who did the job for so long? "It's very daunting," she admits. "Tricycle and Nic Kent are symbiotic, and there aren't many theatres like that." Some have suggested that he will still try to pull the strings from afar, but Rubasingham is sure he will let go. She has no plans to carry on the tradition of tribunal plays – the starry daily drama of Leveson suggests they would in any case find it hard to compete with the real thing.
Rubasingham was born in Sheffield to parents who had migrated from Sri Lanka – her father was a doctor and she was heading in the same direction until a stint doing work experience at Nottingham Playhouse as a 16-year-old – but she doesn't want to be characterised as one of that rare breed, "Asian women in the theatre". "I'm wary of reductiveness," she says. "I've done Asian plays, black plays, white plays. My passion is new writing." Some have suggested the fact she is female and of Asian origin made her the perfect candidate for the Tricycle. Does that rankle? "People can say what they want," she says. "It was my artistic vision that got me the job."
She is the latest in a string of women to secure prominent artistic directorships, following Vicky Featherstone at the Royal Court and Josie Rourke at the Donmar. Why this sudden trend? "I don't think there's any conscious decision to appoint lots of women artistic directors," she says. "I just think there's a lot of talent out there." Will they bring a different perspective? "It's really hard to answer that," she says, betraying a hint of exasperation. "It would be like me asking you what do white male journalists bring? To try to say the three of us have something in common because of our gender is ridiculous."
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Did Joey understand Spiderman??
- HuttonDressedasLahm, Oxford, 20/6/2012 00:36
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