MIRA
INFORM REPORT
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Report Date : |
02.09.2011 |
IDENTIFICATION DETAILS
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Name : |
MLK SRL |
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Registered Office : |
Via Circonvallazione Ovest 13/A Valenza, 15048 |
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Country : |
Italy |
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Financials (as on) : |
31.12.2010 |
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Date of Incorporation : |
10.06.2005 |
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Com. Reg. No.: |
02086120066 |
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Legal Form : |
Private Independent |
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LINE OF BUSINESS : |
MANUFACTURE
OF JEWELLERY AND RELATED ARTICLES NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED |
RATING & COMMENTS
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MIRA’s Rating : |
B |
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RATING |
STATUS |
PROPOSED CREDIT LINE |
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26-40 |
B |
Capability to overcome financial difficulties seems comparatively below
average. |
Small |
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Status : |
Moderate |
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Payment Behaviour : |
No Complaints |
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Litigation : |
Clear |
NOTES :
Any query related to this report can be made
on e-mail: infodept@mirainform.com
while quoting report number, name and date.
ECGC Country Risk Classification List – March 31st, 2011
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Country Name |
Previous Rating (31.12.2010) |
Current Rating (31.03.2011) |
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Italy |
A2 |
A2 |
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Risk Category |
ECGC
Classification |
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Insignificant |
A1 |
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Low |
A2 |
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Moderate |
B1 |
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High |
B2 |
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Very High |
C1 |
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Restricted |
C2 |
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Off-credit |
D |
Company name and address
Mlk SRL
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Business
Description
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Mlk SRL is primarily engaged in production of worked pearls;
production of precious and semi-precious stones in the worked state. Included
is the working of industrial quality stones and synthetic or reconstructed
precious or semi-precious stones; working of diamonds; manufacture of
jewellery of precious metal or of base metals clad with precious metals, or
precious or semi-precious stones, or of combinations of precious metal and
precious or semi-precious stones or of other materials; manufacture of
goldsmiths’ articles of precious metals or of base metals clad with
precious metals (dinnerware, flatware, hollow-ware, toilet articles, office
or desk articles, articles for religious use, etc.). This class also
includes: personalised engraving on objects of precious metals. |
Industry
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Industry |
Jewelry and Silverware |
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ANZSIC 2006: |
2591 - Jewellery and Silverware
Manufacturing |
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NACE 2002: |
3622 - Manufacture of jewellery and
related articles not elsewhere classified |
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NAICS 2002: |
339911 - Jewelry (except Costume)
Manufacturing |
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UK SIC 2003: |
3622 - Manufacture of jewellery and
related articles not elsewhere classified |
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US SIC 1987: |
3911 - Jewelry, Precious Metal |
Key Executives
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News
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1 - Profit & Loss
Item Exchange Rate: USD 1 = EUR 0.7550783
2 - Balance Sheet Item Exchange Rate: USD 1 = EUR 0.7454064
Corporate Overview
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Executives Report
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Traffic disruptions -
Aug. 29
Akron Beacon Journal (OH): 29 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
Aug. 29--Here is a
list of road and lane closings in the Akron area:
Major highways
abruptly closed: None.
Other road
construction:
AKRON
--Interstate 76 in
Akron: I-76/I-77 between state Route 59 (Akron Innerbelt) and the Kenmore leg
will be reduced to two lanes in each direction from 7 to 9 p.m. and to one lane
from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly in both directions for resurfacing until further
notice.
-- ?Riverview
Road, at Smith Road intersection: Closed through the end of November for
construction of a roundabout. A temporary road will be constructed to carry
traffic from Smith to Riverview and vice versa south of the intersection, but
there will be no traffic north of the intersection from the south or west.
Access to points north of the intersection will be from Bath Road. Southbound
traffic will be detoured via Bath, Yellow Creek and Sand Run roads.
--All-America
Bridge, between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Olive Street: Various lane
restrictions for fence installation on the Y-Bridge through October. Traffic
will be detoured via Olive Street, Howard Street and MLK.
--Hilbish Avenue,
between Wedgewood Drive and Cramer Avenue: Bridge replacement near Wedgewood
until Sept. 10. Traffic will be maintained on both sides of the bridge but
there will be no through traffic. A detour is posted.
--Massillon Road,
between Harding Avenue and Spade Avenue: Lane restrictions for sanitary sewer
improvements until March.
--Tallmadge
Avenue, between state Route 8 and Home Avenue: Traffic is reduced to one lane in
each direction for road construction until the end of October.
--Home Avenue,
near Howe Avenue: Construction in the Home-Howe-Main intersection in Cuyahoga
Falls may cause delays because of lane reductions until the end of September.
--South Main
Street, between Firestone Boulevard and Waterloo Road: Lanes will be restricted
to accommodate construction through August. South Main is narrowed to one lane
in each direction from near Selden Avenue to Waterloo, a distance of about
one-third mile, for the next few months for pavement repair. New curbs, gutters
and sidewalks will also be installed.
--Bartges Street,
between Pier Drive and South Main Street: Closed until the end of September for
replacement of the bridge over the Ohio & Erie Canal and completion of the
Towpath Trail through Akron. Detours are posted. Traffic will be maintained on
both sides of the canal to all driveways and side streets.
--East Mill
Street, from Summit Street to College Street: Closed for bridge reconstruction
until the end of September. A detour is posted.
Elsewhere in
Summit County:
-- ?Portage Lakes
Drive, between Peach Drive and Cormany Road in Coventry Township: A portion of
the road will be closed because of erosion until further notice. Traffic will
be detoured during normal working hours, with routes posted. During evening
hours and weekends, a temporary signal will allow alternating one-way traffic
flow at the work zone. Access to local properties and the state park will be
maintained at all times.
--State Route 619
and Arlington Road in Green: Arlington from Liberty Green Drive (just north of
Route 619) to the intersection of Interstate 77 has been reopened to two lanes
in both directions, except for Arlington southbound between I-77 and Arlington
Ridge where there is only one through lane and one right-turn lane. The
widening and reconstruction project will continue until October.
--State Route 8,
between Hines Hill Road and state Route 303 in Boston Heights: There may be
lane restrictions in both directions from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. nightly for
resurfacing, until further notice.
-- ?Highland Road,
between state Route 8 and Valley View Road in Macedonia: Closed until early
October for roadway construction as part of a project to construct a railroad
bridge. A detour will be posted.
MEDINA COUNTY:
-- ?I-76, between
I-71 and state Route 57 in Guilford Township: Reduced to one lane of traffic in
each direction for a pavement rehabilitation project. It is to be completed in
mid-September.
-- ?U.S. 42/U.S.
224 in Harrisville Township: U.S. 42, from Congress Road to U.S. 224, and on
U.S. 224 from U.S. 42 to Lake Road, is reduced to one lane of traffic in each
direction for a surfacing project. It is expected to be completed at the end of
August.
-- ?U.S. 42, from
state Route 421 to the Medina city limits: Reduced to one lane of two-way
traffic maintained by flaggers for pavement resurfacing until mid-September.
--State Route 303,
between Lawn Street and state Route 252 in Valley City: Reduced to one lane of
two-way traffic using a temporary signal for bridge repair. It is to be
completed by mid-October.
--State Route 421,
just west of state Route 83 in Lodi: Closed for bridge replacement. It will be
completed in early September.
-- ?Hubbard Valley
Road, between Greenwich Road and Blake Road in Guilford Township: Closed
through Oct. 21 for a bridge replacement.
-- ?Bell Road,
between Sterling Road and Lee Road in Guilford Township: Closed until about
mid-October for a bridge replacement.
-- ?Plumcreek
Parkway, between Sleepy Hollow Road and Hamilton Road in Brunswick Hills
Township: Closing Thursday for brush removal on a bridge.
PORTAGE COUNTY:
-- ?Crain Avenue
project in Kent: Crain Avenue, from the east side of Water Street to North
Depeyster Street, is closed through late September; North Water Street from
Brady Street to Lake Street/Crain Avenue is closed through late September; and
traffic on Lake Street is shifted onto temporary pavement with single westbound
and eastbound lanes. The westbound turn lane will be removed. Access to homes
and businesses will be maintained. Detours are posted.
--State Route 14,
between Interstate 480 and the Ohio Turnpike ramps in Streetsboro: Reduced to
one lane in each direction for paving from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly until
further notice. Route 14 from just south of state Route 303 to Diagonal Road is
also reduced to one lane for paving.
--State Route 43,
from state Route 82 to Squires Road in Aurora: The road is reduced to one lane
in each direction for road construction until early September. It is part of a
project to widen and resurface about two miles of Route 43.
-- ?Interstate 76
in Edinburg and Palmyra Township: Until further notice, I-76 in both directions
from just east of state Route 14 to the Mahoning County line will have various
daily and nightly lane restrictions for resurfacing. At least one lane of
traffic will be maintained at all times.
--I-76 in Palmyra
Township: McClintocksburg Road over I-76 is closed until late September for
bridge reconstruction. A detour is posted. I-76 under McClintocksburg Road has
various lane restrictions for bridge construction. The work is to be completed
in late September.
STARK COUNTY:
--MLK Viaduct
Bridge, between East Patterson and South Liberty streets in Alliance: Closed
until mid-October for bridge construction. A detour is posted.
--State Route 153
in Louisville: Michigan Avenue between Route 153 and Howard Street is closed
through early September for roadway construction. A detour is posted. Route 153
from Fruitland Avenue to Constitution Avenue is reduced to one lane in each
direction until further notice for storm-sewer construction and sanitary-sewer
relocation.
--55th Street
closing in Plain Township: Between East Center, Middlebranch Avenue and Harmont
Street at the bridge until further notice. There will be no through traffic.
Detour using Middlebranch, U.S. 62 and Harmont.
-- ?State Route
172, from the East Canton limits to Trump Avenue: There are various lane
restrictions for culvert replacement and roadway resurfacing. It is expected to
be completed in late September.
-- ?State Route
800 in East Sparta: There will be various lane restrictions just north of the
village limits to repair a slope along the shoulder of the road until late
September.
WAYNE COUNTY:
-- ?I-71, near the
Wayne/Medina County line: There will double-lane closings in each direction for
spot paving nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday night through Friday morning
until late September. One lane will be maintained in each direction at night.
--U.S. 30, from
Kansas Road to the Stark County line in Sugar Creek Township: Reduced to one
lane in each direction for resurfacing until late September.
-- ?U.S. 42, just
north of Wiley Road in Congress Township: Reduced to one lane of traffic with a
temporary signal for a bridge replacement project. Wiley Road is also closed.
The work is to be completed in early September.
--U.S. 42, from
just north of the Ashland County line in Congress Township to Congress Road in
Harrisville Township: Reduced until mid-October to one lane of two-way traffic.
-- ?State Route 3,
just north of Steiner Road in Canaan Township: Closing Tuesday for a culvert
replacement. A detour will be posted. It is expected to reopen at the end of
September.
-- ?State Route 302,
just south of Overton Road in Wooster Township: Closed for a bridge replacement
until the end of August. A detour is posted.
-- ?State Route
83, from state Route 302 to the Holmes County line: Restricted to one lane of
two-way traffic maintained by flaggers for a surfacing project until Wednesday.
ELSEWHERE IN
NORTHEAST OHIO:
--I-77 project to
add a lane in Brecksville, Broadview Heights and Independence: Daily and
nightly lane closings are expected. The project adds a lane between Oakes Road
and Rockside Road and is to be completed in October.
--I-77 bridge deck
replacement in Brecksville, Broadview Heights and Independence: Lacey Lane over
I-77 in Broadview Heights is reduced to one lane of two-way traffic with a
temporary signal through early September. Chestnut Road over I-77 in
Independence is reduced to one lane of two-way traffic with a temporary signal
until late August. Highland Drive over I-77 in Brecksville is reduced to one
lane of two-way traffic with a temporary signal through late August. Lacey Lane
over I-77 in Broadview Heights is reduced to one lane of two-way traffic with a
temporary signal through early September. Valley Parkway over I-77 in
Brecksville is maintained with one lane of two-way traffic with a temporary
signal until further notice. Nightly lane closings are expected on I-77 in both
directions between Pleasant Valley Road and the Ohio Turnpike from 7 p.m. to 6
a.m. for work on bridges. The project replaces the decks along I-77 at Chestnut
Road, Harris Road, Lacey Lane, Oakes Road, Valley Parkway, Highland Drive and
Snowville Road. Work is to be completed in September.
Traffic planners:
Please fax traffic updates to 330-996-3033. �
___
(c)2011 the Akron
Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)
Visit the Akron
Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) at www.ohio.com
Distributed by MCT
Information Services
BRIEF: State
Police issue 66 tickets, 19 warnings at roadside check
Belleville News-Democrat (IL): 29 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
Aug. 29--Illinois
State Police troopers issued 66 citations and 19 warnings Friday in East St.
Louis during a roadside safety check.
The check was held
on MLK Drive at Collinsville Avenue and funded through a grant from the U.S.
Department of Transportation. The grants are to help law enforcement
departments man the roadside safety checks in an effort to reduce and remove
alcohol-impaired drivers from the road.
The following
citations were issued:
-- Alcohol/drug
arrests: 24
-- Registration
offenses: 9
-- Drivers license
offenses: 13
-- Seatbelt
violations: 18
-- Other traffic
offenses: 1
-- Criminal
arrest: 1
___
(c)2011 the
Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Ill.)
Visit the
Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Ill.) at www.bnd.com
Distributed by MCT
Information Services
USPTO ISSUES
TRADEMARK: GWIPES
U.S. Fed News: 29 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
ALEXANDRIA, Va.,
Aug. 29 -- The trademark GWIPES (Reg. No. 4014761) was issued on Aug. 23 by the
USPTO.
Owner: Down to
Earth Designs, Inc. CORPORATION OREGON Suite g 2808 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.Portland
OREGON 97212.
The trademark
application serial number 85062583 was filed on June 14, 2010 and was
registered on Aug. 23.
Goods and
Services: Baby wipes. FIRST USE: 20100609. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20100609
For any query with
respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor
at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
MARTIN LUTHER
KING, JR. MEMORIAL BECOMES 395TH NATIONAL PARK
U.S. Fed News: 29 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
WASHINGTON, Aug.
29 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior'sNational Park Service issued the
following press release:
The National Park
Service formally welcomed the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial as America's
395th national park on August 28 - the 48th anniversary of Dr. King's "I
Have a Dream" speech, delivered in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln
Memorial. The National Park Service also emphasized its commitment to working
closely with the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Foundation to reschedule the
ceremonial dedication planned for Sunday that was unfortunately postponed due
to Hurricane Irene.
"Welcoming
this memorial to the National Mall honors a heroic man and a critical chapter
in our nation's march toward a more perfect union," said Secretary of the
Interior Ken Salazar. "Martin Luther King, Jr., mobilized the power of
faith and morality to break the chains of oppression that held our nation back.
I commend the MLK Foundation and Harry Johnson for their tireless work in making
this memorial a reality, so that we may always be reminded of the work that is
yet to be done to achieve Dr. King's dream and a more perfect union."
"Forty-eight
years ago, Dr. King took to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and challenged
our nation to fulfill his dream of equality for all Americans," said the
National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "On the anniversary of
that speech, we are proud to add the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to
National Park System as a lasting tribute to this American hero. We look
forward to working with the MLK Foundation to reschedule the formal dedication
and hope that many of the tens of thousands of people who had planned to attend
will be able to participate."
In 1996, Congress
authorized Dr. King's fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, to establish a memorial to
the civil rights leader in Washington, DC. The group formed the Martin Luther
King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation and held a competition for the
design. A site along the Tidal Basin of the National Mall was chosen for the
memorial.
After 15 years of
effort, a granite likeness of Dr. King emerges from the memorial's Stone of
Hope and stands resolutely between iconic monuments to Thomas Jefferson and
Abraham Lincoln.
"From World
War II to Vietnam Veterans, from Lincoln to Jefferson and now to King, the
memorials and monuments along the National Mall are where millions of visitors
every year learn about our history," said Bob Vogel, superintendent of the
National Mall and Memorial Parks. "The National Park Service is honored to
serve as the keeper of America's story, and with this new memorial, to have
this incredible venue from which to share the courage of one man and the
struggle for civil rights that he led."
The memorial to
Dr. King is part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks and is open to the
public. National Park Service rangers provide programs for visitors and answer
questions. For more information and photographs, please see www.nps.gov/mlkm.
For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement,
please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
The Herald-Sun,
Durham, N.C., Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan column
Herald-Sun (Durham, NC): 28 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
Aug. 28--In my
first draft of this column, written before the hurricane bore down on the East
Coast, I wrote that the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. National
Memorial would occur "Lord willing and the creeks don't rise," as the
saying goes.
Well, the creeks
have risen. Hurricane Irene has interfered with plans to officially unveil the
MLK Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., originally scheduled for
today. Hundreds of thousands of people have changed their plans. Well, that's
life. We can't control Mother Nature. I'm disappointed, too. I was going to
bring you stories of Durhamites in D.C. today. But the dedication will still
happen, just in September or October.
The Durham branch
of the NAACP will charter another bus or more and take whoever wants to go to
the MLK Memorial dedication when it does finally happen. King'sAlpha Phi Alpha
fraternity brothers -- the men who made this memorial a reality -- will be
there, too. So will veterans of the civil rights movement.
While it would
have been ideal, it is not imperative that the dedication happen exactly on
Aug. 28, the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. Regardless of a
ceremony, the memorial is there right now, the 48th anniversary of the march,
and will be from now on.
Every day will be
a day to see the MLK Memorial. People will see a monument to one man, yes, but
also a symbol of a movement. The civil rights movement was forged by thousands
of people for many, many years. It was a movement that progressed because men
and women were willing to march against the tide, and to keep marching even
when the violence came. As Americans, we can't ever thank them enough for
fighting for what is right.
Thousands of days
have led to the moment when the National Mall of the United States of America
honors a man not for being president or presiding over war, but for leading the
tide of peace. It's not just a peacemaker that's breaking ground in D.C., but
the fact that an African-American man is memorialized in granite among leaders
who were white. I'd like to see a woman, too, but that's a topic for another
day.
When I interview
veterans of the civil rights movement, they talk of King's dream realized, but
usually with the caveat that there's still room for improvement. There will
always be. But change has come, and with the memorial, a permanent reminder. It
will be dedicated soon enough.
When? As King
would say: How long? Not long.
Dawn Baumgartner
Vaughan may be reached at 419-6563 or dvaughan@heraldsun.com.
___
(c)2011 The
Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.)
Visit The
Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.) at www.heraldsun.com
Distributed by MCT
Information Services
Baltimore's James
Blue helps BET get more socially relevant
Baltimore Sun (MD): 27 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
Aug. 27--BET has a
mixed history when it comes to news, documentaries and public affairs -- and
much of it is for the worse.
With a former
programming emphasis on music videos and a record of little or no serious
commitment to news, questions have regularly been raised whether Black
Entertainment Television was serving its audience or exploiting it. The paucity
of serious news and first-rate public affairs programs was impossible not to
notice. The National Association of Black Journalists gave BET its "Thumbs
Down Award" in 2007.
But it looks as if
things might be starting to change for the better at the
African-American-themed cable channel, and one of the first glimmers of what
could be a newsier and more socially responsible future for BET arrives Sunday
night with "Michelle Obama on a Mission: Impact Africa," a
documentary produced by Baltimore'sJames Blue. The report of the first lady's
trip airs at 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday along with another new BET
documentary, "Alpha Man: The Brotherhood of MLK," at 7 p.m. and 11:30
p.m. Both are 30 minutes long.
"This is my
debut on BET, and let's just be really honest, there are very few places where
you can do serious foreign reporting," Blue said in an interview last
week. "And if BET wants to create a platform in subject areas that it
thinks its audience will be interested in to do that kind of reporting, I'm on
board."
Getting
journalists like Blue on board is an important first step if BET wants to be
considered a serious and credible provider of news and information for its
viewers. The 42-year-old Princeton graduate worked for 14 years as a producer
at NBC and ABC News, most notably with Ted Koppel's "Nightline." His
work has earned eight national Emmy Awards, two Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia
Awards, two George Foster Peabody Awards and two Overseas Press Club Awards.
After leaving ABC
News to work with Koppel at the Discovery Channel, Blue has gone on to found
Public Affairs Media Group, a media production company with offices in
Washington, Baltimore, London, Kabul and New York. Its roster is a who's who of
some of the best producers and technical staff in TV and documentaries.
David Scott,
president of BET News, says his operation is moving toward a "news and
docs model in which we try and bring to air quality, distinctive programming
that's consistent with our identity in niche cable." And working with the
likes of Blue is part of that.
"We want to
work with the best people in the business," says Scott, who was also a
producer at ABC News. "I've known James Blue from when we worked at ABC
News for a long time, and he is the kind of talent that we may not be able to
have on our staff on a full-time basis, but on a project-specific basis it
makes a lot of sense."
Sunday night's
Michelle Obama project is better journalism that I can remember seeing on BET.
For openers, Blue and his production team, led by field producer Dan Morris,
successfully managed to gain access without giving away the store -- they got
backstage with the first lady on the trip she made to South Africa in June
without letting themselves be co-opted into making a PR film or campaign ad for
the Obamas. That is the deadliest trap for such projects -- especially when
dealing with a White House already in high campaign mode.
"These
programs live and die by the access, and we were very lucky to get some really
good access," Blue says. "But at the same time, we can't let the
access dictate the story and the narrative. You know, we have to bring
something to it. So, in every instance, we tried to figure out what were the
goals that Mrs. Obama was trying to set out. She wanted to show youth
empowerment and women's empowerment and whatever. So, what we did is find
characters and vehicles to tell the larger story of the points that she was
trying to make -- separate from just making that point through the words of the
first lady."
Blue's team not
only humanized and personalized her journey by telling a bit of the history of
some of the people whom she met, but also kept the film from being preachy.
"We spent
time with the young girl in the film who introduced the first lady in
Botswana," Blue says. "We spent time with a prisoner at Robben Island
who was going to lead her around [as she and the film learn more about the
history of Nelson Mandela]. It allowed us to use her intersection with these
people as a reason to learn more about these individuals and who and what they
are."
Of course, there
are "messages" in the report that political friends and foes of the
Obamas will tease out and try to deconstruct through their particular political
prisms. I didn't find Mrs. Obama's words in the interviews and conversations
she had with correspondent Lola Ogunnaike to be particularly political.
She talks in the
film, for example, about her middle-class childhood in Chicago and recounts how
she could never have imagined getting on a plane and going off to a place like
South Africa -- that was just something too far outside her realm of experience
to even imagine. She says she hopes documentaries like the one about her trip
will help young people understand it is possible for them.
"We hear her
in a different way, talking directly to BET viewers," Scott says.
"She's talking about who she wants her daughters to be as black women,
talking about what it was like growing up in a middle-class black family when
international travel was not as possible for her generation. ... Our viewers
will hear her in this piece speaking directly to them in a way that we think
resonates with their lives. ... We may not have the kind of full-fledged,
sophisticated news-gathering infrastructure of a major news organization, but
we're especially well-positioned to produce quality journalism on the issues
that matter most to our audience."
Blue, a Bolton
Hill resident and father of two, looks as if he could play a key role in that
future. He was scheduled to produce a live program Sunday for BET from the
dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King monument -- before the weather
caused the cancellation of the event. He will be the man in charge of BET's
live coverage when the rescheduled dedication takes place.
"What is nice
is that BET is creating the possibility for this kind of programming,"
Blue says. "And it comes from the top. ... There is a sense that this
public affairs-documentary genre has a real potential and has a place within
what BET is trying to do now. But let's also be clear, because this is a
business. BET is a successful cable network. And unlike some of the news
divisions where I used to work, there is an opportunity within that success.
You know, I'm surprised as anyone that I'm doing stuff for BET. But I'm loving
it -- and I'm having fun. And I'm learning all sorts of things."
david.zurawik@baltsun.com
___
(c)2011 The
Baltimore Sun
Visit The
Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com
Distributed by MCT
Information Services
Martin Luther King
takes place among U.S. presidents
Postmedia News: 27 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
WASHINGTON - Henry
Gilford grew up the son of an Alabama sharecropper, the eighth of 10 children
in a farm family that earned a living in the 1960s growing corn, cotton and
peanuts.
During those
tumultuous years, Alabama's schools were still segregated, white police were
beating civil rights activists in Selma, and Martin Luther King Jr. was being
jailed in Birmingham. It seemed unthinkable to Gilford that America would ever
unveil a national monument to a black man.
Gilford is not
only seeing it happen. As one of the builders of the Martin Luther King Jr.
Memorial, he's helped make it happen.
``It's chilling.
It's hard to describe, very hard to describe,'' Gilford said as Washingtonians
queued up for the first official glimpse of the 10-metre- high granite
sculpture of King, erected on the National Mall just a few hundred metres from
the Lincoln Memorial. ``I'm in awe.''
Twenty-seven years
in the making, the MLK Memorial finally opened to the public this past week
ahead of a star-studded gala that had initially been planned for this weekend,
which marks the 48th anniversary of the civil rights leader's I Have a Dream
speech.
(The ceremony had
been set for Sunday, but has been delayed because of the looming threat of
Hurricane Irene.)
For Gilford and
others involved in the memorial's design and construction, the opening marks a
moment of triumph after a long struggle.
The $120-million
memorial, which stretches over 1.6 hectares along the Tidal Basin beside the
Potomac River, is the first on the National Mall to honour an African-American.
It's also the first to honour a person who was not a U.S. president.
``You might not
understand or realize the magnitude of an African-American being on the mall,''
said Gilford, president of Gilford Corporation, one of four firms tasked with
the memorial's design and construction.
``The mall has
always been considered pretty much sacred. It has been reserved for
ex-presidents. Here is an African-American who is not an ex- president. He
wasn't even a general. He was a man of peace.''
The MLK memorial was
conceived in 1987 by several members of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest
African-American fraternity in the U.S., and authorized by Congress in 1996.
The centrepiece of
the memorial is the `Stone of Hope' sculpture of King. The name was taken from
a line in the I Have a Dream speech, ``from a mountain of despair, a stone of
hope.'' It portrays King with a furrowed brow and looking out over the horizon.
Chinese sculptor
Lei Yixin said he wanted to show King deep in thought. The memorial is flanked
by a 130-metre-long granite wall that features 14 of King's most famous quotes,
on the themes of democracy, love, hope and justice.
The official
opening was deeply emotional for Deryl McCissack, whose firm was the architect
of record for the memorial. Her great, great, great grandfather was brought to
America as a slave in 1790, and worked as a builder for his owner, who ran on
of the nation's largest construction companies.
``I think about my
ancestors starting in slavery and building some of the major structures in
America, but never really getting credit for it,'' McCissack said. ``The
struggles that they went through allow me to be here today to be part of this
significant project.''
Gilford, 66, has
owned his own construction business in the Washington area for 34 years and
said his success would likely not have been possible had it not been for King's
fight.
``It's no question
in my mind had it not been for some of the things he did in the 60s, there is
no way I could have started a firm and grown it to the size it is,'' he said.
Harry Johnson, who
heads the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation,
expressed a ``feeling of relief'' at the completion of the memorial.
But there was also
deep pride, he said, that the King memorial will be presented at a dedication
ceremony to President Barack Obama.
``I believe
personally it is a giant step in our country's history, in our world's history,
for the first African-American president to accept the first memorial of a
person of colour. It just means hope,'' said Johnson.
``For the first
time in this country's history, this great land, this mall, will be
diversified.''
The moment held
deep meaning for 57-year-old Michael Berry, who was in junior high school when
King was assassinated in 1968.
Berry, a
Washington bus operator, was the second person in line as members of the public
waited for a chance to tour the memorial.
He brought a
hand-drawn portrait of King, inscribed with a line from the I Have a Dream
speech.
``I remember when
he was assassinated, I didn't have a great understanding of the civil rights
movement at the time, due to my age,'' Berry said. ``But I can remember the
impact it had on my family, my neighbourhood, the city, the nation as a whole.
Just one man, just one man, impacted so many people.''
salbertspostmedia.com
Twitter.com/sheldonalberts
Ozark native on
design build team for MLK memorial
Dothan Eagle (AL): 26 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
Aug. 26--The firm
guidance and encouraging words of Henry Gilford's parents, as well as the
service of many of his classmates who left college to serve in the civil rights
movement, are what have made Gilford's work on the Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial in Washington, D.C., an even greater accomplishment than he
initially imagined.
Gilford, a
66-year-old D.A. Smith High School and Alabama A&M University graduate, is
chief executive officer of the Maryland-based Gilford Corp. The company was one
of four that were part of the MLK memorial's design-build team.
The memorial was
expected to be dedicated in the National Mall in D.C. on Sunday, which is the
48th anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech and the March on
Washington. The memorial has now been postponed amid worries of Hurricane Irene.
Donald Richardson,
a member of the trustee board at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in
Atlanta, is also expected to attend the event.
While Gilford said
he never personally met King, he said it was an honor to be part of a project
that solidifies the memory of King for years to come.
"This has
been quite a journey. Words kind of escape me as to how I feel, because I grew
up there (in Alabama) right in the middle of the civil rights movement, yet I
am here today doing what I do because of the service of the man in which this
memorial honors," he said during a phone interview.
Gilford's said his
success as a commercial contractor with work in more than 40 countries was
rooted in his dreams to own his own business. He said he has held on to the wisdom
of his mother and father, a Barbour County sharecropper who taught Gilford to
be committed and to treat others as he would want to be treated.
Ozark City
Schools' worker Alice Parker said her excitement over the MLK monument was
twofold because of Gilford's participation.
"He's always
been just Henry, but he's had dreams. It just stirs something up in my soul to
see that part of his dream is part of the monument of a reverend whose dream
has touched everyone," Parker said.
___
(c)2011 the Dothan
Eagle (Dothan, Ala.)
Visit the Dothan
Eagle (Dothan, Ala.) at www.dothaneagle.com
Distributed by MCT
Information Services
Rick Perry Skips
Martin Luther King Jr. Event for Radical Right Gathering; Extremist Tea Party
Ideas Blocking Jobs Agenda?; Cheney`s Memoirs; MLK...
Associated Press: 26 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
Rick Perry Skips
Martin Luther King Jr. Event for Radical Right
Gathering;
Extremist Tea Party Ideas Blocking Jobs Agenda?; Cheney`s
Memoirs; MLK
Monument Opening, MSNBC - Part 2
Presidential
candidate Governor Rick Perry will skip an MLK
event
for a radical
right-wing gathering. A look at the trouble with the
Tea
Party agenda
blocking job creation. Former vice president Dick Cheney
brags that his new
memoir will make "heads explode all over
Washington."
The opening of the
new Martin Luther King, Jr., monument on the
National
Mall will include
a march for jobs and justice.
He is going to be
unapologetic, and I don`t really know that he has to
rewrite it because
-- because he has nothing to apologize for.
SHARPTON: Well,
Matthew, he is rewriting history on water-boarding. I
mean, he is saying
that water-boarding is justified. He`s standing by
it. I mean, you`re
an expert in this area. How do you respond to
what he`s saying
and continues to say about water-boarding?
MATTHEW ALEXANDER,
FMR. SR. MILITARY INTERROGATOR: Well, Al, he
certainly is
trying to rewrite history in respect to water-boarding
and torture. What
we`re probably not going to see in this book or
read in this book
is the fact that torture and water-boarding inflated
the ranks of al
Qaeda and led to the deaths of Americans in Iraq.
When I was there,
overseeing interrogations of foreign of foreign
fighters, we heard
it all the time, and Department of Defense compiled
the statistics.
The number one reason foreign fighters came to fight
in Iraq was
because of the water-boarding and torturing of prisoners
in American
custody.
Those foreign
fighters came to Iraq, they made up 90 percent of
suicide bombers
and they killed hundreds, if not thousands, of
American soldiers
who are now buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
SHARPTON: Now,
Lou, let me -- let me ask you this. And I want to
bring you back in
on another point, Matthew, because my time is
limited. But I
want to ask Lou this. When I hear Matthew talking
about the impact
of what water-boarding did, in terms of our
perception around
the world -- also our perception and our image took
a huge hit when we
looked at Iraq and the fact that we said there were
weapons of mass
destruction there. There were not. Even there was
some debate, we`ve
learned, in the White House.
And then he says
in this book, Cheney -- I`m reading from the "New
York Times"
excerpts -- that Condoleezza Rice came in his office after
questioning some
things and saying some things about Iraq. And then
she came in
tearfully, crying to him, apologizing. He says -- I`m
quoting now from
the book -- "She came into my office, sat down in the
chair next to my desk,
and tearfully admitted I had been right."
I mean, I
questioned your title about hijacking, but this guy is
amazing.
DUBOSE: You know,
a lachrymose Condoleezza Rice plays to his
interests. You
know, when -- his power began to wane when she became
secretary of
state, and much of the functions that office of the vice
president was
running at the State Department -- he loathes Colin
Powell. And he --
Cheney isn`t capable of diplomacy. And to paint
Condoleezza Rice
like that only serves to make him look the better.
Look, this is man
who has never found a war that he didn`t like. He`s
-- as Lawrence
Wilkerson said, Colonel Wilkerson, who worked for
Secretary of State
Powell -- Dick Cheney -- he is incapable of
diplomacy. Look,
in 1983, he`s in the Soviet Union. He meets with
Soviet defense
official with Tom Downy (ph). They offer to open up
negotiations on
weapons reduction talks.
Cheney walks out
and says -- he`s a member of Congress at the time --
he says he`ll have
none of it. He says it`s capitulation or nothing,
that they have to
capitulate.
On Red Square that
night, Downy asks him what is he thinking about
where they are,
standing on Red Square. He says, I think we`re
standing on an
ICBM target. I mean, this is a -- this is the most
bellicose draft
dodger who has ever held elected office in the history
of this country.
SHARPTON: Let me
ask you, as we get ready to go, water-boarding --
this, of course,
will come up because of his defense in the book, and
certainly, many of
us will then raise it to especially the Republican
candidates. Is
there any justification -- you`re the expert here. Is
there any
justification at all can you think of for water-boarding?
I`m talking to
you, Matthew.
(CROSSTALK)
ALEXANDER: If we look
at the long-term negative consequences of using
water-boarding or
any types of torture, they always far exceed any
type of short-term
gain you`re going to get out of it, whether it`s
helping the enemy
to recruit, whether it`s lowering our own moral
standards, which
has effects throughout the force, and whether it`s
giving up high
moral ground, which is what we`re fighting for.
You know, once we
start resorting to torture, what Dick Cheney has
convinced people
to do, is to put our security before our principles.
And that`s a
fundamental change in the moral landscape of America.
And that`s what
he`s trying to do. He`s trying to convince us that
that`s what
America is about. And I think the people have stood up
and said through
various elections that that is not what America is
about and that his
version of history is wrong.
SHARPTON: Lou
Dubose and Matthew Alexander, thank you both for your
time this evening.
Coming up...
Dubose: Thank you,
Reverend.
SHARPTON: ...
fulfilling the dream 48 years later, Martin Luther King
III will be here
live to talk about his father`s legacy and the work
still to be done.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: Banking
giant JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay the U.S.
treasury more than
$88 million for violating a number of U.S.
sanctions. The
payment will be the largest a U.S. bank`s ever made for
breaking sanction
rules. JPMorgan allowed transactions involving
Cuba, Iran, Sudan
and Liberia while it was under Charles Taylor`s
regime. Treasury
officials said the bank`s behavior was "egregious,"
and
"constituted gross negligence or real recklessness." JPMorgan
says the
violations were isolated incidents.
And we all know
big banks always have our best interests at heart.
We`ll be right
back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: This Sunday,
on the 48th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.`s,
"I have a dream" speech, a memorial in his honor will
finally be held to
dedicate on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.,
the monument that
will pay tribute to his fight for equality, peace
and justice. It
also reminds us of the work still to be done and the
work to still
fulfill his vision.
None has worked
harder in realizing that dream to become a reality
than his son,
oldest living child, Martin Luther King III, who is the
president and chief
executive officer of the Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Center for
Nonviolent Social Change.
How are you
tonight, Martin?
MARTIN LUTHER KING
III, PRES., MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., CTR.: Oh, I`m
doing wonderful,
Rev. Hope you`re doing well.
SHARPTON: I`m doing
well. This weekend -- and you`re already in
Washington -- a
lot is going on, and you`re going to join us on
Saturday as we
march for jobs and justice.
KING: Yes.
SHARPTON: And
Sunday, the ceremony. And aside from your personal
feelings, which
I`ll get to, why is jobs that we`re going to march for
Saturday and that
you`ve been talking about poverty -- why is this so
important in light
of your father`s legacy?
KING: Well, first
and foremost, Martin Luther King, Jr., dedicated
his life to
creating opportunities for women and men to live together
without destroying
either person or property around the issue of
nonviolence. He
also wanted to eradicate the triple evils of poverty,
racism and
militarism.
We`ve made great strides
around race, but we are not there yet on that
issue. But we know
poverty -- hundreds of thousands -- I should say
thousands of
people are slipping back into poverty because of
foreclosures and
the debt crisis, the economy, for the world community
right now, this
crisis. And this monument I believe is going to
inspire
generations yet unborn to recommit themselves to finishing
this work that is
not finished in our nation.
SHARPTON: Now,
Martin, when you talk about poverty, let me show you
this graph because
I think people need to understand the contents of
these events this
weekend. If we look at the income level and the
inequality in this
country, the gap between the richest 1 percent and
middle and lowest
income level persons is the greatest since the
1920s.
So when we march
this weekend and we stand there with your father`s
monument and you
talk about poverty, we`re at a place we haven`t been
since the 1920s in
terms of the wealth gap.
KING: And you
know, that is most tragic, and it really says something
about what Dad was
talking about, redistributing wealth in this
nation. Not to
keep anyone from making as much money as they were
capable making,
but if we don`t have a radical redistribution, which
is one of the
things he said, we`re going to continue to spiral in
this direction.
And the reality is, we could have collapse.
We don`t -- with
all the wealth in this nation that exists just in
that 1 percent,
Rev, it`s very sad that we find ourselves in
conditions where
we have young people are graduating from college...
SHARPTON: Right.
KING: ... who
cannot find jobs. We can and we must do better. And
that is what is --
I hope this memorial, this dedication, part of what
this dedication
and memorial represents.
SHARPTON: Now, one
thing I must say -- and I showed a picture of the
family -- people
need to know your whole family were a part of the
movement. You
(INAUDIBLE) led SCLC, father`s organization. We
marched together
all over this country. You and I have been arrested
leading marches in
St. Louis and other places, Gina, Louisiana.
This is a personal
thing where you`re not just -- you and your sister
and brother are
not just some kids of an icon, you are actively
fighting in the
tradition of your father. I knew your mother. We all
worked under her
tutelage. This is what you do.
KING: Well, it
certainly is. I represent, of course, the Martin
Luther King Center
now, and the King Center`s objective is to create
the climate where
non-violence can become real for all humankind. And
we do that through
a variety of methods. Part of it is teaching and
training.
But really, when
you expose people to who Martin Luther King, Jr.,
was, you educate
them. And I think again, the memorial will do some
of that. I think a
new generation will be inspired to want to go out
and embrace what
Martin Luther King, Jr., embraced, which ultimately,
will change our
nation, perhaps put us in the right direction because
today, it seems
that we are not headed in the right direction.
SHARPTON: That`s
right.
KING: I mean, how
do we, in this nation, have people sleeping on the
streets every
night in all of our cities? There`s something wrong
with that when we
have so many blessings and so much wealth.
SHARPTON: But as your
father and mother taught us, it won`t change by
itself. That`s why
we`ll be marching Saturday, standing with you and
the foundation on
Sunday and all weekend long. Martin Luther King
III, thank you for
your time and your continuing important work in the
fight for equality
and Civil Rights and your friendship to me.
KING: Thank you.
SHARPTON: It`s not
easy to be a friend of mine, but you`ve hung in
there.
KING: Thank you,
Rev.
SHARPTON: As
Hurricane Irene barrels up the East Coast, millions of
Americans are
turning to the government for help and protection. Yes,
government. That`s
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: Tonight,
Mother Nature is providing us with a wonderful and
brutal reminder
about our nature as a people. Hurricane Irene is a
big storm. It`s
barreling toward the East Coast, bringing drenching
rain and punishing
winds. The first strike is expected in North
Carolina on
Saturday.
We are a nation in
the midst of a great debate on the role of
government in our
lives. One side in this country questions the
necessity of a
strong government. The storm will make no distinction
between rich and
poor, black or white, Democrat and Republican. This
weekend, millions
of Americans will look to their government to see
them through --
first responders to police officers to firefighters.
This is what`s at
stake in the great national debate over the role of
government. It is
what President Obama was telling Americans on his
bus tour last
week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES: Government is our
troops who are
fighting on our behalf in Afghanistan and Iraq. That`s
government.
Government are all those FEMA folks, when there`s a flood
or a drought or
some emergency, who come out and are helping people
out. That`s
government. Government is Social Security. Government
are teachers in
the classroom.
(CHEERS AND
APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: We need
strong government, strong enough to protect its
citizens, strong
enough to make sure that citizens` lives are not
interfered with,
strong enough to face hurricanes, as well as those
that would want to
prey on those that cannot stand and defend
themselves. That`s
what America is about -- strong enough government
to protect us,
weak enough to let us live our lives.
I want a
government strong enough to help me in a storm.
Thanks for
watching. I`m Al Sharpton. "HARDBALL" starts right now.
THIS IS A RUSH
TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND
MAY BE UPDATED.
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CANCELED:
Congressman Chaka Fattah Host Capitol Hill Ceremony Honoring Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity
PR Newswire US: 26 August 2011
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]
Due to Hurricane Irene
this event has been canceled
WASHINGTON, Aug.
26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Fattah's (D-PA) event
recognizing the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for its success in erecting the
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Monument has been canceled due to Hurricane
Irene. Details of the original event follow:
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110323/DC70526LOGO)
More than 800
members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and their guests will gather on
Capitol Hill this weekend to receive recognition for their diligence in
securing a place on the Mall for a National Memorial for their fraternity
brother and civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Congressman Chaka
Fattah (D-PA) will host the ceremony on the eve of the unveiling of King's
Memorial for members of the Alphas, of which he is a member. �Almost 30 years
ago, the nation's first African American fraternity established a foundation
that led the fund-raising drive for the memorial. �Over $114 million was
collected for the monument to honor Dr. King who was also an Alpha.
"Without the
dedication and determination of my fraternity brothers, without the millions
donated by them and those who believe in Dr. King's dream, the King National
Memorial would still only be an idea," said Fattah. "Instead, their
dream, conceived almost 30 years ago, to honor "the dreamer" is now a
reality. It is proper and fitting to thank them for their efforts. �And
former Alpha President Harry Johnson has done a tremendous job heading up the
MLK Memorial Project Foundation taking it from a concept to a concrete
monument."
The Alpha Phi
Alpha ceremony listed as part of the official weekend events will include
remarks by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and King's only surviving daughter,
Elder Bernice King.
Fattah said,
"Dr. King has secured a place for all of us on the National Mall and in
the heart of our nation. His legacy has improved the lives, and the life
chances, of our entire country. He has made the world a better place. Dr.
King's life is the foundation upon which this National Memorial is built."
|
WHO: |
Congressman
Chaka Fattah (D-PA) |
|
|
|
Democratic
Leader Nancy Pelosi |
|
|
|
Elder Bernice
King - Daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. |
|
|
|
Alpha Phi Alpha Members
of the U.S. House of Representatives |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHAT: |
Ceremony
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recognizing
the work of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in erecting the National Memorial for
the civil rights leader. |
|
|
WHEN: |
Saturday, August
27, 2011 |
|
|
|
4:30 p.m.-6:00
p.m. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHERE: |
Cannon House
Office Building - Room #345 |
|
|
|
Independence and
New Jersey Avenue SE |
|
|
|
Capitol Hill |
|
|
|
Washington, DC
20515 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MLK Drive leads to memorial; As signs unveiled, Irene clouds weekend
events
The Washington
Times (Washington, DC)
26 August 2011
By Tom Howell Jr., THE WASHINGTON TIMES
|
[What follows is
the full text of the article.] Mayor Vincent C.
Gray unveiled street signs designating Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive on
Thursday even as Hurricane Irene threatened his plans to tout D.C. statehood
and voting rights in a march framed from the spirit of the late civil rights
leader. Mr. Gray and
D.C. Council member Marion Barry, Ward 8 Democrat, said Thursday morning they
were undeterred by the inclement forecast ahead of the Saturday morning rally
and the planned dedication Sunday of the Martin Luther King Jr. National
Memorial. Mr. Barry noted
that the protesters of the 1960s would not have been deterred by wind and
rain. If they stopped
then, we wouldn't be here now, he said. But hours later,
officials announced the dedication would be postponed indefinitely. The status of
the march, from Freedom Plaza to a site near the memorial in a call for full
D.C. voting rights and statehood, was not immediately clear. Mr. Gray said
Thursday night that he planned to continue with the march on Saturday but
left open the possibility that it could be cancelled, depending on the
weather. We know we're in
for the long haul, he said, noting that the struggle for statehood would
continue even if the march was postponed. The mayor has
touted the march, organized by the advocacy group DC Vote and the MLK
Memorial DC Host Committee, as an opportunity to educate about 250,000
visitors on the District's lack of full autonomy. He said King himself
highlighted the lack of basic rights for D.C. residents during a speech in
1965. Meanwhile,
memorial foundation CEO Harry Johnson joined D.C. dignitaries at 14th Street
and Maine Avenue Southwest to unveil the ceremonial street signs that will
mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. The route starts
at Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Southeast and extends across the 11th
Street Bridge to the Southeast-Southwest Freeway and sections of Maine and
Independence avenues. Officials at
Thursday's unveiling had to compete with the noise of trains and freeway
traffic from nearby overpasses at a location outside the control of the
National Park Service. The D.C. Council
approved the street signs in July, but Mr. Gray said Congress would have to
approve designations on federal parklands that are closer to the memorial. When a reporter
asked why the city did not defy federal rules in the spirit of King's
efforts, the mayor said officials wanted to do this in a cooperative spirit. If it were up to
me, I'd have done it, Mr. Barry said. It's not up to me.
|
|
Here's what Obama should say at MLK fete
The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
25 August 2011
By Deborah Simmons, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
|
[What follows is
the full text of the article.] Dear Mr. President,
I know this is a very busy week as you vacation with your family, try to stay
on top of nation's affairs and prepare your remarks for the dedication of the
Martin Luther King Jr. memorial Sunday. Indeed, that's
why this column is addressed to you. There's
something you need to say at the MLK ceremony while you have a captive
audience and before the nitty-gritty of inside-the-beltway politics
overwhelms your energy and muddies your intentions with 2012 election
demands. On Sunday,
exploit the opportunity to tell America that it's time to reinstitutionalize
the family structure. The words you
use can be easily scripted, as you already sounded the theme a couple of
years ago, remember? It was 2009, and you pulled together a video that talked
about your mom. In it, you said: She'd wake me up at 4:30 in the morning, and
we'd sit there and go through my lessons. And I used to complain and grumble.
And she'd say, 'Well, this is no picnic for me either, buster.'" Well,
buster, revisit your own words. Remind all
within earshot that yours was a single mom. Remind them that
your dad had left your mom, but that she made sacrifices to ensure that you
would not end up with a life like those other little boys, black and white,
who were abandoned by their fathers. Remind them that
illegitimacy and the steady disintegration of the mother-father child-rearing
unit has led to disjointed, unstructured configurations of no fathers and
single fathers, and emancipated girls who are urged to sign onto welfare
rolls, leave home and get their own place at very young and inexperienced
ages. Remind them that
parenthood without benefit of marriage subsequently leads to new, unforeseen
pressures, such as child care arrangements, unscheduled parental-leave
headaches and tighter family budgets. Remind them that
motherhood and fatherhood are blessings, not entitlements. Picture your
sweet-faced daughters, Malia and Sasha, and remind listeners that the
collapse of the family - a married mother and father - has led and will
likely lead to devastating social consequences, the bottom line being
children who face higher risks of such social pathologies as delinquency,
substance use, criminality and unwed pregnancy. Remind listeners
young and old, Mr. President, that becoming a parent means more than merely
having your name ascribed to a birth certificate or even paying child
support. Tell them that
when you are blessed with a child, the richest of all inheritances handed
down to a child is a stable and loving two-parent household. Remind them of
King's dream and the fact that the color barriers were deconstructed long
before abortion became a form of birth control, the Berlin Wall came tumbling
down and hip-hop became mainstream. Point to
yourself as a living example of those realities. Because on
Sunday you will personify, as did King, a pivotal moment in history, offer
more than rhetoric and cadence, and historical citations and reflections. Those are
important components to your remarks. But remind them,
buster, that while a two-parent household is no cakewalk, a one-parent
household is no picnic. * Deborah
Simmons can be reached at dsimmons@washington times.com.
|
MLK statue fete could see rain delay
The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
24 August 2011
By Joseph Weber, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
|
[What follows is
the full text of the article.] The first major
Atlantic hurricane this season could hit the region by the late weekend,
threatening the long-awaited dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr.
Memorial on the Mall. The latest
projections include Hurricane Irene likely hitting North Carolina's Outer
Banks by Thursday or Friday, then traveling up the Chesapeake Bay and into
the region by Sunday - the day an estimated 245,000 people are expected to
attend the official dedication. If the
fast-forward motion of the storm continues, it could spread damage, including
that of downed trees, power lines and coastal flooding issues into the
Mid-Atlantic late this weekend and into southern and eastern New England by
early next week, according to AccuWeather.com. Most computer
models show at least heavy rain coming in the region from Irene, now a
Category 1 hurricane. As Irene gets
closer, we will probably see some contingency plans being made to either move
up or postpone the dedication a day, said Ann Loikow of the D.C. Host
Committee, which has most of its events scheduled for Saturday. The Federal
Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday morning that officials are already
talking about what to do should the storm hit Washington on Sunday. It's a little
too early to project what the impact [of the storm] will be, but we have
started those discussions, said FEMA chief Craig Fugate. We're working with
the capital region. Memorial
visitors have alreadybeen forced to leave once during the weeklong series of
events, when an earthquake centered about 90 miles southwest of the District
on Tuesday forced the evacuation of all memorials and monuments of the Mall. The Martin
Luther King Jr. Foundation has not responded to questions about contingency
plans. Irene has
already brought heavy rain and wind to the Caribbean, and left more than a
million people in Puerto Rico without power. The storm is expected overnight
to hit the U.K. territory of the Turks and Caicos.
|
|
-Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel to Donate to MLK Memorial Foundation
Travel Business Review (TBR)
23 August 2011
|
[What follows is
the full text of the article.] Travel Business Review-August
23, 2011--Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel to Donate to MLK Memorial
Foundation(C)2011] ENPublishing - http://www.enpublishing.co.uk Travel Business
Review - 23 August 2011 Hamilton Crowne
Plaza Hotel, a hotel in Washington, DC, US, and a property of
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LSE: IHG), has announced a charity drive. The hotel will
be donating 10 percent of proceeds for hotel rooms booked until December 31,
2011, to the MLK Memorial Foundation. The Martin Luther King, Jr National
Memorial service and dedication of the memorial in West Potomac Park, is to
be held on August 28, 2011. [Editorial
queries for this story should be sent to tbr@enpublishing.co.uk] ((Distributed
via M2 Communications - http://www.m2.com)).END.PUB430>PDAugust 23, 2011>JNTRAVEL
BUSINESS REVIEW.PRICEDATENOT APPLICABLE.DAY
|
|
MLK celebration to include statehood rally
The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
11 August 2011
By Tom Howell Jr., THE WASHINGTON TIMES
|
[What follows is
the full text of the article.] D.C. officials
want city residents to be among the first visitors to the long-awaited Martin
Luther King Jr. National Memorial and to insist that what the civil rights
leader has done for our country must also be done for the residents of our
nation's capital. Hundreds of
thousands of people are expected to descend on the District in the final days
of August for the dedication of the memorial along the Tidal Basin. A week of events
before the Aug. 28 dedication includes a D.C. Residents Day on Aug. 23 and a
march for D.C. statehood on Aug. 27. City residents
frequently go out of their way to host visitors in the nation's capital, so
it's fitting that Washingtonians have a special day, Mayor Vincent C. Gray
said. The mayor held a
news briefing Wednesday to release details about the dedication and to tour
the site, which still featured scaffolding near the sculpture and
construction near a visitors' center across the street from the memorial. Frankly, what
better moment to seize than this one to further the cause of democracy in the
city? Mr. Gray said. Congress
approved construction of the memorial in 1996 at a site bordered by West
Basin Drive, Independence Avenue and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. The granite
memorial includes the Mountain of Despair and a Stone of Hope that features a
sculpture of King looking out over the water. A semicircular wall is
inscribed with some of King's famous quotations. The MLK Memorial
Foundation has raised $112 million of the $120 million needed to complete the
memorial, according to a biography of foundation CEO Harry E. Johnson Sr. Mr. Gray and
D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who was active in the civil rights
movement, drew numerous comparisons between the struggles of the 1960s and the
plight of city residents today. In 1965, King
said that Congress had been derelict in its duty to make freedom a reality
for all residents of the District, Mr. Gray said. That is as contemporary
today as it was 45 years ago when he stated those profound words, the mayor
said. And we need to use those words as an opportunity to continue to promote
justice and equality in our city. Mrs. Norton, a
nonvoting member of the U.S. House of Representatives, said Congress asks
D.C. residents to obey its laws and then tithes us to support the national
government without a vote on Capitol Hill. King's body of
work was centered in the South, Mrs. Norton noted. Since then, black voters
in Southern states have had the privilege of sending members to Congress. But I went south
as a Washingtonian, she said of her work in the 1960s. And today my own city
is singled out without a vote, standing alone.
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|
|
|
31-Dec-2010 |
31-Dec-2009 |
31-Dec-2008 |
|
Period Length |
12 Months |
12 Months |
12 Months |
|
Filed Currency |
EUR |
EUR |
EUR |
|
Exchange Rate
(Period Average) |
0.755078 |
0.719047 |
0.683679 |
|
Consolidated |
No |
No |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total income |
3.6 |
3.7 |
5.3 |
|
Net sales |
3.6 |
3.7 |
5.0 |
|
Other operating income |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
|
Raw materials and consumables employed |
2.2 |
2.6 |
4.2 |
|
Other expenses |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
|
Total payroll costs |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
|
Fixed asset depreciation and amortisation |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Other operating costs |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Net operating income |
0.7 |
0.4 |
0.5 |
|
Total expenses |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
|
Profit before tax |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
|
Extraordinary result |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
|
Profit after extraordinary items and before tax |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
|
Total taxation |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
|
Net profit |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
|
|
|
Annual Balance
Sheet |
|
Financials in:
USD (mil) |
|
|
|
|
|
31-Dec-2010 |
31-Dec-2009 |
31-Dec-2008 |
|
Filed Currency |
EUR |
EUR |
EUR |
|
Exchange Rate |
0.745406 |
0.696986 |
0.719399 |
|
Consolidated |
No |
No |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total stockholders equity |
1.0 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
|
Provision for pensions |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Mortgages and loans |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
|
Other long-term liabilities |
5.4 |
4.2 |
3.4 |
|
Trade creditors |
2.9 |
3.8 |
5.9 |
|
Bank loans and overdrafts |
2.6 |
4.3 |
3.5 |
|
Other current liabilities |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.3 |
|
Accruals and deferred income |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Total current liabilities |
6.3 |
8.9 |
9.6 |
|
Total liabilities (including net worth) |
12.9 |
14.4 |
14.2 |
|
Intangibles |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
|
Total tangible fixed assets |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
|
Receivables due after 1 year |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Total non-current assets |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
|
Finished goods |
- |
- |
0.5 |
|
Net stocks and work in progress |
7.5 |
8.3 |
6.9 |
|
Trade debtors |
3.8 |
3.2 |
4.4 |
|
Other receivables |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
|
Cash and liquid assets |
1.0 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
|
Accruals |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Total current assets |
12.5 |
13.9 |
13.6 |
|
Total assets |
12.9 |
14.4 |
14.2 |
|
|
|
Annual Ratios |
|
Financials in:
USD (mil) |
|
|
|
|
|
31-Dec-2010 |
31-Dec-2009 |
31-Dec-2008 |
|
Period Length |
12 Months |
12 Months |
12 Months |
|
Filed Currency |
EUR |
EUR |
EUR |
|
Exchange Rate |
0.745406 |
0.696986 |
0.719399 |
|
Consolidated |
No |
No |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sales per employee |
1.05 |
0.51 |
0.66 |
|
Profit per employee |
0.07 |
0.03 |
0.03 |
|
Average wage per employee |
0.07 |
0.03 |
0.03 |
|
Net worth |
1.0 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
|
Number of employees |
5 |
10 |
10 |
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
|
Currency |
Unit
|
Indian Rupees |
|
US Dollar |
1 |
Rs.46.01 |
|
|
1 |
Rs.75.42 |
|
Euro |
1 |
Rs.66.69 |
RATING EXPLANATIONS
|
RATING |
STATUS |
PROPOSED CREDIT LINE |
|
|
>86 |
Aaa |
Possesses an extremely sound financial base with the strongest
capability for timely payment of interest and principal sums |
Unlimited |
|
71-85 |
Aa |
Possesses adequate working capital. No caution needed for credit transaction.
It has above average (strong) capability for payment of interest and
principal sums |
Large |
|
56-70 |
A |
Financial & operational base are regarded healthy. General unfavourable
factors will not cause fatal effect. Satisfactory capability for payment of
interest and principal sums |
Fairly Large |
|
41-55 |
Ba |
Overall operation is considered normal. Capable to meet normal
commitments. |
Satisfactory |
|
26-40 |
B |
Capability to overcome financial difficulties seems comparatively
below average. |
Small |
|
11-25 |
Ca |
Adverse factors are apparent. Repayment of interest and principal sums
in default or expected to be in default upon maturity |
Limited with full
security |
|
<10 |
C |
Absolute credit risk exists. Caution needed to be exercised |
Credit not
recommended |
|
-- |
NB |
New Business |
-- |
This score serves as a reference to assess SC’s credit risk and
to set the amount of credit to be extended. It is calculated from a composite
of weighted scores obtained from each of the major sections of this report. The
assessed factors and their relative weights (as indicated through %) are as
follows:
Financial
condition (40%) Ownership
background (20%) Payment
record (10%)
Credit history
(10%) Market trend
(10%) Operational
size (10%)
This report is issued at your request without any
risk and responsibility on the part of MIRA INFORM PRIVATE LIMITED (MIPL)
or its officials.