A Library for the People of New Orleans

New Orleans has been with out a library since the flood. With help from ProQuest Co. and funding from IBM, they'll be able to provide library services once again.

ProQuest has donated a portable library, 14 by 56 educational trailer. The trailer has 13 computers and donated books. The library was set up by Ann Curtis of ProQuest, who spent many, many hours over a month getting the project underway.

Currently, the portable library resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The spot was chosen mainly because alot folks from New Orleans now live there.

Five Months on the Streets of America

When was the last time you thought about the homeless people in your town? Most of the time we pass them by, not even acknowledging them as fellow human beings. We wouldn't want to be in their shoes for a million years--if they had shoes.

Two college students had a deep desire to walk a mile in those tattered shoes. Mike Yankoski and Sam Purvis spent five months on the streets of America with nothing more than their guitars and a few measly nessicities.

They lived poverty first hand. They found out how hard it was to live on benches and from meal to meal. They found kindness in unexpected places, like the person who handed their leftover pizza to them. They found coldness in places that they thought not possible, like churches where members did their best to avoid them.

An experience like this changes a person deep down inside. What started as adventure, was truly mind altering. They've written a book about their experiences which they hope will make in impression on others and help them feel more compassion towards the poor.

Two in a Million

Kylie Hodgson and Remi Horder weren't trying to have a baby. When they found out Kylie was pregnant, it took a little getting used to. But, soon enough they were happy they were going to be parents. When they found out Kylie was having twins it was a bit overwhelming.

Kylie gave birth by caesarean section to two beautiful girls. One was a little lighter in color than the other. Neither through this was unusual since both came from mixed raced parents. Both having a black father and a white mother.

A few weeks after the birth they realized something was different. Baby Remee was blonde with blue eyes and white. Baby Kian had brown hair, brown eyes, and was black. Everyone agreed that the babies would have similar skin color in the end. Now that it's over a year later, it's very clear, Kylie and Remi have one black child and one white child.

Authorities believe skin color is determined by 7 genes. Babies usually get a mix of genes from mother and father so there is a clear variation between twins. In this case, the doctor believes Baby Kian and Baby Remee must have received only one type of color gene each rather than a mix from both gene pools.

It's very rare for twins to be born with different skin color. In fact, the odds are about a million to one. This makes Kian and Remee pretty special.

100,000 Photographs

When Linda Kopet suggested her husband, Larry Kopet, get a hobby, she had no idea what she was getting into. Larry decided to photograph headstones in Wisconsin's cemeteries. They'd drive to different places and shoot some pictures. What started as an innocent weekend hobby for Larry Kopet has turned into a vast resources for genealogists throughout Wisconsin.

That hobby has grown to over 100,000 photographs. They've hit 60 counties--903 cemeteries total.

They aren't hogging all that history either. The photographs have been donated to the USGenWeb Tombstone Project for Wisconsin. Larry does the photography. Linda labels each computer file. Then it's sent on to the project coordinator who uploads them to the website.

The Koppets do this all out of love. The photographs are offered free of charge and they are compensated with money. They know they are contributing to a worthwhile cause. People approach them to tell them how much they appreciate their work. That's reward enough.

Gay Pride In Brasil

Sao Paolo, Brasil, held it's Tenth Annual Gay Pride Parade last week. It was one of the largest events of it's kind in the world. Awareness and participation grows each years. An estimated 2.4 million people marched this year.

The parade was accented with revellers dressed in Brasil's World Cup Soccer colors. Others came out in a variety of costumes. Parade floats were accompanied by lively music.

While the mood was festive, the message was serious. The theme of the parade was "Homophobia is a Crime". The event was used to lend support to anti-discrimination proposals. While Sao Paolo is fairly open, and one region recognizes common law marriage, other areas of Brasil still need work.

Thanks USA

So many people like to claim "I support the troops!" They say it every now and then, hang a flag in front of their house, and put a sticker (made in China) on their car. That makes them feel better and they are done with it. A 10 year old and an 8 year old came up with way they could really show their support and offer aid to soldiers and their families.

Rachel and Kelsi are sisters. Last year on vacation, they started thinking about our soldiers stationed in distant lands. They wanted to come with something that went beyond a bumper sticker.

They both had recently fallen in love with Treasure Hunts. With the help of their parents, they came up with a proposal. The idea was to get sponsors for a national Treasure Hunt. The hunt would be used to raise awareness among Americans. Then they would collect donations would be set aside to offer scholarships to the children of soldiers. They named their program "Thanks USA" which stands for "Treasure Hunt Aiding Needs of Kids (and Spouses) of those Serving the United States of America.

They got a bunch of sponsors to provide prizes for the Treasure Hunt. The hunt runs from Memorial Day 2006 to Labor Day 2006 (September 5th is the deadline). You can learn more about the hunt and register to participate at: http://www.thanksusa.org/main/hunt.html.

They received a federal grant as well. The grant and donations will be used to fund the scholarship program. They hope to dole out 1,000 scholarships a year. Their website explains it all and provides ways we all can participate.

Reuniting El Salvadoran Families

The civil war that shook El Salvador from 1982 to 1990 ripped families apart. Parents feared for their children's lives. Rather than find them dead, victims of the war, they sent them away. The total number of children sent away is unknown, though it is thought that over 700 were given away for adoption in foreign countries.

A liaison between the US Department of Justice, Cal State Berkeley's Human Rights Center, and El Salvador's "Asociación Pro-Búsqueda de Niñas y Niños Desaparecidos" has created an opportunity for El Salvadors adopted children to find their birth parents. They are reaching out to families looking for their lost children. Those who have documentation proving their parentage are helped through the process. Those without documentation will be entered into a DNA database. Efforts first concentrated on the people of El Salvador. Workers spread throughout El Salvador collecting DNA samples. This part of the project is almost complete. The next step is tracking down the adoptees and getting their DNA entered into the database.

So far 300 children have been located. Still there is much work to be done. The organization needs to get DNA on as many of the adoptees as possible so as to have a better chance of finding their birth families.

The Forgotten Kids

Did you know that there are 500,000 kids in foster care in the United States? (Source: www.nationaladoptionday.org) At the age of 18, public assistance disappears. These foster kids find themselves on the street trying to survive without a home or a job.

You may have heard of Antwone Fisher. A movie was made about his life. He grew up in the foster care system in Cleveland. At 18, he was on his own, sleeping store fronts, with nowhere to go. Two years later, he joined the Navy to get off the streets.

Fisher has partnered with Alex Smith, a multimillionaire quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Smith and Fisher met at a showing of Fisher's movie. That meeting lead to the creation of the "Alex Smith Foundation".

Smith claims that Antwone Fisher was the inspiration for the foundation. The foundation is set up to help kids transition from foster care to the real world. Programs are set up to provide job training, housing, and education. By giving foster kids these skills and teaming them up with a mentor, they'll be able to help themselves. With Fisher's experience with foster care and Smith's considerable business contacts, they hope to fill the void left behind after governement assistance and give these kids a fair shake.

Religious Leaders Join Together Against Torture

Prominent religious leaders across the United States are stepping up to the plate to take a stand against torture. They've formed the "National Religious Campaign Against Torture". Their goal is to get the U.S. Government to get serious and ban torture. They believe that no government agency should be exempt from human rights standards.

In their statement of conscious titled "Torture is a Moral Issue" they ask for Congress to end torture at U.S. detention centers. They would also like to end the rendition of suspects to nations that allow torture. They want the United States to abide by international law rather than be above it. According to the statement, "Nothing less is at stake in the torture abuse crisis than the soul of our nation."

Signatorees come from a wide spectrum of religious philosophies. They include Elie Wiesel, Reverend Jim Wallis, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Reverend Ted Haggard, Dr. Tarunjit Singh, Rabbi Marla J. Feldman, and Dr. Abdullahi Amhed An-Na'im. Some of the organizations who endorse NRCAT are the World Sikh Council, American Baptist Churches, and the Presbyterian Church (USA).

If you'd like to learn more, visit the NRCAT website at: www.nrcat.org

Afghan Soccer Girls Earn ESPY Award

Afghan Soccer Girls

Shamila Kohestani and Roia Ahmad will accept this years Arthur Ashe Courage award at ESPN's ESPY award ceremony. The teenagers were two of many girls in Afghanistan who played soccer and encouraged other girls to join in.

In 2004, the 16 and 18 year old were part of group from Afghanistan who came to the US as part of the "Youth Sport Exchange Program." The girls were sent to soccer camp where they learned how to play the game. They then went home and started up teams in Kabul.

Under the Taliban, girls were not allowed to go to school let alone play sports. Although things have improved, it's still dangerous times for females who want to carve out a place in non-traditional roles. They may have learned to play soccer, but they still have to overcome cultural restrictions and a reluctance to let girls play. The girls had problems finding places to have games and they had to wear clothing covering them from head to toe.

Still they persist! There are now 15 teams in Kabul. The award is given to those whose "contributions transcend sports". These young women certainly fit the role!

Robber Returns the Loot

A Japanese man has taken extraordinary steps to absolve his guilt. The 33 year old gardener who was in dire need of cash robbed a Post Office in Tokyo last March. He ran away with 340,000 yen (equal to $2300)

After living with his guilt for several weeks, he decided to give it all back. He dropped off an envelope with 350,000 yen--10,000 yen for interest--at the Post Office then ran. Later he turned himself into authorities.

Police have yet to determine what to do with the man or the extra money.

Bubble Dogs Cured

A new form of gene therapy has cured three bubble dogs. It lends hope that some day this may also be a treatment for humans.

The basset hounds had a rare disorder called XSCID. This disorder is known in humans as the bubble boy disorder. 1 in 100,000 boys receive a faulty gene from their mother. (It's passed through the X chromosome.)

Dr. Felsburg, a professor of immunology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, was in charge of the project. His team treated the dogs by injecting them with a corrected gene. These gene helps the immune system do it's job.

XSCID is life threatening. At this time there is only one treatment for humans. While this new gene therapy is in it's infancy and has only been used on dogs, in the future it could be another treatment for humans with the disorder.

To Vote Before She Dies

Maria Soledad Sarabia Lagareta is 100 years old. She has done many things in her life, but she has never been able to vote. The Mexican native has been in the USA for almost 80 years, but she never became a citizen.

She was born in Mexico in 1906. She was orphaned at the age of 12. Her father died in the 1918 flu epidemic. In 1927, she left Mexico for Los Angeles. She worked as a seamstress in Hollywood.

She's been married and widowed. In 1976, she moved to Hawaii to be with her sons. There she has lived a wonderful retirement. Her passion is cooking Mexican dishes.

She now lives in the Manoa Gardens Elderly Housing Complex and is still very much independent. She lives on her own with the aid of a caretaker who stops in twice a day.

Lagareta decided that she would like to become a US citizen and vote before she died. So, her son, Roland, helped her apply for US citizenship. Fortunately, his mother had all the necessary paperwork and the process moved very quickly. Lagareta took her citizenship test--answering all six questions correctly. Last week, she became an official American...and since this is an election year, she'll get her wish to vote very soon.

Sentinels of Freedom Get Amputee Back on His Feet

The 24th of October 2004 is a day Sgt. Joey Bozik will never forget. His humvee was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq. That day, he became a triple amputee. He lost his right arm, right leg below the knee, and his left leg above the knee.

The 28 year old North Carolina native spent many weeks at Walter Reed Medical Center. He began physical therapy and married his sweetheart. He still had to figure out how to adjust to his new body.

While at Walter Reed, heard of the Sentinels for Freedom Scholarship Program. The program is designed to help amputees go back to school. They interviewed Bozik and awarded him a 4 year scholarship.

This was a major changed for Bozik. He'd have to move to California with his new bride. He found a job with Wells Fargo which helped out. Then the Blue Star Moms pitched in. The Boziks had an apartment. It was empty but completely inappropriate for a disabled person. The Blue Star Moms set out to make the apartment livable for an amputee. They tore out carpeting, modified sinks and doorknobs, added ramps, and furnished the place.

The Boziks will begin their new life soon. Joey has alot to work out. Everything he took for granted had to be relearned. Though he has prosthetic legs, he depends on a wheelchair for certain tasks.

Joey is indebted to the Sentinels of Freedom program. In addition to handing out scholarships, the program works with community leaders to provide for the other needs of military amputees. Wells Fargo has provided Joey a job, Castle Construction a home, and the Blue Star Moms have furnished it. Supporting the troops takes on a whole new meaning when communities pull together.

Note: Sentinels of Freedom has helped a couple of veterans. If all goes well, they will be bringing another soldier to Livermore, Califonria very soon. Check out the Sentinels of Freedom Program website for more information about their program.

Granting One Last Wish

Deandre Jones was a typical 18 year old one day and in the hospital the next. He complained of a headache on the last day of school, so his teachers sent him home. Four days later, he had a seizure and was sent to surgery for a blood clot. Unfortunately, the procedure left him in a coma.

Deandre was just getting his life started. He had been a troubled youth who never took school seriously. Then last year, his Junior year, he turned it around. He didn't have the credits to graduate, but he was determined to change that. He worked hard and made up for lost time. He was going to get the diploma he had taken for granted.

For Deandre's family, it's all surreal. Instead of watching their son walk in commencement ceremonies at Antioch High School, they are waiting for him to die.

Instead of letting their grief overwhelm them, they decided to carry out what they thought would be Deandre's last wish. They threw him a graduation party. They decked him out in his cap and gown. They decorated the hospital room. His family, teachers, and hospital staff were on hand. Dr. Dickinson, who was treating Deandre, came to the party too. According to Dickinson, "He [Deandre] knew something really bad was going on. He remained polite, respectful of staff...It was an honor to let him graduate."

Unless a miracle happens, Deandre will never know about the graduation party. For his family, it was the least they could do. They watched him work so hard and then saw it snatched away. Their hope is other young people will hear of how Deandre persevered and use his story as inspiration for their own lives.

Australian Climber Cheats Death

Lincoln Hall was living out his dream of climbing Mt. Everest. The Australians highly publicized climb was in the news around the world. His story turned tragic as news filter in that he had died on the mountain.

The official story was that Hall had breathing trouble at 28,500 feet. He collapsed and was pronounced dead with swelling of the brain. The rest of the group moved on. Hall was listed as the 16th victim of Mt. Everest this year.

That wasn't the end of the story. The next day, May 26th, Dan Mazur, an American climber, passed by and realized that Hall was still breathing. He contact a rescue team which sent 13 sherpas to Hall's location. At 11am that morning, the sherpas were attending to Hall.

Hall's rescue was dangerous. Two members of one rescue group had to be rescued themselves. Hall was brought down to safety and on May 29th he was leaving for Katmandu in the back of jeep. He will undergo medical treatment as he has pneumonia and frostbite. He should be on his way home Tuesday.

[Photo courtesy of: Guido Farina, www.sxc.hu]