Excuse me, are you listening? 12-23

 

Dear Readers,

 

This year has been  a really good year.  The newspaper is about to go in another direction.  I have gone in another direction as well.  Resigning from my position as the President of Walnut Neighborhood Organization after 3 years was one of the best decisions that I could have made.

 

At times you put so much on your plate you find that you begin not to enjoy it.  To anyone who is not enjoying where you live, eat, play or breathe; leave or make it better.

 

When I became President, we began to have meetings and gatherings with neighbors. When Niowave refused to change the blue and white facade on their 14,000 square foot three story high pole barn that was built in front of a 150 year old church we stood together.  In the end there were 4 of us really pushing to make sure that future generations would be able to have something that fit into the neighborhood. I want to thank Dale, Ann and Wendell for NEVER giving up and being there even when we did not agree.  The respect I have for those three is paramount.

 

We made sure that there was responsibility taken to somewhat ensure that our neighborhood would not become depressed.  I was also instrumental getting a new sign that represented the neighborhood that is “nestled between downtown and Old Town”.  It is close to Olympic Broil if you have not seen it.  Take a look.  We all need to be responsible for beautifying our neighborhood.  We stood up for what was right, not for what was popular.  I also made some really great friends like my neighbor, Vivian.  Someone just knocked on my door a few days ago looking for help with an issue, I not turn people away.  There is something that makes people fearful when you have a title. However, never make the problem yours, just be successful at what you do.  I resigned on top and I am very pleased

 

While I was doing my duties as President of WNO, I was also building the foundation for The New Citizens Press Community Action Network (TNCP CAN), running this newspaper and taking care of my family.

 

I have been talking about TNCP CAN for a while now.  Our 501 c3 status is still pending but we have done a lot over the past year and a half.  

 

TNCP CAN, Inc. is  a  non-profit for charitable programs that were traditionally supported by The New Citizens Press newspaper.

 

Our mission is to raise awareness of stopping violence including domestic violence; to promote literacy programs; and to promote all forms of the arts, literary, expressive, and musical.

 

We collaborate with other community organizations whose purpose is to “Stop The Violence.” We have conduct rallies centered on empowering people to speak up and out against violence in their local communities. This initiative includes identifying resources that are needed to aid and support victims of all types of violence. It is our hope that criminal violence as well as domestic violence will be alleviated throughout the state of Michigan. We also plan to conduct workshops, trainings, and seminars to educate local communities on how to eradicate violence and to provide resources to those impacted by it.

 

We have hosted book drives in efforts to promote literacy. It is our hopes to disseminate the collected books to individuals in the community who are at risk. It is our hope to make books available to individuals in the prison system for inmates.

 

The New Citizens Press Community Action Network, Inc. (TNCP CAN) has partnered with The New Citizens Press newspaper in transitioning this program from the newspaper to TNCP CAN. The transition of this program from the newspaper to TNCP CAN will allow the non-profit entity to continue the tradition of providing years of quality programming to the community at large. This will allow for the furtherance of the arts through artistic expression and will allow for poets nationwide to partake in the literary arts through written expressions of poetry as well as the spoken word. Poetry in the City has become an expected and welcomed event in Michigan. It is expected that this program w

ill reach out to poets from all over the world in efforts to promote literacy and cultivation of the literary arts.

 

Community Health awareness is an initiative that has inspired health awareness in the greater Lansing community through community participation in seminars, workshops, and health awareness conferences. It will also include increasing participation of underserved populations in events such as the American Heart Association Walk.

 

Our most recent Poetry in the City event was on July 18, which was held outside on the Capital steps.  It was a beautiful day.  We had poets back to back on the steps, one right after the other.  Over 150 folks showed up and next year on Thursday, July 17 will be our 8th Annual Poetry in the City.

 

On July 4th, we were in the parade in downtown Lansing.  We had a monster truck and children rode in the back.  It was indeed special.  We celebrated the lives of those who have been lost to violence by representing loved ones at the July 4th Parade. Over 70 people showed up to chant, “Keep the Peace, Stop the Violence.”

 

We also handed out 150 free passports to “Be A Tourist in Your Own Town” which was held on June 1.  It was indeed an opportunity to explore the Greater Lansing area on the bus. There is so much to do that making sure that you have a map next year will be important.

 

On May 11, TNCP CAN was featured on “Lansing Online Radio” at WLNZ Lansing Radio.  Nacho Bermudez, father of Ignacio “Notch”  Bermudez; Vivian Bodiford, mother of James Edward Jones III; Karen Chicky Scott, TNCP CAN volunteer and Lori Black, mother of Shayla Johnson.

 

Since the radio show, we have had so many things happen.  I was supposed to give a recap of all of the events we had and Karen Chicky Scott is in the hospital and has been there for sometime.  She just got out of ICU and I wanted her to know that we appreciate all of the things she has done to support TNCP CAN and beyond.  She was one of the first volunteers to jump on board.  

 

We are super grateful and we hope that you join us for the comedy show on the back of the page, we continually need your support.

 

Love people,

 

 

 

 

Rina Risper

 

No More Silence: A Call for Remembrance and Resolve,  is a commemorative event on December 14., the one year anniversary of the massacre at Newtown.  The theme is  NO MORE SILENCE:  END GUN VIOLENCE.   It will be held at 11 am, Union Missionary Church, 500 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Lansing.    Join us to remember all of the people lost to gun violence and resolve with us to work against gun violence.  This is not a political event. There will be speakers, music by the Grand Ledge Middle School Choir and Pat Madden. The names of those lost to gun violence will be read followed by bell ringing.

 

This was printed in the December 1, 2013 – December 14, 2013 Edition