The Ensemble Theatre Announces Celebration of Its 40th Anniversary “Dawn of a New Decade” 2016-2017 Season

HOUSTON, May 9, 2016 — The Ensemble Theatre and Artistic Director, Eileen J. Morris, announce the 40^th Anniversary season entitled: Dawn of a New Decade that will include one world premiere, three regional premieres, and an audience choice production selected by patrons in a variety of comedies, drama, and musical productions.

“Dawn of a New Decade expresses the pride of The Ensemble Theatre’s history of achievement and sustainability while bringing forth a rejuvenated zeal for the future,” says Morris. “This season lineup is a prism of perspectives on life; the way we respond to the unanticipated, recover from the unfortunate, and navigate unusual or unfamiliar things that help us grow as people….We are also paying homage to two women who paved the way for how we share our music.”

Sassy Mamas, a regional premiere, romantic comedy by Houstonian Celeste Bedford Walker kicks off the season with a little attitude as three friends, women of substance take the reins on their love life and pursue younger men; next is The First Noel, another regional premiere and musical production that follows three generations of family finding restored Christmas joy through an unexpected visitor; following up is a musical commemorating Black History and Women’s History month, Mahalia, a celebration of the life and music of one of the world’s greatest gospel singers, Mahalia Jackson; following next is the audience choice winner voted by The Ensemble Theatre patrons for a revival in the 40^th anniversary line up, a romantic comedy, The Nacirema Society, where the family of an Alabama debutant tries desperately to avoid media mayhem as the appearance of an old flame and the stirring of a young romance unexpected emerge; world premiere comedy/ drama, Front Porch Society brings a whirlwind of emotions to four little old ladies, ready to celebrate the victory of future President Barak Obama as news of a scandal at the local cemetery brings hope to one grieving the untimely loss of her son; and the season finale musical and regional premiere Simply Simone explores the complexities, activism, and talent of jazz virtuoso Nina Simone at pivotal moments of her life.

The Ensemble Theatre and Artistic Director, Eileen J. Morris….. “This season lineup is a prism of perspectives on life; the way we respond to the unanticipated, recover from the unfortunate, and navigate unusual or unfamiliar things that help us grow as people….We are also paying homage to two women who paved the way for how we share our music.” Photo: Meenu Bhardwaj, Freelance — The Ensemble Theatre and Artistic Director, Eileen J. Morris….. “This season lineup is a prism of perspectives on life; the way we respond to the unanticipated, recover from the unfortunate, and navigate unusual or unfamiliar things that help us grow as people….We are also paying homage to two women who paved the way for how we share our music.”
Photo: Meenu Bhardwaj, Freelance

General Auditions for the 2016-2017 Season will be held Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2, 2016 at The Ensemble Theatre 3535 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002. For additional information and to schedule an audition appointment contact: Kedrick Brown, Artistic Assistant: theensemblecasting@gmail.com.

The Ensemble Theatre will honor celebrity guests, a rising star artist, and corporate and community supporters for their commitment to advancing the arts, during its Annual Black Tie Gala Weekend, Saturday, August 20, 2016, at the Hilton Americas- Houston. The gala is the largest fundraising event dedicated to the annual support of the theatre. The weekend festivities will culminate in a Community Subscriber’s Celebration Sunday, August 21, 2016.

The theatre’s 15^th Annual Golf Tournament is Tuesday, October 17, 2016 at the Northgate Country Club golf course. The tournament raises funds to support the theatre’s youth and educational initiatives including its touring education, artist in residency, and young performers training program.

The Ensemble Theatre’s variety of youth initiatives include: the Touring Education program, a mini season of children’s theatre available to schools and families; and The Young Performers Program, a performing arts education program that includes week-long sessions during winter and spring breaks, and two month-long regular sessions during the summer.

The Ensemble Theatre Act One Young Professionals, an organization formed five years ago to cultivate the theatre’s next generation of supports, will host a series of networking mixers, including two events in collaboration with other Houston Area young professionals: a February Black History Month Mixer, and an April, National Poetry Month showcase entitled: Drama-try[tree]: A Night of Dramatic Poetry.

The Ensemble Theatre’s 2016-2017 Season Includes:

Sassy Mamas

Regional Premiere

PG-13/ Romantic Comedy/ Some Adult Situations

By Celeste Bedford Walker

Directed by Eileen J. Morris

Previews: September 17, 18, and 21

Opening Night: September 22, 2016

Runs: September 22 – October 16

NAACP Image Award-winning playwright Celeste Bedford Walker brings a delicate touch to her depiction of women of a certain age in her romantic comedy, Sassy Mamas. A story about three women—yes, “cougars”—who confidently pursue younger men. These three friends, women of substance and life achievement, each finding herself in a uniquely single situation and decidedly takes a proactive approach to love. The younger men they’ve set their sights on come with their own unique situations that only add to the humor and antics!

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The First Noel

Regional Premiere

G/ Musical

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Lelund Durond Thompson and Michael Webb

Director and Choreographer Patdro Harris

Musical Direction by Carlton Leake

Previews: November 12, 13, and 16 Opening Night: November 17, 2016 Runs: November 17 – December 30, 2016

Audiences will have to bundle up as they enter this winter wonderland where beloved Christmas carols emerge as dynamic new songs, destined to become holiday favorites for a new generation. The First Noel is a heartwarming musical that follows three generations of a family affected by the tragic loss of a loved one, when an unexpected visit reveals some long-absent Christmas joy. It is a story about how a community is healed, one family at a time, as everyday people do extraordinary things to help one another receive the gift of love at Christmas time.

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Mahalia

Regional Premiere

G/ Musical

By Tom Stolz

Directed by Shirley Marks Whitmore

Previews: January 21, 22, and 25

Opening Night: January 26, 2017

Runs: January 26 – February 26, 2017

A joyous celebration of the life and music of the world’s greatest gospel singer: a humble, deeply religious woman whose expressive, full throated voice carried her from a three room shanty in New Orleans to international fame. The joy and inspiration of her heartfelt songs provide a counterpoint to the urgent messages delivered by her friend, Martin Luther King. Standing at his side, Mahalia Jackson became the musical voice of the civil rights movement. This harmonious tribute includes music by various gospel composers as well as hymns and

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The Nacirema Society

Winner of The Ensemble Theatre Audience Choice Selection PG/ Romantic Comedy/ Revival

By Pearl Cleage

Directed by Eileen J. Morris

Previews: March 18, 19, 21

Opening Night: March 23, 2017

Runs: March 23 – April 16, 2017

Every year since Emancipation, the Nacirema Society of Montgomery, Alabama introduces six elegant African-American debutants to a world of wealth, privilege and social responsibility. This year, at its 100th anniversary, with young love brewing, old flames simmering and national media attention on-hand. . . what would dare to go awry? Pearl Cleage, award winning playwright of Blues for an Alabama Sky and Flyin’ West, and New York Times best-selling author of the Oprah book club selection, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, invites you into this glamorous world where folks still dress for dinner. A sparkling romantic comedy!

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Front Porch Society

World Premiere

PG/ Comedy/ Drama

By Melda Beaty

Directed by Eileen J. Morris

Previews: May 6, 7, 10

Opening Night: May 11, 2017

Runs: May 11 – June 4, 2017

It’s November 4, 2008 in Marks, Mississippi, and America is on the eve of electing its first black president. But what does that mean to four elderly women in this rural town, especially Carrie Honey, the town’s “overseer,” as she grieves the anniversary of her son’s tragic death amidst the town’s excitement over Barack Obama. After years of failed attempts to seek justice, Carrie has grown bitter and no longer interested in life’s celebrations, until a scandal at the cemetery rocks this historic day, and a past secret is revealed that somehow restores her faded faith.

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Simply Simone Regional Premiere

PG/ Play with Music

Written by Robert Neblett and David Grapes

Musical Arrangement by Vince diMura

Director & Choreographer Patdro Harris

Musical Direction by Carlton Leake

Previews: June 24, 25, 28

Opening Night: June 29, 2017

Runs: June 29 – July 30, 2017

Nina Simone, from child prodigy; jazz superstar; civil rights activist; to political exile was one of the true divas of the 20th century and a genuine musical powerhouse; she defined a generation and defied classification. Her silky, soulful, and untamed, voice will put a spell on you. She’ll melt your heart; she’ll chill you to the bone. Simply Simone crosses genres from gospel to blues to Broadway to rock and roll, and features such definitive Simone classics as “I Loves You Porgy,” “The Look of Love,” “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”

For information regarding subscriptions, tickets, group sales, and other theatre programing call The Ensemble Theatre Box Office: 713-520-0055 or visit www.EnsembleHouston.com.

The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. Thirty-eight years later, the theatre has evolved from a small touring company to one of Houston’s finest historical cultural institutions.

The Ensemble is one of a few professional theatres in the region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African American experience. The oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it holds the distinction of being one of the nation’s largest African American theatres owning and operating its facility and producing in-house. The late Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble’s $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997. The Ensemble Theatre has fulfilled and surpassed the vision of its founder and continues to expand and create innovative programs to bring African American theatre to myriad audiences.

The People’s Club in Houston honors moms with surprise night ball – Spectacular photos

The joy of motherhood spreads all over North America as citizens celebrate the Mother’s Day Sunday today, May 5 2016. In Houston, The People’s Club of Nigeria International, an affluent Nigerian-based social club known for sophistication, charity, community support, and outreach treated their women to a night of love, honor, and happiness to mark the celebration. In attendance were; PCNI’s Patron and wife, Nze Dr. and Lolo Vincent Nwabeke; the Chairman and wife, Chief-Sir and Chief-Mrs. Nnanyelugo Obinna Mbachu; officials, and members of the club. These spectacular photos were recorded.

Houston: The People’s Club of Nigeria’s Mother’s Day Reception

Houston’s Mayor Turner Delivers First State-of-the-City Address

Turner....“As we look to 2018, City services will be adversely affected, hundreds of employees will be laid off, and our credit rating will most likely be damaged. But this is a course we need not travel. My mom said, ‘Tomorrow will be better than today,’ and as mayor of this City, I still believe what she said.” — Turner….“As we look to 2018, City services will be adversely affected, hundreds of employees will be laid off, and our credit rating will most likely be damaged. But this is a course we need not travel. My mom said, ‘Tomorrow will be better than today,’ and as mayor of this City, I still believe what she said.”

Flooding, pensions, City finances and public safety were front and center as Mayor Sylvester Turner delivered his first State of the City before the Greater Houston Partnership. In a major move designed to produce tangible results and instill confidence among residents, the mayor announced the selection of Stephen Costello to fill the new position of Chief Resilience Officer, or Flood Czar. Costello, who is a civil engineer who has worked on numerous drainage projects, will report directly to the mayor and will have the sole responsibility of developing and implementing strategies that will improve drainage and reduce the risk of flooding.

“The April 18 floods had a dramatic impact on our entire region,” said Mayor Turner. “Hundreds of people sought rescue in hastily opened shelters, hundreds more elected to stay in their flooded apartments and homes. Nearly 2,000 homes in Houston flooded and some flooded for the second, third or fourth times. Property owners throughout our area have become weary of flooding in the Bayou City, impatient with elected officials who offer explanations with no practical solutions, and some have and others are close to packing up and leaving our city unless we can convince them that we are going to do exponentially more than what they currently see.”

The mayor also announced that he will soon unveil a plan to put 175 more police officers on the street, called for repeal of the revenue cap self-imposed on the City by voters in 2004 and detailed his plan to address the City’s unfunded employee pension liabilities, a growing obligation that is stressing the City’s overall financial stability.

“There are certain realities that cannot be ignored: the increasing costs to the City simply cannot be sustained,” said Turner. “As we look to 2018, City services will be adversely affected, hundreds of employees will be laid off, and our credit rating will most likely be damaged. But this is a course we need not travel. My mom said, ‘Tomorrow will be better than today,’ and as mayor of this City, I still believe what she said.”

The mayor is already in productive discussions with the employee pension groups about reigning in costs in a way that is least burdensome to employees, reduces the City’s escalating costs and avoids unintended consequences. He has laid out three objectives for those discussions:

Lower unfunded pension obligations now and in the future;
Lower annual costs for the city now and in the future; and
An agreement by the end of the year to present to the legislature for consideration in the 2017 session.

The mayor noted that the revenue cap, which was cited as one of the reasons for a downgrade of the City’s credit rating, puts Houston at an unfair advantage and hinders the City’s ability to meet the needs of its growing population. No other governmental entity in Texas is under similar constraints.

“The revenue cap works against creating one Houston with opportunity for all and the ability to address pressing needs like flooding, transportation and mobility, parks and added green space, affordable/workforce housing and homelessness,” said Turner. “We are competing not just against Dallas, San Antonio and Austin; not just against New York, Los Angeles or Chicago, but against Vancouver, Berlin and Singapore. We are an international city speaking 142 languages, with 92 consulates and two international airports within our city boundaries.”

The mayor concluded his speech with a commitment to leading the nation in addressing homelessness and a personal appeal for Houston businesses to join his Hire Houston Youth summer jobs program. Information on the program is available at www.hirehoustonyouth.org.

Fired employee kills co-worker, self at Houston-area company

The sheriff said during a news conference shortly after the shooting that the gunman had been fired that morning, but Gonzales said investigators later determined the dismissal happened two weeks ago.

KATY, Texas (AP) — A man dismissed last month from a Houston-area transportation company stormed into the facility and opened fire on Wednesday, fatally shooting a former co-worker and injuring two others before turning the gun on himself, saying his life had been ruined, sheriff’s officials said.

The man was armed with a shotgun and a pistol when he arrived at the Knight Transportation office in Katy, about 20 miles west of Houston, according to Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman. The sheriff said the man “parked right outside the building and came straight in.”

The man was heard by workers saying something to the effect of “you all ruined my life” as he walked through the building, and may have been looking for someone, sheriff’s spokesman Ralph Gonzales said.

The gunman fatally shot one man, who was found dead at the scene by responding officers. Two other workers were injured by shrapnel or other debris from the gunfire, and both were treated at the scene, Gonzales said.

The names of the gunman and the victims haven’t been released. The sheriff said one deputy injured his knee during the incident.

Hickman had no information on how long the man had been employed by Knight Transportation, which provides truckload transportation services.

The Phoenix-based company released a statement Wednesday saying work at the facility was being suspended until the investigation was complete. It said counselors would be on site to support employees.

The company confirmed an employee was killed during the shooting, saying: “Our deepest sympathies are with the family during this difficult time.”

“This was the action of a lone former employee,” the company added. “Knight is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of all of its employees.”

The sheriff said during a news conference shortly after the shooting that the gunman had been fired that morning, but Gonzales said investigators later determined the dismissal happened two weeks ago.

Numerous patrol vehicles surrounded the facility as deputies responded to reports of gunfire. A nearby high school went on lockdown for about an hour as a precaution, said Denisse Cantu, a spokeswoman with the Katy Independent School District. She said three other district campuses also were briefly closed during the incident.

Ansar-ud-Deen Society inaugurates North American branch in Houston

Photo from left, His Eminence, the National Missioner, Sheikh Imam Abdur-Rahman Olanrewaju , Ahmad; National President, Alhajj Lateef Olufemi Okunnu SAN, CON., and the National Secretary, Alhaji Lateef Seinde Karim. Ansar-ud-Deen Society remains the oldest, largest, most famous, and most respected Muslim organizations in Nigeria; living up to its mission to enhance the status of the populace through unwavering pursuit of knowledge.

GuardianNewsUSA – Houston, TX – Guests are beginning to arrive in Houston for the long anticipated inauguration of the Ansar-ud-Deen Society North America (ADSNA). The event will take place on April 23rd, 2016, 9:00 am at Phoenix Events Center on 15152 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77083. Hosts of the events are North American-based Ansar-ud-Deen societies in the Southwest Houston, Washington DC, Chicago & South Florida Branches. ADSNA is an association of all Ansar-ud-Deen Mosques, educational alumni & affiliates in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the other countries in the continent, aimed at promoting spiritual & educational excellence of Islamic & Western knowledge in the society.

Ansar-Ud Deen Society was founded in Lagos for the purpose of the educational development of Muslims and also as a body to enhance the moral and social development of the Muslim community. The group was formed in December 21, 1923 by a group of young men – forty two in number to be precise – who wanted to promote the cause of education and ensure the nobility of the practice of their faith.

Today, the organization has remained the oldest, largest, most famous, and most respected Muslim organizations in Nigeria; living up to its mission to enhance the status of the populace through unwavering pursuit of knowledge; maintaining good relationship with the traditional and religious leaders of the time, and enjoying the support of the political establishments and general population.

Houston’s event would reflect these values through lectures and speaking engagements by prominent clerics who would serve as special guests. For instance, His Eminence, the National Missioner, Sheikh Imam Abdur-Rahman Olanrewaju Ahmad will deliver the event’s major lecture, while the National Secretary, Alhaji Lateef Seinde Karim would deliver the keynote address. The Theme of the event is “Founding of the first Ansar-ud-Deen school in the Diaspora.” Other prominent guests, including the group’s global president, Alhaji Femi Okunnu (SAN) are also expected at the event.

Houston downtown skyline with beautiful clouds in the background and Interstate 10 freeway and Whiteoak bayou in the foreground. — Houston is described as the nation’s demographic future with 2.2 million residents in a predominantly racial and ethnic composition.

Hosting this event in Houston, the fourth most populous city in the nation, is a better choice and reflects the city’s diverse outlook. Houston is described as the nation’s demographic future with 2.2 million residents and 145 different languages spoken in a predominantly racial and ethnic composition. Houston’s international status also makes it a perfect hub for various businesses and organizations worldwide. For example, Ninety-two foreign governments have official representation in the city through consulates or trade offices, ranking Houston’s consular corps third in the nation.

Ansar-ud-Deen Society’s North American inauguration in Houston will attract guests from major other cities of the United States and Canada. Enthusiasts including students, scholars and other categories of guests are expected at the event’s lecture segment; a goodwill message by Missioner, Imam Ahmad. Sheik Ahmad holds membership in the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, National Interfaith Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (NACA), Interfaith Advisory Committee against Corruption to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission – EFCC; the chairmanship of the Movement Against Corruption (MAC), and many others.

The Ansar-ud-Deen Society North America (ADSNA)’s Inauguration Ceremony holds on April 23rd, 2016, by 9:00 am at Phoenix Events Center, 15152 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77083. For more information, please call 708-822-9554.

Houston oil firm seeks bankruptcy after slump kills $5B spending spree

By Tiffany Kary and Joe Carroll | Bloomberg

Energy XXI launched a joint venture in 2012 with ExxonMobil to explore for oil and gas in shallow waters on the Gulf of Mexico shelf.

Energy XXI Ltd. filed for bankruptcy protection today after spending $5 billion on acquisitions in the years leading up to the crude slump.

The oil and gas explorer sought Chapter 11 protection in Houston, listing $1.8 billion in assets and $3.6 billion in debt and saying it has reached a restructuring agreement with noteholders.

“Energy XXI will eliminate more than $2.8 billion in debt from its balance sheet, substantially deleverage its capital structure and position the company for long-term success,” the company said in a statement.

Energy XXI bills itself as the largest publicly traded independent producer on the Gulf of Mexico shelf. Since its initial public offering more than 10 years ago, the Houston-based company bought MitEnergy, picked up $1.01 billion of properties from Exxon Mobil Corp. and spent $2.3 billion on EPL Oil & Gas, according to its website.

As recently as three years ago, Chief Executive Officer John Schiller was planning to expand as far afield as Southeast Asia, where he said the geology is similar to the Gulf’s.

With oil hovering around $30 a barrel, Energy XXI wound up buying back more than $1.7 billion in debt over seven months to trim its interest expense. In a February regulatory filing, the company said it doubted it could meet financial commitments over the coming year and continue operating. Crude’s recovery to about $40 since then hasn’t been enough.

Schiller, a protege of wildcatter James “Jim Bob” Moffett, had also steered the company into costly exploration projects with Moffett’s Freeport-McMoRan Inc. several miles beneath the Gulf of Mexico. Energy XXI said Schiller will continue as CEO.

The company, which plans to operate as normal during the restructuring, has about $180 million in cash and said it expects to pay suppliers and vendors in full. It asked the court for a freeze on stock transfers in order to preserve tax benefits. Energy XXI has $1 billion in “net operating losses” which help it save on federal and state taxes, according to court papers.

Oil began its slide in mid-2014 when crude was at about $100 a barrel. A glut has driven dozens of energy explorers into Chapter 11, including Magnum Hunter Resources Corp., Samson Resources Corp. and Sabine Oil & Gas Corp. Rig operators such as Paragon Offshore Plc and Hercules Offshore Inc. also declared bankruptcy as demand for their services dropped.

About 35 percent of exploration and production companies worldwide — some 175 firms — are at risk of bankruptcy this year, according to a Deloitte LLP study published in February. Together, these companies have around $150 billion in debt on their balance sheets, according to the report.

Money manager Franklin Resources Inc. was the biggest owner of the company’s second-lien bonds as of Feb. 29, with a 32.4 percent holding.

An Energy XXI subsidiary that leases subsea pipelines off the Louisiana coast remained outside Chapter 11 case and those leases remain intact, according to CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust Inc., which owns the pipe network.

HCC Health Sciences Center of Excellence grand opening: A pillar of the Texas Medical Center

Committed to educational excellence in Houston’s medical industry, HCC officials and industry partners proudly support the formation of future doctors, nurses and other vital personnel in health care.

“Excellence is not a title. Excellence is an attitude, a decision to thrive and succeed.“ With those words Teddy Tovar, director of the Respiratory Therapy Program, described the atmosphere that students, faculty, and administrators breathe at the HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences, the only institution of its kind located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center. For many, the grand opening of the Houston Community College Health Sciences Center of Excellence signifies the beginning of a new era.

“The common Latin phrase ‘de novo’ means ‘anew,” said Dean of the Center of Excellence, Dr. Gary Kesling. “Today, the Coleman College for Health Sciences is the ‘de novo’ transformation into the Center of Excellence. This grand opening means that we are here to facilitate our students’ understanding of the purpose of a health science education that promotes intellectual and personal success.”

Coleman College, which opened its doors in 1999, offers twenty different disciplines in health sciences including nursing, diagnostics, therapeutic, and dental services, among others.

“This is an opportunity to remind us not only of the economic impact of our programs, but also of the personal one,” reflected HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado, Ph.D., P.E., as he shared a recent experience in which his mother underwent treatment in a hospital located in the Texas Medical Center.

“The nurses helped me communicate with my mother and with the doctors,” said Dr. Maldonado. “They took wonderful care of her. I was humbled when some of them told me they were HCC graduates.”

On an average, the 43-member institutions of the Texas Medical Center receive eight million of patients a year. In Houston, the healthcare industry accounts for one in every ten jobs.

HCC breaks ground for future of North Forest Community

According to Adriana Tamez, Ed.D, chair, HCC Board of Trustees, District III, these jobs are not positions suited for everyone.

“I have always considered the healthcare field as a vocation first and then a profession,” said Dr. Tamez. “Your passion and dedication continue to inspire us administrators to work harder and never loose sight that what we do, is about people.”

Nursing student Rachel Ibanez, whose father’s diabetes was treated through the help of nurses, describes the nursing program at HCC Coleman College as a stepping ladder.

HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado. HCC is one of the country’s largest singly-accredited, open-admission, community colleges offering associate degrees, certificates, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities.

She said, “I’m proud to be a student here. I hope that one day I can provide hope and bring people the help that healed my dad so many times.”

The event was attended by representatives from various health care organizations in the Houston area including Edward Hugetz, Provost at the University of Houston-Downtown.

“We are proud to have a long partnership with HCC,” said Hugetz. “Two thirds of our students are transfer and of those, 40% come from Houston Community College. We are at a moment of renewal in establishing what we need to do together for the future of the students and the community. We congratulate HCC on their vision. I am so proud to see HCC succeed like that.”

Currently, construction is under way for a 10-story building across the street, which will more than double the size of Coleman College. The facility, which will offer 248,000 additional square feet of classrooms, is projected to open Summer 2017.

To learn more about the programs offered at the HCC Health Sciences Center of Excellence, visit: hccs.edu/centers.

Houston’s All Saints Anglican: Don’t you think The Guardian deserves an apology?

All Saints Anglican Church, the largest Anglican Church built by a Nigerian congregation in North America has been cobwebbed with internal conflicts since 2010, costing tens of thousands in legal fees and causing the Parish to split at least twice into other factions now operating as different Anglican churches.

Today, the issues at the All Saints get worse by the hour, with different cliques and factions fighting each other to the extreme. Just a few weeks ago, the Parish was on the local TV news showing an angry faction demonstrating their concerns with the church management.

But this is really not the reason for this piece. Here is my reason for revisiting matters of the All Saints Anglican. Since August 2015 till date, calls about the present issues at the All Saints have bombarded our newsroom, with individuals asking for a media coverage of their persisting internal squabbles.

These calls were normal. For instance, International Guardian has always championed investigative stories on crucial community matters. Furthermore, the establishment of the All Saints Anglican Church had a compelling story that resonated with the Nigerian immigrants, their struggle for identity, and their survival in a society where immigration is often a taboo topic. These were why The Guardian took the bull by the horn in its previous coverages of the All Saints.

These media coverages however attracted so much resentment by those not favored by our reports. They declared war against the newspaper and went as far as making an announcement during a church service; asking members to visit local stores and destroy every Guardian publication. Also, advertising clients were persuaded to cut off ties with the paper. But this was around 2012.

Surprisingly today, these same individuals who vowed to destroy the Guardian (but could not) are the same folks calling our news room to again request a coverage of their latest ordeal – exactly the same ordeal revealed by the Guardian almost four years ago.

Sounds strange, but those who actually went to the stores destroying copies of the Guardian years ago are the same folks seen on the TV demonstrating what our reports warned them about back then.

Organizational challenges might be paramount to progress because good leadership evaluates issues and iniquities of the past as the parameter in managing the present and the future. In the apostolic fraternity however, Christians clear their guilty consciences through genuine repentance and confession to seek God’s compassionate forgiveness and salvation.

These are facts about spirituality; thus, Christian often fall from issues to issues when they conceal their transgressions with some nonchalant forgive-and-forget “let’s move on” lyrics; or when they seek resolution through a complicated court process rather than a Bible-based mediation forum or consensus. No wonder, the book of Proverbs (28:13) specifically hinted that whoever that conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

The questions thus arise on whether the warring members of the All Saints would seek ways other than a shameful street fighting; legal wrangling; verbal and physical abuses; destructive gossips and individual unforgiving spirits to solve their internal concerns? Would these warring members settle for a spiritual retreat and kneel before the Holy Ghost for a spiritual intervention; over uncontrolled broiling anger of congregants in a Parish that has turned the alter of God into a damaging wrestling and boxing ring?

While we all join hands and pray for this miracle, one more thing may be appropriate. I think that The Guardian deserves a little apology from the Houston All Saints community – or what do you think? I can take those calls anytime, and I’m never on long distance.

■ Dr. Ogbo is the publisher of International Guardian based in Houston, Texas: anthony@guardiannews.us

Houston prepares for Zika’s potential arrival this summer

JOE PALCA | NPR Health – On March 10, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee held a news conference at the Good Neighbor Healthcare Center in the part of Houston she represents. The mayor and a bevy of other state and local officials stood behind her.

“What we’re doing here today is having an intense briefing on the Zika virus with health professionals, working with the mayor and the city of Houston, the state and the country, to formulate the kind of partnership that can respond immediately,” said Jackson Lee, a Democrat.

Then she stepped aside, as the mayor, the assembled health officials and civic minded clergy all delivered a version of the same message: The Zika virus is coming to Houston, and we’d better get ready.

To get a better idea why Houston is at particular risk, I met up with Peter Hotez. He’s dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Hotez says there are three elements that put Houston at risk for a Zika outbreak. The first is the steady influx of people from other countries.

“Houston is a gateway city,” says Hotez. “We’re on the coast; we’re not far from the Panama Canal. We’re an immigrant hub.”

There’s also a major international airport. “Every day there are hundreds and thousands of people coming from all over the world to Houston,” he says. At least some of those people are likely carrying Zika, according to Hotez, whether they know it or not.

The second element is mosquitoes. In the summer, Houston is awash in Aedes aegypti. That’s the mosquito that can transmit Zika.

The third element is economic. “I think one of the missing narratives that we’ve not heard about Zika is that this is a disease of poverty,” says Hotez.

To show me what he means, we drive to a neighborhood called the Fifth Ward, just a few miles from the gleaming skyscrapers of downtown Houston. The area near the corner of Worms and New Orleans Streets is dotted with small, dilapidated wooden homes. There are few, if any, grocery stores or restaurants nearby.

Hotez says there are often piles of trash here, trash where water can pool and provide breeding grounds for Aedes aegypti.

Hotez points to a pile of tires. “What happens, the water pools inside the tire well,” he says. “But the other thing that happens is that as the water sits for a time, some of the leaves get into that, and it kind of creates an organic soup that the mosquito larvae absolutely love. So as we move into the spring and summer months, these will be teeming with thousands of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.”

If these mosquito should happen to bite someone infected with Zika, and then bite someone else nearby, that second person will become infected. This is how the virus can spread through a neighborhood.

Now if you’re in a home with window screens and air conditioning, that’s one thing. But there aren’t many homes like that around here.

“We’re only a few feet from a house which has no window screens,” says Hotez, “So it’s the proximity of a house with no window screens, next to the discarded tires, next to the standing water that creates the perfect mix” for spreading the virus.

Elderly man becomes latest Zika virus case confirmed in Houston

Hotez says the point is American cities like Houston have quite a high concentration of poverty. He says it’s the poor who are the most exposed to mosquitoes, and therefore most vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases.

City, county and state officials say they’ll do all they can to pick up trash where mosquitoes can breed. They say federal health officials are keeping watch at Houston’s international airport to make sure travelers who do show up with Zika are identified and treated.

But they’ll need residents’ help, both in clearing trash and seeking medical attention if they think they’ve been exposed to the virus.

Hotez says these efforts may not stop Zika from hitting Houston, but he hopes they will at least minimize its impact.

By Tiffany Kary and Joe Carroll | Bloomberg

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