Tag: Philadelphia

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Local News

Christmas decorations at FBCT evoke festive moods

With Christmas Day almost here, lights and decorations are everywhere.

Rev. Powell of FBCT talks about the annual tradition of “Hanging of the Greens” at the church.
— Photo by Michelle Dryden

Close to home in New Jersey, we can visit Rockefeller Center in New York City to see their famous Christmas tree. Also, residents from the southern region of  New Jersey can visit Philadelphia to see their Christmas Tree at their City Hall as well.

But right here in Trenton, the capital city of New Jersey, the community can visit First Baptist Church of Trenton (FBCT) to enjoy that church’s “Hanging of the Greens” decorations that took place Sunday at the church.

FBCT Pastor Rev. Calvin Powell explained the “Hanging of the Greens” tradition at the church as a “time when we come together, and we share in decorating the church. It’s all about love. We come together and we share in love. We have fellowship. We have some food. We have some fun.”

Rev. Powell explained that “Hanging of the Greens” at FBCT is more than a 35-year-old event that takes place the first week of each Advent season.

He said Advent means “coming,” and that for him it signifies the coming of Jesus’s birth that would bring peace into the world. This year Advent began Dec. 1 (the Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s Day) and will end Dec. 24.

By decorating the church, the FBCT congregation is “just trying to get into the spirit of the season,” said Powell.

A fairly new pastor at the 214-year-old church that just celebrated an anniversary in November, Powell also just had his own 4-year anniversary in October.

He enjoys his congregation and the “Hanging of the Greens” activity, among several other ministries at FBCT.

Powell compares the multicultural congregation of his church to Heaven.

“It’s beautiful because we have so many different ethnicities here” like you will see in Heaven, he said.

Other church members who were decorating the church talked about the tradition.  A new member, Jacqueline Jones, said it will bring a festive mood so that all who enter the church will be in the holiday spirit.

Also, Naw Martha Hla from Burma, who has been a member at FBCT for 10 years, says she was having fun with the “Hanging of the Greens,” and was happy to celebrate with family and friends.

Meanwhile Jim Russo, says he has been a member of FBCT for more than 30 years, and has been a part of the Christmas decoration activity for a long time.

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Local News

Mercer County Summer Concert Series bring big talents

As the summer continues to sizzle, the Mercer County Park Commission is also bringing top talents to Mercer County Park Festival Grounds.

Don’t miss great shows from well-known artists such as the upcoming performers Sat., July 27.

Information from the Mercer County Administration states that  “If you watched Sean “Diddy” Combs’ MTV show Making the Band, you probably remember seeing five hugely talented young men who became Day26, named for the day (Aug. 26) (when) they were selected by Combs.”

These Hip Hop artists, Day26, and model musician Sammy Cokas, who writes his own music, will perform at the Festival Grounds Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.

The Administration states that, Day 26’s first album hit the Billboard 200 as #1 and became the biggest selling debut album from a male R&B group on SoundScan.  Their hits were Got Me Going and Since You Been Gone.

They celebrate their 10-year anniversary with their A New Day album.

Other musicians at the Festival Ground this summer will include Jazz musicians, Country musicians, and even a Woodstock Tribute.

For the return of Mercer County Jazz Festival on Sat. Aug. 3, the well-known musician Jeff Bradshaw will headline the event.

Mercer County has announced that Bradshaw is a Philadelphia based soul-jazz and hip-hop innovator who joined the Park Commission at the Jazz Festival in 2018 concert series and will return this summer.

Opening support for Jeff Bradshaw will be Destinee Maree, and R&B Soul/Pop singer, Algebra Blessett and Frank McComb.

Tickets for the events are available through Community Pass – $20. For more information, go to www.mercercountyparks.org

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Business

Verizon’s workers picket for job security

Fearing loss of employment to contractors, close to 40,000 Verizon workers on the East Coast were picketing Wednesday during a labor dispute strike.

Photo by Eugene Sonn/WHYY In this picket line, Verizon workers in Philadelphia join nearly 40,000 strikers along the East Coast.
Photo by Eugene Sonn/WHYY
In this picket line, Verizon workers in Philadelphia join nearly 40,000 strikers along the East Coast.

Verizon’s spokesman, Ray McConville, said that the current contract does not offer Verizon enough flexibility to move workers around.

‘”Let’s say there is a big job happening in Philadelphia, and we need to bring in some extra people to help out and I have a surplus of technicians in South Jersey,… The current contract prohibits us from doing that,”’ he said.

However, Verizon plans to continue to offer phone, Internet, and cable service to customers even though they are walking the picketing line in eight states that include New Jersey, Pennyslvania and Delaware.

Tom Romantini of Communications Workers of Americas said amidst the fear of being outsourced and replaced by contract workers, Verizon workers are just looking for good paying jobs in this country.

‘“All these corporations, they continually send jobs out of this country. And they deprive this country of its tax base and of good-paying jobs,”’ he said.

Categories
Local News

Trenton’s first-time author targets wide audience

Dr. Jo Anne Craig conveys universal message

Photo by Michelle Dryden Dr. Jo Ann Craig sits at a desk holding up her recently published book in the Beverly A. Richardson Learning Center at the James Kerney Campus of Mercer County Community College, Monday, August 27, 2012.

 

TRENTON, N.J. — Dr. Jo Anne Craig chronicles her story in her first book, “When Is It My Time to Cry.”  Often depicted as a strong, black woman, Dr. Craig uses the main character, Victoria, of her novel, to tell a story of overcoming.

A strong, black woman who has overcome childhood trauma, loss of loved ones, self-doubt, distrust in others, Dr. Craig is busy nowadays enjoying the victory of her successes.

“When you read the story the main character never got an opportunity to cry. She is portrayed as a strong black woman. Strong black women don’t cry. You shed a tear and you get over it and move on,” said Dr. Craig in a recent interview.

Dr. Craig, now an accomplished author, was born and raised in Trenton.  She has her Ed.D. in Early Childhood and Adult Education from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. She received her Master of Arts from Rider University, Lawrenceville, N.J., and her bachelor’s degree from Temple University, Philadelphia.

Craig presently works as an Asst. Prof. of English at Mercer County Community College in Trenton.

Victoria story tells of her childhood when she was raped, exposed to the indignity of incest, “suffered through a session at the Youth House and County Jail with the door locked behind her, a bleak outlook for the future, and a baby on the way,” says Dr. Craig.

Her book was published in June of 2011 and was available to the public in October. Since then Dr. Craig has been busy at book-signing events and has been invited to guest speak at various venues.

“I was at the Philadelphia Osteopathic Medical building last night at the Delaware Black Psychologists Association where actually I did some networking and I have been invited to be a guest lecturer in reference to the book because it deals with issues that communities are faced with even today in society,” said Dr. Craig during our interview.

Dr. Craig notes that her book is relevant to everyone, because everybody has experienced, in some way, some of the issues she mentions in her book.

“These issues are relevant to society and our cultural society today. Rape, incest, giving up hope, loss of loved ones, dealing with one’s inner self, losing faith in God, losing faith in yourself and trying to let go of the past and move on in life. So these issues are what we are faced with today. How do we get beyond something that’s happened to us 15, 20, maybe 40 years ago?” She asked.

She emphasized that her book has a specific target audience: Those who have endured the same issues that her main character, Victoria, has.

“When we carry the past into our present lifestyle or our present life, it begins to hinder us from moving forward in all aspects of life: In relationships, it hinders us from being able to love, it hinders one from believing in self; our self-esteem is so low, when we are victims of such heinous crimes,” she laments.

She thinks the main character in her book exemplifies how one should overcome such issues. She depicts a strong woman whom others can relate to, she said. If other people who are in the same situations adapt to her way of addressing such circumstances, then they will be able to overcome their problems, said Dr. Craig.

“Some people don’t know how to let go and move on,’’ said Dr. Craig.  “They wear the past like a belt around their waist that cuts off their breath, and they don’t know how to unbuckle it to release the breath and move on in life.”

However, her book is not meant to directly give solutions to the problems she mentions.

“They are not solutions.  They are just what the main character felt that was workable for her, and if other people who are in a similar situation adapt them, they are able to let go and not be shackled by the past,” said Dr. Craig.

Dr. Craig recently was a guest on Yolanda Robinson’s Reel Talk Show, WiFi 1460 AM, and will be appearing on her show again Aug. 31, 2012, 8 to 10 a.m.