Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 February 2000 — Page 2

PAGE A2

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11,2000.

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BRIEFS Continued from A1

Most Hoosiers heat with natural gasorelectricity.O’Bannon noted. And energy experts have not seen a spike this winter in natural gas prices or electric rates. In the last four months, heating oil and propane prices have increased substantially, O'Bannon pointed out, especially in January. According to the UJS. Department of Ener'gy, the price of residential heating oil in Indiana last October averaged 97.2 cents per gallon. By January 31, the average had climbed to $1.133 a gallon, an increase of 16.6 percent. Some two dozen community action agencies around the state are taking applications from families who need help paying their heating bills, no matter what kind of energy heats their homes. To be eligible, a family’s income must be no more than 123 percent of the federal poverty level. For example, a family of four would qualify with an annual income of up to $20,875. How much assistance a family can receive depends on its utility costs and its income. Families receiving energy assistance also are assured by law that their natural gas or electricity won’t be cut off between now and March 13. ' “Our heating assistance program is meant to assure that all Hoosiers have a safe supply of heat. Noone

should have to suffer through freezing nights and no one should have to turn in desperation to unsafe heating methods,’’ Governor O’Bannon said. Peterson names Carson, Slash as "IndyCounts!” Chairs Mayor Bart Peterson has announced that U.S. Rep. Julia Carson and former deputy mayor and current Indianapolis Power A Light official Joseph Slash will serve as co-chairs of the-“IndyCounts!” committee. Mayor Peterson will also serve as co-chair. IndyCounts! was created to promote awareness of the 2000 Census in Indianapolis and to help ensure that there w’ill be enough Census workers. The committee, appointed by. the mayor, includes representatives from faith-based organizations, the media, labor, business, education, government, community-based housing and others. The next census of U.S. population and housing is designed to collect data as of April 1, 2000. The information collected in Census questionnaires will help Indianapolis plan for neighborhood revitalization, economic develop-

.ment and other community improvements. Federal funding formulas are also tied to Census data. “I’m happy to have Julia Carson and Joe Slash as^our co-chairs,’’ Mayor Peterson s^id. “With their help, I’m confident this message of Census participation will get out.” Carson: Cardiovascular disease still the biggest killer of american women U.S. Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN) recently joined in the special recognition of National Heart Month, directed by resolution of Congress and proclaimed by the-President at the White House in Washington. “Heart disease is still the biggest killer of women in our country. We live with the sad fact that nearly 60 million Americans suffer at least one type of cardiovascular disease, leading to the loss each year of nearly 1 million American lives, more than we lose from the next 7 leading killers combined. Sadly, too, this disease is unevenly distributed: for minority and lowincome populations, risk factors and death rates are disproportionately high,” the Congresswoman said. .

To help meet the challenge of

improving upon the advances of the years and finding greater safety against the disease. President Clinton recently announced the launch of the Healthy People 2010 initiative, to address those health problems that are preventable with better care and improved public awareness. Among the initiative’s ambitious goals are improving the prevention, detection, and treatment of heart disease risk factors, earlier identification and quicker response in the treatment of heart attacks, and prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events, such as second

strbkes.

“We have come a long way, yet heart disease is still a serious health challenge,” she added. The Center for Disease Control tells us that more than 2,600Americans die each day from cardiovas-

Rep. Gregory Porter and Sen. Earline Rogers

POLITICS Continued from A1

H nq

Americans engaging in the process Greg Porter; House Bill 1011 wjj^ is still a concern, the IBLC reports now go to the Senate for furthgfl some significant successes in this review. iJ0 short legislative session. In fact, “The entire Black caucus

cular diseases, an average of one the IBLC began this week with helped to get that out,” said Portef 0 death every 33 seconds. Though muc h-needed legislative momen- the chairman of the House Educrtr

turn. tion Committee. We do things ^

we have come to understand that exercise and proper diet are critical behaviors for heart health, we also know that too many of us are physically less active and heavier than

ever.

Residents of the 10th Congres

On Monday the House passed a a family, we had - the energy to grt

eood

()0;6

our pclSt will be present.

bill that allows for the reporting this done. We have had some gc and collection of information re- bills that have come out that hay^j lating to hate crimes. us strongly in mind and meet our; The bill’s fmal version was not concerns. ,»

. as strong as caucus members would “We have got to let peopl^ sional District may obtain more |, ave hoped, but due largely to the know the Statehouse is theirs^’] information on federal efforts to e ff or t s Q f the House’s African- Potter added. “That’s what we’r^ curb heart disease by calling the American members, which include doing, were trying to connect out 10th District office at 283-6516. state Rep William Crawford, people to it.” j A

Brown and the bill’s sponsor. Rep. If this week’s IBLC activity

are any indication, there is assistance from several community sectors for the African-American lofc^

bying effort.

Gov. Frank O’Bannon, on I for the fifth annual breakfast praised the efforts of the IBLC?, saying that only through such efforts can the entire community

bettered.

“We must do these things that bring people together and really decide why we are here,” O’Bannon said. “This makes that difference. When we come together, we can do anything.” Because they have identified ■ t^jp^fisljpin^fli^u^i^^p | caucus used this year’s kick off not 4 only (tpjeminfl t^,cpnvnwj.ty i; cf 1 its civic duties, but also to evoke the presence and assistance of higher power. • * The key component of these events, the IBLC brought a little faith into the legislative mix, by reminding the community that with faith, the Black legislative agenda can succeed. To remind the legislators thepjselves of their religious roots, Dr. Carlton Davis, who delivered t^e keynote address during the breakfast, urged the IBLC, and oth^r African Americans who haye reached prominent positions in society, not to forget its constituency. >? “Many of us are in positiqtjs now because God has confided,^ us,” said Davis, the pastor of N$w Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Gary. “Our promotions come from God. Elected officials need.jo realize it is the people that get you established, you can’t turn ygpr backs on them.” For each of the members of flje caucus, the IBLC stands unified and ready to address critical Afri-can-American issues of the ne^v millennium. Now, they said, it is up to the community to help see those issqes

through.

The IBLC will continue its outreach efforts this year with fin upcoming legislative weekend,|o be determined at a later date.

stories, your heritage, are your passport

new and

exciting ways. We’ll help you today and tomorrow with innovations like affordable high-speed Internet access, interactive television and wireless connections from virtually anywhere - to keep your traditions strong and moving forward

into the 21st century.

www.att.com/black_hiscory_month

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