Daniel Fils-Aimé, Well-known Leader In The Haitian-American Community Passes Away
By Savannah Tribune | on August 08, 2018
We are deeply saddened to announce that Daniel Fils-Aimé, a well-known leader in the Haitian-American Community passed Tuesday, July 31, 2018. There is a Memorial Service Friday, August 10th, 2018, at the Little Haiti Cultural Center Auditorium 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33137 from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The following are additional locations to pay respect: Sunday, August 12th, 2018 Miami Temple SDA Church 9175 SW 44th Street * Miami, Fl 33165 · Viewing from 9:00 am to 11:00 am · Funeral from 11:30 pm to 1:00 pm · Reception from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Monday, August 13th, 2018 at 11:00 am, the burial is at Caballero Rivero Dade South Cemetery 14200 SW 117th Ave * Miami, Fl 33186. The prestigious Haitian
American Historical Society cordially invites all of the media network, elected officials, Haitian patriots, professionals, businesses and community leaders to the patriotic memorial of Daniel Fils-Aimé.
Daniel Fils-Aimé was the Founder/Chairman of the Haitian American Historical Society (HAHS), an organization that built the Haitian Memorial Monument in Savannah, Georgia. This organization is dedicated to researching, educating and promoting the history of Haiti through art and cultural events for a better understanding of the rich heritage and positive cooperation between Haiti and the United States of America.
He’s the Founder/ Owner of Miami Minibus, which has provided ground transportation services to residents of Miami-Dade County 20+ years.
Standing United for TPS on Capitol Hill
September 12-13, 2018
Washington, D.C.
Family Action Network Movement (FANM) and Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) invite you to join us on September 12-13 for our “Standing United for TPS on Capitol Hill” in Washington, DC.
During this gathering, TPS recipients from Haiti, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua et al….will meet with Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to advocate for family reunification and protection for 300,000 TPS recipients, and more than 275,000 U.S. born children. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) provides safety and protection to thousands of immigrants who are unable to return home due to potentially dangerous situations in their native countries including armed conflicts, natural /political disasters, gang violence, and other extraordinary circumstances. The Trump administration has terminated TPS disregarding mandatory statutory criteria and procedures.
In order to prevent a potential human rights crisis as the current one that is unfolding at the border where children are separated from their families, TPS holders, faith/community leaders, and elected officials will meet with lawmakers to advocate for TPS families together.
Thank you for your interest in joining us in Washington, DC, on September 12-13 to make our voices heard in Congress.
Sign up today.
Click Here to register.
AG RACINE TAKES ACTION AGAINST NEGLECTFUL PROPERTY OWNERS TO STOP CRIME IN DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOODS
Building Owners Held Accountable for Illegal Drug and Firearm Activity at Properties in Anacostia, Deanwood, Eckington, and Petworth
WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced multiple actions against several residential and commercial property owners to end concentrated drug- and firearm-related activity taking place at their buildings. The Office of Attorney General (OAG) reached court-ordered settlements that require owners of two apartment buildings and two businesses in Deanwood to put in place strong new building security measures. In four new lawsuits, OAG is seeking to ensure the owners secure four apartment buildings in Anacostia, Eckington and Petworth to end drug- and gun-related nuisances.
“Apartment buildings and store fronts can become havens for dangerous drug and firearm activity when building owners don’t put in place basic security measures to deter criminals,”said Attorney General Racine. “Today’s actions respond to ongoing community complaints about crime in their neighborhoods and hold neglectful property owners accountable for keeping District tenants and residents safe.”
Under the District’s Drug-, Firearm-, or Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Act, OAG can take action against owners and operators whose properties are being used to sell or harbor illegal drugs, guns, or sex work. OAG investigates properties referred to it by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and community groups and brings enforcement actions when warranted to ensure that residents of all income levels, including those who may have limited means to relocate, are safe in their neighborhoods.
Settlements
In March, AG Racine sued the owners of two apartment buildings and two commercial properties in Ward 7’s Deanwood neighborhood to discourage illegal activity at the buildings. As part of the settlements with OAG, the owners are required to take measures to secure their properties.
940 Division Avenue NE and 5216 Just Street NE
OAG sued Just Street and Division Avenue NE, LLC, the owner of two 13-unit apartment buildings at the corner of Just Street and Division Avenue NE in Ward 7. In the last two years, two murders have occurred on the property and MPD has responded to more than 700 calls for service and reported regular drug and firearm activity. The settlement with OAG requires the building owner to hire full-time security personnel at the properties, and to install and maintain new security cameras and more high-powered lighting. The owner also must ban from the premises non-residents who have participated in illegal activity.
The settlement agreement for the 940 Division Avenue NE and 5216 Just Street NE case is available at: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/940-Division-Ave-Settlement.pdf
1100 and 1102 Eastern Avenue NE
OAG sued the estate of Frederick B. Ince, the owner of two commercial properties adjacent to each other in the 1100 block of Eastern Avenue NE in Ward 7. The properties operate as Sunny Chicken & Fish and Uncle Lee’s Liquor. Since January 2017, MPD has responded to more than 180 calls for service and made at least 15 arrests at the properties for drug and firearm offenses. The consent order requires the owner to install and maintain new security cameras, high-wattage lights, and a six-foot-high fence closing off a parking lot where the illegal activity has been taking place. The owner also must bar from the premises individuals who have participated in illegal activity there in the past and hire security guards if the other measures do not stop the illegal activity on the property.
The consent order for the 1100 and 1102 Eastern Avenue NE case is available at:http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/1100-and-1102-Eastern-Avenue-Consent-Order.pdf
Lawsuits
AG Racine has filed four lawsuits against the owners of four apartment buildings to protect District residents and community members from drugs and other criminal activity.
1610 and 1614 R Street SE
In this case, OAG sued Everett Murtagh and Oxana Jourkiv (1610 R St SE), and Yordanos Asres (1614 R St SE), owners of two small apartment buildings in the Ward 8’s Anacostia neighborhood. The buildings are located half a block from Anacostia High School and a block from Kramer Middle School. OAG alleges MPD has repeatedly seized cocaine and drug paraphernalia, as well as PCP and unregistered firearms, at the properties. Further, since June of 2017, OAG alleges that the two properties have generated at least five search warrants, 30 arrests, and 75 calls for emergency service. The complaint alleges that the owners have not made sufficient efforts to address the drug and gun problems at the property, despite notices from OAG.
The 1610 R Street SE complaint is available at: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/1610-R-Street-Complaint.pdf
The 1614 R Street SE complaint is available at: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/1614-R-Street-Complaint.pdf
1613 Lincoln Road NE
In this case, OAG sued Christine Kelly, who owns and operates a four-unit apartment building in Ward 5’s Eckington neighborhood. OAG alleges the building has become a drug haven. Specifically, OAG’s complaint asserts that within the last 10 months, two search warrants have been executed at the property, resulting in the seizure of more than three vials of PCP, 234 grams of marijuana, and 68 zips of crack cocaine. The suit argues Kelly has not made sufficient efforts to address the drug and gun problems at the property, despite notices from OAG.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The 1613 Lincoln Road NE complaint is available at http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/1613-Lincoln-Road-NE-Complaint.pdf
In this case, OAG sued Alemayehu Tarekegn and Armacho Azanaw, the owners of a four-unit apartment building in Ward 4’s Petworth neighborhood. OAG’s complaint alleges the property has become a heroin den. Among the violations, OAG alleges that within the last 8 months, two search warrants have been executed at the property, with MPD officers seizing 294 grams of heroin and more than $8,000 in cash. OAG also charges that community members have repeatedly complained to OAG and MPD about the property over the past year. The complaint alleges Tarekegn and Azanaw have not made sufficient efforts to address the drug problems at the property, despite notices from OAG.
The 4019 Kansas Avenue NW complaint is available at: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/4019-Kansas-Avenue-Complaint.pdf
OAG’s Housing and Community Justice Section works to end neighborhood drug, gun, and prostitution nuisances by enforcing the law and investigating complaints from the community and referrals from District government agencies. Learn how to report nuisance activity in your neighborhood here.
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The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) works to protect and defend District residents, enforce District laws, and provide legal advice to D.C. government agencies. Karl A. Racine leads OAG as the first elected Attorney General of the District of Columbia. Visit www.oag.dc.gov to learn more.
Caribbean states beg Trump to grasp climate change threat: 'War has come to us'
The forgotten Americans: Puerto Rico after Maria
@olliemilman
Tue 7 Aug 2018 06.00 EDT
Hurricanes Katia (left), Irma (center) and Jose (right) in September 2017 – the first time on record that three major hurricanes made landfall at the same time in the Caribbean.
Caribbean states and territories have rounded on the Trump administration for dismantling the US’ response to climate change, warning that greenhouse gas emissions must be sharply cut to avoid hurricanes and sea level rise threatening the future of their island idylls.
The onset of this year’s hurricane season has seen leaders in the region tell the Guardian that Donald Trump needs to grasp the existential threat they face. Rising temperatures and increased precipitation caused by climate change is strengthening hurricanes, researchers have found, even as the overall number of storms remains steady.
“In 2017 we saw some of the most devastating and destructive hurricanes we’ve seen in our history,” said Selwin Hart, Barbados’ ambassador to the US. “This needs to be recognized.
“This isn’t some scientific debate, it’s a reality with loss of life implications. We need the US to be back at the table and engage. It’s imperative. We wouldn’t have a Paris climate agreement without the US and we need them back now.”
Hurricane Irma strengthened to a category five hurricane before slamming into the Caribbean and US in September, causing more than 130 deaths in places such as Barbuda, Saint Martin, Barbados and the US. This storm was swiftly followed by Hurricane Maria, which obliterated much of Dominica and caused a widespread, ongoing disaster in Puerto Rico, leaving thousands dead.
“Even before the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria, we could already see the effects of coastal erosion, and even the loss of some islands,” said Ricardo Rosselló, governor of Puerto Rico. The US territory is part of an alliance with several states, including New York and California, that have committed to addressing climate change absent the federal government.
“Puerto Rico remains in a more vulnerable situation than other states. It is expected that some of the initial effects of climate change will be seen in Puerto Rico,” said Rosselló, who called Trump’s climate policies “a mistake”.
During the 2015 Paris climate talks, Caribbean nations were among the loose coalition of low-lying countries that successfully pushed the international community to aim to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C (2.7F) beyond pre-industrial levels.
This aspiration, which would provide many island states the hope of remaining viable in the face of sea level rise, drought and powerful storms, is currently far from likely, with a recent UN report warning the picture would be “even bleaker” if the Trump administration follows through with its vow to remove the US from the Paris deal.
The withdrawal from Paris would take three years, but in the meantime the Trump administration is working to dismantle the clean power plan, an Obama-era strategy to cut carbon dioxide, delay new vehicle emissions standards, open up new land and ocean to oil and gas drilling and even put in place a set of subsidies that would prop up the ailing coal industry.
“The US is a major player in the world and it needs to lead, we depend on it to be a moral voice on issues where people are vulnerable,” said Darren Henfield, foreign minister of the Bahamas. “We really hope the US readjusts its position. It seems there will be doubters until we start completely losing islands.”
Henfield said Bahamians have become “dramatically aware” of climate change following a series of hurricanes that have hit or brushed the archipelago in recent years. The country has attempted to accelerate its transition to renewable energy although it faces the conundrum of relying economically upon tourists, borne on huge cruise ships that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide.
“We are being forced to put up sea walls to push back the rising tides,” Henfield said. “We are very exposed and we could see the swallowing of the Bahamas by sea level rise. We don’t have much room for people, there’s nowhere for people to move. Climate change will exacerbate the issue of refugees.
“I don’t know what influences the mind of president Trump but the world will be negatively impacted by not dealing with climate change. We always talk to our neighbors in the north and part of our foreign policy is to sensitize them and the international community to the threat we face.”
But while Caribbean states plead for climate assistance, particularly from the US, they are also looking at how to adapt to a new environment. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, a coalition of island countries that spread in an arc south of the British Virgin Islands, has turned its attention to looming challenges such as food security, coastal village relocation and new building designs in order to deal with rising temperatures and seas.
“Dominica was a real wake up call for us, it virtually got washed away” said Didacus Jules, director general of the OECS. “We know the impacts are going to be increasingly catastrophic and we need to plan for that. We need to do things completely differently in order to protect life and limb.”
Didacus said he was alarmed by the US reversal on climate change. “We are very disturbed by what is going on, it’s a matter we’ll deal with aggressively in terms of diplomacy,” he said. “We will work with other island nations to make ourselves heard.”
However, many in the Caribbean fear the window of time to avert the worst is rapidly closing. Roosevelt Skerrit, prime minister of Dominica, addressed the UN last September in strikingly bleak terms, describing himself as coming “straight from the front line of the war on climate change”.
“Heat is the fuel that takes ordinary storms – storms we could normally master in our sleep – and supercharges them into a devastating force,” Skerrit said. “Now, thousands of storms form on a breeze in the mid-Atlantic and line up to pound us with maximum force and fury. We as a country and as a region did not start this war against nature. We did not provoke it. The war has come to us.”
Skerrit said the hurricane left Dominica with flattened homes, smashed water pipes, hospitals without power, wrecked schools and ruined crops. “The desolation is beyond imagination,” he said. “The stars have fallen. Eden is broken. We are shouldering the consequences of the actions of others.
“There is little time left for action. While the big countries talk, the small island nations suffer. We need action and we need it now.”