... A champion athlete in his youth, Ford held the basketball scoring record at Lincoln High School in East St. Louis for many years.... "He had a strong personality ... 

Soul Bowl is an annual fundraiser for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. Held at Interstate Lanes, on N. Interstate Avenue, the event last Thursday brought in $12,000 for children's programs. The top fundraising team at the Soul Bowl was the crew from Kaiser Permanente, organized by Vicki Guinn, a Kaiser employee and a member of the African American Advisory Board for Big Brothers Big Sisters. From left, Guinn; Denise Wilson; Manathis Rich Jr.; Karl Franklin; Taylor Mundy, age 18; Pam Cook; and Marcus Mundy, executive director of the Urban League of Portland. On the far right is Zyonna Hardy, 7 . . .

The Skanner: What is it that you bring to the youth groups that you speak with?
Bishop: The impulse of my presentations – we use the term Ndaba. Ndaba is a Zulu term that translates as deep talk, or I have something to share. And that type of communication is to help remind a person of their importance in life, or their road in life. And part of the message we bring in our work of mentorship is to spark the intelligence of memory. What is it a person remembers as being authentic in their life? . . .

Sylvia Woodley has her blood glucose checked by Gerry Morrison, a nurse from Northwest Kidney Center during the annual Kidney Health Fest for African Americans Saturday, May 2, at the African American Academy. The event included free health screenings, lunch prepared by celebrity chefs and music and entertainment. . . .

As three Seattle schools, and two Oregon school districts, reopen this week after flu-related closures, federal officials are backing away from encouraging such shutdowns across the board.
"At this time, CDC recommends the primary means to reduce spread of influenza in schools focus on early identification of ill students and staff, staying home when sick, and good cough etiquette and frequent hand washing," the agency said in a statement this week. "Decisions about school closure should be at the discretion of local authorities based on local considerations." . . .

Officials with the Center for Disease Control are now saying the swine flu outbreak is not as severe as once feared. The same officials warn that the 2009/2010 winter season could see the virus rebound.
A report published in February by the National Academy of Science confirmed what long has been believed – the flu virus thrives in dry, cold air. In other words, the more absolute moisture in the air, the less able a virus is to survive.
So as the coming summer months bring warm air, it's important not to grow complacent. Nutrition plays an important role in preventing infection and gives your body more immune system response if you do become sick. . . .

To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Oregon's statehood, the Oregon Department of Education wanted educators to share their knowledge of the state's varied history. With the help of the Oregon Virtual School District, a website was set up to compile lesson plans from around the state. According to Susanne Smith, a communications officer with the ODE, the website serves as a grassroots effort to get teachers to share effective lesson plans with other teachers. There are a wide variety of lesson plans on the site, from the geography of Oregon to the predictable tales of Lewis and Clark. . . .

... KW: The last time we spoke was a year ago, and we only touched on "Star Trek" slightly back then. Let me ask you this. Was it at all intimidating becoming a part of a film franchise that fans take so seriously and even attend conventions for?
ZS: I would be lying to you if I said I didn't have any concerns about it. I did ask myself, "Do I really want to take on that kind of pressure?" and take the risk of not being well received by the fans or of becoming typecast so early in my career. But in talking with J.J. [director J.J. Abrams], I became curious about the fact that he had been more of a "Star Wars" than a "Star Trek" fan. And what convinced me was that he had just such a beautiful vision for the film. I figured if he was taken with these characters, I definitely didn't want to be left out. . . .

Gingrich's leadership style has been described by political commentators such as Dr. Ron Walters, as "aggressively narrow, mean-spirited and even hateful." Why then would quintessential Black activist and civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton be planning a march and rally near the White House this Saturday, at which Gingrich has been invited to speak? And why did they attend a meeting together last week with President Barack Obama? Sharpton answered these questions during an interview with the NNPA News Service: "There is no agreement. He and I are not working together," says Sharpton. "He's coming to say, 'Yes there is a race gap.' But, he and I are not working together." . . .