First United Methodist Prairie View presents Crowns and Brims

Prairie View First United Methodist Church will present its Annual Crowns and Brims Red Carpet Extravaganza on Saturday, August 20th at 11:00 a.m. at the Waller Baptist Church, 2520 Cherry Street, Waller. The maestro, Dr. Lucius R. Wyatt, retired professor of music and Head of the music department at Prairie View A&M University, along with other jazz musicians will entertain the guests. Donation for the event is $20. For further information, please contact Kathryn Reed (936) 857-3584.

The men of St. Francis will host its Men’s Prayer Breakfast on August 20 at 8:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall of the church on 204 Dooley Street. The speaker is Vedron Bordeaux, Assistant Fire Chief for the Prairie View Volunteer Firefighter Association. Bordeaux is native of New York and began his firefighter/paramedic career with Bellaire Fire Department in Texas. He later joined the Pearland fire department, where he retired after 7 years. He came out of retirement and served as fire instructor with Houston Community College where he currently train students to become certified firefighters in the state of Texas. Bordeaux holds degrees in Fire Technology/Paramedics from San Jacinto Community College, Northwood University and the master’s degree from Oklahoma State University. He joined the Prairie View Fire Department in 2014 where he is also the training coordinator and fire inspector. The men of the community are invited to the Free Breakfast and should confirm attendance at 936-857-3272 or email: stfrancispv@sbcglobal.net.

The countdown is on for the “Red Hot Summer’s Night’ commemorating the 10th Annual Red & White Ball and the 30th Anniversary celebration of the Prairie View Volunteer Fire Fighting Association, Inc. on August 27. The event is open to the public with a reception at 6:30 p.m. in the student center foyer followed by the banquet at 7:00 p.m. in the Willie Tempton Memorial Student Ballroom at Prairie View A&M University.

The honorees for “The Waller County Outstanding Women Volunteer Award” include Chandra Adams, Joan Boson, Gwendolyn Carter, Rosa Deloeral, Diana Duncan, Margo Gillium, Samantha Glover, Kim Mathis-Goodrum, Nora Hodge, Irene Mattox, Angela Jones, Kimberlee Parmer, Grady Paris, Lori Perkins, Te'Anna Reed, Veronica Hargest-Sharp, Merry Sewell, Gloria Thompson, Cathy Watson and Onita Williams. For more information, contact: Belinda Lewis at lewisbelinda@hotmail.com.

The City of Prairie View will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, August 22, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at city hall on 44500 Business 290 Hwy. All concerned citizens are invited to attend the meeting. The council held its 2016-17 Budget Workshop on August 14. The council also approved Resolution 08142016 supporting the request of Tomball Forest LTD, located 42511 Old Houston Hwy., Waller, Texas to the City of Houston to be released from the City of Houston’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) to the City of Prairie View’s ETJ. Summer time is a good time for all fish lovers and those interested cooling down. Patrons are invited to enjoy great fried fish plates, snow cones, sodas, Gatorade and cold bottled-water on Mondays, 12-6:00 p.m. and Tuesdays, 12-7:00 p.m. Call Stephanie Prince at 832-457-2904 for information and pick up. GoodNews Food comes to Prairie View to provide members of the community a way to stretch their food dollars. Patrons can purchase food boxes of groceries at 50% less than store prices. For more information, visit www.goodnewsfood.net or call 281-210-3295 or email unitancommunications@yahoo.com. Your prayers and encouragement are welcomed for Ada Beal, Irene Davis, B. J. Freeman, Vanessa Jackson, Evelyn Jones, David Kirkpatrick, Willie Smith, Mary Ann Stubblefield, Arie Walker, Sandra Watson and Douglas Woolfolk. May God’s peace be with you!

HAPPY AUGUST BIRTHDAY TO: Christopher Ryan Starks (17), Shadia Fuller Washington (17), JoAnn Blake (19), Bill Clinton (19), James Tompkins (20), Marguerite Robinson (23), Amy Boykin (23), Cecil Boykin (24), Charles Tapscott (24), Desire'e Boykin (26), Iris Sawyer (25), Raymond Anderson (27), Cheryl Manuel (27), Elaine Francis-Shafer (27), Jimmie P. Poindexter (30), Tresh'e Boykin (31) and Sharon Tisdell (31). CELEBRATING WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES are Cecil and Amy Boykin (18), Don and Beatrice Sowell (18), Edward and Pearl Martin (24), David and Lorraine Kirkpatrick (26).

A VIEW FROM THE HILL: Thirteen years ago, August 15, 2003, Dr. George C. Wright officially became president of Prairie View A&M University, and one of his first official role was his participation in the groundbreaking for the new Nathelyne Kennedy Architecture Building.

Prairie View A&M University will kick off its Fall 2016 year on Monday, August 22 with some 9,000 enrolled students including about 1,800 freshmen and 3,500 graduate students. The university is at capacity in housing its students with some 300 freshmen on the waiting list. The freshmen students spent this week in orientation and registration and will be formally welcomed to the university in a special event today, August 18.

Prairie View A&M University is implementing to major changes that have will have an adverse effect on the programs in the Whitlowe Green College of Education. First on August 5, the administrators issued a statement putting a moratorium on the Master’s in Counseling Program in wake of a new state requirement for licensure of counselors. Currently, the counseling program requires 36 hours for the master’s degree and for persons wishing to be a licensed counselor must take the 48 hour track. The new rules require 48 hours for the degree and 60 hours for the licensure. The university has taken the position to put a hold on admitting new students to the program for 18 months, which raises the question on the future of a program that enrolls some 40-50 percent of the students in the college. Then on August 12, the administrators declared a moratorium on admission to the PhD. in Educational Leadership program. According to a group of concerned students, staff and alumni, the university has yet to provide data which resulted in the drastic move on both programs.

The core group has written an open letter to President George Wright, requesting “The Program” be reinstated to its previous status. In addition, they further requested that a presidentially commissioned committee—made up of faculty, staff, alumni, and students—be charged with the development of an actionable Program improvement plan. They have also started a letter writing campaign to the president and legislators. The group concluded its letter with this quote by Paulo Freire author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed: “Leaders who do not act dialogically, but insist on imposing their decisions, do not organize the people--they manipulate them. They do not liberate, nor are they liberated: they oppress.” Incidentally, another move by the administration to raise the university’s admission standard from 2.50 to 2.75 in July raised concerns by the alumni and was subsequently put on hold for more review. While change is inevitable, there are some things that have stood the test of time and have made a significant contribution to the citizens of the state.

Until next week, using the words from my hero, Frederick Douglass, "Power concedes nothing, it never did and it never will. You have to seize it." Keep the spirit of PVAMU alive. Keep the news and achievements coming to prairieviewtoday@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 2906, Prairie View, TX 77446.