July 2014 - Page 2 of 10 - The Archive Site for The Baltimore Times

BMe leaders in Baltimore receive $10,000 for community-building efforts

BALTIMORE — BMe Community has announced its selections for the 2014 BMe Leader Awards, aimed at providing recognition, funding and networking opportunities to black men who take action to help build prosperous cities across the country.

The 2014 BMe Leaders are comprised of 30 men, 10 each from the three cities where BMe operates— Baltimore, Detroit and Philadelphia. In these cities, black men’s faces are often associated with the cities’ greatest challenges. BMe contends that if more people see the host of ways that inspired Black men bring out the best in the city, then these cities will have a better more accurate, more attractive image as well.

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the ‘extra’ that brothers like these put into this city and the lives of its people. They’re everyday contributions make Baltimore an extraordinary place to live,” said BMe CEO and Founder Trabian Shorters.

“My grandfather was an ordinary man who did extraordinary good for anyone who knew him,” added Shorters. “I want to honor men like him. I want to be a man like him. So I started BMe so that we all have a chance to honor and engage the good in our communities and our cities.”

Each year, the BMe Leader Awards are presented with the notion that everyday black men should be acknowledged as assets, who regularly do something to improve the lives of others. They are owners, builders and doers who quietly make a substantial positive impact on society as a whole. Discounting their contributions makes the city itself seem less valuable.

Shorters remarks about the need for this type of actionable recognition, “If you’re trying to build a more prosperous Baltimore, you have to build upon the great assets of Baltimore. BMe men like these are all over Baltimore.

“The stories you tell yourself create the life that you’ll live. We must tell the true story of our city’s inspired, authentic Black men otherwise people might get the false impression they don’t exist.”

BMe began as an innovation of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and now operates as an independent entity with support from Knight Foundation, Open Society Foundation, and Skillman Foundation.

For more information about the 2014 BMe Baltimore Leaders program, please contact Rodney Foxworth at rodney@bmecommunity.org. Visit www.bmecommunity.org.

Chris Wilson leads the Community Workforce Development at Greater Homewood Community Corporation and will use his 2014 BMe Leader Award to expand and resource the Barclay Business School, a “low-tech” incubator that he founded to teach employable skills to aspiring Baltimore entrepreneurs.

Chaz Arnett stands up for the most vulnerable and gives a voice to the voiceless. He represents kids who cannot afford attorneys who’ve been charged with crimes; the 2014 BMe Leader Award will help him to continue his research and create an interactive app that provides informational legal resources.

Damion Cooper is a youth minister and mentor who is also the Director of Office and Neighborhood Constituent Relations for the Baltimore City Council, and will use his 2014 BMe Leader Award to develop “PHOENIX RISING”, a holistic educational curriculum for youth which incorporates athletics, art, and meditation.

Fagan Harris is a social entrepreneur inspired to reshape the way local businesses and philanthropies cultivate homegrown talent. He will use the 2014 BMe Leader Award to pilot a class that cultivates resources, mentors, and coaches to empower ‘Baltimore for Baltimore’ entrepreneurs.

LeDamien Myers directs Project Lead the Way, a biomedical program for students at Western High School, and will use his 2014 BMe Leader Award to develop extracurricular science programs that cultivate next generation health care professionals, particularly historically underrepresented Baltimore City youth.

Lance Lucas is the founder of Digit All Systems, a program that has trained more than 10,000 students in computer programming through partnerships with 60 schools in Baltimore City. Lucas will use the 2014 BMe Leader Award to certify computer technicians in Baltimore City Schools and beyond.

Michael Franklin is an advocate who serves to empower young voices in conversations of race, class, gender, sexuality, and equality. He will use his 2014 BMe Leader Award to facilitate ‘Safe Space for All’ to cultivate a safe and constructive environment for adolescents to discuss Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues, health and wellness, and various topics related to social justice.

Preston Greene is a passionate community advocate who led a public-private partnership that brought the first grocery store in 15 years to his Northwest Baltimore neighborhood; he will use his 2014 BMe Leader Award to launch a capacity building course for high school students and young adults.

Walter Lomax spent 46 years in prison as a victim of a wrongful conviction, and cares deeply about the humane criminal justice. He will use his 2014 BMe Leader Award to support a reentry counseling program for prisoners at risk of second offense as a consequence of the social and psychological dissociation they experience.

This won’t be the AIDS-free generation

(CNN) — He was just 18 years old when he got the news. It was the summer before his senior year in high school.

“I had a fever of 103,” Bryan Seth Johnson said. “My body was hurting; I wasn’t eating, couldn’t hold down food. I just felt weak all the time.”

He went to the hospital, told them he was having difficulty swallowing and was treated for tonsillitis. But he didn’t have tonsillitis.

Johnson had the human immunodeficiency virus, better known as HIV.

(Courtesy Metro TeenAIDS)

Metro TeenAIDS offers free HIV testing through its RealTalkDC program.

“I was basically in shock, because the guy I got HIV from works in the HIV-prevention field,” Johnson recalled. “He deleted me from Facebook and basically cut all communication out.”

At the time, Johnson was getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases every three months at SMYAL, an organization dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and questioning youth in Washington. Johnson says he generally practiced safe sex, but once, when he was under the influence, he had unprotected sex.

Still, “I was in denial at the time. I thought it might be a false test.”

So he got retested. He remembers the date: September 16. The result was the same.

“The bus ride home was so quiet. Even though there was a whole bunch of noise around me, I blocked everything out.”

At home, he could not tell his mother; her baby brother had died of AIDS complications two years before Johnson was born.

One in a million

At the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia, this week, young people from over 50 countries gathered to make sure the issues of their generation were heard.

The numbers are quite startling.

Globally, 5 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are living with HIV. They represent 41% of all new infections. About 2,500 young people become infected every day, according to Advocates for Youth, an organization that works here and in developing countries.

In the United States, 26% of all new HIV infections are among young people ages 13 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most new infections are among young gay and bisexual males.

Yet only one in five high school students who has had sex has been tested for HIV, according to a new CDC report (PDF) on sexual risk behaviors. Although the majority of sexually active teens report using condoms, those numbers are decreasing, said Dr. Stephanie Zaza, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health.

“Teens are unaware of their risk of HIV and how to protect themselves,” Zaza said. “As parents and health professionals, and as educators, we need to take responsibility to help them learn about HIV.”

‘We know what works’

A staggering 60% of youths with HIV in the United States don’t know that they are infected, which leads us to an even more troubling statistic: In 2011, about 3,000 young people in this country were diagnosed with AIDS, an increase of 29% since 2008.

“That makes me sick to my stomach,” said Adam Tanner, executive director of Metro TeenAIDS in Washington. “I’m horrified. I think we’re in a moment now where there is more complacency around HIV.”

Metro TeenAIDS is a community health organization working with young people to end HIV/AIDS. It’s where Johnson went to be retested, and after his diagnosis, he began volunteering with the group. Tanner says two-thirds of Metro TeenAIDS’ clients who come in for testing have had unprotected sex in the past year.

Two years ago, a Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 64% of 15- to 24-year-olds in the United States don’t get tested because they think they’re not at risk. More than 40% said they didn’t get tested because their doctors never suggested it.

“We know what works to end the epidemic,” Tanner said. “We have better medications than we’ve ever had before. We need to arm young people with basic education about how HIV is transmitted. … All the data suggest that by fourth grade, we should be starting those conversations about sex.”

The United States is one of 10 countries that make up 61% of HIV cases, says Cornelius Baker, acting director of the HIV/AIDS division at the nonprofit group FHI 360.

“We have the tools to protect our young people through education, quality health care and family and community support,” Baker said. “If we continue to fail them, our hopes of an AIDS-free generation will be lost.”

Safe sex or no sex

Brennan Stewart, 22, understands the importance of educating young people. He was diagnosed with HIV at age 16. Stewart had just had a routine physical and blood work done. His mother delivered the news.

“My first thought was death. I was going to die,” Stewart recalled. “I felt like, oh, my God, I’m just this dirty person. … I’ve contracted something that’s going to mess up my life.”

He’s not sure how he got it. He says he practiced safe sex but not all the time. He never got sick, never had any symptoms of the disease.

A few months after the diagnosis, he started taking medication. Today, he takes one pill a day and has no side effects. He says his viral load is undetectable.

Metro TeenAIDS has kept him on track, making sure he does what he needs to do to stay healthy. He wants other teens to know what he learned the “extremely” hard way.

“If you think it can’t happen to you, it can,” he said emphatically. “You have to get tested, because if you don’t, you can put your life in danger, as well as somebody else’s life.”

Oh, “and wrap it up,” he said. “Either safe sex or no sex.”

The-CNN-Wire

Pi Omega Chapter wins award at 79th Grand Conclave

“Well done is better than well said” —Ben Franklin

The Pi Omega Chapter, Graduate Chapter of Baltimore proved actions speak louder than words 79th Grand Conclave of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. held July 10 – 17, 2014 in PhiladelphiaThe Pi Omega Chapter was recognized as the fraternity’s 2012-2013 International Social Action Chapter of the Year (Large Chapter, 50+ Members).

The Social Action Chapter of the Year is presented to the chapter that best implements the Fraternity’s mandated programs and provides significant community based programs to the local area and beyond. Pi Omega was selected from entries from the twelve districts of the fraternity, after being selected in the same category for the Second District Social Action Chapter of the Year in April of this year. The Second District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity covers the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Pi Omega has won this award at the district level 3 times. This is the chapter’s first International award.

Pi Omega had a busy and active year to achieve this award. In addition to completing seven mandated programs of the fraternity, including college scholarships, a high school talent hunt competition, supporting historical black colleges and universities, and conducting seven of eight special emphasis programs such as health initiatives, mentoring, blood donation, and domestic violence, Pi Omega completed over 150 community based programs and projects from November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2013. Working under the theme of “We are our brothers keepers,” the projects impacted the youth, elderly, disabled, and a cross-section of race and cultures. The projects also had a geographic sphere that encompassed international, national, state and local communities.

Under the direction of Johnathon Malik Mosley, basileus of Pi Omega Chapter, Dwayne White and John Berkley, social action chairman and co-chairman respectfully, members engaged in a variety of activities that fit in with the strengths of the chapter. The true winners from this award are the hundreds of people locally, nationally, and internationally, who benefited from the services and programs offered by the chapter and Omega men throughout the world. Well done is truly better than well said.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity is a historically black fraternal organization that provides and promotes programs of social, cultural and economic uplift to the communities it serves. For over a century, they have recruited, trained and deployed men of color for leadership roles in service to humanity.

Pi Omega is a graduate chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Pi Omega Chapter has been instrumental in sponsoring programs that foster achievement, scholarship, community action, and the search for talent. For over 90 years, Pi Omega has contributed to various organizations, programs and schools, which serve as valuable resources to the Baltimore community.

UFC Fight Night wrap-up

The long awaited bout between Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller took place Wednesday July 16, 2014 at the Revel Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Before the big match there were a few other matches with some talent to keep an eye on including Jessamyn Duke vs Leslie Smith. When Leslie Smith came to Baltimore in April, she came in as a substitute. You could tell this woman had something to prove and wasn’t going to lose without a fight.

This time around in Atlantic City, she got her chance to show what she was about when she won by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the first round. ““This is epic, this is one if the biggest wins of my entire career and I’m going to remember it and take it with me. I’m really glad that I was able to live up to the training and the expertise that my coaches have shared with me. They have all done so much and been such good examples. It was great to be able to honor them with a win.”

Hugo Vienna vs. Aljamain Sterling: The match started out slow in the first round as both fighters were trying to feel their way around the ring. The second round saw Sterling starting to take control of the fight and by the third round the referee called the fight with Sterling winning on a TKO. Sterling said after the match: “It felt awesome. My first fight I didn’t really show what I could do. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do a lot of good things and I was able to do them. I showed that I’m ready for even bigger fights now and am looking forward to my next fight.” Sterling improves to 10-0.

Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham: Dunham proved to be no match for Barboza as he quickly rocked Dunham one minute 34 seconds into the fight. “Everybody knows my background is in Muay Thai. I saw his elbow a little bit, and just as my coach taught me, it was the opening I needed for the win. I’m feeling great. Thank God. I trained so hard for this fight and I can’t wait to step into the cage again,” said Barboza.

For more information about the winners and losers of UFC Fight Night in Atlantic City, visit: http://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-fight-night-atlantic-city

Fruit recall affects Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Kroger stores

If you’ve picked up fruit at Costco, Trader Joe’s, Kroger or Walmart stores recently, keep reading.

Wawona Packing Co. is voluntarily recalling peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots that were packed at its Cutler, California, warehouses between June 1 and July 12, 2014. Wawona believes the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Costco, Trader Joe’s, Kroger and the Walmart Corp.— which operates Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, have all posted notices about the fruit recall on their websites. So have grocery chains Ralphs and Food 4 Less. The recall is nationwide, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Consumers should look for a sticker on their fruit that says “SWEET 2 EAT,” according to the recall warnings.

Internal testing at Wawona revealed the potential Listeria contamination, the FDA says. The facility was shut down and sanitized; subsequent tests have been negative for the food-borne illness.

“We are aware of no illnesses related to the consumption of these products,” Wawona President Brent Smittcamp said in a statement. “By taking the precautionary step of recalling product, we will minimize even the slightest risk to public health, and that is our priority.”

Trader Joe’s has urged customers not to eat any of these stone fruits— meaning fruits with large pits— and to return them to a nearby store for a full refund.

In addition, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. has recalled several of its baked goods that contain fruit from Wawona Packing Co. This includes cakes, pies, tarts and other pastries. For a full list, see FDA.gov.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause Listeriosis. The most common symptoms of Listeriosis are gastrointestinal issues (such as diarrhea), fever and muscle aches. Pregnant women, infants, older adults and people with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk for a more serious infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC estimates about 1,600 illnesses and 260 deaths are caused by Listeriosis each year in the United States. Overall, outbreaks have been on the decline since 2001, but the largest in U.S. history occurred in 2011. Cantaloupes from a farm in Colorado sickened 147 people and killed nearly three-dozen.

The farmers responsible recently were sentenced to five years’ probation, including six months of in-home detention.

Are we doomed to polarization?

We Americans are trapped in a political dilemma. We all like representative democracy, but we don’t much like the way it’s performing.

The reason for this dissatisfaction is clear. Polls in recent years detail a polarized nation, divided both ideologically and politically. This is, as the Pew Research Center put it recently, “a defining feature of politics today.” In the public’s eye, Washington gets most of the blame for this.

Yet Congress and the political world around it reflect the rest of the country more than we’d like to believe. Our nation is divided ideologically. It’s also segregated politically, with many Americans preferring to associate with and live near people who share their views; gerrymandered districts and closed primaries intensify the effect. Our media is more partisan than it used to be. Interest groups— many of them funded by ordinary Americans who want their voices magnified— are more engaged than they were a generation ago. And though we deplore negative politics, we respond to it and even encourage our favorite partisans to engage in it.

Anyone who becomes president today does so with nearly half the country opposed to him the day he takes office. Moreover, we face a long list of issues where decisive action may be impossible: abortion, gun control, climate change, a host of budgetary and economic problems, the death penalty, tax reform, immigration, drug laws. These issues don’t just divide Congress; they divide the nation, with no clear path forward.

Our admired political system, in other words, is not working well. In Pew’s survey, the extremes make up just over a third of the American public, but because they’re disproportionately active they drive our politics. The larger, more diverse center can’t agree on a direction for the country, but its members are united by their distaste for the tone of politics and the unwillingness of politicians to compromise and break the stalemate. We are not getting the politics we want. So how do we resolve our dilemma?

There are many procedural steps that can ease the gridlock on Capitol Hill. Among them, the House and Senate could schedule themselves so that they’re in session at the same time. Congressional leaders and the president ought to meet at least once a month. Congress needs to work the same five-day week that the rest of us do, and reduce its centralized leadership by empowering committees. Open primaries would help moderate the nation’s politics, as would bipartisan redistricting commissions capable of doing away with gerrymandered districts. Increasing voter participation and improving the integrity of our elections would also help. Limiting the Senate filibuster and allowing minority parties in both chambers more of an opportunity to offer amendments, would open up debate and forestall endless stalemates.

However, resolving our dilemma is unlikely to happen quickly. It’s hard to see either side in this partisan divide winning or losing decisively in the elections immediately ahead. Even if one party wins both houses in Congress, it’s not easy to move when the White House is in the control of another party. With the need for 60 votes in the Senate, the minority party can always find ways to slow things down.

Still, it’s worth remembering that American politics is dynamic, not static. Change occurs, sometimes quickly, but more often slowly. We won’t forever be this evenly

divided, because public opinion will eventually evolve and the system will respond.

Which raises my final point. Even when our frustration with division and discord spills over into impatience with the system itself, our obligations as American citizens remain the same. We face complex problems that don’t have simple solutions. They demand a willingness to exercise the values of representative democracy: tolerance, mutual respect, accepting ideological differences, working to build consensus.

Lee Hamilton is Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.

Indie Soul Entrepreneur of the Week: TyLeishia Douglass

This week’s Indie Soul Entrepreneur of the week holds so many titles we might have to call her the new mini Oprah. TyLeishia Douglass is a woman with many skills, but is confident in all that she does.

“I am most certainly blessed to be in a position to not only promote myself but others as well,” said Douglass. She is an author, radio host and public speaker. If that is not enough, she is also CEO of JBNM Publishing.

Her book, “Jewels Declaring New Miracles,” is about finding the courage to overcome. The character in the book, Da’Viese is a woman who is trying to find her way in life. “There are some things in the book that myself or others I know, that have gone through some things and from those examples, I wanted to write something that women could identify with. Not only women, but men as well,” says Douglass.

She began hosting a radio show in order to promote her work. “It is tough out here for people who are independent, on their own, to try and find media outlets to promote their book,” she says. Her show can be heard on Thursday evenings over the Blog Talk Radio Network at 6pm (EST). The Show is called: Jewels Declaring Miracles2.

For more information on TyLeishia Douglass follow her on Twitter: urjdnm and on Facebook under: tylaviese.douglass

Common Core is killing american education

Recently, as I waited in line at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, my eyes drifted to a sample license plate on the wall that said “Education Begins At Home.”

It made me think: “Not if they continue with Common Core and these new SAT standards.”

If they do, public school education will be reduced to “teaching to the test,” with limited choices and options for parents to find alternatives for their children.

As I am the mother of two school-aged children, the Common Core discussion is near and dear to me. There is nothing more important to me than the education of my kids and the curriculum and the influence that people who surround my kids seven hours a day have on them.

The allure of Common Core continues to fade as governors, state officials and teachers across the country are slowly withdrawing their support for these national standards.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, for instance, recently announced his intention to pull back from the consortium developing Common Core assessments. Meanwhile, countless teachers and educators continue to argue that Common Core will “dumb down” educational standards and give faculty less control over what they can teach in the classroom. A resignation letter from a Colorado teacher illustrating these complaints recently went viral in protest to Common Core standards.

Last month, the College Board— the association that developed the Scholastic Assessment Test— announced revisions to the SAT that will be implemented in 2016. The president of the College Board, David Coleman, believes college admissions exams “have become disconnected from the work of our high schools.”

The new revisions allegedly were designed to address this issue. More importantly, the new standards were designed to mirror the K-12 Common Core curriculum.

In 2012, Mr. Coleman took over the College Board in what appears to have been a seamless transition. Earlier in his career, Mr. Coleman worked for McKinsey and Company advising urban school districts. He then went on to help found a non-profit entity called Student Achievement Partners.

It is no surprise to discover that Student Achievement Partners, which claims to bring together researchers and educators to develop programs that improve student outcomes, played a key role in developing Common Core state standards for math and literacy. As a co-founder, Mr. Coleman led his organization’s efforts to develop Common Core.

A significant amount of media coverage has documented how the new SAT changes mirror the Common Core standards. Even Mr. Coleman has been public about his desire for the College Board to better reflect Common Core.

Education Week has even done a detailed, side-by-side analysis of the current SAT, the redesigned SAT and Common Core to show the differences.

At this year’s South by Southwest Interactive Festival, Mr. Coleman explained that he believes the SAT should offer “worthy challenges, not artificial obstacles.”

I am not sure what world Mr. Coleman lives in, but from my vantage point, there are both challenges and obstacles in the learning process. I am interested in raising children who are capable of confronting those challenges and overcoming those obstacles, regardless of whether someone deems them unworthy or artificial.

Mr. Coleman has pointed out that the new SAT offers an optional essay section. This, in my opinion, is a mistake. Students should be required to write more essays, especially in our text-prone, social media society. Assessing a student’s ability to express their thoughts in a well-written, coherent sentence is an essential skill for college success.

Common Core opponents— including governors, parents, teacher advocacy groups and national and state-based education organizations— must continue to fight against the implementation of Common Core.

The Common Core-SAT connection reminds me of the fable of the scorpion and the frog. The College Board hired Common Core champion David Coleman to infuse Common Core standards into the SAT. He’s like the scorpion that stings and kills the public education frog while riding the frog across the river, thus killing them both. Why is anyone surprised?

Cherylyn Harley LeBon is co-chairman of the Project 21 black leadership network. She is a former Senior Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Follow her on Twitter @HarleyLeBon. Comments may be sent to: Project21@nationalcenter.org.

Here’s Google’s plan to rid the world of cyberattacks

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — A new team at Google is aiming to be the cybersecurity superheroes of the Internet.

They’re looking to exterminate those nasty computer bugs that let hackers and government spies sneak into our computers — not just for Google, but for everyone.

The special team is called Google Project Zero. And whether you use products by Adobe, Apple, Microsoft or software most people don’t know by name, the team is working on it.

“You should be able to use the Web without fear that a criminal or state-sponsored actor is exploiting software bugs to infect your computer, steal secrets or monitor your communications,” Chris Evans, a Google researcher who’s leading the new effort, wrote in a blog post.

Project Zero is made up of some of the world’s smartest, well-intentioned hackers. They spend their days poking at holes in computer code we all rely on — and making sure those holes get patched.

The Project Zero name comes from the very types of bugs they’re trying to eliminate: “zero day” vulnerabilities, which are never-before-seen software flaws that hackers love to exploit.

When Google researchers discover flaws in another company’s software, they’ll quietly alert that firm. If nothing gets done soon, they’ll go public with it on their blog. And if the bug is particularly critical, they’ll put extra pressure on the company and try to develop an alternative themselves, Google told Wired, which first reported the story.

The team already spotted holes in Apple’s iOS device software and Microsoft’s malware protection program, and it got public nods from both.

There’s clearly a need for this kind of help. Devastating bugs that undermine our privacy and financial safety have been found in little-supported, community-maintained software we all use. That was the problem that led to the Heartbleed bug in April and the similar Handshake bug in June.

Why the stroke of benevolence? Google says it’s part of the company’s all-around altruistic mission to make the world a better place. And ex-Google folks tell CNNMoney they back that up 100%.

But it’s also good business.

“Google realized early on that what’s good for the Internet is good for Google,” said Shuman Ghosemajumder, an executive at cyberdefense firm Shape Security.

By creating Project Zero, Google is helping shoulder a burden presently carried by nonprofits. Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation spot digital weaknesses that threaten online safety and develop privacy tools. But now those volunteers have help from a superpower — with super money.

“The level of investment and resources, access to Google infrastructure and knowledge takes it to a completely different level,” Ghosemajumder said.

Also, putting together a ragtag team of coding geniuses is a relatively small cost for Google compared to what it’s getting.

“This gives Google the reputation of taking security seriously,” said Jay Kaplan, an ex-NSA analyst who now leads the cybersecurity firm Synack.

Elkridge family battling cancer gets help from strangers

For Elkridge resident Kathy Oliver, every day chores such as pulling weeds in the backyard and raking the lawn are mere distractions nowadays. Her son, 17-year-old Bo Oliver, has Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer and is going through treatment for a second time since the cancer returned earlier this year.

“When you’re dealing with something like this, you’re basically surviving,” Kathy Oliver said. “There are regular appointments, prescriptions, research and all of your energy is focused on doing what you can to help your child survive and things like yard work is no longer important.”

For Oliver, Gregg Murset his wife Kami and their six children ranging in age from seven to 16 are a lifesaver.

The family is spending 20 days this summer traveling across the country in an RV and doing free chores for complete strangers. The trip is an extension of an app Gregg Murset created called, “My Job Chart,” in which children get assigned chores and received points representing money when the chores are complete.

“My Job Chart” was born from necessity, Murset said.

“I’m a father of six who wanted his kids to know the meaning of work ethic and money management. I wanted to build a learning foundation through teachable moments and hands-on experience using modern technology,” he said. “The result has been the creation of a unique system that provides opportunities for kids to work, manage time and money, while practicing accountability, responsibility and problem solving. ‘My Job Chart’ also provides parents a perfect environment to have meaningful conversations about how to make smart money decisions and setting priorities.”

Despite the initial unwillingness of the children, the family hit the road on June 30 from their Phoenix, Arizona home. They have made stops in Albuquerque, Denver, Detroit and Richmond and Murset hopes to do chores for 25 families, one family in each city they stop by, in 20 days.

Gregg Mursets says he found the Oliver family through the Ulman Cancer Fund, which links families in need.

“The hour and a half we spent at the Oliver home was very enjoyable,” Murset said. “When a family is dealing with something like cancer, especially in Bo’s case where there is a recurrence and they thought they were in the clear, this means a lot to them.”

Murset says the Oliver family has a large backyard and he and his clan mowed the lawn and pulled weeds.

“It wasn’t a home makeover, but Kathy Oliver was very happy and my kids really liked the family,” he said.

Oliver says the 90 minutes the Murset’s spent felt like a lifetime. It proved quite the relief. “We are at the hospital all the time, and my dad’s at work, and I’m working, and we come home from the hospital and we see branches or whatever, and it’s kind of a hit to not be able to take care of your own yard,” she said. “But these people are coming to do that, and it’s pretty awesome.”

Murset said it has always been his goal to help those in need, particularly families who are battling cancer. Also, he said he wanted to educate his children on the fact that there are many great people in the world who are going through some struggles. And, he said, they could use a little bit of help.

“As we started fleshing out the tour, they really started to see the bigger picture,” Murset said. “They are really enjoying it now. Teenagers today only think about themselves. It has been an eye-opening experience. The world is bigger than just them.”

For the Oliver family, the Mursets have made the world an even better place.

“I just hope they know the impact they’re having that we are so grateful that they don’t even know us and they’re

willing to help,” Oliver said.