THE Houston Sun

Galveston- Standing on the seawall of Galveston beach Thursday morning , September 8th nothing seemed unusual or out of place. The beautiful crashing waves, couples running their dogs and people scattered about just like Sam Burnett and his family, trying to catch a couple of fish. Yet on this morning, Burnett discovered a dead body, not quite the catch he was looking for.

After arriving with his father and brother at the beach around 6:50 a.m., Burnett discovered the body of Luis Tejera , 39, of Houston, face down in the sand.

“ When I realized it was a body I called the police immediately,” Burnett said.

“At first no one believed me because it was hard to see him at first. His face was sunk down up to his ears.”

Paramedics arrived within five minutes of the 911 call according to Burnett and began efforts of resuscitation, even using the defibrillator.

The cause of death is ruled a drowning and is not being handled as a homicide. Officials are looking at it as a possible suicide.

Burnett observed a wedding band on Tejera’s hand when paramedics rolled him over. We have no comment from the family to verify if indeed Tejera was married or if he had any mental illness to prompt suicide.

Children Matter! The World Youth Foundation (WYF) recently celebrated 20 years of service to Houston area youth. WYF is hosting the Empowering Youth Initiative-Seeds of Gratitude, Appreciation Brunch, The Empowering Youth Initiate program series educates participants to make better decisions and equip them with additional resources, such as critical thinking tools, skill building, and the ability to do strategic planning for life. Families interested in registering their youth for (2011-2012) the eight-month free leadership series may do so at the Seeds of Gratitude, Appreciation Brunch.

This year WYF will honor eight Houston area trailblazers for their contributions, volunteerism, and dedication to helping youth. The honorees are: Willie Iles, Boys Scout of America, Darryl King, principal, Principle Partnering Group, Jean Gabriel, founder Push to Win, June Deadrick, director for government affairs, CenterPoint Energy, Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Harris County, James Harris, director, supplier diversity, HEB, Debra Lathan, assistant director wellness, parks recreation department of the City of Houston, and Dr. Deavra Daughtry, founder of Texas Women’s Empowerment Foundation.

The Empowering Youth Initiate program exposes students to opportunities in the various professions as well as the educational opportunities that can help them realize their goals. The program’s principles informs, enlightens and motivates young people and their families to learn more about the choices and opportunities available in choosing a higher education school, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). In addition, by registering for the 2011 – 2012 leadership series new students are eligible for selection to represent Houston at the Annual Legislative Conference – Congressional Black Caucus, September 21 – 24, 2011, in Washington, D.C.

The World Youth Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization headquartered in Houston, Texas. The mission of the WYF is to enhance the growth and character of all youth, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental handicap, or economic background. The foundation provides young men and women with experiences and resources that equip them to function as proactive citizens in their communities.

For more information on how to become part of a solution with Empowering Youth Initiative-Seeds of Gratitude Appreciation Brunch, please call 713 453-7833 or 713 523-8484 or visit www.worldyouthfoundation.org.

“In an unstable economic environment, we must seek to retain our most vital assets of human capital, who strive to promote and contribute to our country’s improvement and success.
Immigrants are an important part of American human resources”
Washington, DC – “I commend President Obama for doing what is right for American immigrant families. It’s a step in the right direction and within the parameters of existing law. It’s the least we can do to recognize the hard working immigrants that contribute so much to our nation’s economy and culture, as Congress continues to debate ways to address immigration reform,” commented Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Yesterday, the Obama Administration declared that it would “grant an indefinite reprieve to estimated thousands of immigrants facing deportation.” Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, which both oversee the immigration courts, will examine each immigrant’s status on a case by case basis in determination of whether they will be deported. This decision will launch an approximate review of nearly 300,000 cases in the nation’s immigration courts – requiring judicial officials to assess the priorities to detain and deport criminals and threats to public safety. The policy shift will affect less than 3 percent of more than 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, approximately 1.4 million which are located between the Dallas and Houston areas of Texas.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Ranking Member of the Transportation Security Subcommittee on the House Homeland Security Committee and a senior member on the Immigration Subcommittee on the House Judiciary Committee stated, “This sweeping legislation will provide unification of immigrant families, which would include uniting immigrants with spouses, children or other close family members who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States who have proven employment records.” Out of the nearly 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States, several million are composed of blended families (including both legal and illegal immigrants and U.S. born citizens).
Past immigration policy has caused spouses to be separated and millions of children to be separated from their parents – leaving others to help care for the orphaned children. For example, in 2007, an immigrant couple was pulled over for having expired tags on their car and subsequently deported after the police discovered they were illegal immigrants – forcing the couple to leave their 11 year old child in the custody and care of an alternative family member. This new policy is one small victory for proponents of comprehensive immigration reform in the United States Congress.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee is the author of the “Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2009,” a bill that falls directly in line with the goals of the DREAM Act. “This Act seeks to increase our national interest by retaining our young people who may be children of illegal immigrants, in order to become educated and “want only to contribute to this country’s success,” commented Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
“Yesterday’s decision to review each immigrant status on a case by case basis – deporting only those illegal immigrants who pose a threat to our National Security – aide in the retention of our country’s most valuable and scarce resources,” stated Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

The HOUSTON SUN
The Help is a riveting story about the social and responsibly conscious awakening of eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan in the early 1960s to the ugly world of racism that has been around her, her whole life. As an awkward white college graduate, single Southern woman who is looking for love and a way to jump start a literary career, Skeeter, forms an unusual friendship with a maid by the name of Abileen, who gives the impression of being subservient, and works for Skeeter’s friends, the Leefolt family.
Attempting to find a clever way to write a column in the local newspaper about domestic work, Skeeter, enlists the help of Abileen, for she has no experience in such matters. With questions about what happened to her own nurse and maid, Constantine, Skeeter, begins to dig into the world of the colored women who fix their meals, wash their clothes, clean their houses and raise the children of all the white families in their Mississippi town.
After realizing the cruelty of the Jim Crow South is front row center in her circle of friends, in their homes, at their bridge parties and at their civic club, Skeeter begins to question her friends and her attitude towards Negroes, especially their maids. With the drive to still write professionally, Skeeter, writes a publisher in New York pitching an idea for a book, that examines the feelings of the maids who take care and raise the families of white Southerns. Not realizing how dangerous this can become, Skeeter sets out to uncover the real truth about the women that is considered just the help.
This book, is full of story lines as the lives of the Holbrooks, the Leefolts, the Phelans and their maids all intertwine not leaving a single person untouched. It also, shows how helping someone can change the life of another just by sitting down and taking the time to talk and listen. The Help, draws the reader into the Jim Crow South and gives insight of the mindset of whites and blacks during that era. It also tells a story of how a black maid raised a young white girl to be a little less racist than her counterparts and how it affects her actions as an adult. Characters such as a Minny and Holly Holbrook and Celia, give the book so much color and depth as their personalities are extreme and complete opposites.
Fearful at times but determined, Skeeter and Abileen with the help of Minny, who is far more sassy than Abileen who had lost a son, and several other maids eventually after much prodding tell a powerful story of love, ownership, struggle, cruelty, and the families of Mississippi and the Help that’s behind it.
The Houston Sun gives this book 5 Suns and places it in the Sun’s Book