The Bay State Banner’s next step

The Banner’s next step

America has been suffering in the throes of the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. At the same time, the newspaper industry has struggled with revolutionary technological changes that have eroded advertising revenues. It is no wonder that a small weekly publication like the Bay State Banner would be greatly challenged by such circumstances.

With publication of the July 9, 2009, issue, the Banner announced that it would suspend publication. Reaction from the Boston community was resounding. Civic and political leaders stepped forward to help bring the Banner back, and Mayor Thomas M. Menino arranged for a bridge loan from a special fund administered by the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Critical to the future success of the Banner is the management’s development of a plan for future operation with the guidance of Next Street Financial, a merchant bank located in Roxbury and New York. But no plan can be successful without the support and participation of Banner readers.

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Banner invites all those who may be interested to attend a meeting at Hibernian Hall, located at 184 Dudley Street in Roxbury, to hear a report on “the next steps” for the Banner. Those interested in coming should e-mail sandraATbannerpub.com by Monday, Sept. 28, so that we can have an accurate count for the caterer.

Your support will determine whether the Banner continues to serve as the voice of Boston’s African American community.

Audiotions for Boston Book Festival Spoken Word Event

The Boston Book Festival seeks high school students to perform at the student spoken word event to be held at the inaugural Boston Book Festival on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 11 AM.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, September 26.

Students must be nominated to audition by a faculty or program advisor with an active poetry, drama or spoken word program.

For more information or to nominate a student, please contact Eileen Newman at eenewman (AT) comcast.net or 617-763-5145.

Call for Concept Papers - School Improvement Initiatives in Boston

EdVestors is pleased to issue this Call for Concept Papers for school improvement projects in Boston. With a single, three-page concept paper, applicants can apply for consideration for a two-year grant for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.

This begins the selection process for inclusion as a grantee in EdVestors 2010 Investment Portfolio, including those invited to present at the annual Urban Education Investment Showcase. Please see the attached document for more information: http://boston.k12.ma.us/bulletins/CallforConcept.doc

Contact: Megan Curtis, 617-585-5740, curtis AT edvestors.org

Deadline: Tuesday, October 20th at 3:00 pm

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is the United States' largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The program was created in 1995 by Prudential in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) to honor middle level and high school students for outstanding service to others at the local, state, and national level.

The program's goals are to applaud young people who already are making a positive difference in their towns and neighborhoods, and to inspire others to think about how they might contribute to their communities. Over the past 14 years, more than 260,000 young Americans have participated in the program, and nearly 90,000 of them have been officially recognized for their volunteer work.

For more information, visit http://spirit.prudential.com

DEADLINE: Monday, November 9, 2009