Eyes on Jolene Ivey

Jolene Ivey in the San Francisco Examiner

2009-03-19T20:28:00.001-04:00

Md. mulls denying licenses to illegal immigrants

By KATHLEEN MILLER
Mar 19, 2009
Associated Press Writer | 3/19/09 3:40 PM

In an online Spanish language chat room, people from all over the East Coast seek tips on how to get driver's licenses in Maryland even though they don't live there.

Businesses run classified ads in Spanish-language publications in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland urging "undocumented Hispanic friends" to take advantage of the opportunity to get Maryland ID without having to prove they're in the country legally.

In one case, Maryland motor vehicle officials say, 68 different people applying for licenses and IDs gave the same address for an 800-square-foot home in Baltimore.

Maryland is one of just four states _ and the only one east of the Mississippi _ where people don't have to prove they're legal U.S. residents to get driver's licenses. Some lawmakers are pushing to change that this year, arguing that Maryland's rules make it a target for fraud by undocumented people from all over the U.S.

But advocates here and in other states with similar rules _ Hawaii, New Mexico and Washington _ argue that allowing illegal immigrants to get state-issued identification gives police broader databases to use when investigating crimes and increases the rate of auto insurance coverage.

"It makes the streets safer for all of us," said Delegate Jolene Ivey, a Democrat from Prince George's County who supports continued access to Maryland licenses for undocumented residents.

The problem, say officials with Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration, is that they've been overwhelmed with requests for identification appointments as other states have tightened requirements.

A Department of Legislative Services analysis assumed the state issued about 6,700 licenses and ID cards to illegal immigrants in 2008, but cautioned exact statistics are tough to nail down. Between July 2007 and June 2008, the MVA issued roughly 508,000 new licenses and 170,000 ID cards.

State Motor Vehicle Administration Chief John Kuo says the demand has outpaced the state's foreign-born population growth. A toll-free number to book license appointments for non-citizens received 1 million attempted calls from all over the country in its first day of operation last year. The state, which only has 5.6 million residents, now limits hot line access to people calling from Maryland.

"Because of Maryland's status nationally, the number of fraud attempts at Maryland MVA remains a serious challenge," state transportation officials said in written testimony in favor of changing the policy, noting fraud cases shot up 478 percent between 2003 and 2007.

Maryland Delegate Ron George, R-Anne Arundel, says the license policy is cheapening the value of a state ID for other residents. Some states, such as Arizona, Colorado and Oklahoma, now require extra proof of identification before they'll license people relocating from states that issue ID to illegal immigrants.

"It's not good," said George, who has twice tried and failed to get the legislature to require state officials to ensure license applicants are in the U.S. legally. "Our residents deserve licenses that are on an even playing field with other states."

George is trying again this year, this time with support from Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley and other Democrats.

Advocates for maintaining the current policy, such as Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez and the immigrant advocacy group CASA of Maryland, have attempted to fight fraud on their own. In interviews with Spanish-language publications earlier this year, Gutierrez warned that some ID fraud is a felony.

More important, she told the paper El Comercio, fraud "closes doors for those who actually live in Maryland."

Kim Propeack, a spokeswoman for CASA, says her organization's research found that one of the cheaper firms charges a $150 fee to robocall license hot lines just to get license appointments.

State officials "know there are private companies that are selling appointments, selling in-state addresses, and they have done nothing to combat those companies," Propeack said.

She said scammers even loiter at Motor Vehicle Administration offices, offering to sell Maryland addresses to people from other states.

Propeack said CASA has asked state officials to reach out to foreign-language media and to change its documents to inform people there is no reason to hire anyone to get a license. The group also discourages undocumented immigrants from other states from trying to get Maryland IDs.

"This is a right that has been fought for and obtained by people living in Maryland," Propeack said. "When people call us from other states and ask for information about Maryland licenses, we tell them to go lobby for the right in their home state."

___

Read House Bill 387: http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/fnotes/bil_0007/hb0387.pdf

___

On the Net:

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration: http://mva.state.md.us

Jolene Ivey Recognized as the Voice of Reason in the State House.

2009-02-26T16:29:00.002-05:00

Jolene Ivey Recognized as the Voice of Reason in the State House. Way to go Jolene!

Eric Hartley: A rare glimpse of reason

By ERIC HARTLEY, Staff Writer

Published February 26, 2009

On an issue as emotionally charged as immigration, reasoned debate is often in short supply.

The extremes tend to shout louder than those in the middle - literally or figuratively. Such was the case yesterday afternoon at a House of Delegates committee hearing on licensing requirements for immigrants.

Del. Ron George, R-Arnold, set the stakes by invoking Sept. 11 and "terrorists using nuclear weapons," suggesting that allowing illegal immigrants to have driver's licenses puts the nation at risk of an attack worse than 9/11 - never mind that the 19 hijackers were in the country legally.

And one woman submitted a packet of written testimony that included articles with headlines like "Illegal aliens linked to gang rape wave: The crime epidemic no one will talk about?"

Rape scares. Now there's a good way to start a civil discussion.

"It actually makes me sad. I start to feel like the worst side of people is exposed during discussions like that," Del. Jolene Ivey, D-Prince George's, said before the hearing of the House Judiciary Committee in Annapolis.

Ivey has introduced a dose of moderation, proposing a compromise under which Maryland could comply with federal law by verifying immigration status, but still allow people without "proof of legal presence," as the jargon goes, to get some form of driver's license.

The better of her two proposals is to give undocumented people what amounts to a second-class driver's license. It would be clearly marked as not acceptable for federal purposes like boarding a plane. With a different design and color than a legal resident's license, it would be easy to spot.

Of course, to some critics, writing into law that illegal immigrants can get licenses of any kind amounts to legislating lawlessness.

The push for proof of legal presence comes as Maryland and every other state scramble to comply with Real ID, a 2005 federal law requiring states to establish legal presence before issuing IDs, among many other things. The risk of not complying is that, perhaps as early as next year, Marylanders couldn't enter a federal building or board a plane with a driver's license.

Ivey's proposals aren't perfect - George said other states that have tried such "tiered" systems have abandoned them - but at least they represent a step toward the middle. Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration supports a bill introduced by George that flatly requires proof of legal presence for any state-issued identification.

Ironically, that system - while it might make people feel good, having struck a blow for law and order - might actually make us less safe.

Ivey's husband, Prince George's State's Attorney Glenn Ivey, told the committee that prosecutors and police want everyone to have state-issued identification because it helps solve crimes. He said the Motor Vehicle Administration database is one of the first places detectives look in homicide and sex assault cases and warned of "unintended consequences" of changing the system.

Isn't it better to have everyone, including illegal immigrants, documented with their pictures in a state database than to have thousands of people off the grid, yet still driving and, in some cases, committing crimes?

Tech-savvy Jolene Ivey "seriously bummed out"

2009-02-06T12:29:00.001-05:00

Virus concerns block Md. lawmakers' Facebook, MySpace access

By Gadi Dechter | gadi.dechter@baltsun.com

12:02 PM EST, February 6, 2009

Some tech-savvy members of the General Assembly were "seriously bummed out" this morning to learn that their computer access to Facebook and MySpace has been blocked because of virus concerns on the legislature's computer network.

Office of Legislative Information Systems Director Michael Gaudiello today confirmed that lawmakers were notified of the block yesterday and that it was because of a "significant increase in viruses and malware affecting the Maryland General Assembly computers." The block pertains to all computers running on the legislature's network, including the laptops lawmakers often use to surf the Web during bill hearings.

This morning, Gaudiello told The Baltimore Sun that there has been so far no damage or loss of data associated with the dozens of viruses coming from links hosted on the social-networking Web sites, but that the action was taken as a precaution. The ban was first reported on Legum's New Line, a political blog.

"I wouldn't say I'm devastated, but I am, like, seriously bummed out," said Del. Jolene Ivey, a Prince George's County Democrat. Ivey said she sometimes used Facebook to communicate with constituents while in Annapolis.

Del. Curt Anderson, a Baltimore Democrat and the unofficial Wikipedia-keeper in the General Assembly, had a more pungent reaction: "It's a dark day," Anderson said. "I've personally been contacted by half a dozen [lawmakers] wanting to know how to get [Facebook] back."

Gaudiello said DLS is monitoring additional sites for virus activity and may be blocking those, but the user-generated encyclopedia Wikipedia is still available. "At least there's somewhere we can go," said Anderson, shaking his head mournfully.

Ivey Fights to Protect Neighborhoods

2009-02-05T09:06:00.000-05:00

Community calls for public hearing on natural gas plant

Residents say facility could pose safety hazard, decrease home values

by Elahe Izadi | Staff Writer

E-mail this article \ Print this article

Leah L. Jones/The Gazette

Chillum resident Imani Kazana stands in a neighbor's yard on 21st Place on Saturday near the potential site of a liquefied natural gas plant on Chillum Road, directly behind her across the street, that will be 800 feet from her home and closer to this one.

Featured Jobs

DENTAL ADMIN. &
RECEPTIONIST Dental Office is seeking FT Dental Administrator & Receptionist. More

ACCT/SALES REP Open
position for P/T & F/T Acct./Sales Rep. Competitive More

America is changing,
get the skills to change: Quality Training since 1983, WIA, VA approved More

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES
Rockville based services co. in its 75th year seeking FT More

See All Featured Ads

More News

Some Chillum residents have fought the building of a proposed natural gas plant in their neighborhood for years and now they're seeking a public hearing on the matter.

Washington Gas has proposed building a liquefied natural gas plant on a 21-acre site it owns on Chillum Road near Queens Chapel Road. It is less than a block from the West Hyattsville Metro Station.

Washington Gas submitted a portfolio plan to the Maryland Public Service Commission in November, which included building the plant on the Chillum site. The PSC reviews such sites to determine if they meet federal safety regulations.

Imani Kazana, president of Avondale/North Woodridge Citizens' Association and a founding member of the Washington Gas Watch Alliance, said residents want the PSC to pay close attention to the proposed plant, which is one part of the company's 23-page plan that analyzes the company's customer demand and natural gas capacity through 2013.

"We want everything to be very transparent, and not just sort of rubber stamp what they submit," she said. "We feel if it's put more out in a public way and have an opportunity to make our case, some modifications may be required by the PSC in this plan."

According to the plan, the plant was originally scheduled to be in service by fiscal 2013. Washington Gas selected the Chillum site because it meets the load requirements and there's existing infrastructure from an old gas plant in place. There would be no additional costs in land purchase and it's the most cost effective option for Washington Gas, according to the plan.

Kazana said residents are worried primarily about the safety risk of having the plant so close to their homes.

"The dangers from the vapors and so forth, and possible fires starting because of meeting up with a flame somewhere and igniting offsite, that can go up to 3 or 4 miles," she said.

In the past, Washington Gas representatives have said LNG facilities exist near high-populated areas, like in downtown Baltimore, and the industry has a very good safety record. They have also said Washington Gas needs to build the Chillum plant in order to meet forecasted increased demand.

Residents also worry that the plant could decrease home values, which has caused some neighbors to move over the past four years, Kazana said. The site is 800 feet from Kazana's house, and she had just finished building a $100,000 addition onto her home when she found out about the proposal five years ago.

"Nobody wants to lose the value of your home because somebody else has plopped some God-awful thing next door," she said.

Washington Gas spokesman Ruben Rodriguez said the company can't comment on the proposed plant because it's the center of an on-going legal matter. A federal judge is reviewing the legality of a county ordinance which barred the company from building the plant, and a decision could come in March.

Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly opposes the plant and plans to submit legislation to the Maryland General Assembly this session that would require the PSC to use U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development safety standards in approving such facilities.

There is no PSC public hearing scheduled on the plan yet.

Ivey Friend confirmed as attorney general

2009-02-02T21:22:00.002-05:00

Holder confirmed as attorney general

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate confirmed Eric Holder as attorney general Monday, voting 75-21 to place him in charge of the Department of Justice.

Eric Holder is a former federal prosecutor and served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration.

Holder, 58, is a former federal prosecutor and served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration. His confirmation makes him the first African-American confirmed to the post, though he held the job on an acting basis in early 2001.

Jolene on Michele Obama

2009-01-17T09:59:00.000-05:00

THE OBAMA INAUGURATION

First family aims to keep life as normal as possible

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

It was a small gesture, but it said so much.

Barack Obama interrupted an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters to tell his wife she had lipstick on her teeth. Immediately, Michelle Obama bared her teeth and rubbed at them with her finger.

We were charmed, first that the president-elect alerted his wife to the lipstick malfunction and second, that the future first lady, a graduate of Princeton University and then Harvard Law School, would so unselfconsciously tend to it on national TV.

It's the sort of moment that illustrates what the Obamas have said from the beginning: that they're normal, down-to-earth people. But can the Obamas and their two daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, preserve any semblance of normalcy in their lives once they move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

In that same interview with Walters, the Obamas vowed that their children would do chores around the White House, including cleaning after the impending first puppy. Michelle Obama, raised in a tight-knit, working-class Chicago family, has promised the girls they can have sleepovers in the White House.

Beyond the confines of the White House, though, looms the public spotlight. The Obamas have little control over that, and it can burn, as Chelsea Clinton learned when she became the object of skits on "Saturday Night Live."

The Obamas appear to be wary of the glare of media attention. The family often appears on stage, but the girls' face time with reporters has been limited. The president-elect has said he regretted letting the girls speak to NBC's Maria Menounos when "Access Hollywood" showed up at Malia's birthday party.

What the kids said was harmless enough — Sasha revealed her dad likes "minty gum" and Malia chided him for shaking hands with kids ("Just wave or say hi") — but Obama made it clear that he doesn't like the idea of opening windows into his children's lives.

Still, Sasha's chewing gum insight is eloquent: These girls spend enough time with their father to know what kind of gum he chews. That's not always the case with politicians.

Children add warmth to a White House, as the commander in chief's humanity has long been underscored by images of his children: Caroline and John-John Kennedy cavorting on a swing set, Susan Ford having her high school prom at the White House, Amy Carter reading a book during a formal dinner, Chelsea Clinton playing with Socks, her cat. The nation can look forward to smiling at photos of Malia and Sasha Obama practicing piano in the White House and cavorting with their dog.

Michelle Obama, who turned 45 three days ago, was a Chicago lawyer named Michelle Robinson when she met her future husband in 1989.

On the strength of an impressive first year at Harvard Law School and an engaging introduction memo, Barack Obama was hired as a summer intern by the law firm of Sidley Austin and Michelle, just a year out of Harvard Law School, was assigned to be his mentor. It was love at first sight for him, but Michelle has said she originally resisted Barack's advances, wanting to keep the relationship professional.

Eventually she agreed to go on a date with him after hearing him speak at a community function. The couple married on Oct. 3, 1992.

Michelle Obama left a job as a Chicago hospital executive to help her husband run for office. She has said that she'll carve a niche for herself in Washington, but that her priority will be her children.

In an article for U.S. News and World Report before the election, she wrote, "I will work daily on the issues closest to my heart: helping working women and families, particularly military families. But, as my girls reminded me in Denver, even as First Lady, my No. 1 job is still to be Mom. At 7 and 10, our daughters are young. My first priority will be to ensure they stay grounded and healthy, with normal childhoods — including homework, chores, dance, and soccer."

Her stated goals as an advocate in Washington will fall in line with that priority. She told Ebony magazine she'd like the government to focus on helping families by, for example, improving the nation's health care system.

As a professional woman who now will be a stay-at-home mom, Michelle Obama has won some fans in both camps.

"Women everywhere are excited about Michelle Obama as first lady," Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, told Newsday.

"She's engaging and smart and outspoken on issues that are important to her. She has been clear that the issues of working women, and especially working moms, will be high on her agenda as first lady."

"America's vision of the stereotypical June Cleaver stay-at-home mom is about to get a shake-up," Jolene Ivey, founder of Mocha Moms, an organization for stay-a-home mothers of color, wrote in a commentary for cnn.com.

She praised the new first lady for "deciding to take time off from her career to focus on getting her children acclimated to life in the White House" and also for focusing attention on family issues.

"She'll be in the position to bring light to issues and organizations that are currently working in obscurity, and energize their efforts," Ivey wrote.

She's also be in a position to draw fire. Every word she utters will be scrutinized.

She told CBS's Katie Couric during the campaign: "I want to be as 'me' as I can be so that people, you know, if they vote for Barack, they know exactly who their first lady will be, all the good and bad. So pretty much what people see is what they get. ... I am a mother and a professional and a wife. And I know the struggles of trying to balance work, life, family."

That balancing act, never easy, is about to get a lot harder for Michelle Obama.

Austin community activist Eugene Sepulveda, who worked on the Obama campaign, says he has met the new first lady on a couple of occasions and thinks she can handle the challenge.

"She's completely authentic," he says. "Seems to me she and the girls will help President-elect Obama stay well-grounded."

Glenn and Jolene with Barack and Michelle in Denver

2008-08-21T10:09:00.001-04:00

State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey and his wife, Del. Jolene Ivey, will attend, the latter as an elected delegate for Obama, said the former's spokesman, Ramon V. Korionoff.

Korionoff said the state's attorney initially planned to stay home with his children while his wife attended but decided that the moment was too historic to be missed. Korionoff said Glenn Ivey was an early supporter of Obama and had been a classmate of the presidential hopeful's wife, Michelle, at Princeton University and Harvard Law School.

"After some reflection, he realized that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Korionoff said.

Jolene Ivey Salutes Historic North Brentwood

2008-06-25T05:29:00.001-04:00

Historic town celebrates with food, fun

Shanta Moore (right) and Leonardia Cunningham with the Washington Showstoppers Marching Band.

By Leonard Sparks

Special to The Sentinel

Batons twirled, drums pounded and dancers dipped and shook as the oldest incorporated African-American town in Prince George's County celebrated its past and present last Saturday with a parade and community fair.

Residents waved from their porches and front yards as a caravan of marching bands, vintage cars and public officials snaked through the streets of North Brentwood as part of the town's annual parade. The procession was joined by shiny Corvettes, Shriners and members of First Baptist Church of North Brentwood.

Organized by the North Brentwood Historical Society, the day also included information booths, barbecue and entertainment in the community's park with singers, dancers and poets scheduled to perform.

Making appearances were Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Dist. 8), state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Dist. 26), state Dels. Jolene Ivey and Victor R. Ramirez (D-Dist. 47) and Prince George's County Councilwoman Marilynn M. Bland (D-Dist. 9).

"It was a very nice affair," said Petrella Robinson, North Brentwood's mayor. "It was well put together and they worked very hard."

Founded by African-American Civil War veterans, North Brentwood became incorporated in 1924. Instead of wilting under segregation, its residents created a flourishing town with its own dairy, ice house, grocery stores and barbershops.

Home to 469 residents according to the 2000 census, recent demographics reflect a growing number of Hispanics.

"It's always been that we were unified in what we did," said Robinson, who grew up in North Brentwood, moved away after getting married and then returned in 1972. "If someone was hungry, we fed people. It was numerous businesses here. We took care of each other."

Before the parade, Connie Alexander sat in her front yard, under the shade of the oak tree she planted seven years ago. The house, Alexander said, once belonged to her father and an aunt and was where she spent summers as a child. She said she moved in after they died.

Wearing a gray T-shirt etched with the town's motto, "A Heritage to Remember; A Future to Mold," Alexander, 69, called North Brentwood "quaint" and "quiet." She touted the community's benefits, including its proximity to restaurants, retail shops, Interstate 95 and state routes.

"I truly feel safe being here," she said. "I can get up early and go and I can come in as late as 12 [o'clock] or 1 o'clock in the morning if I choose to."

As the parade passed by her house, Alexander stood at the end of her walkway snapping pictures with a disposable camera. "It's great," she said. "It really is great."

Inside the North Brentwood Community Center, Betty Marshall Queen joined other members of the North Brentwood Historical Society at a table where they sold two books chronicling the town's history.

Although Queen, 75, has lived in Glenarden for 42 years, she grew up in North Brentwood and still takes part in the town's activity.

"It's always been a great place to live," she said. "This is just home and will always be."

Standing in North Brentwood Community Park, Pamela Moore said she moved to North Brentwood two years ago. Moore, a 53-year-old native of Panama, said she missed last year's day parade because of work.

"It's a beautiful place," she said. "You pass a neighbor and your mind's on something, but they will bring you back – you know, shout, 'Hi, neighbor.' It's nice here."

Photo by Marketa Ebert

Jolene Ivey on NPR - A Mom among Moms

2008-06-18T10:34:00.002-04:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91576259

Del. Jolene Ivey does a Cartwheel to help the Arts

2008-06-16T20:38:00.001-04:00

Lawmakers get out their dancing shoes

Fourth annual gala benefits Mount Rainier performing arts center

by Maya T. Prabhu | Staff Writer

E-mail this article \ Print this article

Brenda Ahearn⁄The Gazette

(From left) Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park, Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly, Prince George's County Councilman Will Campos (D-Dist. 2) of Hyattsville, Del. Justin Ross (D-Dist. 22) of Greenbelt and Del. Kriselda Valderrama (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington come together for a big finish at Dancing With the Political Stars, the fourth annual gala concert benefiting Joe's Movement Emporium held Saturday in Mount Rainier.

Multimedia:

Click here to watch the video

Though they may be better known for their ability to pass legislation, elected officials did cartwheels, handstands, splits and generally cut a rug Saturday evening, all in an effort to help raise money for the arts.

More News

At the end of their house and locking routine - performed to music by Mr. V and Cameo - County Councilman Will Campos (D-Dist. 2) of Hyattsville did a handstand and Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly did a cartwheel after successfully making it through the choreographed finale of Joe's Movement Emporium's fourth annual gala concert.

Along with Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring and Del. Kriselda Valderrama (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington, the officials showed off their rhythm and hip-hop dance skills at Joe's in Mount Rainier as about 75 people laughed and clapped along.

‘‘It was wonderful to see the [politicians] dancing and working up a sweat,” said David Maplesden of Adelphi.

BosmaDance, an Alexandria, Va.,-based troupe, performed ‘‘Sky Kisses Earth” and women from Arachne Aerial Arts performed gymnastic moves on the trapeze. But for its fourth annual gala concert, Dancing with the Political Stars, Joe's also reached out to some less practiced performers. Four state delegates and a county councilman volunteered their time to perform and help raise money for Joe's, a center that offers performance arts classes and rehearsal space for artists.

‘‘If they can teach a bunch of politicians to dance just think what else they can do,” Ross said. ‘‘We had a couple of really good instructors. ... They took a bunch of politicians and taught them about dancing.”

Brooke Kidd, Joe's executive director, said she had been trying to find a way to involve local politicians in an event at the center.

‘‘I had been wanting to put politicians on stage to show how cool and how dedicated our local leaders are in regards to the arts,” she said.

Kidd said Mizeur volunteered to participate and asked her colleagues to join her. Mizeur's partner, Deborah Mizeur, is president of Joe's board of directors.

The politicians proved to be a draw for the fundraiser. Adrienne Francis of Mitchellville, who identifies herself as a supporter of Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly, said she learned about the program from Ivey. As a supporter of the arts she said she knew about the service Joe's provides to the community.

‘‘It's critical for our children to be exposed to all art forms and Joe's gives them options that they're not going to find on the street,” Francis said.

Joe's moved into a new $3.7 million, 20,000-square-foot former warehouse in January 2007. They are in the process of renovating a 3,200-square-foot performance space that would seat 150 people.

Kidd said the money that was raised will go toward completion of the theater and to support the programs offered at Joe's.

‘‘I hope we can walk away tonight feeling that this theater will be finished soon,” she said during the event. ‘‘I hope you're inspired to kick up your heels, spin around or pat your knee.”

Maplesden said he has attended many events at Joe's.

‘‘It was a great event,” he said. ‘‘I like to support arts in Prince George's County because so much goes on in D.C. and Montgomery County and you don't see as much in PG.”

Other performers included resident artists Gamelan Mitra Kusuma Orchestra, Silk Road Dance Company and Joe's Moving Company.

Kidd also announced that Joe's would dedicate Studio 3 to Sen. Gwendolyn Britt, who died suddenly in January.

‘‘She helped bring forth this building,” she said. ‘‘And I'm excited because that's the studio that I teach in.”

Britt's husband, Travis Britt, was in the crowd.

‘‘I really enjoyed [the performance] tonight. It helped me to not focus on my own problems for a while,” he said.

E-mail Maya T. Prabhu at mprabhu@gazette.net

Glenn F. Ivey, helped out more at home during her campaign.

2008-06-11T08:33:00.000-04:00

Sending fathers a little appreciation

By Mike Sarzo

With Father's Day a matter of days away, columnists opining about their relationships with their fathers seems to be the newly popular pastime.

In an era during which people talk about so-called baby daddies and deadbeat dads, many fathers get a bad rap, and undeservedly so.

Don't mistake this for ignoring real problems with some fathers. If you're a father and you don't pay your child support for any reason other than literally being unable to afford it, you should be ashamed of yourself. You should also get in touch with the mother of your child or children or the court and arrange a payment system that makes sense for all involved.

However, being a father is more than providing a monthly check. It's more than simply doing your part in creating life. In my experience, more fathers these days are devoting more time to their families than they did in the past. Harry Chapin's singing about having "planes to catch and bills to pay" and his son "learned to walk while I was away" is – thankfully – becoming more a part of our past.

Some Father's Day columns I've seen have recounted what the writers describe as a complex relationship with their fathers. Some people have talked or written about emotionally distant or stern fathers. Some people have mentioned fathers who seldom have a word – good or otherwise – to say.

My relationship with my father wasn't like that. We definitely have our moments, but who doesn't? If anything, my father was far more emotionally involved than most I've seen mentioned. He was quick to provide emotional support. He remains quick to sit me down for "talks" when I stray from a productive life path.

I'm not going to use this space to denigrate my mother at the expense of my father. I also won't demonize mothers in an effort to glorify fathers. I realize that some well-adjusted people have had only one parent. Some well-adjusted people have had a relative or others raise them. But fathers can and should play an important role in the lives of their children.

For better or worse, more mothers are working full-time jobs in addition to responsibilities at home. That often leaves fathers picking up the slack at home. When Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Dist. 47) ran for her seat in the Maryland General Assembly, she said her husband, Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey, helped out more at home during her campaign.

That spirit of cooperation between two people who are raising a child is absolutely vital, regardless of what form that takes. I read a recent e-mailed list of tips about parenting and one of the first things it said was not to argue or badmouth your partner in front of your children and present a united front.

If you're going through or already have had a divorce, I can't emphasize this enough. Older children might have enough insight to tell their parents to back off the criticism, but younger children don't. As a child of divorce myself, I can tell you from first-hand experience that it puts the child in a very difficult spot.

I'd like to take this time to wish fathers throughout Prince George's County an enjoyable Father's Day on behalf of The Sentinel. Let's all strive to make sure we show our appreciation for our dads every day of the year.

Environmentalists Vow Legal Action To Save Polar Bears

2008-05-29T09:18:00.000-04:00

Environmentalists Vow Legal Action
To Save Polar Bears

Polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, and without it, the bears could be forced onto land, where they are inefficient hunters.

The United States delayed a decision on whether global warming threatens polar bears, saying new data and public comment required more time.
Environmentalists vowed to sue for quicker action.The deadline for deciding whether to list the big white bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act was last Wednesday (Jan. 2) but Dale Hall, head of the Fish and Wildlife Service, told reporters it would take as much as a month more to analyze all the information, said AP.
This is the first time global warming has been a factor in proposing threatened status for any US species, Hall said, and that has added to the complexity of the decision.
Polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, and without it, the bears could be forced onto land, where they are inefficient hunters.
As sea ice melts, the bears are forced to swim long distances and footage of polar bears drowning has fueled the debate over their fate.
The act indicates the one allowable reason for a delay in adding a species to the list is “substantial scientific uncertainty“ but Hall denied in a telephone news conference that this was the reason.
“I’m not saying that there is scientific uncertainty under the act and it’s unfortunately one of those times ... we’ll have to miss the deadline in order to provide the quality product that needs to be provided,“ he said.
While all the other 1,300 or so species on the list were clearly threatened by deforestation or vanishing wetlands, Hall said the climate connection to the polar bear case required help from government scientists to understand the various impacts of global warming.

ZoomInfo Web Summary: Jolene Ivey

2006-07-09T11:32:00.000-04:00

ZoomInfo Web Summary: Jolene Ivey: "The Prince George's County Sentinel Newspaper - New Sta...
www.thesentinel.com/pgfolder/030102Ivey.htm
Published on: 1/2/2003 Last Visited: 1/9/2003

"He loved anything about the campaign," said Jolene Ivey, Glenn Ivey's wife. "He was mad he couldn't do some things like walk up to cars." She said that their children are aware of their dad's standing in the community.

"They look at it two ways, . . . there's daddy, and then there's Glenn Ivey," said Jolene Ivey, who is a stay-at-home mom.
...
Ivey, a Princeton University and Harvard Law School graduate, has legal experience in both the public and private arenas. Until taking over as interim state's attorney, he spent his days shuffling from meeting to meeting as a partner at a Preston, Gates, and Ellis, a law firm in the District, where he specialized in legislative, regulatory and criminal issues.

In January, Ivey will return to adjunct teaching at the University of Maryland's law school after taking a year's break to focus on his campaign.

Ivey is a former chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission. He said one of his favorite jobs was working as a federal prosecutor in the District because it allowed him to help the community.

"Crime was just blowing out of control in D.C.," Ivey said. "That was a neat job and that was one where I kind of felt like a lot of what I did, and especially what the office did, really fit in with trying to make it a better place for everybody, especially low-income folks."

Ivey said he plans to reach out to the county's Latino community.

"It's a growing population with unique needs, especially with respect to language barriers," Ivey said. "We're trying to make sure that we've really done a good job of making sure they have complete access to courts because the courts are here to serve them just like everyone else."

Ivey said he hopes to improve the rapport between the county's police department and the state's attorney's office, a relationship that was fractured while new County Executive Jack Johnson was state's attorney.

"I think they understand that if their people do anything illegal, we're going to prosecute them," Ivey said. "This will be my third office as a prosecutor, and I've seen that it can work well. You can prosecute cops and also work with cops at the same time, and I think that's what we want to do."

Laurence Reszetar, president of the Prince George's County Young Democrats, said Ivey has the experience necessary to work out a cordial relationship with the police department.
...
"They are two halves of the same coin," said Reszetar, who knows Ivey."

Two-Candidate Marriage

2006-07-09T11:13:00.000-04:00

Maryland Moment: "Two-Candidate Marriage
Politics could become a family affair for Prince George's County prosecutor Glenn Ivey now that his wife, Jolene, is planning to run for the House of Delegates.

Jolene Ivey had been pondering for weeks whether to become a candidate for delegate or take on Sen. Gwendolyn Britt, who has been mentioned as a possible running mate for gubernatorial candidate Doug Duncan. The legislative delegation for the 47th District -- Britt and Democratic delegates Victor R. Ramirez, Rosetta C. Parker and Doyle L. Niemann -- are all serving their first terms.

"I figured I don't have enough to do," Ivey said with a chuckle, later rattling off a list of activities that keep the former stay-at-home mom's days jampacked. "But the bottom line is, when you want to get something done, you ask a busy person."

Ivey, the mother of five young boys, works part time doing public relations for Community Teachers Institute, a think tank in the District. She said the county needs to "get back on track" and that these are not the times for "wussy politicians" to be in office.

She has never run for elected office before--unless you count student office in high school.

It looks as though like she'll be pretty busy with her husband's reelection, her own campaign and her effort to get Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) elected to the U.S. Senate.

"I love Kweisi [Mfume], but he's not the right person to go against [Republican Lt. Gov.] Michael Steele," she said. "We cannot let this state drift this far into the red."

Ovetta Wiggins"

Jolene Ivey is running for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.

2006-07-09T11:12:00.000-04:00

The Sentinel: "J. Ivey to run for House of Delegates

Jolene Ivey is running for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.

By Mike Sarzo

Sentinel Staff Writer

Jolene Ivey, a mother of five, civic activist and a Cheverly resident who is married to Prince George's state's attorney Glenn Ivey (D), announced her candidacy May 9 for a seat on the Maryland House of Delegates. If elected, Ivey would represent the 47th district as a Democrat.

"I think I've got a better idea of how much help we need," than many new candidates, Ivey said in an interview at The Sentinel offices last Wednesday. "I wouldn't sit back and let the county flounder."

When asked how the county has floundered, she said, "people need to get along," Ivey said. She said it was "ignorant" to let personalities get in the way of getting the job done, by letting dislike of another person prevent people from working with people they dislike.

The four issues that are central to her platform are crime, education, senior services and quality of life, according to her campaign Web site. However, her Web site lists the number one issue facing her campaign as one that may not be apparent at first glance, her racial identity.

"For the record, I am black," she said on her web site. Ivey founded a group called Mocha Moms, a support group for stay-at-home mothers of color that she said she founded because of unique concerns she faced that white stay at home moms did not.

"I didn't have a lot of friends" who were stay-at-home mothers, she said. The other stay at home mothers in her friendship circle "didn't always get my jokes." That led her and another friend to publish a newsletter that expressed her concerns. After they published the newsletter, she said she got calls from other stay at home mothers of color asking when they would have a meeting.

As the group grew, she submitted a request to get Mocha Moms recognized as a 501C3 non-profit and was denied, but she persisted until the IRS eventually granted it.

Hard work and determination are two things that set her apart, she said.

"I'm the only candidate with young children," Ivey said. "The people who win have to be people to represent the county. We've clearly demonstrated a commitment to the public schools."

Ivey said that she and other concerned parents fought repeated efforts by the county to change the zoning for Judith B. Hoyer school to zone Cheverly kids out of the Cheverly school.

She also supported the community in the controversy surrounding Washington Gas' continued efforts to build a compressed natural gas facility near the West Hyattsville Metro Station.

"This whole issue, it seems kind of silly, doesn't it," Ivey asked. "They think they should be allowed" to build the facility, but "we have no idea if it's safe."

Ivey may run on a ticket with Del. Doyle Niemann (D) and Del. Victor Ramirez (D), two of the incumbent Democrats in the 47th district. Del. Rosetta Parker, the other incumbent Democrat, is reportedly running on her own after not being invited to run with Niemann and Ramirez.

She also said that her marriage to Glenn Ivey had little effect on her political aspirations and he didn't directly influence her campaigning. She said he has been very helpful and supportive, but by doing the cooking and picking up other responsibilities around the house while Jolene Ivey campaigns.

"That's the only thing" that Glenn Ivey has done differently with Jolene Ivey campaigning for office.

Photo by Mike Sarzo"

Jet: Stay-at-home moms: from boardrooms to baby bottles - Lifestyles

2006-02-01T14:57:00.000-05:00

Jet: Stay-at-home moms: from boardrooms to baby bottles - Lifestyles:

"Jolene Ivey's parenting experience is not that different from Howell's or Mattox's. As a child, Ivey, 42, was a latchkey kid until junior high school, when her stepmother retired.

"It was an amazing thing for me to come home to her. She would have dinner cooking and be there to talk. It was great! I decided then that my kids would have me at home instead of going to a baby sitter," explains Ivey.

"When I started dating my husband, I told him that I wanted to get married, have kids and stay home, and if he wasn't interested, then we didn't need to keep dating. He was comfortable with that, and it has worked out great for us." Today, Ivey and her husband Glenn, state's attorney for Prince George's County, MD, are the parents of five boys: Alex, 13, David, 10, Julian, 8, Troy, 5, and Aaron, 3.

After some time of only having her boys to keep her company, Ivey, once a press secretary on Capitol Hill, longed for the conversation of other mothers in her situation.

"Sometimes I just felt lonely for other women who were experiencing the same kind of life I was living," says Ivey.

"White moms don't necessarily look at things the way [we] do."

In the spring of 1997 Ivey and friend Karla Chustz had the idea to publish a newsletter, Mocha Moms, in hopes of connecting with other mothers of color across the country who were taking time off from their careers to raise their children. That April the first newsletter was published and the first support meeting followed in January of 1998.

The word about the newsletter and the organization spread fast.

"Word of mouth was also critical," says Ivey, who lives in Cheverly, MD. "We mailed or gave [the newsletter] to anyone we thought would be interested. I also posted notices at online bulletin boards that targeted African-American mothers. Black at-home moms just started coming out of the woodwork!"

Today Mocha Moms, Inc. has 120 chapters all across the United States with a membership of more than 1,000, including Howell, who serves as the Atlanta chapter's co-president and Mattox who is Essex County, NJ, president and the director of national media relations.

The organization has become well known and takes pride in its community service projects and volunteerism as well as its support for its fellow stay-at-home moms.

Ivey is pleased with the fact that what once started out as a simple supportive newsletter has grown into something far greater than she expected.

"Believe me," Ivey says, "I'm not lonely anymore!"

COPYRIGHT 2003 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group"

Mocha Moms Give Each Other Support

2006-02-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

Mocha Moms Give Each Other Support: "Brown Angels

Mocha Moms Give Each Other Support
The founders of this month's Brown Angel organization decided to create a support network for Black at-home moms
Related Stories
Do You Know Someone Who Is a Brown Angel?

It isn't easy to go from being a full-time working professional to being a full-time parent. Previously you may have had clear-cut responsibilities and hours, people reporting to you, a title, and a paycheck. Now your everyday tasks are changing diapers, cooking dinner, and running a household--all for free.

So states Jolene Ivey, cofounder of Mocha Moms Inc., a mutual support group for Black at-home mothers. Started in Prince George's County, Maryland, five years ago, the nonprofit organization now has 78 chapters nationwide, each chapter with an average of 30 members.

Mothers of all races have some things in common, such as the pleasure of sharing the small, precious moments of their children's development--and the pain of social isolation. Moms who left professional careers often face a lack of approval and understanding from family and friends, who tend to see them as having wasted their hard-earned education by quitting the labor force.

Black women face additional pressures, such as the challenge of raising Black boys, notes Ivey, a former television producer in Washington, D.C., who also has five sons.

The Mocha Moms concept began in 1997 as a newsletter put together by Ivey and former computer programmer Karla Chustz, a stay-at-home mom of two boys who lives in Austin, Texas. The goal was to connect with other at-home moms and to encourage them to feel good about their choice.

Later that year, Ivey and Chustz teamed up with Cheli English-Figaro, a Maryland lawyer, wife, and mother of two. English-Figaro helped organize the first meeting of at-home moms in her area--a group that eventually became the group's first official chapter--and also helped turn Mocha Moms into a national, and incorporated, group.

Now Mocha Moms members meet weekly to discuss everything from toddler tantrums to homeschooling. There are also monthly mom-only outings, which include book club discussions, movie dates, and spa treatments.

The mothers help out one another by doing chores such as baby-sitting and creating "meal trains" for members who are ailing or who have just given birth. Mocha Moms doesn't discriminate, either; there are a few White members--mostly women in interracial relationships--and even some Mocha Dads.

While members choose not to work full-time outside the home, a number of Mocha Moms do work part-time, whether during weekends, night shifts, or flex hours. In fact, half of the moms are home-based entrepreneurs and independent contractors. Members range in age from their mid-20s to late 40s; the majority of them are married, but there are single moms too.

English-Figaro describes most members as former career women who made real financial sacrifices to stay home and raise their children. Many had to adjust from having a dual-income household to living off their husband's salary, she notes.

NiaOnline acknowledges the Mocha Moms organization as this month's Brown Angel because of its advocacy and support of the needs of at-home mothers of color. Here, English-Figaro talks about why the group is so important."

Jolene Ivey Living The American Dream

2006-02-01T14:31:00.000-05:00

US Population Stable Due to Higher Birth Rate and Immigration: "US Population Stable Due to Higher Birth Rate and Immigration
By Leta Hong Fincher
Washington
08 March 2005

Most of the rich, developed countries in the world are facing an aging crisis, as their fertility rates fall to unprecedented lows. But analysts say the United States is better equipped to deal with the challenges of aging than almost any other developed country--thanks to its relatively high birth rates and immigration.

Jolene Ivey reads to her three sons
Jolene Ivey has always dreamed of having a large family.

"Aaron, your big piece is ready to go, come over here and help David," says Jolene Ivey.

Now, Ms. Ivey is living her childhood dream. She and her husband Glenn live in suburban Maryland with their five sons aged five to 15.

"I did it all by myself!" says one of the boys.

"Well, I just have one brother and it seemed like it would be fun to have a big family, and I read those books, you know, 'cheaper by the dozen' kind of thing. And it just seemed like fun to have a lot of siblings," says Ms. Ivey.

American families like the Ivey’s are helping to drive U.S. fertility levels higher than those of almost every other developed country. The United Nations Population Division says that all around the world, fertility levels have fallen sharply since the 1970s. But the United States is almost unique among developed countries in defying this demographic trend.

"The population of the U.S. is going to grow probably by another 100 million people over the next 50 years. And the major reason for that is the higher fertility rate than is the case in a lot of other developed countries," says Mr. Frey.

The United Nations says that Americans have maintained their birth rate at an average of just above two children per woman, about the level needed to keep the population stable.

In the 1970s, American birth rates dipped as women began to enter the work force in larger numbers.

In the late 1980s, however, American fertility began to rise again, just as European fertility kept declining to new lows.

Mr. Frey says the American dream of having two or more children may have been sustained by the steady growth of suburban housing outside urban areas. In 2000, more than half of Americans lived in the suburbs, where Mr. Frey says the infrastructure is most supportive of family life.

"Not all of them have families, not all of them are capable of having families. But if you don't have a family, and you don't have children, there's something in the back of your head I think for a lot of people that makes you feel a little bit left out in the United States," says Bill Frey.

Mr. Frey says another reason for American population growth is immigration. The United States accepted some 11 million legal immigrants in the 1990s and immigration rates are expected to stay high. Immigrants to the United States also have higher birth rates than the native-born population.

"America is actually well positioned to confront the age wave. It has the youngest population in the developed world. And thanks to our higher rate of fertility and our substantial rate of net immigration, we'll have the youngest population by an even wider margin 20 or 30 years from now," says Mr. Jackson.

Still, some argue that the United States cannot afford to be optimistic about its demographic future. Phil Longman is a demographer at the New America Foundation research group in Washington D.C.

Phil Longman, Demographer
"The great vulnerability of the U.S. is its cost of health care, which is so much dramatically higher than literally anywhere else in the world. Without any commensurate improvements in public health, Americans live shorter lives with greater disabilities than people who live in countries that spend half as much on health care," says Mr. Longman.

As Americans plan for their future, parents like Jolene Ivey are counting on their children to support each other.

"When my husband and I get old and frail and feeble-minded, they'll have each other to call and go 'do you know what mom said?' you know and that'll be good for them," says Ms. Ivey.

It will also be good for the future of the United States, which most demographers say will be in a healthier position than almost all of its developed country neighbors."

Eyes on Jolene Ivey

Jolene Ivey in the San Francisco Examiner

Md. mulls denying licenses to illegal immigrants

Jolene Ivey Recognized as the Voice of Reason in the State House.

Tech-savvy Jolene Ivey "seriously bummed out"

Virus concerns block Md. lawmakers' Facebook, MySpace access

Related links

Maryland Politics: No more Facebooking in the legislature

Ivey Fights to Protect Neighborhoods

Community calls for public hearing on natural gas plant

Residents say facility could pose safety hazard, decrease home values

Featured Jobs

More News

Ivey Friend confirmed as attorney general

Holder confirmed as attorney general

Jolene on Michele Obama

First family aims to keep life as normal as possible

Glenn and Jolene with Barack and Michelle in Denver

Jolene Ivey Salutes Historic North Brentwood

Historic town celebrates with food, fun

Jolene Ivey on NPR - A Mom among Moms

Del. Jolene Ivey does a Cartwheel to help the Arts

Lawmakers get out their dancing shoes

Fourth annual gala benefits Mount Rainier performing arts center

More News

Glenn F. Ivey, helped out more at home during her campaign.

Sending fathers a little appreciation

Environmentalists Vow Legal Action To Save Polar Bears

ZoomInfo Web Summary: Jolene Ivey

Two-Candidate Marriage

Jolene Ivey is running for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Jet: Stay-at-home moms: from boardrooms to baby bottles - Lifestyles

Mocha Moms Give Each Other Support

Jolene Ivey Living The American Dream