Daily Archives: February 15, 2012

Chinese officials denied a visa to a top State Department envoy and refused to meet with her to discuss issues of religious freedom days before this week’s high-profile visit to Washington by China’s vice president, according to rights advocates and others.

Suzan Johnson Cook, the U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, was scheduled to travel to China on Feb. 8, according to several rights advocates who were invited to brief her ahead of the visit. But as the date drew near, Chinese leaders refused to grant her meetings with government officials.

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Protesters sympathetic to several Chinese causes, including Tibet, massed around the White House, where U.S. officials were meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. One protester, in a suit and tie, was arrested. (Feb. 14)

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President Obama says good ties between the United States and China are essential and help the rest of the world. Obama welcomed Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. (Feb. 14)

They then cited her lack of scheduled meetings as a reason for denying her visa application, according to the advocates and a congressional aide, who were briefed on the situation.

The disclosure comes one day into the diplomatically sensitive visit by Xi Jinping — China’s presumptive next president — during a week that the Obama administration hopes will help ease tense U.S.-China relations.

Rights advocates working with Cook’s office say that she and her staff were told by superiors in the Obama administration to avoid talking publicly about her canceled trip in the days before Xi’s visit.

The State Department declined to comment about the matter Tuesday. When asked about the trip last week, on the day Cook was supposed to leave, spokesman Anthony Pahigian said: “She has no specific dates at this time. We are engaging with the Chinese government to find a mutually convenient time.”

President Obama, who met with Xi on Tuesday, has been criticized by human rights groups, religious leaders and Republican lawmakers who say he has not been forceful enough in challenging China on issues such as its crackdown on Tibetans and the recent imprisonment of several religious and dissident leaders.

Xi, during a State Department luncheon Tuesday, defended China’s record on human rights, saying that his country “has made tremendous and well-recognized achievements” in the past 30 years.

“Of course,” he added, “there is always room for improvement when it comes to human rights.”

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday on Cook’s visa request.

Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), who supported Cook’s nomination, called the visa refusal “outrageous” and said the White House’s silence on the issue could have long-term consequences.

“What happens with China could have impact when we try to go to Egypt, Vietnam, all these other places,” he said. “People will look at that ambassadorship and say, ‘How effective or important is this office?’?”

The post was created in 1998 to be the highest government official focused on promoting religious freedom, often in nascent democracies and under authoritarian regimes. In China, Catholics, evangelical Christians, Muslims and Buddhists all report varying forms of government repression.

After Obama took office, religious groups criticized him for not quickly naming an ambassador to address these issues. When he made an appointment, in 2010, he upset some activists again with his choice of Cook, a former New York Police Department chaplain and well-known motivational speaker without traditional diplomatic credentials. The Senate approved her, after a long delay, last year.

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Chinese blocked visit by U.S. religious freedom envoy, advocates say

POSTED: 12:12 pm EST February 14, 2012
UPDATED: 5:15 pm EST February 14, 2012

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Museum Center and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center announced plans to merge their operations.In a news release issued Tuesday, representatives of the two museums said they will take steps to "join together in a united corporate structure.""We know that joining together will strengthen our respective organizations," said Francie S. Hiltz, chair Cincinnati Museum Center Board of Trustees and Rev. Damon Lynch, Jr. presiding co-chair of National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. "The result will be creative and dynamic organizations, offering greater financial strength and new opportunities."Museum Center spokeswoman Elizabeth Pierce said the Museum Center will have oversight of the Freedom Center. Freedom Center President Kim Robinson will continue to serve as the museum's leader.The Freedom Center has been facing financial trouble because of low attendance. Robinson told WLWT last month that the museum has enough money to operate through 2012, but would need an additional $1.5 million to stay open in 2013."We are deeply motivated by the future opportunities we see to strengthen our ability to carry out the mission of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center," Robinson said in a news release.Pierce said the merger will have no bearing on the Museum Center's levy, which is to be used for operational purposes at its Union Terminal location, and will not go to the Freedom Center.The two museums will maintain their own brands and missions and will remain in their current locations, but will be united in operations and planning. The two organizations will also remain separate.City Councilman Chris Smitherman, former head of the local NAACP chapter and a critic of the Freedom Center's marketing strategy, said he welcomed the change."It's overdue for the Freedom Center to have the absolute best professionals in this business to run that organization, and I don't think their mission is going to change," Smitherman said. "I think it's going to be augmented, and I also think there'll be more clarity on what the Freedom Center is."The museums said the merger will take several months as they work through the necessary program improvements and transition details.Representatives from both museums are expected to discuss the merger further at a news conference scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Copyright 2012 by WLWT.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Freedom Center, Museum Center Announce Merger

CINCINNATI - The financially troubled National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is getting a new lease on life.
            
A new plan would save more than $1 million by combining some management operations with the Cincinnati Museum Center.
     
This is welcome news for the center, and community leaders as well as freedom center visitors.
       
With an estimated $1.5 million deficit wiped away, they hope to see this center continue to teach its important lessons for both young and old.

One of the Freedom Center's biggest fans, who is very excited to hear about the new plans for keeping the center open, is only 12 years old.

Maia Thompson, a seventh grader at Mason Middle School, was shocked to hear about the Freedom Center's financial woes.

"I was sitting with my mom and I heard that the freedom center might be closing and I started going crazy. I was like, 'What? I know this can't be happening," said Thompson.

Last year Maia decided to do whatever she could to help out the Freedom Center. It started with creating a YouTube video asking for help. In it she says, "Up here we have something called the Freedom Center. It's an amazing experience and it taught me a lot. I recently learned that the center might be closing down..."

Maia didn't stop there. She also decided to create a special Freedom Center T-shirt with the words "Fan the Flame" and "Be the Spark".

"I discovered a website and I found out you could make shirts on it, and you sell them for a profit," she said.

The T-shirts will be sold at the Freedom Center gift shop and at the "Taste of Mason" celebration on Wednesday night.

Maia's mom, Deborah Thompson, is especially proud.

"Maia is the kind of person who is always giving and always sharing and... that's one of the things she'll do," she said.

When asked if she'd like to work at the Freedom Center, Maia replied, "Yes. I think I'd like to be a tour guide because it would be really cool to show people around and talk to them about the exhibits."

Details of both museums' new management system will unfold during a news conference Wednesday morning.

Stay with 9 News and WCPO.com for updates.

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Continued here:
7th grader helps Freedom Center

Nyreef Jackson and his Freedom High School boys basketball teammates distinctly remember what happened on Jan. 20.

Parkland rallied for a two-point victory that night to ruin the Patriots' bid for an unbeaten season.

Freedom wasn't about to be denied again.

Jackson scored 16 points to snap out of a scoring slump and the Patriots hung on for a 45-40 victory over the Trojans in a Lehigh Valley Conference tournament semifinal at Allen High School's J. Milo Sewards Gymnasium.

"We really wanted this game," said Jackson, a junior forward. "They beat us the last time and we didn't forget that. That was a tough loss and we wanted to see them again. We were really confident today."

Freedom (20-3), which has never won a conference championship, advances to the title game against top-seeded Emmaus at 8 p.m., Friday at Allen. The Green Hornets defeated Easton 52-39 in the other semifinal.

Emmaus dealt Freedom a 48-43 loss on Jan. 31 in Bethlehem Township.

"This is a special feeling," Freedom coach Joe Stellato said, "but I don't want to get too emotional. We still have another battle coming up on Friday."

Joe Lococo, Freedom's leading scorer at 14.7 points per game, was held to four points through three quarters. But the senior guard made six clutch foul shots in the final 2:51 to help seal the win.

"I've said it all year, this team finds ways to win," said Stellato, whose team was 8-14 last season. "Every game they amaze me. I'm shocked at how these kids dig themselves out of holes."

The Patriots' lead seemed safe when Derike Chiclana's two free throws gave them a 43-37 lead with 21 seconds left.

Sophomore Justin Zajko made Parkland's only 3-pointer of the night to pull the Trojans within 43-40. Chiclana was immediately fouled with 12 seconds left, and the junior center missed the front end of the 1-and-1 free throw attempt.

Parkland (18-5) got the ball into the hands of junior guard Austin Beidelman, who hit the winning 3-pointer in the first game against Freedom. This time Beidelman's high-arcing 3 bounced off the back iron. Lococo added two free throws with 1.8 ticks remaining.

"I'd let (Beidelman) take that shot again," Parkland coach Andy Stephens said. "He's pretty good in tough situations. I give him a lot of credit just for wanting to take the shot. For a junior, that's definitely a good thing."

Jackson, considered Freedom's top defender, was primarily responsible for harassing Beidelman (14.5 ppg) into a 4-for-17 shooting night for eight points.

"He's a tough player, an all-league player," Jackson said. "I just tried to keep him in front of me and not give him wide-open shots. He has a nice shot with a lot of arc. I thought that (3-point attempt) was going to sink right in."

The game evolved into somewhat of a chess match as Freedom extended its defense to deny Parkland the 3-point shot. The Trojans shot 1-for-12 from distance.

Stephens seemed content to work the ball inside to burly forwards Rob Dvoracek and Daulton Charles, who finished with 10 points.

"I thought we could pound it inside and utilize our strength," Stephens said, "and I thought that would open up our perimeter game. It was a hard-fought battle. Give Freedom credit. They have the record they do for a reason."

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Freedom High School boys basketball team advances to LVC title game with 45-40 victory over Parkland High School

PENDLETON — Freedom Fest, Pendleton’s patriotic summer celebration, will not happen this year unless a new organizer steps in.

The event has been held 1990 on the Saturday before July 4 at Veterans Park, with fireworks, vendors, games and live music.

Friends of the Park, an organization that raises money and takes care of Veterans Park, recently voted against organizing and being the lead sponsor of the event. So far no one has contacted Pendleton Town Hall about planning Freedom Fest, said Amber Barnes, interim town administrator.

On Feb. 6, the Pendleton Town Council approved Friends of the Park’s request to dedicate the $2,500 budget for Freedom Fest to the Step Up to the Plate fundraising campaign to renovate the park’s ball fields.

The group reluctantly gave up planning Freedom Fest, said Friends member Nancy Hellams.

“It was a hard decision because we always felt very good to be able to provide that for the community,” Hellams said. She was chairwoman of Friends of the Park and Freedom Fest for three years, but stepped down in January to take a break from such time-consuming projects.

About 100 volunteers and more than 25 sponsors make Freedom Fest happen every year. Finding enough volunteers for the event is not a problem for Friends of the Park, Hellams said, nor is money. But the June heat is brutal to older Friends members who man stations all day.

“People usually are willing to be help out, but we’ve gotten older,” Hellams said. “It wasn’t that we don’t want to do it. We just aren’t able to anymore.”

No other members expressed desire to pick up organization, she said.

Organizers plan entertainment and secure vendors, sponsorships and a pyrotechnics company to shoot fireworks. About 3,000 people come to the event each summer.

“I think a lot of folks are going to miss it, but it was a tremendous amount of work,” said Pendleton Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Kalley.

The town started Freedom Fest 22 years ago in honor of its bicentennial. In 2004, budget strains led the town to pass the main sponsorship and organization to Pendleton Home Builders for three years. Pendleton Home Builders approached Friends of the Park in 2008 to take over and over four years the group has raised more than $10,000 through Freedom Fest to renovate Veterans Park.

The American Legion Post 113 donates some money toward Freedom Fest each year, said member Jimmy Manley, but renovations to the post will overshadow taking over Freedom Fest responsibilities.

“We’ve been raising money ourselves to refurbish the building up there,” Manley said. “I hope somebody does pick it up.”

Past organizer Rick Moore of Pendleton Home Builders said the same thing.

“I’d hate to see it die because we put so much effort into it,” he said. He and business partner Fred Hamilton used some of their own money to fund Freedom Fest, but he declined to say how much. Moore said that at this point he and Hamilton would not consider being main organizers, but that they would help out in a smaller way.

The event has grown from a simple festival to one with a fireworks show rivaling ones held in Anderson and Seneca, Moore said. The town council allocated $5,000 to Freedom Fest in 2009, but by this year the amount was cut in half. Kalley said it’s possible that new organizers could receive town funding.

“They have to come to the council and ask and we would just have to look at it,” he said.

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Fate of Freedom Fest in Pendleton uncertain this year