Dr. William A. Burke ends remarkable career as Chairman of South Coast AQMD Governing Board
By Danny J. Bakewell, Jr. Executive Editor
Published May 13, 2021
He leaves with a legacy of cleaner air, achievements for environmental justice and historical inclusionary votes for All.
Dr. William Burke (Courtesy image)
Dr. William A. Burke finished his final Governing Board meeting at South Coast Air Quality Management (South Coast AQMD), making history yet again. On May 7, South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board approved the Warehouse Indirect Source Rule, a first-of-its-kind regulation aimed to curb emissions associated with the booming warehouse industry. The rule would reduce pollution in communities near these warehouses, particularly communities of color. Dr. Burke retired after 27 years of service, including an unprecedented 23 years as chair. The Diamond Bar headquarters’ auditorium was newly named after Dr. Burke for his lifelong dedication and service as a leade
How West Virginia vaccinated all its nursing homes before the end of December Print this article
By the end of December, West Virginia had given all roughly 28,000 staff and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in the state the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
It was a remarkable achievement, especially given that only about 429,000 doses have been administered to long-term care facilities nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The key was Gov. Jim Justice’s decision not to use the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. Rather, he let state and local agencies work with private healthcare providers to administer the vaccine.
By Dr. Jeanette
Covenants, Deeds and Restrictions
This subject of land restrictions is of special interest to me. My husband, Clark Parker, Sr., tells a fascinating account of our own property ownership. We can therefore easily relate to covenants, deeds and restrictions research project, especially since he is an accomplished real estate expert and builder of multimillion homes, condominiums, schools and other real estate structures.
The research of the “Mapping Prejudice Project” and collaborating researchers is showing what communities of color have known for many decades. “Structural barriers stopped many people who were not White from buying property and building wealth for most of the last century. In Minneapolis, these restrictions served as powerful obstacles for people of color seeking safe and affordable housing. They also limited access to community resources like parks and schools. Racial covenants dovetailed with redlining and predatory lending practices to dep