March 27, 2014

Your Community Connection

Including Inglewood Airport Area • Baldwin Hills • Crenshaw/LA • Ladera Heights VOL. 23, No. 13

March 27, 2014

Stand Your Ground Gets an International Audience T

Cesar Chávez Remembered

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he City of Inglewood will honor the life and legacy of Cesar Chávez on Monday, March 31. Cesar Chávez Day is an official state holiday and the birthday of the late labor rights leader. In observance of the day, Inglewood City Hall, schools and libraries will be closed.

One of the country’s most inspirational labor lead­ ers, Chávez founded and led the first successful farm workers’ union in the Unit­ ed States. When he passed away on April 23, 1993, he was president of the United Farm Workers of America.

upport for families adversely affected by the controversial Stand Your Ground Law gained support Tuesday when a hearing was held before an international hu­ man rights commission.

Ron Davis, father of slain teenager Jordan Davis, and Sybrina Fulton, mother of the late Trayvon Martin, tes­ tified that the law is flawed and biased toward racists with guns.

This is the first time Stand Your Ground is coming un­ Ron Davis and Sybrina Fulton der the scrutiny of the in­ ternational community in IACHR is a commission Your Ground for what it is; has to stop.” She said the regards to human rights. based in Washington, DC it’s an attempt by the gun law gives a person with a that examines allegations of manufacturers to sell more gun too much authority. human rights abuses. guns through fear,” Davis Attorney Benjamin Crump, Davis and Fulton were said. who represented Fulton and part of a delegation of activ­ Fulton commented that Trayvon’s father, Tracy Mar­ ists, intent on having the law parents “have no clue what tin, said the law is not only amended, which sanctioned to tell our teenagers now. bad, but lopsided when used the killing of their sons un­ How many of our teenagers by a person of color. He Cesar Chávez der the protection of “self have to worry now about be­ noted that Michael Giles, a Against all odds, 1960s defense.” Neither Jordan ing perceived as criminals? black man, was found guilty nor Trayvon were armed.

This method of ‘let’s shoot of murder when he tried to grape pickers made history Marissa Alexander (Continued on page 5) when they won the right to “We have to look at Stand first and ask questions later’ bargain after beginning their fight thinking their chance at success was close to zero.

Generations that followed have one man to thank for On The Inside:

By Thomas Bunn decades of tireless leader­ t Oak Street Elemen­ ship and nonviolent tactics tary School, Veronica used in the fight for social • News Deutsch is teaching justice, especially for mi­ Israel’s whole class with the grant farm workers. Cesar her class of third graders the • Community shirts and Ms. Deutsch with Estrada Chávez was a com­ importance of conserving a $100 gift card for school mon man with an uncom­ water.

• Entertainment supplies after Israel’s name mon vision for humankind With matching “Water was drawn for a raffle prize. who firmly believed in Star” T-shirts, students can • Health To qualify, he’d successful­ equality, justice and dignity now spread the message, ly solved a mystery riddle, for all Americans. thanks to classmate Israel • Real Estate installed water conservation Sanchez and the West Basin In 1994, Chávez’s family Veronica Deutsch and devices in his home, and Municipal Water District. and the officers of the UFW • Business students Luz Banuelos submitted his household’s created the Cesar E. Chávez The South Bay water (Continued on page 2) (Continued on page 11) agency recently supplied and Christopher Noguera

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Water Warriors

VOTE TODAY • Visit www.inglewoodtoday.com

Would you like to see NFL Football in Inglewood?

Page 2

Inglewood Today

BOE Chairman Jerome E. Horton Appoints Board Members Steel and Yee to Key BOE Committees

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he Obama administration has decided to give extra time to Americans who say that they are unable to enroll in health plans through the federal in­ surance marketplace by the March 31 deadline.

Federal officials confirmed Tuesday evening that all consum­ ers who have begun to apply for coverage on HealthCare.gov, but who do not finish by Monday, will have until about mid-April to ask for an extension.

Under the new rules, people will be able to qualify for an extension by checking a blue box on Health­ Care.gov to indicate that they tried to enroll before the deadline. This method will rely on an honor sys­ tem; the government will not try to determine whether the person is telling the truth.

The rules, which will apply to the federal exchanges operating in three dozen states, will essentially create a large loophole even as White House officials have repeat­ edly said that the March 31 deadline was firm. The extra time will not technically alter the deadline but will create a broad new category of people eligible for what’s known as a special enrollment period.

The change, which the admin­ istration is scheduled to announce Wednesday, is supported by con­ sumer advocates who want as many people as possible to gain insurance under the 2010 Afford­ able Care Act. But it’s likely to be criticized by Republicans who op­ pose the law and have denounced

Water Warriors (Continued from page 1) estimated savings to the water sup­ ply agency.

West Basin estimates that the stu­ dents collectively can save more than 600 gallons of water per day.

In addition to Israel, two other conservation-minded students of Ms. Deutsch received recognition recently. Luz Banuelos and Chris­ topher Noguera were selected as winners in a student art competi­ tion sponsored by the Water Re­ plenishment District of Southern California, the agency that man­ ages the region’s groundwater supply.

Both students received their awards at the Replenishment Dis­ trict’s Groundwater Festival, held Saturday, March 15 in Lakewood.

About 20 of Ms. Deutsch’s students along with some parents attended the festival as a field trip.

Ms. Deutsch plans on continuing to teach her present and future stu­ dents the importance of water con­ servation.

the way the administration is im­ plementing it.

Administration officials said the accommodation is an attempt to prepare for a possible surge of people trying to sign up in the final days before the deadline. Such a flood could leave some people un­ able to get through the system.

“We are . . . making sure that we will be ready to help consumers who may be in line by the deadline to complete enrollment—either online or over the phone,” said Ju­ lie Bataille, director of the office of communications for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Ser­ vices, the agency overseeing the federal health-care exchange.

The extra time will not be restrict­ ed, though, to people who wait un­ til the last minute to try to sign up.

Although no one will be asked why they need an extension, the idea is to help people whose applications have been held up because of the Web site’s technical problems, or who haven’t been able to get the system to calculate subsidies to help them pay for coverage.

According to a Health and Hu­ man Services official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about decisions that have not been made public, an exact time frame for this extension has not been set, and it will depend in part on how many people request it. Nor have officials decided precisely how long people will have to select a health plan af­ ter they get the extra time.

Starting in about mid-April, peo­ ple will no longer be able to get ex­

tensions through HealthCare.gov.

After that, consumers will be able to request one through one of the fed­ erally sponsored call centers nation­ wide. At that point, the grounds for an extension will become narrower, matching rules for special enroll­ ment periods that have existed for the past few months. Those include people who have a new baby, are getting a divorce, lose a job with health insurance or had a technical problem signing up for coverage through HealthCare.gov.

Once the narrower rules take ef­ fect, people will still be trusted to tell the truth about why they need more time—a method known as “self-attestation.”

The new rules are similar to steps being taken—or contemplated— by some of the 14 states that are running their own health-insurance exchanges.

Last week, the governing board of Maryland’s exchange, which has been hampered by serious computer problems, decided to let residents complete their enroll­ ments after the March 31 dead­ line, as long as they had started the process beforehand. Minnesota officials announced this week that they would do the same thing. Or­ egon’s governor plans to announce a similar plan this week, according to his spokeswoman, and the board of Nevada’s exchange is consider­ ing several alternatives, including a special enrollment period.

The impact of such leeway, com­ ing in the final days of a sign-up (Continued on page 8)

March 27, 2014

President/Publisher/ Editor Willie Brown Vice President Gloria Kennedy Assistant Editor Veronica Mackey Contributing Writers Veronica Mackey Thomas Bunn Brooke Stanley Staff Photographer Thomas Bunn PRODUCTION Manager Dené Glamuzina Quality Control Manager Gloria Kennedy Inglewood Today Weekly is a legally

adjudicated newspaper of public cir­ culation, published weekly by Ads Up Advertising, Inc. News and press releases may be submitted for consideration by mail to 9111 La Cienega Boulevard, Suite 100, Inglewood, CA 90301 or by email to itnetworks@msn.com.

You can reach us at 310-670-9600 or by fax 310-338-9130 www.inglewoodtoday.com The artistic contents of Inglewood Today Weekly are copyrighted by Ads Up Advertising, Inc. and permission to reprint any article herein must be obtained in writing from the Publisher.

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Home Delivery may not be available in all areas, or gated communities.

We want to hear from you!

Students were awarded water star t-shirts from West Basin Municipal Water District.

Just recently, on March 14, she read: Sabrina Collins, when in fact, submitted 30 pieces of art work to the owner’s name is Selena Collins. the West Basin Municipal Water We’d like to apologize to Ms. Col­ District’s “Water is Life” Student lins and Clear Gardens Yoga Studio Art Contest. She hopes one or for the misprint. Keep up the great more of her students will win this work! contest, too.

For more Inglewood On The Pos­ I will be reaching out to Ms. Ve­ itive Side, visit us at www.ingle­ ronica Deutsch in the near future to woodtoday.com follow up on her students’ progress.

Do you know any shining stars?

Job well done!

Let’s feature them in the next edition Last week, we posted about the of Inglewood On The Positive Side!

Clear Gardens Yoga Studio, and Email me at Thomas@inglewoodin that article, the captioned photo todaynews.com.

Tell us what you think about local issues. Letters should be addressed “To the Editor” and include your name, address and phone number.

(Only your name and city will be published.)

Email: itnetworks@msn.com Online: www.inglewoodtoday.com Mail: 9111 La Cienega Blvd., Suite 100, Inglewood, CA 90301 Fax: 310.338.9130 Letters may be edited for clarity or length. Not all letters will be pub­ lished. Submission of a letter to the editor constitutes permission to publish the letter in the printed ver­ sion of Inglewood Today Weekly and on www.inglewoodtoday.com.

Inglewood Today

March 27, 2014

Page 3

Do You Need to Rethink Your First-Choice College?

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Study Shows Less than 60 Percent Enroll in Top Option; Expert Provides 3 Criteria to Consider

ens of thousands of high school students will be re­ ceiving their college accep­ tance letters in April. It’s an anxious time—students, and their parents, want to believe their school holds the promise that attendance will be their “Golden Ticket” to eventual financial success. So, if they are trying to get from “Point A” (here and now) to “Point B” (financial in­ dependence), how do they select the school that will deliver that return on their investment?

“Young people tend to quickly fall in love with a school, and par­ ents tend to quickly wear their son’s or daughter’s acceptance as a badge of honor, or at least validation as a successful parent,’’ says David Por­ ter, social architect, consultant to colleges and universities through­ out North America and author of “The Porter Principles,” a guide to college success through social en­ gineering, (www.porterkhouwcon­ sulting.com).

“Students and parents should be skeptical and consider all of what a college has offer, and how it will deliver on the implicit promise of financial independence. Which school will nurture and grow the prerequisite face-to-face problemsolving skills required to secure gainful employment and financial

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independence upon graduation?”

According to the most recent study from the University of Cali­ fornia, Los Angeles’s Higher Edu­ cation Research Institute, only 58 percent of the surveyed 204,000 college freshmen enrolled at their first-choice college, the lowest per­ centage to do so since the question was first asked in 1974.

The major factors behind the de­ cline are cost and financial aid. A 2012 study by the research group Ipsos and the student loan giant, Sallie Mae, indicates that roughly 70 percent of families are ruling out colleges based on cost.

First choice or otherwise, Por­ ter says students and their families should consider a variety of factors in estimating the most value to be had at a campus. Some are more relevant than others: • A school’s ranking: According to one of the world’s leading pub­ lic intellects who regularly weighs in on academic issues, Malcom Gladwell, the national ranking a school receives doesn’t necessar­ ily reflect the needs of individual students. Just like an expensive sports car is valued, in part, from an arbitrary, expensive price tag, so too are colleges. The various needs a young adult will have are by no means fully represented by the sev­

Celes King IV Dead at 70

eles King IV, eldest child of the late civil rights activist, Celes King III, died of heart failure on March 22 in San Diego at age 70.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, King grew up in an entrepreneur­ ial and socially conscious fam­ ily. He inherited the family-owned King Bail Bond business and, in his youth, often drove his parents to political conferences, rallies and activities promoting social justice.

His mother, the late Anita Lugo King, was a delegate to the United Nations’ World Conference on the Rights of Women.

King, himself, later expanded the altruistic work of the California Congress of Racial Equality, which was founded by his late father. He became a member of CORE’s board of directors and advocating on be­ half of underserved communities on both sides of the aisles. He also managed several businesses of his own throughout the country.

King served CORE-CA as vice chairman for the Legislative Liai­ son, Education Policy and Legal Defense committees, as well as having created the family founda­ tion, named for his parents. He also

en variables used by the U.S. News rankings, run by Robert Morse. The variables include undergraduate academic reputation, financial re­ sources and alumni giving.

• On-Campus culture and community: In addition to academics and the rigors thereof, a college of­ fers (or fails to offer) a unique oncampus college experience. Will the environment foster success (post-graduate financial indepen­ dence) or, will it essentially be a few more years of high school under the guise of “college”? Look for safe, wholesome campus venues, like a student union or a next generation dining learning commons that in­ vites student interaction, collabo­ ration, problem-solving, and din­ ing 24/7. Social architecture – the conscious design of an environment to encourage social behaviors that lead toward a goal – is a groundbreaking approach that social archi­ tecture visionary Porter is success­ fully introducing to more campuses across North America every day.

• Parent-student understanding: Move out and stay out (because you can). Mom and dad, we want a nice home, a nice car, nice vaca­ tions, nice stuff, nice meals, etc., etc., etc. It costs tens of thousands of dollars per year to attend most colleges. Whether or not a student

Millions in Tax Credits Sought at Inglewood Volunteer Income Tax Preparation Event

I Celes King IV served as CEO of the King Central Self Development Foundation, the Phoenix Alliance, as well as on the boards of several entities, includ­ ing the California Black Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Oaks Col­ lege, and the Lillian Mobley Black Health and Education Task Force.

King is survived by a sister, broth­ er, five children, eight grandchil­ dren, three nieces and nephews and eight grand nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on March 29 at 11 a.m. at Angeles Mesa Presbyterian Church, 3751 W. 54th St., Los Angeles.

assumes massive debt to follow her dreams, or a parent shares the burden should be moot if the stu­ dent can identify, pursue and secure gainful employment upon gradu­ ation. Having debt is an enormous burden at any stage of life if you are unemployed. Choosing a school is a great opportunity for parents to lead by example on how to make a pur­ chase decision for any “big ticket” item. Do your homework. Buyer beware. Coach them using some of the same skills you would use to buy a house or purchase a car or in­ vest in a new business.

David Porter, author and social architect, is CEO and president of Porter Khouw Consulting, Inc., a foodservice master planning and design firm based in Crofton, Maryland. David has more than 40 years of hands-on food service operations and consulting experience and is a professional member of the Foodservice Consultants Society International. He is the author of “The Porter Principles, Retain & Recruit Students & Alumni, Save Millions on Dining and Stop Letting Food Service Contractors Eat Your Lunch,” (www.porterkhouwconsulting.com.

nglewood City Clerk Yvonne Horton, Inglewood Mayor James Butts, and City Coun­ cilman Ralph Franklin join forces with Board of Equalization Chair­ man Jerome E. Horton and a host of other elected officials to present a day of free income tax prepara­ tion assistance.

“Every year, about $1.2 billion in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) goes unclaimed by Inglewood resi­ dents, and others,” said Chairman Horton.

“It is our goal to build wealth in Inglewood by helping residents in our city recapture up to $6,044 in EITC,” added City Clerk Horton.

Individuals and families through­ out the South Bay who need help with income tax return preparation are invited to attend a Free Income Tax Preparation and Family Re­ source Fair event at South Bay One Stop Business and Career Center, 110 South La Brea Avenue, 3rd Floor, Inglewood, CA 90301 on Saturday, March 29, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are other op­ portunities to take advantage of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

(VITA) program in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through April 15th.

Attendees will receive tax prepa­ ration assistance from trained and certified volunteers, and receive information about the EITC. Indi­ viduals who are eligible may qual­ ify for as much as $6,044 from the EITC. Taxpayers should bring proof of identification including social security cards, wage and earning statement(s) from employers, inter­ est and dividend statements from banks, bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit, and a copy of last year’s federal and state returns if available.

Family services such as financial literacy training, job preparation as­ sistance, low-cost auto insurance, food and nutrition services, and lowcost and free medical services will be available at this event. To regis­ ter, call 1-866-910-9559 All workforce and family services are free and open to the public. Lan­ guage assistance is available in Eng­ lish, Spanish, and Chinese.

To find other VITA locations, visit this website or call 1-800-906-9887.

Inglewood Today

Page 4

March 27, 2014

Eye on the City Recycling Waste and Bad Information

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By Veronica Mackey

hort and sweet was the theme of Tuesday’s council meeting.

It began with live entertain­ ment, courtesy of Malaika Beckford, an Inglewood poet whom the City honored with a proclamation. Beck­ ford, a graduate of Morningside High School and Howard Universi­ ty, recited one of her poems, singing

) Malaika Beckford, Inglewood poet

Malaika Beckford was honored with a proclamation.

(L-R) Angela Williams and Dawn Harris praises about her hometown. She finest recycling champions. The re­ “We are pleased to recognize In­ will be honored again next month cycling rewards program is a joint glewood residents who have been when her work appears in an an­ effort of the City of Inglewood and exemplary in their recycling pro­ thology. Inglewood has recognized Republic Services, the City’s waste gram efforts,” said Angela Williams, April as National Poetry Month. disposal contractor. Recipients will Environmental Services Manager Poetry was followed by certifi­ receive free recycling services for for the City of Inglewood.

(Continued on page 8) cates given to 10 of Inglewood’s one year.

Pick up your copy of Inglewood Today at one of these locations: 1 Stop Mini-Mart, 420 E. Florence Ave. A-Man Inc., 101 La Brea Ave. Airport Gas, 501 Hillcrest St. Allstate, 2300 W. Manchester Bl. Bayou Grill, 1400 N. La Brea Ave. Boston Cream Donuts, 2576 La Brea Ave. Bourbon Street Fish & Grill, 601 S. Prairie Ave. Briarwood, 3500 Manchester Bl. Broadway Federal Bank, 170 N. Market St. Brolly Hut Barber Shop on 109th & Crenshaw Bruno’s Pizza, 450 E. Manchester Bl. Budda Market, 3753 Slauson (Rimpau) C&J Beauty Supply, 11252 Crenshaw Bl. Carlton Square, 8700 Carlton Centinela Hospital, 555 E. Hardy St. Chili’s, 3490 W. Century Bl. Chile Verde on Crenshaw Choice Berry, 599 1/2 S. La Brea Ave. City One Stop, 110 Queen St. Cranford Scott, M.D., 211 N. Prairie Ave. CVS Pharmacy, 222 N. Market St. Darby Park, 3400 W. Arbor Vitae Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen #1, 202 E. Manchester Bl. Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen #2, 3249 W. Century Bl. Edward Vincent Park Senior Ctr., 700 Warren Lane Fabulous Burger, 1315 Centinela Ave., Family Fish Market, 1300 Centinela Ave. Fiesta Martin Mexican Grill, 1330 N. La Brea Ave. Gin’s Liquor, 11001 Crenshaw Bl. Gonzales Northgate Market, 10801 Prairie Ave. Heart & Soul Grill, 128 N. Market St. Hollywood Park Casino, 1050 S. Prairie Ave. Inglewood Airport Area, 330 E. Queen St. Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 E. Florence Ave. Inglewood Community Police Ctr., Manchester/7th Ave. Inglewood City Hall, 1 West Manchester Bl. Inglewood Library, 101 W. Manchester Bl. Inglewood Meadows, 1 Locust St. Inglewood Park Mortuary, 3801 W. Manchester Bl. Inglewood Police Station, 1 West Manchester Bl. Inglewood Today, 949 S. La Brea Ave. Inglewood Unified School District, 401 S. Inglewood Ave. In the Kut Barber Shop on 109th & Crenshaw Jamba Juice, 5305 W. Centinela Ave. King Fish Market, 10901 Crenshaw Bl. KJLH Radio, 161 N. La Brea Ave. Ladera Physiotherapy, 409 S. La Brea Ave.

Lan’s Nails, 10901 S. Crenshaw Bl. Lawrence Carey Barber Shop, 10901 S. Crenshaw Bl. Liquorette Liquor Store, 1400 Centinela Ave. Louisiana Fried Chicken, 170 La Brea Lucy Laundromat across from Sizzler’s on Manchester M&M’s Soul Food on Manchester M&M’s Soul Food (new) on Crenshaw Martino’s Liquor, 706 E. Manchester Bl. Mike’s Deli, 4859 W. Slauson Ave. Moby’s Breakfast & Lunch, 3008 W. Manchester Bl. Morningside Adult Day Care, 3216 W. Manchester Bl. Nix Check Cashing, 140 E. Manchester Nix Check Cashing on Crenshaw & 110th Osage Senior Villas, 924 S. Osage Pann’s, 6710 La Tijera Bl. Pay Day Loans on Crenshaw & 110 Pep Boys, 200 E. Spruce Ave. Red Lobster, 3400 W. Century Bl. Regal Cleaners, 700 E. Manchester Bl. Regency Towers, 123 Locust St. Regent Plaza, 201 Regent St. Roger’s Park, 400 W. Beach Ave. Scottie’s Gumbo & Grill, 945 S. Prairie Ave. Sizzler’s, Manchester/Prairie Smoke 4 Less, 925 N. La Brea Spa 313 Salon, 313 La Brea Starbucks, 5301 Centinela Ave. Starbucks, 941 N. La Brea Ave. Starbucks on Century Stuff I Eat, 114 N. Market St. Super Fish Market, 11007 S Crenshaw Bl. Superior Groceries, 11202 S Crenshaw Bl. The Serving Spoon, 1403 Centinela Ave. TGIFriday’s, 6721 La Tijera Bl. True Vine Baptist Church, 1437 Centinela Ave. Union Bank, 6719 La Tijera Bl. Vons, 500 E. Manchester Bl. Walgreens on Century Westchester Villa Senior Living, 220 W. Manchester Bl. Whole Foods, 4508 Overhill (Slauson) Winchell’s Donuts, 2601 W. Manchester Bl. Winchell’s Donut Shop on Crenshaw near 108th St. Wings Stop on Century Wise Tires & Brakes, 949 S. La Brea Ave. Woody’s Barbeque, 4751 S. Market St. Yvonne B. Burke Senior Center, 4750 62nd St. (La Brea)

Inglewood Today

Publisher’s Message How Not to Win an Election

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s election season gets un­ derway, it never ceases to amaze me how ill pre­ pared people are who enter the race. You would think that any­ one seriously intent of becoming the next elected official would do the basic things that, to most of us, are obvious. You would think if a person spends several months and thousands of dollars campaigning they would make the best use of their time and money.

Voters are not hard to figure out.

They want someone they feel will level with them, not overprom­ ise, and have their best interest at heart. Inglewood voters are smart and active. They pay atten­ tion. If you want to win the trust of voters here, then this is what you need to avoid: Be disorganized, with no plan or strategy for winning. No one wants to follow a leader with no clear vision. Enough said.

Lie to the public. Politicians are not exactly known for being forthright. So what can a voter do? First, recognize that things are changing. Today, there are more “lie detectors” available than before. Thanks to technol­ ogy, the public now has access to fact checking websites. On­ line articles can be researched and compared to find inconsistent statements. Legislative websites record how officials vote on vari­ ous matters so the public doesn’t have to rely on articles or speech­ es to find out where someone stands on the issues.

Fail to provide adequate contact information. I know we live in an age of Facebook and Twit­ ter. Still, in my opinion, there is no excuse for not having an old fashioned phone number and email on your website. Everyone doesn’t tweet (or want to). And if you don’t make it reasonably easy to be contacted, some folks sim­ ply won’t bother to find out what

Willie Brown, Publisher, Inglewood Today Weekly you have to say. This oversight generally applies to candidates.

They may not have the budget or even an established office, espe­ cially during the early days of the campaign. But regardless, they should have a phone number, or at least an answering service.

As I researched candidates run­ ning for the 62nd Assembly District, at least a third did not have a phone number or direct email addresses.

They’re asking for support and donations, but cannot make them­ selves accessible in a personal way.

Don’t show up at candidate forums or town hall meetings.

A common complaint (and right­ fully so) from voters is they never hear from their representatives until election time. Candidate forums are a perfect opportunity to meet constituents. If you don’t show up, it appears that you’re not interested. This is probably a moot point, but all I have to say is two Inglewood council members who failed to show up are no lon­ ger occupying those seats.

The election of Barack Obama showed us that you can’t simply throw a bunch of money behind a candidate and assure their victory.

It takes vision, sincerity, a whole lot of effort and common sense.

I hope this article reaches any­ one running for office, especially in Inglewood. We’re willing to listen but we’re also watching.

Stand Your Ground Gets an International Audience (Continued from page 1) apply Stand Your Ground outside a nightclub in Tallahassee, FL. Al­ though he was attacked without provocation, he was sentenced to 25 years.

“It’s different when minorities claim Stand Your Ground verses the killers of Trayvon Martin or Jordan Davis,” Crump said.

In 2005, Florida was the first state

to pass the Stand Your Ground law.

Today, at least 24 states now allow people to stand their ground, which gives individuals the right to use deadly force to defend themselves without any requirement to evade or retreat from a dangerous situa­ tion. The law is also nicknamed “Shoot First.”

The UN Human Rights Commit­ tee recently expressed concerns that SYG laws are “incompatible” with (Continued on page 11)

Page 5

Word for the Wise Spring Special!

Tires Repaired At No Charge Now Until April 1, 2014 With This Ad

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(800) Wise4Tires Call (800) 947-3484

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Public Hearing on Proposed Fare Changes

Attend A Public Hearing on Proposed Fare Changes To continue reliable service of LA County’s expanding transportation network, Metro must consider gradually increasing fares. Metro’s approach would make the system easier to use by including free transfers on a single fare. There’s a public hearing to gather comments on Saturday, March 29 at 9:30am at Metro Headquarters. Sign up in person by 11:30am to speak at the hearing. Details at metro.net/newfares.

I-405 Sepulveda Pass Project Reaches Milestones The Skirball Center Drive Bridge is nearly complete and reconstruction of segments of Sepulveda Boulevard is scheduled to wrap up this summer. Ten miles of new carpool lanes are slated to open in just a few months. Construction schedules and project information at metro.net/405.

Miracle Mile Utility Relocation Underway The Metro Purple Line Extension is proceeding with advanced utility relocation at Wilshire and La Brea Boulevards. Wilshire and Fairfax are next on the schedule. This work will help prevent service disruptions during subway construction. More information at metro.net/purplelineext.

Go Metro to CicLAvia on April 6 Travel along legendary Wilshire Boulevard car-free during CicLAvia, LA’s free celebration of public spaces. This April’s event route stretches between Downtown Los Angeles and Miracle Mile. Plan your trip and see bus detour schedules at metro.net.

New Metro Buses Start Service The >rst of Metro’s 550 new 40-foot buses went into service last month on Line 33 along Venice Boulevard between downtown LA and Santa Monica. The new models will be phased in during the next 18 months, replacing vehicles that have reached their retirement age.

metro.net @metrolosangeles facebook.com/losangelesmetro

14-1684ps_wsc-ie-14-010 ©2014 lacmta

March 27, 2014

Inglewood Today

Page 6

March 27, 2014

Celebrating Women’s History Month

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The History of Women: 2000-2014

he impact of technology has given women the greatest advantages in their careers.

It has created an economic parity that prior generations of women could only dream about, The availability of computers, mobile phones and other technology has given rise to a spectrum of homebased businesses which allow women to start their own enterpris­ es with low overhead costs.

The beginning of the 21st Century created the “mompreneur”—workat-home moms who run micro enter­ prises from home, with the help of technology. Email, voice mail and social media gave women the flex­ ibility of working around their per­ sonal schedules.

The Internet has leveled the play­ ing field by allowing women to compete with men with a degree of anonymity. Some cleverly designed websites mask the gender of compa­ ny owners or list company owners by a first and middle initials, giving the

By Veronica Mackey

impression that the company is male-owned, and in the process, reducing gender discrimination.

Now, 14 years into the New Millennium, twentysomething women—“Millennials”—are making their way into history.

Just how have women evolved over the last 50 years?

According to a recent study commissioned by Levi Strauss & Company, “96 percent of Millennial women worldwide list being independent as their most important life goal and define success as being able to shape their own futures (87 percent).

While being a mother (82 percent) and getting married (67 percent) are still important, they are not as high priorities in one’s twenties as being independent and living life on one’s own terms (“How Millennial Wom­ en Are Shaping Our Future,” Huffington Post, 10/26/10).

Advancements made over the years, notably, birth control, career

opportunities, small business as­ sistance programs, and advanced technology have given women of today more options on how to live their lives. Millennials no longer feel compelled to follow a pre-de­ fined path: go to college—work for a company—get married—have kids—retire.

The Great Recession has changed the way these young women view

the future and caused them to seriously question whether the advice their mothers or grand­ mothers followed is right for them. College, and the debt that often accompanies it, has be­ come one of a few options, but not the only one.

Growing up in a world where Mark Zuckenberg became a bil­ lionaire at 23, has given them the confidence to build their own empires. The old excuse that men hold women back doesn’t exist for them anymore. They see themselves as equal and en­ titled to the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

Progress for women will continue to be made as long as these attitudes prevail. Today’s modern women are living life on their own terms, thanks to battles fought by those who came before them, technology, creative thinking, a global economy, and faith in their future.

Inglewood Today

March 27, 2014

Page 7

Health&Fitness T•O•D•A•Y

U

Obamacare Deadline Extended

ninsured Americans who qualify for Obamacare have been given more time to sign up. According to the Washington Post, Monday’s March 31 deadline has been extended anoth­ er two to three weeks. A specific deadline date was not available at press time.

The White House, which pre­ viously stated the deadline was firm, announced the extension late Tuesday night. Sources say the Obama administrators wants to reach at least 6 million enrollees.

The number is now slightly over 5 million.

On March 24, the Healthcare.gov website got 1.1 million hits—the second highest number of visitors since the program began.

“We are . . . making sure that we will be ready to help consumers who may be in line by the deadline to complete enrollment—either on­ line or over the phone,” said Julie Bataille, director of the office of communications for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency overseeing the federal health-care exchange.

The Obama administration is ex­ tending the enrollment deadline to federal healthcare exchanges oper­ ating in three dozen states, which

includes California. The text of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) doesn’t specify how long the open enrollment period should be, leav­ ing that task to the regulators at the U.S. Department of Health and Hu­ man Services.

All consumers who have begun to apply for coverage on HealthCare. gov, but who do not finish by Mon­ day, can check a box on the website asking for an extension. Applicants will “rely on an honor system” to attest that “they tried to enroll be­ fore the deadline…the government will not try to determine whether the person is telling the truth,” wrote Washington Post reporter Amy Goldstein.

To find out if you are eligible for Obamacare, call L.A. Care Covered at (855) 222-4239 or visit the web­ site at www.lacarecovered.org, or THE Health andWellness Centers at (323) 730-1920, ext. 3072.

They Were Caught Being Good!

T

en residents from Inglewood were recognized at the March 25 council meeting for “exemplary” recycling efforts. Drivers of Republic Services took note of participants who signed up for the recycling program, and who properly disposed of recyclable material with no contamination for the past year. Each will receive a year’s worth for free recycling service, valued at $175.

The winners (not in order of appearance) are: Rina Anderson, Nancy Waller, Patricia Serba, Ruby McCan, Santos Gonzalez, Vanessa Francis, Jim Withrow, Bridgette Scott, Piedad Morales, and Ramon Aguirre.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

C

Keeping the Silent Killer Under Control

By Brian Ayling

arbon monoxide is a very deadly and dangerous gas; it is odorless and colorless so most of the time people do not even notice that they are being poi­ soned by it. The gas’s ability to go undetected by sight or smell has dubbed it the “the silent killer.”

More and more people suffer from diseases brought about by gas poisoning; the bad thing is that since people do not notice it’s there, they can literally die by just neglect­ ing the symptoms or dismissing it as fatigue or a dizzy spell. Since the gas is undetectable through human senses, people are strongly ad­ vised to purchase and install a carbon monox­ ide alarm, these special­ ized contraptions can help detect the presence of the poison in the air.

There are many fac­ tors that can cause the irregular presence of car­ bon monoxide in your living spaces.

These causes are but not limited to: • Damaged, broken, or faulty heating appliances • Poorly maintained heaters or heating appliances • The use of indoor barbecue grills • Blocked chimneys • Poorly ventilated spaces • Automobiles or machines with engines left running in garages • Some indoor food heating appa­ ratuses There are a few other causes, but usually carbon monoxide poison­ ing is attributed to faulty equipment coupled with poor ventilation.

Installing an alarm can notify you when the levels of carbon monoxide in your home are high, this can push you to act by evacu­ ating the area and determining the source of the gas. Without this kind of protection one would have to look out for symptoms such as: • Sudden weakness and lethargy • Motion sickness, vomiting, and dizzy spells • Nausea or dizziness when stand­ ing up • Vomiting for no apparent reason Unfortunately though, the symp­ toms mentioned above can be eas­

ily dismissed as common everyday health issues such as dysmenorrhe­ al or lack of sleep.

In case a person is exposed to carbon monoxide for an extended period of time, he or she should be immediately brought to a hos­ pital for medical attention. In case you notice these symptoms and a detector confirms the same, im­ mediately turn off all appliances and get all exposed people to the hospital. Treatment and recov­

ery for carbon monoxide poison­ ing varies in the length of time someone is exposed to the poison and how their body reacts to the chemicals. Carbon monoxide is treatable though as long as expo­ sure has not reached critical lev­ els or the person has a consider­ ably strong body.

As in medicine, an ounce of prevention is always better than cure. One should invest in a car­ bon monoxide alarm to be sure that their living spaces are safe and poison free. An early warning device for carbon monoxide en­ sures the health and safety of the home, especially for homes that use heaters for controlling indoor temperature. Although carbon monoxide detectors do not come cheap there is no question that purchasing one is a worthwhile investment. Having one installed may even spell the difference be­ tween life and death.

Having specialized in the carbon monoxide alarms trade for over 20 years, Brian now works tirelessly to promote affordable fire safety for home and for business.

Page 8

Inglewood Today

Foster Care Families and Agencies to Receive Training to Prevent Sex Trafficking of Children

M

ore than 50 percent of the children in Los An­ geles County who be­ come victims of sex trafficking are in the child welfare system.

On Tuesday, the Board of Super­ visors took a step toward closing the training gap for foster par­ ents and foster family agencies to spot signs of when a child is being trafficked.

Although county social workers have been trained to spot the signs that show vulnerable young peo­ ple are being exploited by pimps and predators, foster families and foster agency officials are not rou­ tinely taught important skills such as how to prevent a child from be­ ing trafficked or recruited, catch­ ing the signs if they are trafficked and what do to rescue a child from a life of prostitution.

The Board asked the Department of Children and Family Services to draft a proposal to ensure that foster family agencies and group homes who care for DCFS-placed children train their staff and certi­ fied foster parents complete an­

nual training to understand telltale signs and halt the cycle of abuse.

DCFS Director Philip Browning told the board he supports training and education of foster families and the agencies.

Horton Appoints Steel and Yee to Key BOE Committees (Continued from page 2) period that began in October, re­ mains unclear. This year’s enroll­ ment period is the first opportunity for Americans who are unable to get affordable insurance through a job to choose whether to enroll in one of the plans offered under the 2010 law.

In recent weeks, the White House and its allies have been mounting an intense public relations campaign to motivate people to sign up. Amid signs of increasing interest, federal health officials have privately wor­ ried whether HealthCare.gov could withstand an expected last-minute enrollment surge this weekend.

Administration officials have ad­ opted an enrollment target of 6 mil­ lion Americans, forecast this winter by congressional budget analysts.

The analysts had lowered their pre­ vious prediction of 7 million after problems with HealthCare.gov thwarted many people who attempt­ ed to enroll during the fall.

Until now, the March 31 dead­ line has been the date by which most Americans must choose a plan — or risk a government fine in the form of a tax penalty when they file their 2014 taxes next year.

The fine will not apply to people who get an extension under the new rules and enroll in plans with­ in the allotted time.

The constituency that has been most wary of extra sign-up time has been the insurance industry. Insur­ ance firms selling plans in the new marketplace want to minimize the possibility that people might wait to get coverage until they become sick — a practice that would undermine the central idea of keeping costs in check by balancing people who are expensive to insure with those who are healthy and require little medi­ cal treatment.

On the other hand, consumer ad­ vocates say it is important to give as many people as possible a chance to obtain insurance.

“The whole point of the thing is to get people covered,” said Jon Kingsdale, a health-care consultant and former director of Massachu­ setts’s insurance exchange, which was the first in the country, open­ ing several years before the federal law set up a similar national mar­ ketplace. “In the first year, there has been so much confusion, I think it’s only natural there will be people who just don’t feel as if they fully understood what the law was and what they were supposed to do and that the opportunity would close.”

Board of Equalization Chairman Jerome E. Horton announced that he has named Board Vice Chair Mi­ chelle Steel to chair the agency’s Business Taxes Committee, and appointed Board Member Betty T. Yee to chair the BOE’s Customer

DCFS Director Philip Browning “We will continue to advocate and move as far as we can to eradi­ cate this problem,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who co-au­ thored the motion with Chairman Don Knabe. “It is a moral cri­ sis with true consequences in the lives of these children. Enough is enough.”

March 27, 2014

Eye on the City (Continued from page 4) Dawn Harris, community rela­ tions representative for Republic, noted: “Drivers reported they put their recycling out almost every week and there is no contamination.

It’s good recycling.”

To sign up for the free recycling re­ wards program, call (310) 412-5333.

Gil Matheiu said the City is spending way too much money on furniture. In addition, according to him, the City is about $1.2 billion in debt. He has quoted this figure on several occasions.

Assistant City Manager/Chief Information Officer Mike Falkow did some quick checking and con­ firmed there was a furniture pur­ chase made on Feb. 11, 2014. There was some back-and-forth discussion between Matheiu and Mayor James Butts about whether the matter was a topic for the portion of the meeting related exclusively to agenda items.

The exchange went like this: Matheiu: Don’t try to neutralize what I’m saying. Don’t I get an apology?

Butts: No, you don’t get an apol­ ogy. It’s not on tonight’s warrant agenda, that’s the point we’re mak­ ing.

Matheiu: I didn’t say it was on tonight’s agenda. (He asked for more time to speak).

Butts: I’ll give you 3 seconds, go ahead.

Matheiu: Mr. Mayor, you’re a piece of work.

Butts: Thank you, sir.

According to the mayor, the City’s General Budget is between “79 and 85 million (dollars) a year, in a good year, which means if we were paying interest on $1 billion a year, we couldn’t afford the police department.”

If the City of Inglewood is over a billion in debt, “How come the federal government isn’t sitting in these chairs?” Stuart Bailey asked referring to the dais. “There ain’t no one in the U.S., except a feder­ al agency, building up that kind of debt. Let’s get some real facts go­ ing on for the City.”

The council adopted three or­ dinances—two had to do with al­ lowing billboards and super graph­ ics in non-residential areas of the city. Billboards and super graphics cannot advertise tobacco, alcohol, firearms, or nudity. Ethel Austin rejected Diane Sombrano’s idea that the Fabulous Forum is getting preferential treatment with regard to billboard advertising: “I don’t think it (Coors ad at the Forum) has anything to do with residential areas where kids are, and if it is (facing) a residential area, it’s at Inglewood Cemetery. Who cares?”

A third ordinance was passed which expands the City’s authority to use outside personnel for parking (Continued on page 11)

Service and Administrative Effi­ ciency Committee.

Vice Chair Steel will chair the Business Taxes Committee which oversees the Board’s rulemaking activities and policy discussions regarding the sales and use tax, as well as the other business taxes and fees administered by the Board.

Ms. Steel presently serves as California’s senior-ranking Repub­ lican constitutional officer. She has served on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and was ap­ pointed by Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle to the California World Trade Commission.

As Chair of the Customer Ser­ vice and Administrative Efficiency Committee, Board Member Yee will oversee Board policy discus­ sions regarding efficient and effec­ tive service to taxpayers and educa­ tional outreach.

Ms. Yee has more than 29 years of experience in public service, spe­ cializing in state and local finance.

She is the former Chief Deputy Director for Budget with the Cali­ fornia Department of Finance and served as a senior staff member on several fiscal and policy committees in the State Senate and Assembly.

“I am pleased to have such tal­ ented, capable and competent lead­ ership in these two Board Members and appreciate their willingness to serve in these new roles,” said

Chairman Horton. “In addition to the traditional duties of these com­ mittees, Ms. Steel, who is well known as a taxpayer advocate, will continue to exercise leadership in advocating for legislation that fur­ thers the mission of the BOE. I am asking Ms. Yee to oversee all Board-level discussions of commu­ nication, outreach and related cus­ tomer service matters.”

Elected in 2010, Chairman Je­ rome E. Horton is the Fourth Dis­ trict Member of the California State Board of Equalization, representing more than 8.5 million residents in Los Angeles County. He is also the Board of Equalization’s Legislative Committee Chairman. He is the first to serve on the Board of Equaliza­ tion with over 21 years of experi­ ence at the BOE. Horton previously served as an Assembly Member of the California State Assembly from 2000-2006.

The five-member California State Board of Equalization is a public­ ly elected tax board. The Board of Equalization collects more than $56 billion annually in taxes and fees sup­ porting state and local government services. It hears business tax ap­ peals, acts as the appellate body for franchise and personal income tax ap­ peals, and serves a significant role in the assessment and administration of property taxes. For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit www.taxes.ca.gov.

Inglewood Today

March 27, 2014

Page 9

Today 5 Things You Need to Get Rid of Cable

By Brent Rynn

I

t used to be that Cable TV was essential to every household. I am sure you know of someone who in the last few years has cut the cord.

The big question is does it work.

I am here to tell you yes, it does work, and if you do it right you too can save an average of $80 a month from watching TV. Here are the 5 things you need to get rid of your cable bill and get more TV than ever.

1. A streaming device—I highly recommend you buy a Roku. There are other devices such as Chrome­ cast and apple TV. But basically you need a way to stream this content to you home. Make sure it connected to a decent internet connection.

2. An HDTV antenna—Yes, there is still free TV. Almost every­ one can still get free tv and most TV’s sold today have digital tuners.

This means the picture will be clear not fuzzy like it used to be. The rea­ son you need an antenna is because

most live events are still broadcast only through TV. This way, if you feel the need to watch the news or an NFL game you still will be able to do so. Make sure you buy the cor­ rect antenna. You can find the cor­ rect antenna via the FTC website.

3. Netflix or Hulu—You will need to get access to premium con­ tent. You should plan on signing up

for 2 or 3 providers to get maximum content. But you can get by with just Netflix if you had to. You should also look for free content channels and private Roku channels as well. I would also recommend you look at amazon prime as well, since there is a lot of content available there.

4. Media server—You should look at setting up an XBMC or Plex

server. Why? Because you can start to organize all your own digital content. It also gives you access to more content via the channels avail­ able. This is how you get extra con­ tent. If you combine these servers with VPN access you will be able access TV shows all over the world 5. Fast Internet—The last one is very important. You will want to get the fastest internet speed you can.

This will help when you watch TV. At the very least get DSL with at least 1.5 down and at least 512k up.

Ideally you will want to get above 10 mb connection. The faster the better.

Those are my 5 essential items you will need to cut the cord and begin saving money.

You also find that your journey to getting rid of the cable has just begun.

Brent Rynn is a regular contributor to Dump your Cable Bill (http:// dumpyourcablebill.com).

Is Your Financial Advisor Planning with the 4 Percent Rule?

Expert & Software Creator Shares Tips for Calculating Withdrawal Rates in Retirement

“W

ho has my back in retirement?” That’s the question pre-re­ tirees and retirees want answered when it’s all said and done, says veteran financial planner David Zolt.

Baby boomers have been retir­ ing in droves in recent years, and will continue to do so throughout the next decade—10,000 of them a day, the Pew Research Center es­ timates. Unfortunately, the average boomer is about $500,000 short on their savings, according to a recent survey by TD Ameritrade.

We have already entered upon an unprecedented moment in re­ tirement history; never has so many people, with such variabil­ ity in financial wealth, retired at once, Zolt says.

“Clients want to know when they can retire, how much they can withdraw from their savings and how confident they can be that they won’t outlive their money,” says Zolt, a senior consultant who cre­ ated retirement income planning software for financial advisors.

“If the facts of their wealth do not support their goals for retirement,

then they’ll need to do one of three things: adjust their expectations, change their financial behavior or know how to improve their wealth, because the last thing any retiree wants is to run out of money while in their 80s or 90s.”

Zolt breaks down some funda­ mental aspects of retirement that may help boomers and others make better financial decisions after their working years.

The “4 percent” Rule—a good target for withdrawals: When can you start pulling from your re­ tirement portfolio, and how much should you withdraw? Twenty years ago, Bill Bengen came up with the answer: A well-allocated portfo­ lio subjected to an initial 4 percent withdrawal, and adjusted for annual inflation thereafter, would survive at least 30 years in almost all sce­ narios. Given today’s market, how­ ever, once-stable rules have been significantly challenged. Just one factor in recent years throwing off Bengen’s rule are low bond yields, which historically averaged 5 to 6 percent, but today are much lower.

“Four percent is still a good target, but it’s not absolute!” Zolt says.

The seven variables to consider in retirement planning: Seven variables should be included in an individual retiree’s plan: portfolio size, portfolio return, savings, living expenses (including taxes), years to retirement and withdrawal rate. Each of these variables is multifaceted, and it’s important to understand how each affects the others. To trouble­ shoot this complexity, Zolt created affordable, easy-to-use retirementplanning software called The Retire­ ment Planner by RetireSoft, (www.

RetireSoft.com) for financial advi­ sors. “Retirement planning is an equation; rather than assuming the 4 percent rule, I’ve fixed other vari­ ables by making the number of years to retirement the variable and solv­ ing for the withdrawal rate, which is a key component to retirement plan­ ning,” Zolt says.

A simple formula calculating withdrawal rates: Whether you’re working with a profes­ sional or you’re a DIYer, retirees and pre-retirees want to know how much they should have in savings; how much they’ll receive from fixed income sources, and what they’ll be spending for living ex­

penses. Here’s a simple formula…

Subtract your annual fixed retire­ ment income (Social Security, pensions) from your expected an­ nual living expenses in retirement, including income taxes. That’s how much you’ll need to withdraw from savings each year. If the fig­ ure is 4 percent, and you have a well-balanced portfolio, you can reasonably expect to have a reli­ able income during retirement for 30 years. If the total is 5 percent, you probably have enough to last 30 years, but you may have to cut back on your spending later in retirement. If the percentage is 8 percent, you don’t have enough money to pay for many years of retirement.

David M. Zolt, CFP®, EA, ASA, MAAA worked more than 25 years in retirement and employee-benefit planning as a senior consultant.

His position as trusted advisor to the managers of some of the largest pools of liquid assets in the world gave him the rare opportunity to watch professionals advise multi-million and multi-billion dollar pension funds utilizing the best practices of investing.

Inglewood Today

Page 10

March 27, 2014

LEG A L NOT I CES CITY OF INGLEWOOD INVITATION TO SUBMIT BID (Specifications and Conditions Governing Bid Award) Project Subject to Bid: RESIDENTIAL SOUND INSULATION PHASE X, GROUP 3 The City of Inglewood invites and will receive bids duly filed as provided herein for the furnishing of labor and materials and/or completing the above-designated project.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. The meeting will take place in the Residential Sound Insulation Department Conference Room in Inglewood City Hall on the 5th Floor.

A site visit may follow the conference. Although the site visit is not mandatory, it is recommended that Contractors be in attendance. Should a Contractor elect to waive attendance, then he/she accepts full and total responsibility for any additional information given and or knowledge imparted during the site visit that might be considered relevant to this Bid and or the specifications for this project.

Should you require further information, please call the City’s Noise Mitigation Office at (310) 412-5289.

Each bid to be considered must be delivered to and received by the City Clerk no later than 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, in the Office of the City Clerk, Inglewood City Hall, One Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood, CA 90301.

Each bid shall be submitted and completed in all particulars using the form entitled, “Bidder’s Proposal and Statement” attached hereto and must be enclosed, together with the requisite bid security in a sealed envelope addressed to the City Clerk with the designation of the project “Residential Sound Insulation Phase X, Group 3” appearing thereon.

Each bid shall state the unit price of each item if called for on the Bidder’s Proposal and Statement form. In the event alternative bids are called for in said form, each alternative bid shall be completed.

Each bid shall be submitted as one (1) original set and two (2) copies set.

Bids will be opened in public in the Office of the City Clerk and will then and there be announced to all persons present.

Plans and specifications may be purchased from the Residential Sound Insulation Department, 5th Floor, Inglewood City Hall, One Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, California for $75.00 per copy. A CD-Rom version of the plans and specifications may be purchased for $25.00 per copy.

Each bid must be accompanied by a deposit in the form of cash, a cashier’s or certified check made payable to the City of Inglewood, or a bid bond, for an amount of not less than ten percent (10%) of the aggregate of the bid, as a guarantee that the successful bidder will, within the time specified, enter into an agreement as provided in the bid document and furnish bonds when required in the Special Provisions. One for faithful performance in the amount of the contract sum, and another for contractor’s labor and materials in the amount of the contract sum.

The City Council reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any irregularities in any bid, and to take bids under advisement for a period not to exceed sixty days from and after the date bids are opened and announced.

Attention is directed to the provisions of Sections 1777.5 and 1777.6 of the Labor Code concerning the employment of apprentices on public works projects by the Contractor or any subcontractor under them. The Contractor or any subcontractor shall comply with the requirements of said sections in the employment of apprentices. Information relative to apprenticeship standards and administration of the apprenticeship program may be obtained from the Director of Industrial Relations, San Francisco, California, or the Division of Apprenticeship Standards and its branch offices.

Notice is hereby given that the City Council has ascertained the prevailing rates of per diem wages in the locality in which the work is to be done for each craft or type of workman or mechanic needed to execute the contract in accordance with the provisions of Section 1770, et. Seq. of the Labor Code; said prevailing rates are on file in the Office of the City Clerk and are incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full. Copies shall be made available to any interested party on request.

This contract requires a Class B (Building Contractor) License at the time of bid submittal.

The successful bidder must obtain and maintain current until completion of the project an Inglewood City Business License.

This notice is given by order of the City Administrative Officer of the City of Inglewood, California, and is dated this 27th day of March, 2014.

City Manager City of Inglewood, California

Call 310-670-9600 to advertise!

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014 054269 The following Person is doing business as:

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013 264895 The following Person is doing business as:

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014 049629 The following Person is doing business as:

Sharon L Mackey Insurance Services 311 N. La Brea Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90302

CoCo Dans Catering 2110 W 80th St 1 Los Angeles, CA 90047

Threads On 7th 6221 Overhill Los Angeles, CA 90043

Registered owner: Sharon L Mackey 1606 S. Spaulding Avenue, LA, CA 90019

Registered owners: Malik Conway and Jason Hodges 3100 W 78th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90043

Registered owner: Myeshia Horton, 6221 Overhill, Los Angeles, CA 90302

This business is conducted by an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business listed above on February 28, 2014.

This business is conducted by an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business listed above on December 30, 2013.

I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.)

Sharon L Mackey, Owner.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk on February 28, 2014

I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.)

Malik Conway and Jason Hodges, Owners This statement was filed with the County Clerk on December 30, 2013

NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration.

NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration.

NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration.

The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State or common law (See Section 14411 et.seq., Business and Professions Code.)

Original March 6, 13, 20, 27, 2014 ITO0422301022 Inglewood Today

The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State or common law (See Section 14411 et.seq., Business and Professions Code.)

Original March 13, 20, 27, 2014; April 3,2014 ITO0422301023 Inglewood Today

The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State or common law (See Section 14411 et.seq., Business and Professions Code.)

Original March 13, 20, 27, 2014; April 3, 2014 ITO0422301024 Inglewood Today

City of Inglewood, California REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS DESIGN BUILD SERVICES NEW SENIOR CENTER FACILITY RFQ - 0093 Statement of Qualifications Due: May 1, 2014 By 5:00 p.m.

SUBMIT TO: ATTN: Margarita Cruz Economic and Business Development Manager Planning Department Room 400, 4th Floor CITY OF INGLEWOOD ONE MANCHESTER BLVD. INGLEWOOD, CA 90301 Contact Person During Pre-Qualification Process: Margarita Cruz, Economic and Business Development Manager, mcruz@cityofinglewood.org

tends to build a new Senior Center using the Design-Build Delivery method authorized

by Public Contract Code Section 20175.2 (“Project”). The term “Project” as used in this Request For Qualifications (“RFQ”) means all structures, buildings, site work, landscaping, irrigation, on-site work, off-site work, or other improvements to real property of every kind and nature provided for or reasonably inferable from the Construction Documents approved by the City at the end of the design and approval phases of the Project.

The Project is anticipated to include: • 33,357 Square-Foot C-1 (Limited Commercial) Zoned Property • 35,000 square-foot senior center • A two-story (above grade) structure • A minimum of two underground parking levels

I. INVITATION TO SUBMIT QUALIFICATIONS

Project completion is currently being projected for August 2017. The Project funding source will be: Section 108 loan proceeds/ Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); and tax exempt bonds.

The City of Inglewood, California (“City”) in-

The City has determined that before receiv-

This business is conducted by an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business listed above on February 25, 2014.

I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.)

Myeshia Horton, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk on February 25, 2014

ing proposals for the design and construction of the Project, all Design Build Teams must be pre-qualified for this public works Project. A “Design Build Team” means a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or joint-venture, properly licensed to design and construct improvements under the laws of the State of California and to provide the services described in this RFQ. By this RFQ, the City hereby extends an invitation to submit qualifications, in accordance with this RFQ, in order to prequalify Design Build Teams for the Project. Design Build Teams are also sometimes hereinafter referred to as “Applicant” and/or “Applicants and/or Vendors”.

All information submitted to the City shall become property of the City and will be returned to the Applicant at the City’s option.

There are no expressed or implied obligations for the City to reimburse responding firms for any expense incurred in preparing an Application/Statement of Qualifications in response to this RFQ. The City reserves the right to reject any or all of the submitted Statements of Qualifications at any time if it deems doing so to be in its own best interests.

Inglewood Today

March 27, 2014

Page 11

Dates in March & April April 10, 2014

State of the City 2014 Inglewood Mayor James Butts will present his annual State of the City Address at the Fabulous Forum. The luncheon will be held from 11:30am to 1:30pm. This event is a fundraiser for the Ingle­ wood/Airport Area Chamber of Commerce. Luncheon tickets are $75; and $700 for a table of 10.

General admission without lunch is $20.

For more information, call the Inglewood/Airport Chamber of Commerce at (310) 677-1121.

Eye on the City (Continued from page 8) enforcement services.

The council approved the fol­ lowing actions: An increase in the number of contracted meals in the amount of $214,808.87 for the Se­ nior Nutrition Program for the re­ mainder of Fiscal Year 2013-2014; acceptance of additional grant funds for security with the City of Los Angeles; authorization to add a police captain position to the In­ glewood Police Dept. budget; an amended agreement with Willdan Financial Services for professional engineering and administrative ser­ vices related to four assessments in the amount of $23,250; a street im­ provement project bid in the amount of $1,474.462; and the annual pur­ chase of auto and equipment parts in the amount of $120,000.

Councilman Alex Padilla thanked the public for attending the Ameri­ can Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Kick-off Event. The event, which took place at the Inglewood City Hall community room on March 24, was held to attract support, sponsor­ ship and volunteers for the 24 hour

O

Street, Inglewood, CA 90301. To reg­ Making Parenting a Pleasure ister, contact Chandra Hudson, 310Attention all parents, caregivers, 330-8300, chudson @bamcm.org. grandparents, and teachers! The Enrichment Counseling Center is Ongoing offering a series of 13 free parent­ Counseling for Anxiety, ing workshops. Resolve to have Depression Get free help for anxiety, depres­ a better relationship with the chil­ dren in your life. Workshops are sion, stress and anger. Recovery court certified, open to everyone, International provides tools and and will focus on all age groups practice in changing thinking hab­ from infants to teens. Each par­ its so individuals can gain personal ticipant who completes the course control over distressing emotions will receive a certificate of com­ and improve life-coping skills. This worldwide non-profit organization, pletion.

Workshops will be held from founded in 1937, holds weekly meet­ 7:30pm to 9:30pm at the Kingdom ings every Monday at 6:00 p.m. at Community Center, 319 East Kelso SHARE! 6666 Green Valley Circle,

Thru June 19, 2014

walkathon/marathon to fight cancer on June 6 and 7. Also, District Two is holding a document shredding event at the ICOP Center at La Brea and Centinela. Call (310) 412-8601 for details.

Councilman Ralph Franklin in­ vited the public out to help beautify Woodworth Elementary School, 3120 W. 104th Street, this Saturday at 9am. Volunteers will be planting new flowers and shrubs.

District 3 is putting together a team of participants for Relay for Life. Councilman Eloy Morales in­ vited interested residents to call his office for details at (310) 412-8303.

Mayor Butts closed the meet­ ing with these remarks: “This City Hall was opened in 1974, and there is still furniture here from 40 years ago. Furniture is also the cost of doing business. We have employees that have been injured because they needed ergonomically correct furni­ ture, (so) furniture is not a luxury.

For someone to think you can oper­ ate and have over 650 employees, and never have to buy furniture—I don’t know what you would want for your employees.”

north of Centinela Ave., (2nd build­ ing on the right). Call 310-322-6411 for more information, or visit www. lowselfhelpsystems.org. A donation is requested but not required.

Bingo Games Operation 3801 hosts Bingo ev­ ery Sunday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. We are a drug and alco­ hol free environment. We are a nonprofit looking for your support. Cost is $1 per game. Anyone mentioning BlackNLA will get 5 free games. Lo­ cated at the Bingo Hall, 3801 S. West­ ern Ave., Los Angeles, CA. For more information, contact Jimmy Jam, 323777-2422, jimmyjam@vel.net.

Cesar Chávez Remembered (Continued from page 1) Foundation (www.chavezfounda­ tion.org) to inspire current and fu­ ture generations by promoting the ideals of Chavez’s life, work and vision. Today, Cesar Chávez Day is a legal holiday in 10 states (Ari­ zona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Rhode Is­ land, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin), and the Cesar E. Chávez National Holiday organization continues to lobby to win a national holiday for the late labor leader and activist.

The movie “Cesar Chavez,” is set

for release on Friday. The biopic, starring Michael Peña and America Ferrera, and directed by Diego Luna, is part of a campaign to have Cesar Chavez Day declared a National Day of Service. A premier was held on Tuesday near Delano, California, where Chavez had a long-running confrontation with grape growers, and ultimately signed contracts un­ der which his United Farm Workers represented agricultural workers.

For more information, visit http:// www.participantmedia.com/2013/ 12/6073/.

also testified. Alexander, a black woman and domestic violence vic­ tim, was prosecuted for trying to defend herself under the law. She fired a warning shot during a fight

with her estranged husband. She was convicted and sentenced to 20 years. The conviction was over­ turned and she is awaiting a new trial on July 28.

Inglewood Homicide

n Tuesday, March 25, 2014, at 8:45 p.m., Inglewood Po­ lice Officers responded to a radio call of a “Shooting Victim” near the intersection of N. La Brea Ave. and E. Hyde Park Blvd. Upon arrival, officers found a male, His­ panic adult suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper torso. The victim was later identified as Ivan Santos, a 20-year-old Inglewood Resident. Ri­ vera was transported to a local area hospital, by Los Angeles County Fire Department Paramedics, where

he succumbed to his injuries.

According to witness statements, the victim was near the intersec­ tion of La Brea Ave. and Hyde Park Blvd., when a gunshot was heard. A short time after the shot was heard, the victim was found lying on the west sidewalk of La Brea Ave. Anyone with additional informa­ tion about the shooting incident is requested to contact Inglewood Police at 310-412-5240 or the 24hour anonymous hotline number at “888-41-CRIME” (888-412-7463).

Stand Your Ground Gets an International Audience (Continued from page 5) the “inherent right to life” – Article Six of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Florida legislators are currently working on a bill to expand SYG.

It would extend immunity to those who fire warning shots at another in­ dividual based on subjective fears or perceptions.

Representatives of the NAACP, the Dream Defenders and Free Marissa Now, a group working in support of Marissa Alexander,

The Inglewood/Airport Area Chamber of Commerce

State of the City 2014

at the

“FABULOUS” FORUM

THURSDAY

APRIL 10

2014 11:30 - 1:30

Keynote Speaker Mayor James Butts

Ticket Information

General Admission - Lower Bowl seating Single Seat Floor Level (includes lunch) Table Sponsor

$20 $75 $700

(includes table of 10, recognition in the program, table signage and lunch)

Sponsorship Opportunities Gold $3,000 Silver $2,000 Bronze $1,000 To purchase tickets, inquire about sponsorship opportunities or for further information, please telephone the Inglewood/Airport Area Chamber of Commerce at (310) 677-1121.

Mail checks to IAACC, 330 E. Queen St., Inglewood, CA 90301.Visa and MasterCard accepted.

Gold Sponsors CENTINELA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER

Bronze Sponsors