C e l e b r a t i n g 2 7 Ye a r s o f Service in Inglewood, Airport area Communities
City of Champions Your Community Connection Since 1994
EYE ON THE CITY Rams
Chargers
March 25 - 31, 2021 VOL. 36, No. 12
Clippers
Forum
Elgin Baylor
& Lakers
“Inglewood ready for fresh start..” See Page 6
Defined by Grace, Elegance and Dignity “Give me my flowers while I yet live, so that I can see the beauty they bring.” James Cleveland, lyrics to Give Me My Flowers
By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
I wasn’t’ even born when Elgin Baylor became the first overall pick by the then Minneapolis Lakers in 1958. I was months old when Elgin Baylor was selected Rookie of the Year in 1959. I’ve only seen grainy black and white footage of the man responsible
for bridging the Lakers from the Great Lakes to Los Angeles. From all that I have learned since then tells me that Elgin Baylor was the original NBA superstar. Baylor signed with the Lakers June 14, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minn for rumored $17,000 to $20, 000 which today would
Two Calif. Women Are Now Leading Efforts to Support State’s 3.9 Million Small Businesses
calculate to $183,432.39 He was a man whose accolades were off the charts; Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in 1958 averaging 31 points per game for Seattle University in a losing cause against Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky Wildcats; College Basketball Hall of Fame; Pro Basketball Hall of
Fame; 11 time NBA All Star; All-NBA First Team 10 times; holds the all-time record for most points in an NBA Finals game (61); Baylor was the first player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game. He scored 71 against Continued on page 8
South Coast AQMD Air Quality Education Program Goes Virtual WHAM Program brings hands on experiments and lessons to high schools and middle schools IT News Wire
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he had appointed Tara Lynn Gray, 57, of Fresno, as Director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA). In that role, Gray, who is African American, replaces Isabel Guzman,
who President Biden appointed the 27th Administrator of the Small Business Administration in January. Last week in Washington, with an 81-17 vote, the United States Senate confirmed Guzman’s nomination. She is Latina. In California, Gray is expected to Continued on page 8
LOS ANGELES – The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) continues its second year of the Why Healthy Air Matters (WHAM) education program by providing virtual videos and lesson plans where teachers can introduce the importance of clean air to their students even through remote distance learning. WHAM is available to middle and high school schools throughout most of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. “Educating the next generation ensures that efforts to tackle air pollution remain a priority for years to come,” said Dr. William A. Burke, Chairman of the South Coast AQMD Governing Board. “By providing easily accessible lesson plans and hands on activities through the WHAM program, youth can learn about air quality issues
of today, while helping to build strong leaders of tomorrow.” WHAM utilizes a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-based educational curriculum that teaches students about air quality issues and empowers youth to drive positive change. The curriculum aligns with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and was developed by air quality scientists and educators. More than 250 middle and high schools across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties have already signed up for the program. The program includes virtual lesson plans with fillable PDF worksheets and lecture videos. Students also have the opportunity to test air quality within their community and participate in other hands-on science experiments Continued on page 2
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