LAWT-01-13-2011 by LA WATTSTIMES

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

HOROSCOPES

JAN. 13 - 19

RIES ~ A loved one may feel a bit neglected as you pursue your material dreams with vigor this week. Time set aside for this person after you’ve made some gains will prove to be extra sweet. Try not to push a mate’s understanding nature too far, though. AURUS ~ Stay open-minded this week and you’ll actually feel the good vibrations! Co-workers will wonder at the smile on your face, but let it be your secret for now. Your smile itself will make others smile about their own lives! EMINI ~ Big appetites this week! Indulge at least one of your passions and then get back to work. You are making incredible strides toward your dream by just reminding yourself of it. Drive carefully and pay attention to brake lights. ANCER ~ Relax a bit and review your “things to do” list”. Move methodically, and check off each item as you complete them. You’ll be surprised by the progress you are making. Spend the afternoon with family, and friends. EO ~ Your best self is on parade this week, and wow! You look good! Coworkers will beat a path to your cubicle, so be prepared to turn chatterboxes away gently. Give your honey a phone call or send a loving email. IRGO ~ This week’s a good week to approach that person you’ve been wondering about. While you’ve been working very hard, you need to play, too. Good playmates make work seem more rewarding to you.

IBRA ~ Can you take a week off from work? It’s a perfect week to relax with a loved one in one of your favorite ways. Even if you can only spend a few hours decompressing you’ll be surprised at how little it takes to feel bliss this week. CORPIO ~ Vibrations this week make everyone feel as if the universe has given them another chance. Your fresh start may come in a romantic area. Buy a bouquet of flowers for your partner on your way home from work. See what happens. AGITTARIUS ~ A short trip for business reasons gives you a little personal space to make some notes to yourself. Remember your best self, and keep a positive outlook. Buy a lottery ticket this week at your destination, or watch for some other type of “found” money. APRICORN ~ Your home may need some of your attention. This is a fine week to check the fire alarm battery, put away gardening equipment, or redecorate your dining area. The results of a shopping trip for new bed linens will please you very much. QUARIUS ~ Spend some time in the company of friends early in the week, then spend your afternoon relaxing. Your ability to tune out and mediate on the goodness that surrounds is comes easy. Let the good vibrations massage you with bliss. ISCES ~ An unexpected clash may arise this week from an unlikely area. Try to maintain a position as mediator, rather than joining the fray. Loyalties may be stretched, but they won’t break. What you need is within you. Go there and get it.

Inside this Edition

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L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER Published Weekly – Updates 3800 S. Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008 Administration – Sales – Graphics – Editorial 323.299.3800 - office 323.291.6804 - fax Beverly Cook – Publisher, Managing Editor 1976 – 1993 Charles Cook – Publisher, 1976 – 1998 Melanie Polk – Publisher 1998 – 2010

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Scott sisters are free BY BEN WROBEL SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE NAACP Recently, Jamie and Gladys Scott walked out of prison 16 years after they first entered. Their double-life sentences were criticized as indicative of the egregious sentencing in the criminal justice system, and their release by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was hailed as a long-overdue victory for justice, as well as an example of a governor using his commutation powers to right a wrong. “I have no doubt that the reason the governor let them out is that this is a grave injustice,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous, who advocated strongly on the sisters’ behalf. “We need more days like this in Mississippi. We need more days like this in this country.” The sisters’ release marks the end of a grassroots campaign led by a coalition of concerned individuals and groups, including the sisters’ family, their attorney Chokwe Lumumba, the national NAACP, the

Mississippi NAACP State Conference and other organizations. Supporters from across the country brought attention to the sisters’ imprisonment and petitioned Barbour for their freedom. “This is a result of all of the individuals across this state and across the country who saw injustice in what was taking place and gave voice to it,” stated Mississippi NAACP State Conference President Derrick Johnson. “This is a great day to let us know that if we stick together, work together, we can make mighty things happen.” The Scott sisters were each convicted as teenagers for a firsttime offense in which no one was hurt, and court records maintain that little more than $10 was stolen. The sisters were convicted of luring two men to be robbed by three teenage boys. The boys each received eight years and served less than three. The sisters’ case has become urgent during the years. While in prison, Jamie lost use of both her kidneys. “They have served more time

From left to right: NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous, Jamie Scott, NAACP General Counsel Kim Keenan, Gladys Scott and NAACP Mississippi State Conference President Derrick Johnson. than they should have served," Lumumba said. After leaving prison, the sisters returned to Pensacola, Fla., where their mother and children live. Jamie has three children, ages 23, 20 and 17, and two grandchildren, ages 5 and 3. Gladys has two children, ages 22 and 15, and two grandchildren, ages 7 and 4. Jealous said that the NAACP will continue to ensure the sisters receive the best medical care available, and Lumumba said that he would help the sisters seek a

NEWS IN AFRICA Sudan president offers to relieve south of debt KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sudan’s president has offered to relieve the south from any debt burden if it votes for independence by assuming the whole $36 billion national debt. President Omar al-Bashir’s office said Monday that trying to split the debt between the north and a possible new southern nation is of “no use” because the new state would not be able to service the debt. It appears to be a goodwill gesture from al-Bashir toward the south. The statement

President Omar al-Bashir

however said Sudan’s debt should be scrapped altogether, saying it is the “”responsibility of the north, south and the international community.” The U.S. has offered Khartoum a package of incentives if the referendum goes smoothly. Southern Sudan is one of the world’s poorest regions.

Former child soldiers known as ‘Lost Boys’ take part in South Sudan vote (GIN) — In an historic referendum, Southern Sudanese are voting in large numbers for self-rule and an end to years of north-south struggle with its roots in British imperialism, which played north against south, setting up a capital in Khartoum with Muslim leaders. South Sudan, trapped in extreme poverty, is also hoping to win control of oil within its borders that had been pumped and exported by those in the north. Taking part in the poll that started Monday were the so-called “Lost Boys” — former child soldiers who fled the two-decadeslong civil war with the north, and in many cases, wound up in the United States. “We are supporting the referendum for our freedom,” said Valentino Achak Deng, whose dramatic tale See NEWS IN AFRICA, page 16

full pardon. “Our next step is to ensure that the sisters get the health care that they need, and ultimately, the full pardon they deserve,” stated Jealous. According to Jealous, the sisters’ release speaks to the urgent need for the work the NAACP and their allies are doing to encourage governors to use their clemency powers to advance justice. He says that for more than a century, the NAACP has pushed governors and presidents publicly and privately to use their clemency powers to advance justice. “The case of the Scott

sisters gives hope to others who are unjustly imprisoned,” stated Jealous. “During the past few weeks, two governors released Black Americans who had been railroaded by our nation’s criminal justice system. One week before the Scott sisters were released, New York Governor David Paterson commuted the sentence of John White, a man who was defending his family. We hope that this trend continues in other cases, such as the case of John McNeil, a Georgia man who was given a life sentence for defending his home.”

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Black scholars divided over censored ‘Huck Finn’ edition SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Black educators and scholars remain divided over the decision to purge the “N-word” from Mark Twain’s classic “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The years of critical acclaim — and disdain — of the use of that and other racial epithets in the text have lead to the widespread banning of the book in the nation’s school districts. Now a major publisher has recently announced it will replace incendiary words with more acceptable ones in a new edition of Huck Finn. Alabama-based NewSouth Publishing announced in early January it will replace 200-plus “Nword” references in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” with “slave” and other less-offensive phrases. Since its publishing in 1885, literary critics have struggled to determine whether the book is an attack on racism or a satirical confirmation of stereotypes rampant during the late 1800s. According to the American Library Association, a nonprofit group that promotes library education worldwide, “The

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was the fifth most banned book during the 1990s. But, Syracuse University professor and cultural commentator Boyce Watkins said he believes removing the “N-word” makes the text more palpable for today’s school children, and therefore, more useful in modern classrooms. “The fundamental question I would ask is, ‘Can you still make the point of this brilliant novel without using this word 219 times?’ I think that you can,” Watkins told CNN. “The question for me also is whether or not it makes sense to force kids in school to hear this word over and over again to make that point. When I was in high school, I wouldn’t have wanted to read that book. I think (NewSouth Publishing) made the right move.” The publisher stood behind its decision to pull the hot-button word, citing Dr. Alan Gribben, internationally recognized Mark Twain scholar, who approves of the revised text. “At NewSouth, we saw the value in an edition that would help the works find new readers,” company officials wrote. “If the publica-

tion sparks good debate about how language impacts learning or about the nature of censorship or the way in which racial slurs exercise their baneful influence, then our mission in publishing this new edition of Twain’s works will be more emphatically fulfilled.” While removing the word may make Twain’s work more appropriate for younger readers, some African-American scholars say NewSouth’s modified edition “whitewashes” an American masterpiece and creates a slew of social ills. Micahela Angela Davis, a former editor at Essence magazine and social commentator, decried the revised book. “I think this is problematic on so many levels. It’s not just history; it’s literature, so it’s art,” Davis told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “When we get into really censoring art and censoring literature, we open up a Pandora’s box. If a teacher is not prepared to have a social and historical conversation and place this masterpiece in context, is she prepared to teach that text? When we get into changing words, unwriting history,

rearranging art, we start to put our democracy in danger. This is not making it palpable; it’s censorship.” Ironically, film critic Roger Ebert showed just how contentious the “N-word” remains days after NewSouth’s announcement. In a post on Twitter, Ebert — who is

married to an African-American woman — wrote, “I’d rather be called a n----r than a Slave.” After angry responses from hundreds of Twitter followers, Ebert apologized, saying, “I’ll never be called a n----r or a Slave, so I should have shut the ---- up.”

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Unofficial Inglewood election results in favor of former Santa Monica Police Chief James Butts Butts is ahead of incumbent Mayor Danny Tabor, as of Wednesday BY FRANCIS TAYLOR AND SAM RICHARD James Butts held the lead Jan. 11 in a special Inglewood runoff election against incumbent Mayor Danny Tabor. Butts, who was police chief at different times for the Santa Monica and Inglewood police departments, had 56 percent of votes, compared to Tabor’s 44 percent. Less than 6,000 votes were cast, but absentee ballots are still

being counted, according to published reports. Tabor is still holding on to hope that he’ll win, ABC7 News reported. The election follows unfinished business that resulted from Nov. 2 election last year: Tabor needed 50 percent of votes plus one, but he didn’t get enough on Nov. 2, so he competed in another mayoral run-off election against Butts on Tuesday. The most recent election is the

“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Source: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/ m/martin_luther_king_jr.html

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city’s fourth since June 2010. The first was held in June after former Mayor Roosevelt Dorn left a vacancy for the mayoral office — he resigned after pleading guilty to a public corruption charge. Tabor and Butts were the top vote-getters in that election. Tabor, a former city councilman and a community organizer for the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, had about 26 percent of the vote while Butts received nearly 24 percent in June. That led to a run-off election in August, which Tabor won. That special August run-off election was required by the city’s charter. Another election had to be held

w w w . l a w a t t s t i m e s . c o m

Daniel Tabor on Nov. 2, 2010, but to be mayor one must win 50 percent of votes plus one, according to the city charter. “Absentee ballots have yet to

be counted, and Inglewood city staff expect the count to be completed by Thursday afternoon,” The LookOut news reported.

We Proudly Join Hands with the Community in Saluting

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

New Calif. AG breaks barriers BY DON THOMPSON ASSOCIATED PRESS SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kamala Harris had an early start punching through barriers. In the swirl of civil rights protests in 1960s-era Berkeley, the daughter of a Black father from Jamaica and a mother from India was among the second class of students tapped to help desegregate the city’s elementary schools. “Growing up in that environment, the heroes were the architects of the Civil Rights Movement,” Harris told The Associated Press. Today, Harris, 46, is herself leading the way: She is California’s first female attorney general and the first minority to hold the job. Elected with a less than 1 percent margin in November, the 20-year veteran prosecutor from San Francisco plans to imbue her agenda with the calls of justice she heard growing up. Harris wants to help address the underlying social causes of crime and try to build programs to rehabilitate inmates as a way to decrease the chances that they will return to the nation’s most overburdened criminal justice system. Her emergence onto the national stage as the chief law enforcer in the most populous state, her friendship with President Barack Obama and other

political connections, and her stage presence has some speculating that she will eventually seek higher office. For now, she has more pressing challenges. The state’s prison system is overflowing, as is the red ink at the state capitol, where legislators are trying to close an estimated $28 billion budget deficit through June 2012. The crime rate has been dropping, yet the prisons remain full. Harris said the combination may help spur support for one of her key goals, promoting alternative — and cheaper — punishments for nonviolent offenders and trying to break a cycle where 70 percent of parolees quickly return to prison. “We must demand that our correctional system do less collecting and more correcting of prisoners,” Harris told supporters after she was sworn into office. Moving from leading the district attorney’s office in San Francisco and its 200 employees to heading the California Department of Justice with its 5,300 staff, she embarks on her work carrying the lessons she learned from her immigrant parents. They met during graduate studies at the University of California Berkeley, and instilled in Harris and her sister, Maya, a sense of fairness, the merits of defending an opinion, the self-

confidence to admit error and the courage to change. She grew up listening to the stories of her maternal grandparents demonstrating in India’s independence movement. And Harris was still in the stroller when she saw the civil rights marches and heard the calls for justice that were hallmarks of the era. “What they were marching and shouting about is this thing we call justice,” she said. One of her heroes was Thurgood Marshall, who she said were “translating the passions of the streets to the courtrooms of our country.” Marshall successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that racially segregated schools could never be truly equal, and later became the first black justice on the high court. Little did she know that she was preparing at her mother’s dinner table for her career as an attorney. Harris recalled listening to and participating in spirited debates among the many frequent adult guests there. “If we spoke, we were expected to defend our position,” she said. Another lesson she learned from her late mother, who had divorced and was a well-known breast cancer researcher at UC Berkeley and other universities: It’s OK to have experiments go awry, as long as you learn from them.

Kamala Harris Harris said that while most politicians feel bound to defend their ideas even when they don’t work, she tries to be flexible to encourage innovation. “You test it, and you then tweak it,” she said. She went on to graduate from

Howard University in Washington, D.C., and got her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Her first job was at the Alameda County district attorney’s office.

See HARRIS, page 19

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Innovation and technology: Are African Americans prepared for the future? BY TARICE L.S. GRAY SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM WWW.THEDEFENDERSONLINE.COM In August 2009, President Barack Obama pledged to help maintain the nation’s global leadership by committing to the field that will drive our future economy. The President said, “The United States led the world’s economies in the 20th century,” he said, “because we led the world in innovation. Today, the competition is keener; the challenge is tougher; and that is why innovation is more important than ever.” His words reinforced the dramatic shift that marks the transition from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, with technology being the driving force of our times. According to TechServe Alliance, a collaboration of IT services firms, clients, consultants and suppliers, as of November 2010, IT employment was at 3,906,200 jobs. The demand

for workers who are skilled as software developers and web architects seems to be outpacing the supply. This is especially true when it comes to African Americans. Michael Beasley might be an exception. He’s not only a rare breed in his field; he’s a rock star in innovation and technology. Beasley is an adviser to and former chairman of Rocket Software. He’s also a venture partner with Nobska Ventures, a company that invests in early-stage technology companies that focus on a variety of interests, including advanced Information and communication technology. Nobska, along with Beasley, jointly formed Legenta Inc., a private-equity-backed software company acquisition vehicle that acquired and managed enterprise software products that are considered noncore by their owners. Beasley began his impressive professional career with IBM in the 1970s and under the com-

pany umbrella formed Icing Software that enabled it to earn billions. When Beasley, now 62, first became aware of the fields of innovation and technology, and computers specifically, it was not the field of choice in the Black community. As a youth, Beasley lived in Ogden, Utah, in an African American community that thrived because the city was a railroad hub. “Nobody in my neighborhood was talking about computers and data processing,” Beasley said. “The best jobs in the ’50s and ’60s, if you were Black, were on the train. … So what was that community thinking about? Getting a good job, just surviving.” But as an impressionable teen, Beasley was introduced to computers in a world on the other side of the tracks. A friend took him to a meeting at a nearby University. The conversation surrounded data processing and computers in general.

Michael Beasley Beasley was instantly smitten. He said, “I got excited about it. It’s just one of those things; it’s like, no different than when you meet a person that excites you. Something happens, something sparked your interest. Computers, programming computers was one of the most exciting things I had ever heard.” He pursued the computer field, earning his Bachelor of Science in data processing from Weber State University in 1971. That same year he started his career at IBM. He later earned a master’s from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.

Dr. Pedro Noguera During his career, Beasley not only made a name for himself, but he also tried to spark the interest of young people, African Americans in particular. He was chairman of the board for MESA, the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement program for students of color. But he continues to understand the importance of education and affirms the importance of MESA and like programs. Yet, he asserts that AfricanAmericans students are ill-prepared to face a future that will undoubtedly be focused on innovation and See INNOVATION, page 16

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Be a ‘Seed of Change’ for the 2011 Fruit Tree Distribution Program at Morningside High School PROVIDED BY THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE In a new year ready for new things, the Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI) and TreePeople, in collaboration with Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) and City of Inglewood, will present the “2011 Fruit Tree Distribution Program” to Inglewood residents Jan. 29. The program will be from 9

a.m. to 4 p.m. at Morningside High School in Inglewood. This event serves as the “100 Seeds of Change” kickoff event. Inglewood residents are invited to participate in the first major effort of 2011 to bring healthier lifestyles and healthy food to the city. The program, sponsored by the nonprofit organization, is designed to empower community residents to take hold of their own access to food.

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ipants to residents with home gardens, restoring land, and fostering an environment that facilitates interaction between the students and the larger community. To RSVP, contact SJLI Food Justice Coordinator Danielle DeRuiter Williams at ddwilliams@sjli-cp.org or (310) 597-9638. For additional information or a sample copy of the marketing material for the “2011 Fruit Tree Distribution,” contact Scorza at (310) 694-7208 or dscorza@sjli-cp.org. SJLI aims to advance social justice by empowering communities through education, training and programs that help to address their needs.

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Empowerment Community Garden. The initiative is also designed to educate residents about health disparities related to food security issues and builds grassroots support with leaders, young and old, who are able to advocate for environmental and policy changes focused on food justice. The garden, located across the street from Morningside High School, is a student-initiated, student-run project, which focuses on the sustainable growth of organic foods in Inglewood. SJLI’s goals are to create employment opportunities for underprivileged youth through the establishment of an employment network connecting program partic-

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“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

Through this program, 700 Fruit Trees have been reserved for the City of Inglewood and schools as well as community residents, home gardeners, local businesses, churches and nonprofit organizations. “Growing fruit in your back yard gives you the power to feed your family,” says D’Artagnan Scorza, director of SJLI. He continued, “SJLI is committed to addressing the needs in our community and we believe diet related diseases represent serious challenges to the health and well being of our youth, families and friends. With this program and more like it to come, we are ready to help put an end to those challenges in our communities once and for all.” Starting at 9 a.m., SJLI will host a day filled with the distribution of 700 apple, apricot, nectarine, peach and plum trees, as well as conduct many events and workshops that give the chance for residents to get their hands dirty in the organic Empowerment Community Garden. It is also a day of celebration and recognition of the Inglewood community taking a step toward greater access to quality, affordable, organic, healthy and culturally relevant food. “The Social Justice Institute is proud to launch their partnership with the Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) and City of Inglewood through the 100 Seeds of Change Initiative starting with this program,” says Nicole Carter, garden coordinator of SJLI. The purpose of the initiative is to provide access to healthy produce by assisting and teaching community members how to grow and maintain a garden in their own space. Currently, the institute is teaching and demonstrating gardening practices through active community gardens, primarily with the

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

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Pictured (clockwise): The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holds a small shovel in his hand while in Los Angeles. This photo was taken on May 26, 1963, according to Kent Kirkton, curator and director of the Institute for Arts and Media at California State University, Northridge. In the photo at the top left corner, King is in Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 1958. Remaining photos: King is surrounded by several men, including former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley, at a rally at Wrigley Field on May 26, 1963; King photographed in Los Angeles on an unknown date; Dr. King in August 1956, believed to be with some members of the department of civil liberties of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World. All photos were taken by Harry Adams. These photos were provided courtesy of the Institute for Arts and Media at California State University, Northridge.

The Dr. King Many May Not Know Of Friends of the slain civil rights leader talk about the man they knew outside the limelight

These photos were provided courtesy of the Institute for Arts and Media at California State University, Northridge.

By Charlene Muhammad Contributing Writer

And Sam Richard Contributing Editor

Jan. 15 marks the anniversary of the world’s commemoration of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the celebrated civil rights leader and advocate of peace. From adults to children, from Black to White, from labor activists to students, politicians to civil rights leaders, close family and personal friends - people will gather to celebrate his legacy on the national holiday, which is on Jan. 17 this year. King, who was assassinated on April 4, 1968, is loved, remembered and known for many things he did and said during speeches, marches, meetings and sermons as he fought for economic justice and peace in the nation and abroad, as well as an end to racism. However, some of his longtime friends described a side to King that - to a degree - paints a picture different from the large public figure people knew. The Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, who was King’s chief of staff at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), said one part of King that people did not know was his great sense of humor. “I think they, Time Magazine, said, ‘The unsmiling Dr. King.’ It was so different from what he really was,” Walker told the L.A. Watts Times. “He had a very funny bone ... He liked shrimp cocktail and he asked me did I want one, and I told him that I don’t drink and he fell out laughing. But I didn’t know what a shrimp cocktail was. I was a country boy.” Telling funny stories was how they unwound during the struggle, and King was very good at mimicking other people, especially other preachers, Walker added. According to celebrated photojournalist Bill Jones, he liked to crack jokes at his Montgomery, Ala. church, now known as Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. He lived about a block from King and would spend time with the King family. They met in 1955 when Jones was stationed in the Air Force, he said. “He was very, very pleasant and understanding ... The only thing I regret is the Air Force didn’t allow - I wanted to attend the riot in Selma, Alabama, but the Air Force wouldn’t allow me to,” Jones said in reference to the 1965 voting rights protest March from Selma to Montgomery. The march became known as Bloody Sunday after the police beat and tear-gassed the nonviolent marchers, but

the Rev. Walker said it was King’s 1967 speech at Riverside Baptist Church in New York that signed King’s death warrant. “Dr. King used to say all the time he would never make 40, and he was killed at 39,” he added. “We thought he was being melodramatic, but he had an understanding of racism that was a lot deeper than we thought.” Trumpet Awards Foundation founder Xernona Clayton worked closely with King at the SCLC and traveled extensively with his family. In an exclusive interview with the Watts Times, she talked about who King as a person, also noting how funny he was. The Watts Times has reserved the remainder of this story to a Q&A with Clayton. Xernona Clayton (XC): “Nobody believed that because, you know, when the public sees him, he was taking care of serious business and attending to serious business, so he didn’t do much laughter, but in private he was the most entertaining person. ... ... And to tell jokes so effectively, he would tell a joke with an inflection, mimicking and mirroring the inflections of the dialect of (people) ... ... And I know the first time that I was around him I couldn’t believe that this was Martin Luther King being so comical. So when I tell the stories of his humor, people still cannot believe it. So that’s the one thing I find that people just don’t know and couldn’t even imagine that he was that kind of individual. LAWT: What were some other aspects of his personality outside of the limelight? XC: He was a small man. He liked to eat and people didn’t seem to know that. He loved the traditional things that I think African Americans liked and the types of foods like peas and greens and pork chops. And everybody thinks he ate caviar, because the public had the perception of him being a celebrity. And you know how we view celebrities as different from the rest of us, and so people just saw him as this grand, special, big, magnanimous individual who didn’t do what we did, but he did. One time he had been getting a little heavy and he walked into the house ... from a trip and he said, ‘Listen. Everybody in this house is going on a diet,’ and Coretta (his wife) said to him, ‘Well just because you gained a little weight doesn’t mean the rest of us have to suffer.’ ... Their daughter said to me one time, ‘Don’t you understand why we’re all a little over weight or have weight problems? Because we eat all the time.’ She said, ‘We eat

when we’re sad,’ and they’d eat to celebrate, so there was always eating. There was already food around the house, including the cakes and the pies and if you’re not careful these things will get to you if you sit around and eat pie and cake too often. Ice cream. They loved ice cream and he loved ice cream and sometimes he’d just eat a little too much of it, and you’d see this tightness around the midsection, but he would be willing to make the sacrifice later on. LAWT: How did he treat people on a regular basis? XC: He was anything but ‘grand’ ... ... He was kind to everybody. We used to walk down the street to a restaurant, which was about two blocks down the street, and on that two-block travel we would encounter people and people would look at him and couldn’t believe it. ‘Oh, there’s Martin Luther King,’ and people would stop their cars and get out of the cars and come over and shake his hand and they always seemed to have a story of ... remembrance. For instance, one man said, ‘Oh Dr. King! You remember, sir, I met you in ‘50, ‘52? We were standing on the steps of the Mount Sinai Baptist Church in ... Mississippi and my aunt said to you, ‘This is my nephew. Say hello.’ He said, ‘You remember that?’ and Dr. King would say, “Oh, yesssss.’ Then when they’d walk away, I’d say, ‘Martin, you know you don’t remember that.’ He said, ‘No, I don’t; but it was important to him that I did.’ And that’s the way he felt, like he was going to sacrifice a little ... to make the man feel good. He always wanted to be sure that people felt good and that was just a small example of the things he did. He never was too busy to stop to talk to people. LAWT: Sometimes the media portrays him rightly as a man who fought for civil rights, who wanted peace and racial harmony, but would you agree that they don’t show a side of King who talked about America’s foreign policies and Vietnam, and criticized America’s economic practices? XC: Well, I think they did. In fact, that was some of his pain and suffering. He went to New York at that church and made a speech espousing his views on Vietnam and the public turned against him, and he had a very difficult time emotionally because he was so astounded, not from the point of his enemies’ disagreement with his position, but his friends turned against him. And he said to me one time, ‘You know, you expect your enemies, you expect them to criticize, but you don’t expect your friends to abandon you because they don’t understand the position you took. But everybody should have understood my views. I’m peace-loving. I cannot condone war. There are no victories in war.’ That’s what Dr. King always would say. So he could not bring himself to endorse and embrace and sanction

war, so he spoke against the war and had a very difficult time publicly because the coffers dried up. People didn’t send money. They just turned their backs on him and he really had some dark days there because he couldn’t understand it. He was not clinically depressed, but I mean he had feelings of a depressive state. LAWT: How did he relate to his family members and children? XC: ... They liked when he was home. They had gotten accustomed to his big way and when he’d come home they would just flock and holler as if Santa Claus had come. He’d play a game with them. They would climb upon the refrigerator and jump down into his arms. ... He would stand on the floor and hold his arms out (to) catch them. I’d say, ‘Boy, did they have faith in you.’ And then he’d give them a kiss and he had a kiss spot. One had the forehead, one had the chin, one had the two cheeks. There were four of them. And what he would do sometimes is once he’d grab them, he’d give them a kiss on the wrong spot on purpose. ‘Daddy that’s my spot!’ Often they’d have a fight over the wrong spot, and he’d just get the biggest bang out of that and I did too. I could never go through that little shenanigan, but it was fun. He took the boys with him to go swimming. He had a friend who was pretty wealthy; he had a swimming pool in his family room, and they would enter the pool with privacy, and he went over there a lot and would take the boys. ... LAWT: It was apparent that although he was a very popular person, he also took time to spend with family. XC: Oh, yes. And he enjoyed being with the children. ... I would constantly ask him questions and interview him in my own style. I said, ‘What’s the most painful thing you can describe?’ He said when he had to tell his 12-year-old daughter that she couldn’t go to Fun Town. That was an amusement park here and you’d pass it on the highway going to the airport and she would say, ‘Daddy, when are you going to take me to Fun Town?’ He would always say, ‘When I come back off this trip.’ And he’d come back off the trip and she’d say, ‘Dad, are we going now?’ ‘Well when I get my schedule all organized.’ And he kept leading her on and leading her on. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell her that she couldn’t go because she was Black ... ... It was hard for him because it would be confusing and then he just didn’t want to do it. He just hated that. He knew that God created us and that was so difficult for him. He said that’s the hardest thing he ever had to do. LAWT: Did Dr. King indicate what type of progress he thought might exist today? XC: Yes. He knew in his heart that one day we would have ... (President) Obama; that the day would come when Blacks and Whites, young and old, rich and poor would

come together and unify. We can come together and sing ‘We Shall Overcome,’ and we’ll have victories that would be most unexpected. So in a sense he never really said we’re going to have a Black man in the White House, but he said we would have victories that we’d never think to happen. So when Mr. Obama won, I saw that as Dr. King’s prophecy because that’s what happened. We had young and old, black and white. I mean White people were leaving their jobs, asking for a leave of absence so they could work on the campaign. And people who had money were giving it, and those who didn’t were finding ways to at least give a little, pennies and nickels and small change. So everybody identified around this candidate, and that’s how he won. And Dr. King said something like that would happen, although he didn’t particularly say that. LAWT: Did he expect that Blacks would not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character? XC: He knew it’d be long, though. I know he didn’t think it’d be this long, though. Someone asked me what would he say if he came back now. He’d say, ‘You’re still at that? You haven’t solved it yet?’ So I think he thought that, yes the day would come, and if you look at all of his speeches he keeps talking about the day (that) would come. LAWT: Obviously he received a lot of death threats. How did he deal with the fear and intimidation at that time? XC: (He was) not afraid. When I asked him why was he not afraid, he said, ‘If the president of the United States has got all of the security he could possibly get, and they got him, then if they can kill a president, they’re sure to kill a man without that much protection. So it was his answer to the question of why don’t you fear. He said you can’t escape (death)... . LAWT: Do you think he ever wanted to give up the fight? XC: I’m not sure he really wanted to. He felt down. He did in fact say this, at the end of March, on his way down to Memphis when I drove him to the airport: ‘When I come back I think I’m just going to pick Coretta up and we’re going to go to India because this country’s not ready to change right now. It’s a very hostile environment. A negative vibe is just pervading the country. ‘I think it’s going to stall my work and so I think I’m going to suggest that we go to India for a year and give America a chance to catch up to where we really need to go.’ That’s one of the last things he told me. So he was pretty despondent about the way things had gone, the mood of the country. ...

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

EVENT 1-13-11 PHOTO ART EXPO (FRESH PR) — An art fair and showcase, photo l.a., will take place from Jan. 13 to 16 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The event brings together photography dealers from around the globe, and has displays of masterworks from the 19th century continuing through contemporary video and multimedia installations. The event will have a new art and photography book fair. This event will mark the 20th anniversary of photo l.a. Programming includes seminars about collecting, panel discussions on photography and the environment, and lecturing artists. The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is at 1855 Main St., Santa Monica. More information, including schedule of event and tickets: www.photola.com.

LISTINGS

American Museum — at 600 State Drive, Los Angeles — and will be presented by California Assemblymember Mike Davis. Kamala Harris, who will become California’s attorney general in January, will be honored with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award. RSVP, more information: (213) 744-2111.

01/11 - 02/11

happening these months

at 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. Attendees can find free parking at City Hall, which is behind the theater. More information: (213) 628-2772 (TTY 213680-4017), www.centertheatregroup.org/ theatres/douglas/.

1-15-11 1-16-11 SOUL — “Soul Power - Celebrating the Soul” will take place Jan. 15, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Medusa Lounge, 3321 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. The event will be held in cel-

IN REMEMBRANCE — Maxcy Filer will lie in state Jan. 13, 1:30 to 5 p.m., and Jan. 14, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Compton City Hall, 205 S. Willowbrook Ave., Compton. Filer died Jan. 10 of natural causes. The funeral will be held Jan. 15 at Love and Unity Christian Fellowship, 1840 S. Wilmington Ave., Compton. After the funeral, the repast will take place at Compton First United Methodist Church, 1025 S. Long Beach Blvd., Compton.

01-14-11 MLK COMMEMORATION — The 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday Commemoration will take place Jan. 14, 6 to 9 p.m. The event will take place at the California African

ebration of the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and James Brown. The Elevate Hope Foundation will benefit from the event. Information on the foundation: elevatehope.org. More information on the event: endeavorartistically@gmail.com. CIRCUS — “Circus INcognitus,” a one-man circus comedy performed by Jamie Adkins, will take place at the Kirk Douglas Theatre from Jan. 15 to 23. Tickets cost $20. To purchase tickets, call (213) 628-2772 or visit www.centertheatregroup.org. The Kirk Douglas Theatre is

DR. KING CELEBRATION (CAAM) — The California African American Museum will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 16., and the live program features a representation from the diverse cultures in Los Angeles, with singer Freda Payne as co-host with Jeffrey Anderson Gunter. The program will include the Lula Washington Dance Academy, popular speaker Iyanla Vanzant, Mexican music and dance group Las Cafeteros, spoken word artist Azure Antoinette, Japanese drummers from the Taiko Center of Los Angeles, colorful dancers of Swing Brazil and recording artist Abraham McDonald. In addition to the live main stage programming, CAAM also will have film screenings on King’s speeches and a kids hands-on workshop. Doors open at 11 a.m., and the live program starts at 1 p.m. CAAM is at 600 State Drive, Los Angeles. Information: www.caamuseum.org.

1-17-11 SCLC EVENT — The Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles’ 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will take place Jan. 17, 6 to 10 p.m., at 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will be the

Eric Holder

keynote speaker and Martin Luther King Award recipient. More information: (323) 903-5860. BREAKFAST (L.A. INTER ALUMNI COUNCIL) — The 22nd annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast will be held Jan. 17 at The Proud Bird Restaurant in Los Angeles. Curtis Symonds, former executive vice president of Black Entertainment Television and former chief operating officer for the Washington Mystics, will present the keynote address. The event is for Black college alumni. The Proud Bird is at 10022 Aviation Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets are $40 per person and $400 per table of 10. Parking is free. Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are still available. Ticket information: Luther Williams, (562) 424-3965; Abraham McCormick, (310) 670-3119.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011 CAKE FOR KING (CAAM) — There will be workshops for kids at the California African American Museum Jan. 17, beginning at 11 a.m., along with film screenings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. At 1 p.m., CAAM will have storytelling and speakers reading King’s speeches. At 2 p.m., CAAM will share a birthday cake for King and cupcakes with the public. The event is free. CAAM is at 600 State Drive, Los Angeles. Information: www.caamuseum.org.

5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles. People can attend the event for free with paid admission. Costs for the event: $14 for adults, $9 for children ages 2 to 12. More information: (323) 644-4200, www.lazoo.org.

2-8-11

1-21-11 AL JARREAU (CERRITOS) — Known for the celebrated hits “Never Givin’ Up,” “After All,” and “Moonlighting,” Al Jarreau will deliver his tunes at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) on Jan. 21, 8 p.m. Tickets, priced from $51 to $75, are on sale at the CCPA Ticket Office, or can be purchased at www.cerritoscenter.com. People can also call (562) 467-8818. Jarreau’s debut album, “We Got By,” earned him a German Grammy for “Best New International Soloist,” and the crooner soon embarked on a sixGrammy-winning streak. The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts is at 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. Tickets, more concert information: (562) 467-8818, www.cerritoscenter.com.

1-22-11 ROBERTA FLACK CONCERT (CERRITOS) — Internationally hailed as one of the greatest songstresses of our time, Grammy winner Roberta Flack will present her blend of pop, soul, folk and jazz at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 22, 8 p.m. Ticket prices for “An Evening With Roberta Flack” range from $56 to $80 and can be purchased at the CCPA Ticket Office or www.cerritoscenter.com. People interested in attending can also call (562) 4678818. The $80 seats are sold out. Named one of VH1’s 100 greatest women of rock ‘n’ roll, Flack has had chart-topping tunes, including “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “The Closer I Get to You,” and more. At the event, the icon will deliver

her hits, which include the Grammy-winning songs “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts is at 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. Tickets, more information: (562) 467-8818, www.cerritoscenter.com.

2-4-11 DANCE THEATRE (CERRITOS) — An event with Anjani Dance Theatre will take place Feb. 4, 8 p.m., at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. The dance theatre is celebrated for its repertoire fusing flamenco, hip-hop, Bollywood, folk, modern dance and the Indian Kathak. The ensemble is led by Anjani Ambegaokar, who was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts for her achievements in Kathak dance. The ensemble features her daughter Amrapali, whom the Los Angeles Times described as “a joyous monument to multiculturalism.” More information: (562) 916-8501, www.cerritoscenter.com/tickets/seasonoverview.aspx.

2-5-11 SNOW IN L.A. — On Feb. 5 and 6, there will be snow at the L.A. Zoo. The zoo is at

DANCE PERFORMANCE (PEPPERDINE) — The 10-member Lula Washington Dance Theatre, a Los Angeles-based repertoire dance ensemble that performs choreography by Lula Washington, will perform at Smothers Theatre on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 8. Tickets, priced at $40 for the public and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522. Lula Washington has focused on using dance to explore social and humanitarian issues, including aspects of African-American history and culture. The company’s repertoire includes the Little Rock Nine suite, which is a tribute to the students who integrated Little Rock Central High and will be presented at Pepperdine in celebration of Black History Month. The company is composed of young, athletic dancers, many of whom were groomed in Washington’s inner-city dance studio. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787. Pepperdine University is at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. More information: http://arts.pepperdine.edu/, www.lulawashington.org.

02-12-11 CONFERENCE (UTLA AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATION COMMITTEE) — The United Teachers of Los Angeles African American Education Committee will hold its 38th Annual community conference, “Establishing Partnerships within the African American Community,” Feb. 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the UTLA Building, 3303 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, second floor. There will be soul food, speakers, an open forum and more. Early registration cost $20. After Jan. 31, it cost $30. More information: Debbie Reid, (213) 386-6232.

beyond. Thanks to the use of Toni Scott’s “Bloodlines” as the foundation, the space represents the Africa-toAmerica experience through a mixture of art, artifacts and real life historical narratives and memories. The enormity of the truth of man’s inhumanity to man can be overwhelming, but at the California African American Museum, such images generate questions, further dialogue and promote new understandings. CAAM is at 600 State Drive, Los Angeles. Information: www.caamuseum.org. “FATIGUED” (COMPANY OF ANGELS) — Company of Angels, a nonprofit repertory theater, will premiere “Fatigued” — two plays, which illustrate how friends, families, neighborhoods and communities experience the emotional casualties of war. “Fatigued” opened Jan. 6 at Company of Angels at The Alexandria, 501 S. Spring St., third floor, in downtown Los Angeles. It is scheduled to end Jan. 23. Performances on Thursday through Saturday evenings are at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 7 p.m. There is no performance on Jan. 13, and there is an added matinee on Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. The general ticket price is $20. Tickets can be purchased at www.companyofangels.org. More information: (213) 489-3703, www.companyofangels.org. The deadline for receipt of calendar listings is Friday, noon, at least two weeks prior to activity. Fax to: (323) 299-3896, e-mail us at lawattsnus@aol.com or mail to: L.A. Watts Times, 3800 Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008. All calendar items are received from various senders and are subject to being edited.

ONGOING GALLERY OF DISCOVERY (CAAM) — The installation in the Gallery of Discovery has created a wide range of emotions because of its graphic link to the transportation of Africans into slavery, life on the plantations and

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Source:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/ m/martin_luther_king_jr.html

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

SPORTS BEAT B Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond. Auburn University’s freshman running back Michael Dyer stole the headlines from his Heisman Trophywinning teammate Cam Newton. He also stole some headlines away from Oregon’s national leading rusher and scoring champion LaMichael James, who ran for only 49 yards. That’s because Dyer made a key run and help set up the winning field goal to help Auburn win, 2219, over the Oregon Ducks. Do you know when was the last time Auburn won a national title? 1957. The world will always remember Auburn’s most famous Heisman Trophy winners thus far: Bo Jackson and Newton. Did the Auburn Tigers’ Newton and Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor try to out-do each other in their bowl games? Maybe. Maybe not. Here’s what Pryor, the 6’6” 233-pounder did: He passed for a couple of touchdowns and ran for 115 yards in leading Ohio State to a 31-26 victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. Newton, on his way to the NFL with the Heisman in his pocket, was also a big man in every way.

Y BRAD PYE JR.

The 6’6”, 250-pounder has a bullet-like passing arm like Pryor. Here is what Newton did, in a spectacular way, to help Auburn win the national title on Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz.: he rushed for 64 yards, threw for 265 yards, and had two touchdowns. And the beat continues… Will the L.A. Angels and Dodgers regret letting Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre get away to the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers, respectively? I think so. Also, in the baseball world, there are rumors that ex-Angel slugger Vladimir Guerrero may return to Anaheim from the Texas Rangers. And the beat continues… For Michael Vick and his Philadelphia Eagles supporters, including me, the team’s NFL season ended Jan. 9 with the exit of Vick and company in their 21-16 defeat by the Green Bay Packers. Running back James Starks helped the Packers defeat the Eagles by rushing for 123 yards on 23 carries, a rookie record. Next up: The Packers will play against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on Saturday. All-Pro Ray Lewis, the greatest linebacker in the game today, if not in history, continued to be a monster as he helped the Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo by Mark J. Terrill

Auburn’s Cam Newton celebrates with fans after beating Oregon 22-19 in the BCS National Championship NCAA college football game Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, in Glendale, Arizona

win, 30-7, over the Kansas City Chiefs enroute to Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chicago Bears will play Pete Carroll’s surprising Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 16. Tom Brady will try to work his playoff magic on Sunday as he and his New England Patriots battle it out with the New York Jets, 17-16 winners over the Indianapolis Colts. And the beat continues… Blake Griffin should make the L.A. Clippers playoff-bound for the first time in several years. The standout player is playing an excellent fashion, having a double-double game for his 23rd straight time against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. The Clippers beat the Warriors, 105-91. Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers defeated the highscoring New York Knicks, 109-87, on Sunday night. The Purple and Gold are back on track these days. They showed their strengths and skills on Tuesday night. That’s when the Lakers manhandled, pummeled and demolished the Cleveland Cavaliers by 55 points in a 112-57 win. It was an historic victory. The Lakers return to Staples Friday to host the New Jersey Nets, and they play the Clippers on Sunday. And the beat ends. Brad Pye Jr. can be reached at switchreel@aol.com.

CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Line up with us to salute another great hero who led the brave revolution of the Civil Rights movement. Jackie Robinson Night Dodgers vs. Cardinals Friday, April 15 @ 7:10pm

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Producer cries out for Katrina Ashley-Nicole Sherman unveils a personal documentary based on Katrina victim’s experiences BY BRANDON I. BROOKS CO-MANAGING EDITOR New Orleans was altered instantly when the infamous levees “broke” in the Lower Ninth Ward in 2005, flooding the streets and causing mass confusion and hysteria. When Katrina — one of the most lethal hurricanes in U.S. history — struck the Gulf Coast, it left a scar that will never be forgotten. Thousands upon thousands of people were displaced. Many were injured. Homes were lost and lives were taken away. To make matters worse, the government’s response has been terrible, to say the least, considering the long time it’s taking to rebuild the city and bring natives back Ashley-Nicole Sherman home. But as the saying goes, “Out of tragedy comes triumph,” and that is evident and documented with the testimonials of actual Hurricane Katrina victims and families. That’s why producer Ashley-Nicole Sherman struck a chord when she decided to unveil a trailer of her documentary, “Last Cry for Katrina,” based on Katrina victims’ firsthand experiences. “This documentary is an effort to encourage the thousands of displaced Orleanians to come on back and build back up the Big Easy,” Sherman said. Sherman felt a responsibility to do this documentary and to honestly tell the story of Katrina. She feels that many media sources have ineffectively covered the tragedy. So in response, Sherman, along with her film partners Claudia Duran and Demetrius Grosse, headed into the trenches of New Orleans and captured perspectives of what life was like immediately following Katrina, at “ground zero.” “Last Cry for Katrina” mainly documents Sherman’s family over a fiveyear span and captures their plight from tragedy to triumph. “We interview displaced natives and log their progress,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ve captured the story of a city’s fight to be revived and gain introspect into the very nature of the human spirit: the will to survive. “I hope my family’s story serves as an inspiration to every family that suffered this or any similar tragedy. Family first because blood is thicker than water ... even torrential rains and floodwater. After all, without struggle there is no progress ... and progress is a process.” Since 2005, the only bright spot for the city of New Orleans has been the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, who won the Super Bowl in 2009. The Saints’ victory helped reignite hometown pride and spirit, but now that the team has lost in the 2010-11 playoffs, some of the momentum has started to subside. It’s only a matter of time before the real socio-economic and ecological issues are brought back to surface and the city’s rebuilding process is exposed on all fronts. Actor Wendell Pierce, known for notable roles on HBO’s “The Wire” along with “Treme,” is featured in the film along with being a producer on the project. Sherman felt it was important to have Pierce on board because, as a fellow native of the city, he understands and is involved with the rebuilding process. Pierce is part of the Pontchartrain Neighborhood Association, where he is developing houses for people who want to return to New Orleans. “I asked him if we can film him,” said Sherman, referring to how Pierce first came on board with the documentary. “He knew my work and he trusted my work. So we have footage of him and his mom in 2005, and we have footage of him in 2010. So he is an integral part of my piece. He is behind us 100 percent. Our goal is to bring it to television. We are looking to edit about 48 minutes of this and tell the people’s story.” Sherman is now asking for the public’s help, as she needs to raise about $17,000 more to complete the project. The funds will be used to hire an editor, a composer, a graphics person and someone to handle licensing, because Sherman wants to use some of the Saints’ football footage, which can be expensive. People interested in helping can visit www.lastcryforkatrina.co.cc or call (323) 860-0900. There is also a Facebook page where people can visit to share Katrina stories, www.facebook.com/LastCryforKatrina. Sherman shared that people who have a Katrina story to tell can upload a video on the Facebook page and possibly be chosen to make the final cut of the film. “It’s not just my story,” Sherman said. “It’s everybody’s story, it’s an American story.”

The Kingdom has come BY PASTOR ALAN J. WRIGHT THE WORD CENTER CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES In order to have a Kingdom, there must be a King. I would like for you to keep that thought in mind as you read this lesson. My desire is that you understand the King and the Kingdom. Isaiah wrote these words of prophecy more than 600 years before they came to pass: “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). These words came to let the whole of humanity know that God was about to do something special. The words, “The Lord Himself shall give you a sign,” is another reminder of God pointing the way. As God points the way, let me take you to the birth of the King. In Matthew 2:1-2 we see, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod, the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Today, God is still giving direction for mankind to reach the kingdom. The wise men from the east

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Pastor Alan J. Wright were said to be experts in the study of the stars. In seeking the King of the Jews, they were also seeking his kingdom. The wise men questioned those in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). King Herod was not excited about this question or the news of another king. These questions threatened Herod’s seat of authority. Not only did the wise men seek a king, but they

wanted to worship him also. If we read further in Matthew 2, we see the reason for the question. The star they had been following was no longer visible. They asked the question in Jerusalem and King Herod checked with his advisers who said the child would be born in Bethlehem. After the wise men left Jerusalem, the star reappeared and led them directly to the child in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David. It was already prophesied that the Christ would be of the seed of David and would rule over Israel, from David’s throne. “Of the increase of his government and peace there would be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with justice and with righteousness, from henceforth even forever” (Isaiah 9:7). Now we can see plainly the kingdom and the King. The kingdom has come. It is the kingdom where God rules. The language of the kingdom is love. Where God rules, love is demonstrated. God demonstrated His love toward us by offering his Son Jesus Christ as an offering and gift to mankind. We can be a part of God’s kingdom by accepting this gift into our hearts. The kingdom has come.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Too Important To Fail Continuing The Fight for Dr. King’s Dream of Fair Housing Practices BY DENISE HUNTER Over the past few years I have witnessed the American taxpayer provide bail-outs, lend a helping hand to, and save large banks considered “too big to fail.” The “too big to fail” banks have hastily accepted this help and used this second chance as a fresh start and a new beginning in rebuilding their businesses. The taxpayers have supported this fresh start with the hope that a fresh start for the banks would also mean a fresh start for American families and small businesses. A fresh start for everyone would provide a much-needed boost to the economy and thereby benefit all Americans. Unfortunately what I’ve seen happen is quite the opposite. I’ve seen big businesses take tax dollars and increase their employees’ salaries, pay-out huge bonuses and deploy obscene golden parachutes. All with very little regard for the hardworking taxpayers who facilitated their fresh start. I believe the taxpayers deserve better. I believe the hardworking American taxpayers deserve a fresh start as well. To begin, I believe the American taxpayer deserves the

respect and thanks of all the big businesses that received and benefitted from the bailouts. Thanks in the form of support services that allow taxpayers to also begin to rebuild their lives. I believe that taxpayers who have been lured into shady loans, charged exorbitant and questionable fees and worst of all, have been illegally removed from their homes deserve tangible help from those who have preyed upon them. I believe in each instance where a homeowner was given a subprime loan when they actually qualified for a traditional loan and ultimately lost their home to foreclosure, should have the foreclosure removed from their credit report. I believe that every homeowner who received a home loan, who clearly did not qualify for that loan and ultimately lost his or her home to foreclosure, should have that foreclosure removed from their credit report. I believe that every homeowner who sought a loan modification and made their payments on time during the workout process deserves to have the delinquencies removed from their credit reports.

I believe that a minimum standard should be set to define a loan modification. I believe that banks should voluntarily put these measures in place as a first step towards helping American families get a fresh start. I believe that just as the banks needed help and a fresh start, just as banks needed an opportunity to course correct and make needed changes, American families need and deserve the same. I believe that if the banks did not disqualify themselves from continuing to do business, and having the opportunity to succeed because of their financial irresponsibility and failures, then the American taxpayer should be given that same opportunity as well. For the financial crisis in the housing and mortgage industry to occur, it took both a lender and a borrower. This double standard and unfair treatment is not acceptable. In the spirit of Dr. King’s dream of equality, let us all come together in a spirit of unity and a demonstrated commitment to action to tell the banks and our elected officials that the hardworking families in our community are too important to fail.

village was destroyed, but is now a track and field athlete in the United States.

public mural projects. He established cultural programs in his home village and taught art to children in his home. In 1997 he was named a Unesco Artist for Peace.

NEWS IN AFRICA Continued from page 3

of survival as a child soldier in the war-torn south was written up by author Dave Eggers in the bestselling book “What is the What.” As a boy, Deng trekked across the vast swamps and grasslands of the south to Ethiopia, as his friends were shot around him or died from wild animal attacks or starvation. After years in a Kenyan refugee camp, he was granted asylum in the United States in 2001. The “Lost Boys” and “Lost Girls” settled in such U.S. cities as Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Omaha, Neb., as well as several others. “The referendum means everything to us,” said Kur Ayuen, a 32year-old South SudaneseAustralian who, like Deng, fled the war as a child and grew up in tough refugee camps in Kenya. Ayuen runs My Referendum for Freedom, a group working to boost education and awareness about the vote by organizing street marches and concerts. More than 60,000 people have registered to vote in eight nations — neighboring Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, as well as in Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States. “This is a great moment in our history,” said Lopez Lomong, who fled the south as a child when his

Mozambique loses renowned contemporary artist (GIN) — Mozambican painter Malangatana Ngwenya, known for his large canvasses, dramatic paintings and social activism, passed away after a long illness in northern Portugal this month. He was 74. Born Malangatana Valente Ngwenya in 1936, many of his works were commentaries documenting Mozambique’s fight for independence from Portugal in 1975 and the years of civil war that followed. During the struggle for independence, he was imprisoned for 18 months for being a member of the Liberation Front of Mozambique, known as Frelimo. One of Mozambique’s “most charismatic” personalities, Ngwenya “crossed the frontiers” of Africa and became a “living legend,” said Domingos Simoes Pereira, executive secretary of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries. He was a founding member of the Mozambique Peace Movement and was instrumental in establishing the National Museum of Art of Mozambique in Maputo, the capital where he undertook several large

Senegal pushes for military end to Gbagbo’s rule (GIN) — Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade is urging neighbor countries to the embattled Ivory Coast to remove the incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo, by force. Papa Dieng, spokesman for the president, said Wade believes the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, has “the capacity to extract Gbagbo.” The possibility of using force to oust the incumbent president has dimmed, but the incumbent president still faces intense pressure to step down after the international community affirmed his rival to have received more votes in the Nov. 28 election. Opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara is recognized as the winner by ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations and the United States. “Gbagbo has to leave by any means necessary, even military means,” Dieng said. “If he stays there, African leaders will feel there’s no need to ever concede an election.”

INNOVATION Continued from page 7

technology. “There are a number of programs like MESA that can help you catch up.” He added, “What you don’t have are the programs that go out and get those that aren’t looking to catch up.” The students that are left behind in the subjects of math and science are representative of a bigger problem in this country. Dr. Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew, professor of Education at New York University, has worked with programs like MESA and written about the problems kids of color face in their educational preparation in books like “The Trouble With Black Boys and Other Reflections on Race, Equity and the Future of Public Education” and the forthcoming “Understanding and Responding to the Disenfranchisement of Latino Males: Invisible No More.” He believes that many current educational policies are a hindrance to the success of all students, especially those who need the most help, when it comes to achievement. “I keep reminding people,” Noguera said, “We’ve been doing ‘No Child Left Behind’ for the last nine years now and we’ve fallen further behind. Clearly that approach is not working for us and the problem is our policy makers don’t seem to understand that. …” He continued, “I keep saying that the policies of the Obama administration are almost identical to the Bush administration, so they clearly don’t understand that a different approach is needed.” In order to fulfill the President’s commitment to a future that thrives in the areas of innovation and technology, Dr. Noguera believes the flaws in policy issues must be resolved. Children and teens must be nurtured in their learning environments. If not, students will continue to fall behind. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), American 15-year-olds rank 25th out of 34 nations. When it came to science, those same U.S. students were stuck in the middle of the pack. African-American students are in worse shape: the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that only 14 percent of African-American eighth-graders were proficient in math. Minority students that do excel and go on to pursue math and science degrees in higher education do so in small numbers. According to the National Science Foundation, Blacks comprise just 8 percent of those who earned a Bachelor’s in science and engineering in 2005, compared to 65 percent for White graduates. Those American undergraduates who leave science and engineering majors for other pursuits are often highly qualified, and they are disproportionately women and students of color. These students do graduate, but not as engineers. And, given the small numbers entering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields to begin with, the loss can be debilitating. MESA is one of the programs trying to increase those numbers, and preserve the best and brightest in the

Black community for STEM fields. Another is the Dr. Frank Greene Scholars program based in Santa Clara County, Calif., home of Silicon Valley. Of the 8,000 AfricanAmerican K-12 students in that county, approximately 300 are Greene scholars. Gloria Whitaker-Daniels, program director, knows firsthand how difficult it is to stay committed to the STEM track. Like Noguera, she favors a holistic approach in educating African-American students, especially those interested in fields where there are few Blacks. “It’s very important for us to give our children a safe environment to explore their interest, and to fail. You learn more from your failure then you learn from your successes.” She added that educators and parents need to broaden students’ horizons by exposing them to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related careers, and show them how they relate to other fields as well. “When I hear a child say, ‘I want to be a musician or a rapper,’ I ask, ‘What about the audio engineer, what about all these other skills and occupations?’ Once you start opening this world to them about the other opportunities that surround that, they can still honor their passion and still do something that will contribute to the 21st century,” she said. The Greene Scholars program has been working to open the world of innovation and technology to students for the past decade. MESA has been at it since the late 1960s. During his 40-year career, former MESA board chairman Beasley has seen more minorities come into his field, but it’s far from satisfied. “I’ve seen an improvement,” he said. “My father is as smart or smarter than me. He wanted to go into electronics. He worked in an electronics place packing boxes. And in the evenings, he fixed people’s TVs, radios and things like that, because he couldn’t get into the industry. That was in the 1940s,” Beasley said. “In the 1960s, I was able to get in. I wasn’t smarter than him, but I got an opportunity. There’s a huge improvement in terms of seeing people like me in places like IBM and HP and Microsoft. But, (our progress has come) from a base of nothing. Compared to where we need to be, there’s a big problem.” Beasley believes in educational programs to help African Americans get over the hump. But, the effort can’t stop there. He knows the Black community as a whole must come together to help young people not only prepare for tomorrow’s careers, but face today’s challenges. “We need to have more Blacks and minorities in these technology fields and be more representative, show that we’re there. That’s all great. But, we need to focus on the crisis. We need to show that the majority of Blacks have jobs, and the majority of them have graduated from high school, and the majority is going to college. We can’t have our society be a dysfunctional society. That’s a crisis we need to fix.” Tarice L.S. Gray is a freelance writer and blogger with GrayCurrent.com.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Violent right-wing extremism continues in America BY DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS JR. NNPA COLUMNIST All Americans and all people of goodwill throughout the world were once again shocked by the alleged assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords last weekend in Tucson, Ariz., that left six people dead and 14 others injured. What type of madness would lead to such violence? Was it an “isolated” incident? Or was this just the latest manifestation of a growing and evolving social and political problem that has been lingering for the last 50 years or more in the United States? Our prayers are with the family members of all the victims of the Tucson shootings. President Barack Obama was correct to point out that what happened to Giffords and to the other victims in Arizona impacts all Americans and the outcry for challenging this type of violence is near-universal. Of course, the African-American community has known for hundreds of years the bitter taste and awful pain of the violence from right-wing extremists who have murdered, assassinated, lynched and inflicted all kinds of other forms of deadly violence on our communities. These extremists are not contained in one single age group or geographical region. What unites many them is their hatred for political, economic, racial, and social progress that would make our society more just, inclusive, equal or fair. In addition to Black Americans being targeted for racial and political violence, there were also many White Americans who were also slain by right-wing haters. This is not about Democrats, Republicans or Independents. Rightwing extremists are a danger to all people who want freedom, justice and equality. It is somewhat of a

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Source: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/ m/martin_luther_king_jr.html

national shame that is always take another violent, senseless tragedy like the Tucson violence to “temporarily” reawaken a national sense of moral outrage that may lead to some changes in the overall social consciousness of the majority of Americans to demand an end to this type of violence.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. Tucson was not an isolated event. I know that there are some pundits in the media who have cautioned not to jump to conclusions or to point fingers before a thorough investigation is completed. The problem is made more complicated by those who recommend silence and the avoidance of any statement that will further polarize our society. Yet, it is similar to the hidden national debate about race. A refusal to issue a call out for a deeper understanding and analysis of the undergirding causes of extremist violence in America will only lead to more deadly incidents.

The truth is that those who pulled the pin out of hate-filled and rhetorical grenades into the public square do have to be held accountable. Deranged radio talk show hosts and far right-wing TV commentators, as well as some of the politicians that they support, all have to be held accountable for contributing to the current national climate across the nation that promotes nothing more than hateful vitriol at those who desire more progressive change in America. No, this is not about freedom of speech. This is about hatred in one of its most terrible forms. In fact, right-wing extremism is so prevalent and extensive today that it may appear to some to be just a natural backlash to the progress that has been accomplished during the last 50 years toward a more just and equitable society. In the near future, there will be a 40-year anniversary gathering in my home state of North Carolina: It will be the anniversary of the Wilmington 10. Back in February of 1971, a paramilitary group of rightwing extremists known at that time as the ROWP (Rights of White People) organization violently attacked the AfricanAmerican community around the issues of public school desegregation. Two people died during the crisis and dozens were wounded from gunshots. Nixon was the president at that time and 10 of us who survived the ROWP extremist attack wound up being falsely accused, prosecuted and sentenced to a combined total of 282 years imprisonment. It took us a decade to prove our innocence, and the Wilmington 10 case became an internationally known human rights case during the 1970s. The point here, however, is that there continues to be numerous examples of how right-wing extremist violence is tolerated in the United States no matter who the victims may be. Hopefully this time there will be more than enough of righteous indignation from the majority of people of goodwill to make an effective challenge to this violence. More domestic terrorism will be the unfortunate consequence of societal indifference in the wake of the Tucson shootings. Let’s not fall back to sleep on this matter. We must work to end the violence of the extreme right-wing. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis is senior adviser for the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and president of Education Online Services Corp.

A tragedy and my apology BY JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA COLUMNIST My cell phone pinged on Saturday to let me know I had a message. I was in the middle of lunch and chose to ignore it. When I picked it up a couple of hours later, I felt the same sickness that millions did, learning that Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford was shot in an alleged assassination attempt. Television news bubbled over with the news, with fact, spin and interpretation. Would all 435 members of Congress need ramped-up security? Was hate speech the basis of this shooting? I even saw Neil Boortz, the peripatetic Atlanta lawyer and talk show host, suggest that President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama had been guilty of some of the same hate speech that the right has been accused of. Please. The talk about hate speech, however, is important and I’m going to own my part of it and apologize. A bazillion years ago (actually in 1992) I made a wise crack about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Anyone who knows me would see it as a wise crack, but those who don’t saw it as hate speech. Here’s the background: Thomas said he would live to be 120 to stay on the court to frustrate liberals. I replied that the average Black man had a life expectancy of about 65, and that if his wife fed him lots of butter and eggs, ingredients for high cholesterol and heart trouble, he’d die an early death. Conservatives called it a death wish. Death by breakfast, I responded, still in jest. As if someone were standing over Thomas with an Uzi forcing him to eat that butter and eggs. The wisecrack has to be taken even less seriously if Thomas’ purported commitment to physical fitness and working out is taken into consideration. No matter, and no excuses. My comment about Thomas, my wisecrack, was in poor taste. Out of line. Out of order. I am sorry if the words I spoke at all contributed to the climate in which we live, to the vitriol that has poisoned the atmosphere. My apology does not mitigate or reduce my contempt for Thomas and for his arrogant dismissal of liberals and for the African-American community. If I could do it all over, I’d have wished him the bacon and eggs, or simply made reference to the Black male life expectancy rate and his own hubris, but left out the comment about his early death. The fact is that none of us should joke about death. It just isn’t funny. To be sure, the right has had a great time distorting my words, and they’ve disseminated them widely. And, anytime a liberal makes an inappropriate comment, they take their media machine and work it overtime.

Julianne Malveaux These conservatives invoke free speech when pastors pray for Obama’s death from their pulpits (if it were any other president, that pastor might have been looking the FBI in the face). These same conservatives say they aren’t racist when they use images of apes to describe the First Family. These conservatives have both fingerprints and footprints in the poisoned language that poses as free speech. Yet it is true that it takes sticks and twigs, not just logs and trees, to build a fire. Was my comment one of the twigs? It has taken me nearly two decades and an attempted assassination to understand the damage that my wisecrack might have caused, not to Thomas, but to the public discourse. I hope it won’t take our nation two more decades to understand and embrace the notion of speech civility, especially for political opponents. Every day and in every way, I tell my students, faculty and staff that I value civility. Yet my comment about Thomas was not only uncivil, it was ugly and unnecessary. And, it really wasn’t that funny. I regret it. I apologize for it. I wish I could take it back. A dynamic young congresswoman is fighting for her life, and I am among those who will fall to my knees in prayer for her each day. The assassin who shot her also took out a federal judge, a 9-year-old girl, a congressional aide and others. A dozen more were wounded. Scores of lives will never be the same. Even as we pray for Giffords, we need to fight to restrict easy access to guns. And, we all need to be reminded to tone it down. Julianne Malveaux is the 15th president of Bennett College for Women. Her most recent book, “Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History,” can be purchased at www.lastwordprod.com.

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Trustee Sale No. CA09001744-10-1 . Title Order No. 100566998CA-LPI APN 6010-006-032 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED July 10, 2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On January 25, 2011, at 01:00 PM, At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL Inc.dba Trustee Corps, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on July 18, 2007, as Instrument No. 20071697089 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CA , executed by: RUBEN ALDANA ASINGLE MAN, as Trustor, in favor of INDYMAC BANK, F.S.B., A FEDERALLY CHARTERED SAVINGS BANK as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST. The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1167-1167 1 2 E 67TH ST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90001 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest theron, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $369,989.60 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: December 30, 2010 MTC FINANCIAL INC dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA09001744-10-1 . 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Clarisa Gastelum, Authorized Signature SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Regarding the property that is the subject of this notice of sale, the "mortgage loan servicer" as defined in Civil Code s 2923.53(k)(3) declares that it has obtained from the Commissioner a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Civil Code section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date this notice of sale is recorded or the time frame for giving a notice of sale specified in Civil Code Section 2923.52 subdivision (a) does not apply to this notice of sale pursuant to Civil Code Sections 2923.52. Clarisa Gastelum, Authorized Signature TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #8278 2010-12-30 2011-01-06 2011-01-13 Trustee Sale No. CA09001815-10-1 . Title Order No. 100578254CA-LPI APN 5143-029-129 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED February 1, 2008. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On January 24, 2011, at 01:00 PM, At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL Inc.dba Trustee Corps, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on February 15, 2008, as Instrument No. 20080277522 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CA , executed by: JOHANNA E GUNTHER, SINGLE, as Trustor, in favor of JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST. The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1100 WILSHIRE BLVD 2712, LOS ANGELES, CA 90017 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest theron, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $433,662.23 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: December 30, 2010 MTC FINANCIAL INC dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA09001815-10-1 . 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Clarisa Gastelum, Authorized Signature SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Clarisa Gastelum, Authorized Signature TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #8377 2010-12-30 2011-01-06 2011-01-13

Thursday, January 13, 2011 Trustee Sale No. CA09001608-10-1 . Title Order No. 55015788 APN 5309-017-033 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED November 2, 2004. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On January 26, 2011, at 01:00 PM, At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL Inc.dba Trustee Corps, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on November 17, 2004, as Instrument No. 04 2977269 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CA , executed by: JANNIE SUHSHYA WONG, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, as Trustor, in favor of CHASE MANHATTAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST. The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 5369, 5369 1/2 HUNTINGTON DR N, LOS ANGELES, CA 90032 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest theron, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $274,137.77 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: December 30, 2010 MTC FINANCIAL INC dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA09001608-10-1 . 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Clarisa Gastelum, Authorized Signature SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Regarding the property that is the subject of this notice of sale, the "mortgage loan servicer" as defined in Civil Code s 2923.53(k)(3) declares that it has obtained from the Commissioner a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Civil Code section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date this notice of sale is recorded or the time frame for giving a notice of sale specified in Civil Code Section 2923.52 subdivision (a) does not apply to this notice of sale pursuant to Civil Code Sections 2923.52. Clarisa Gastelum, Authorized Signature TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #8406 2010-12-30 2011-01-06 2011-01-13 2011-01-20 Trustee Sale # CA0952036-2 Loan# 128237418 Order # 4214686 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 04/25/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 02/03/2011 at 01:00PM, MTC FINANCIAL INC., dba TRUSTEE CORPS as the duly appointed Substituted Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust Recorded on 05/03/06 as Document No. 06 0969430 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CALIFORNIA, executed by, WON KYOUNG LEE, A SINGLE MAN, as Trustor, PMC BANCORP, as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States, by cash a cashier's check drawn by a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state). AT: At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building, 350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State describing the land therein: APN # 5163-020-152 AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 100 SOUTH ALAMEDA ST NO. 463, LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Trustee's Sale is: $463,655.05 (estimated amount). Accrued interest and additional advances, if any, will increase this figure prior to sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder's sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The Beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the County where the real property is located and more than three months have elapsed since such recordation. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2923.52: 1. Pursuant to California Civil Code 2923.54 the undersigned, on behalf of the beneficiary, loan servicer or authorized agent, declares as follows: X Servicer does hereby state that Servicer has obtained from the commissioner a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date of the notice of sale is filed. 2. Timeframe for giving notice of sale specified in subdivision (a) Section 2923.52 __ Does X Does not apply pursuant to section 2923.52 or 2923.55 Dated: 12/30/2010 MTC FINANCIAL INC., DBA TRUSTEE CORPS, as Successor Trustee

By: ROBERT PADILLA, TRUSTEE SALES OFFICER TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 FOR SALE INFORMATION CONTACT: (714)786-5351, (949) 252-8300 FOR REINSTATEMENT / PAY OFF REQUESTS CONTACT: (949) 252-8300 RPRequests@trusteecorps.com Ad #8566 2010-12-30 2011-01-06 2011-01-13 Trustee Sale No. CA09001594-10-1 . Title Order No. 100531126CA-LPI Loan No. 1880212084 APN 6019-014-030 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED November 2, 2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On January 25, 2011, at 01:00 PM, At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL Inc.dba Trustee Corps, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on December 6, 2007, as Instrument No. 20072673749 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CA , executed by: MARTHA M MARTINEZ, A SINGLE WOMAN, as Trustor, in favor of M&T BANK as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST. The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1130 WEST 76TH STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90044 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest theron, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $426,684.81 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: December 30, 2010 MTC FINANCIAL INC dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA09001594-10-1 . 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Robert Padilla, Authorized Signature SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Regarding the property that is the subject of this notice of sale, the "mortgage loan servicer" as defined in Civil Code s 2923.53(k)(3) declares that it has obtained from the Commissioner a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Civil Code section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date this notice of sale is recorded or the time frame for giving a notice of sale specified in Civil Code Section 2923.52 subdivision (a) does not apply to this notice of sale pursuant to Civil Code Sections 2923.52. Robert Padilla, Authorized Signature TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #8587 2010-12-30 2011-01-06 2011-01-13

CITY OF LOS ANGELES $50,000 REWARD NOTICE The City of Los Angeles offers a reward payable at the discretion of the City Council to one or more persons in the sum or sums up to an aggregate maximum total sum of $50,000 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the act of murder against, JESUS VASQUEZ, in the City of Los Angeles. On Tuesday, November 30, 2010, at approximately 4:20 a.m., Jesus Vasquez, a 49-year old man, was shot and killed as he exited his residence and walked over to his car in the 4300 block of Arlington Avenue. The suspect ran to a waiting vehicle and fled the scene. LAPD is still searching for this suspect(s) and encourages witnesses to come forward, even anonymously, to assist them in their investigation. The person or persons responsible for this crime represent an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles. Unless withdrawn or paid by City Council action, this offer of reward shall terminate on, and have no effect after, JULY 11, 2011. The provisions of payment and all other considerations shall be governed by Chapter 12 of Division 19 of the LAAC Code, as amended by Ordinance Nos. 158157 and 166666. This offer shall be given upon the condition that all claimants provide continued cooperation within the criminal justice system relative to this case and is not available to public officers or employees of the City, their families, persons in law enforcement or persons whose misconduct prompted this reward. If you have any information regarding this case, please call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-LAWFULL, 24 hours. C. F. No. 11-0010-s4 1/13/11 CNS-2022038# WATTS TIMES $50,000 REWARD NOTICE The City of Los Angeles offers a reward payable at the discretion of the City Council to one or more persons in the sum or sums up to an aggregate maximum total sum of $50,000 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the act of murder against, TABURI WATSON, in the City of Los Angeles. On Wednesday, December 29, 2010, at approximately 7:20 p.m., Taburi Watson, a 14-year old boy was shot and killed as he was riding his bicycle in the 8700 block of South Saint Andrews Place. LAPD is still searching for this suspect(s) and encourages witnesses to come forward, even anonymously, to assist them in their investigation. The person or persons responsible for this crime represent an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles. Unless withdrawn or paid by City Council action, this offer of reward shall terminate on, and have no effect after, JULY 11, 2011. The provisions of payment and all other considerations shall be governed by Chapter 12 of Division 19 of the LAAC Code, as amended by Ordinance Nos. 158157 and 166666. This offer shall be given upon the condition that all claimants provide continued cooperation within the criminal justice system relative to this case and is not available to public officers or employees of the City, their families, persons in law enforcement or persons whose misconduct prompted this reward. If you have any information regarding this case, please call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-LAWFULL, 24 hours. C. F. No. 11-0010-s3 1/13/11 CNS-2022036# WATTS TIMES

$50,000 REWARD NOTICE The City of Los Angeles offers a reward payable at the discretion of the City Council to one or more persons in the sum or sums up to an aggregate maximum total sum of $50,000 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the act of murder against, KASHMIER JAMES, in the City of Los Angeles. On Saturday, December 25, 2010, at approximately 10: 20 p.m., Kashmier James, a 25-year old woman, was shot and killed as she was standing outside her car at the 1700 block of West 85th Street. LAPD is still searching for this suspect(s) and encourages witnesses to come forward, even anonymously, to assist them in their investigation. The person or persons responsible for this crime represent an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles. Unless withdrawn or paid by City Council action, this offer of reward shall terminate on, and have no effect after, JULY 11, 2011. The provisions of payment and all other considerations shall be governed by Chapter 12 of Division 19 of the LAAC Code, as amended by Ordinance Nos. 158157 and 166666. This offer shall be given upon the condition that all claimants provide continued cooperation within the criminal justice system relative to this case and is not available to public officers or employees of the City, their families, persons in law enforcement or persons whose misconduct prompted this reward. If you have any information regarding this case, please call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-LAWFULL, 24 hours. C. F. No. 11-0010-s2 1/13/11 CNS-2022035# WATTS TIMES

CIVIL ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. BS129483 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: Daijon Vafhni Westby by Phillippa Shawn Brown for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Daijon Vafhni Westby by Phillippa Shawn Brown filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Daijon Vafhni Westby to Joel Henry Westby The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: January 28, 2011, Time: 9:00 a.m., Dept.: 1A, Room: 548 The address of the court is 110 Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Watts Time Date: December 8, 2010 Matthew C. St. George Commissioner of the Superior Court 1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27/11 CNS-2020001# WATTS TIMES

CLASSIFIEDS STATEWIDE “Be wary of out of area companies. Check with the local Better Business Bureau before you send any money for fees or services. Read and understand any contracts before you sign. Shop around for rates.”

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www.lawattstimes.com 19

Thursday, January 13, 2011 AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. BS129011 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: Jerry Daniel Ureno-Bates for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Jerry Daniel Ureno-Bates filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Jerry Daniel Ureno-Bates to Sarah Nicole James The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: January 21, 2011, Time: 9:00 a.m., Dept.: 1A, Room: 548 The address of the court is 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Watts Times Date: December 9, 2010 Matthew C. St. George Commissioner of the Superior Court 12/23, 12/30, 1/6, 1/13/11 CNS-2012228# WATTS TIMES

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20101740117 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Dyvine Inspirations, 5519 Avalon Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90011, County of Registered owner(s): Francelia L. James, 817 W. 58th Street, Los Angeles CA 90037 This business is conducted by an Individual The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 06/28/06 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.) S/ Francelia L. James, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on November 30, 2010 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). New Filings 12/30, 1/6, 1/13, 1/20/11 CNS-2016398# WATTS TIMES

HARRIS

Continued from page 6 Harris then moved across San Francisco Bay to work in the district attorney’s there, and then left to work at the city attorney’s office. While there, Harris unseated two-term Democratic San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan in 2003. During her tenure, she had some successes, including setting up a program to pressure parents whose children miss too much school, a trend she said can dramatically increase children’s chances of becoming a criminal or victim. She pushed for a new statewide law that took effect Jan. 1 that lets prosecutors charge parents with misdemeanors if their children are chronically truant. She also encountered programs that tested her belief that you admit when something is not working, and then try to fix it. Harris changed policies after a diversion program for first-time nonviolent offenders was found in 2009 to include illegal immigrants who couldn’t hold the jobs for which they were being trained. Harris also had to dismiss hun-

NOTICE INVITING BIDS FOR RENTAL OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES at LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S2421 All bids must be submitted before 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 8, 2011. Any Bids received at or after 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 8, 2011 will be deemed non-responsive and will not be opened. Bids will be publicly opened in the 6th Floor Board Room of the Harbor Department Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza, Long Beach, California, 90802 at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 8, 2011. Bids shall be sealed in an envelope and the outside of the envelope should clearly state the specification number, title of the project and the bid opening date. Bids received before Tuesday, February 8, 2011 shall be sent to the 4th Floor, Plans and Specifications office, where the bid envelope will be date stamped. If bids are hand-carried or received the day of bid opening, prior to 10:00 a.m., the bids will be clocked in at the Lobby desk of the Harbor Department Administration Building and taken to the 6th Floor Board Room by the Port Contract Administrator. It is anticipated that the Board of Harbor Commissioners will consider a conditional award on February 28, 2011 with Staff given the authority to execute a Contract provided the lowest responsive bidder submits the required completed insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) days after conditional award by the Board. Copies of said specifications in CD format may be obtained, at no cost, in the Plans and Specifications office, 4th floor, Harbor Department Administration Building beginning Thursday, January 13, 2011 during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To arrange to receive a specification package by courier at the expense of the Bidder call the office at (562) 5904146. Printing of hard copies from the CD will be the responsibility of the Bidder. For information on this project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/out_for_bid.asp. Copies of all Port insurance forms are available at: http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/forms_permits/insurance.asp. The Engineering Staff of the Harbor Department will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 10:00 a.m., on Tuesday, January 25, in the CM Central Conference Room, First floor, of the Harbor Department Administration Building. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. This project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE) and Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program. POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal for this project which is twenty percent (20%) SBE/VSBE, of which a minimum of zero percent (0%) must be allocated to VSBEs. Award of the Contract will be conditioned on the Bidder providing documentation that it has obtained enough SBE/VSBE participation to meet the goal or that it made adequate good faith efforts to meet the goal even though it did not obtain enough SBE/VSBE participation to do so as specified in the Special Provision 37 (S.P. 37). The Port’s SBE Program Staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the staff at (562) 499-3472. You may also view the Port’s SBE program requirements at: http://www.polb.com/sbe/contractors/sbe_program/default.asp

dreds of criminal cases last year because of a tainted-evidence scandal at the San Francisco police drug laboratory, and after a San Francisco Superior Court judge scorched the district attorney’s office in a May 2010 court ruling for failing to disclose police officers’ criminal or disciplinary histories to defense attorneys. “To her credit, once I think she realized the seriousness of the problems, they immediately put new policies in place,” said San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, who has sharply criticized Harris for taking too long to act and who has known Harris since she was in law school. State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, when he was state attorney general, investigated whether Harris abused her discretion shortly after she became district attorney when she decided against seeking the death penalty for the killer of an undercover city police officer in 2004. Harris personally opposes executions, but said she will follow state law. Lockyer said she convinced him she had listened to a team within her office that had evaluated the case. David Jung, who directs the

Center for State and Local Government Law at Hastings College of the Law, sent students to work with Harris’ office on gun policies after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns two years ago. Gun rights proponents quickly challenged other cities’ gun control laws, and this year the justices ruled that Americans have the right to own guns for self-defense anywhere they live. “She looked at academics, she looked at social scientists for ways to continue to respond to gun violence within the law. She didn’t spend time complaining that the Supreme Court got it wrong,” said Jung, who once taught Harris in a law school problemsolving class. “She understands her limitations under the law and works to make things better,” he said. Jung and other professors and classmates recall Harris as a confident student with an unusual sense of purpose, who was active in student government and Democratic politics. “She knew that the path that she was on was hers, that she was going to do something important even if she did-

This contract consists of furnishing, on a rental basis, certain fully-maintained, fueled, operated, and insured construction equipment for construction and maintenance work, furnishing and installing materials to comply with regulatory requirements for dust control and storm water run-off, and perform other related work, including supervision, at various locations as required by the Long Beach Harbor Department. The quantity of work to be performed and materials to be furnished are approximate only, being given as a basis for the comparison of bids. Bidders shall, at the time of submitting their bids, in compliance with Section 7028.15 of the California Business and Professions Code, be licensed by the State Contractor’s License Board as a General Contractor with a "Class A” license. Whenever any material, product, thing, or service identified in the specifications is described by one or more brand or trade names and is followed by the words “or equal”, the apparent low bidder shall submit data substantiating a request for the substitution of equivalent item(s) within forty-eight (48) hours following bid opening. Substitutions for construction equipment specified will be based on performance standards and USEPA Tier 2 Standards. All bids and bonds shall be submitted upon forms provided by the City accompanied by a satisfactory "Bidder’s Bond" or other acceptable security deposit in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of such bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if conditionally awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) days thereafter, execute and deliver such Contract to the office of the Chief Harbor Engineer along with all required insurance forms and a “Payment Bond” for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price, and a “Performance Bond” for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price. The “Bidder’s Bond” shall be submitted on forms provided by the City, signed by the Bidder and the surety and both signatures shall be notarized. Work shall be completed within the time frame specified in one or more written Annual Contract Task Order (ACTO) issued by the City. Failure of the Contractor to commence, continue, or complete the work within the time frame specified in each ACTO issued by the City will result in liquidated damages (LDs) in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500) per calendar day of delay in commencing, continuing, or completing the work that is in excess of the time specified in the ACTO, plus any authorized time extensions. LDs may be assessed for each ACTO work that is being performed at the same time. The Board of Harbor Commissioners, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time prior to the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject all bids and to return all deposits accompanying said bids. If the lowest responsive bidder fails to submit the required insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) days after conditional award, the Board reserves the right to rescind the conditional award and conditionally award the Contract to the next lowest responsive bidder. All bids and bid bonds shall be guaranteed for a period of ninety (90) days following the bid opening or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. The Board also reserves the right at any time to terminate the Contract for its convenience. Dated at Long Beach, California, this 13th day of December, 2010. Richard D. Steinke Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (Metro) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Metro will receive Statements of Interest and Qualifications for [“RFIQ No. PS2130-7700 for a Labor Compliance (Prevailing Wage) Monitoring Services Bench”] per specifications on file at the METRO Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (12th Floor). All proposals must be received on or before 2 pm Pacific Time on March 2, 2011 at the address listed above, sent to the attention of Ms. Tommye Williams. Proposals received later than the above date and time may be rejected. A Pre-Proposal conference will be held on Friday, January 21st, 2011 at 10 am in Metro’s Board Room, located on the 3rd floor of Metro’s Headquarters Building located at the address above.

n’t know what that was going to be,” Hastings classmate Valerie Purnell said. In her speech after defeating Cooley, the elder Harris evoked two former district attorneys who went on to become attorney general and governor: Edmund G. “Pat” Brown and Earl Warren. After Warren was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, he wrote the deci-

sion ending school desegregation that shaped Harris’ early schooling. It is a symmetry that she finds significant. Harris said the experience put her on the path to the attorney general’s office when she decided in elementary school that she would one day become a lawyer. “I thought it was a profession that was noble,” she said.

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Judge deals Jackson doc 2 setbacks with rulings BY ANTHONY MCCARTNEY AP ENTERTAINMENT WRITER

lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives. The doctor has pleaded not guilty and is due back in court on LOS ANGELES — A judge has January 25 for another arraignment. dealt the doctor charged in Michael Pastor made minimal comments Jackson’s death two setbacks, bringing on his ruling that there was enough evihim a step closer to a trial that could end dence for Murray, 57, to stand trial. But with him being sent to prison and also the judge was clear that he thought Jackson’s former personal physician may pose an “imminent danger” if allowed to keep his medical license. Murray’s attorney, Ed Chernoff, called the suspension the “nuclear option,” noting that Murray hadn't practiced medicine in California since Jackson’s death. “If you do that, he’s dead in the water,” Chernoff said. “He has no practice anymore. His patients have no doctor.” A prosecutor AP Photo by Reed Saxon portrayed Murray Security guard Alberto Alvarez, right, listens as his attor- in closing stateney Carl Douglas talks to reporters as they leave the pre- ments Tuesday as a liminary hearing for Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad doctor who showed Murray who is charged in the death of the singer, at Los poor medical judgment and who had Angeles Superior Court, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. cost the Jackson taking away his livelihood. family dearly. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge “Because of Dr. Murray’s actions, Michael Pastor on Tuesday told Dr. Michael is gone,” Deputy District Conrad Murray that after listening to six Attorney David Walgren said. “Because days of testimony at a preliminary hear- of Dr. Murray’s actions, Michael’s chiling, he thought there was enough evi- dren are left without a father.” dence to support a possible finding of On the final day of the preliminary guilt at trial for the cardiologist to be hearing, another of Murray’s attorneys convicted of involuntary manslaughter. grilled experts on the possibility that The ruling sets the stage for a high- Jackson somehow gave himself a fatal profile trial that will examine all aspects dose of propofol. of the pop star’s death and try to finally A coroner’s official and a prosecuplace responsibility for his demise at the tion expert said that while it’s possible age of 50. Jackson swallowed propofol when his Moments after he delivered the rul- doctor stepped out of his bedroom, it ing, Pastor also suspended Murray’s was unlikely. Both said if that’s what license to practice medicine in happened, it doesn’t change Murray’s California, a move that the physician's culpability. attorney warned could prompt two other Dr. Richard Ruffalo, an anesthesistate where he has clinics to do the same. ologist who testified as an expert witMurray has been charged with ness, said Murray expressed concern involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s about Jackson being addicted to the June 2009 death, with prosecutors accus- anesthetic in an interview with police ing him of providing the singer with a two days after the singer’s death. The

cardiologist told police he left Jackson alone to use the restroom, and when he returned the pop star wasn’t breathing. “It’s the same as having a heroin addict and leaving the syringe next to him and walking away,” said Dr. Richard Ruffalo, an anesthesiologist who testified as an expert witness. He said Murray lacked the proper medical equipment to properly monitor Jackson, who was receiving propofol to

help him sleep six nights a week for at least two months before he died. Ruffalo also didn’t properly attempt to revive Jackson, calling his attempts to perform CPR on the singer’s bed “useless.” The technique must be performed on a hard surface. Compounded with Murray’s delay in calling 911, which prosecutors said could have been as much as 21 minutes, the doctor’s treatment of Jackson repre-

sented an extreme deviation from the standard of care, Ruffalo said. Walgren made the point in his closing arguments, during which he placed the blame for Jackson’s death squarely on the doctor. “Michael is not here today because of an utterly inept, incompetent and reckless Dr. Conrad Murray,” Walgren said. AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this story.

Discover Now at the L.A. Zoo

AP Photo by Reed Saxon

Michael Jackson fan Lesley Cole, of Los Angeles, poses with her signs as she shows her support for the late singer outside the preliminary hearing forJackson’s doctor Conrad Murray, charged in the death of the singer, at Los Angeles Superior Court, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011.

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