LAWT-1-7-2010

Vol. XXX, No. 1161

January 7, 2010

SERVING LOS ANGELES COUNTY WITH NEWS YOU CAN USE

FIRST COLUMN

Desperate Somalis Seek ‘Back-Door’ Route to U.S.

BY AMY TAXIN AP WRITER

LANCASTER, Calif. (AP) — The asylum seeker from Somalia hung his head as an immigration judge grilled him about his treacherous journey from the Horn of Africa.

By air, sea and land, he finally made it to Mexico, and then a taxi delivered him into the arms of U.S. border agents at San Diego.

Islamic militants had killed his brother, Mohamed Ahmed Kheire testified, and majority clan members had beaten his sister. He had to flee the Somali capital Mogadishu to live.

The voice of the judge, beamed by videoconference from Seattle, crackled loudly over a speaker in the mostly empty courtroom near the detention yard in the desert north of Los Angeles. He wanted to know why Kheire had no family testimony to corroborate his asylum claim.

Kheire, 31, said he didn’t have e-mail in detention, and didn’t think to ask while writing to family on his perilous trek.

It seemed like the end of Kheire’s dream as he waited for the judge’s ruling. He clasped his hands, his plastic jail bracelet dangling from his wrist, and looked up at the ceiling, murmuring words of prayer.

Kheire is one of hundreds of desperate Somalis in the last two years to have staked everything on a wild asylum gamble by following immigration routes to the United States traditionally traveled by Latinos.

With the suspension of a U.S. refugee program and stepped-up security in the Gulf of Aden and along Mediterranean smuggling routes, more overseas migrants from Somalia are pursuing asylum through what one expert calls the “back door.”

“The U.S. has closed most of the doors for Somalis to come in through the refugee program so they’ve found alternative ways to get in,” said Mark Hetfield, senior vice president for policy and programs at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. “This is their new route.”

About 1,500 people from around the world showed up in U.S. airports and on the borders seeking asylum during the 2009 fiscal year, according to statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Somalis were the biggest group to make the journey, with most arriving in San Diego. More than 240 Somalis arrived during that period — more than twice the number from the year before.

Like Kheire, they have been shuttled to immigration detention centers in California while legal advocates have scurried to find lawyers and translators to help them navigate U.S. immigration courts.

Many end up defending themselves. Those who lose may remain temporarily.

Somalis may be deported, but immigrant advocates say authorities often do not send them back immediately because of difficulties making the trip.

For many, it has become increasingly dangerous to stay in Somalia. The African nation has not had a functional government since 1991 when warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other, plunging the country into chaos.

Somali refugees say they are fleeing repression by armed militias defending majority clans and the Islamic militant group alShabab, which has been labeled a See DESPERATE SOMALIS, page 10

AP Photo by DAMIAN DOVARGANES

COMING TO AMERICA — In this Nov. 16, 2009, photo, Somali asylumseeker Mohamed Kheire, right, consults with Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project detention attorney, James Lyall, at the Los Angeles Catholic Charities.

With the suspension of a U.S. refugee program and stepped-up security in the Gulf of Aden and along Mediterranean smuggling routes, more overseas migrants from Somalia are pursuing asylum through routes traditionally taken

by Latinos.

AP Photo by RICHARD VOGEL

AT THE ROSE PARADE — Tuskegee Airmen from the original Tuskegee fighter group ride on the City of West Covina’s float with its 2010 Rose Parade entry, “Tuskegee Airmen: A Cut Above,” as they move along Colorado Boulevard during the 121st Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan 1.

Activists Ramp Up Preparation for Ex-Cop’s Trial

BY THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA ASSISTANT EDITOR

A press conference and protest are scheduled for Jan. 8, 8 a.m., at the Criminal Justice Center on Temple Street by organizers with the newly formed Los Angeles Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant.

Johannes Mehserle, the former Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer indicted for the murder of Oscar Grant last year, will appear before L.A. County Superior Court Judge Robert Perry at 8:30 a.m.

It is the first hearing in the case in Southern California since an Alameda County Superior Court judge ruled last November that Mehserle’s murder trial be moved to Los Angeles.

More than 40 people representing a diverse cross section of Los Angeles communities met at Chuco’s Justice Center Jan. 3 to plan for actions on Jan. 8. The Oscar Grant activists and citizens who came together were united by at least two common threads: outrage at the slaying of Grant, and a belief that Mehserle should be convicted of murder.

Grant was shot in the back as he lay on his stomach by Mehserle on New Year’s Day 2009 on an Oakland subway platform. An attorney for Mehserle says the former transit officer had intended to use his

stun gun to subdue Grant and grabbed his service revolver by mistake.

The incident was caught on numerous cell phone cameras and widely distributed. According to media reports, Alameda Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay, who presided over Mehserle’s preliminary hearing in June last year, stated “there’s no doubt in my mind that Mr. Mehserle intended to shoot Oscar Grant with a gun and not a Taser.”

A call to Mehserle’s attorney, Michael Rains of Pleasanton, Calif., were not returned by press time.

Aidge Patterson, one of the organizers of the Jan. 3 meeting, said the goal was to begin the process of creating a unified movement for Grant in Los Angeles.

See OSCAR, page 11

Five Tips for Sticking to 2010 Money Resolutions

BY DAVID PITT AP PERSONAL FINANCE WRITER

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — New behaviors such as saving more and spending less are carrying over into the new year. At least that’s the best intention of many consumers making financial resolutions for 2010.

A couple of recent surveys indicate a majority of respondents want to resolve to manage their money better this year. One of the highest goals in a recent survey by online brokerage firm TD Ameritrade was starting or adding to a retirement savings account.

“Perhaps we’re seeing signs of the lessons learned from a struggling economy,” said Diane Young, the company’s director of retirement and goal planning.

The recession led many investors to retreat to the sidelines, and for some, this year’s goal is simply to put their money back to work.

Tom Trabocco, 68, resolves to keep a close eye out for stocks worthy of his investment, but he’s concerned about high unemployment and other factors that might stall the economy.

“I want to wait and if I see something good I’ll take a shot at it,” said Trabocco, a semiretired commodities trader from Rumson, N.J. “I’m not a long-term investor

at this stage. It’s hard to take a long position.”

If you’re among the masses who are planning to make investing, See RESOLUTIONS, page 7

NEWS IN BRIEF THE SOUTHLAND L.A. Airport Police Backs Full-Body Scanners (AP) — Airport police in Los Angeles want the federal government to use full-body scanners on every airline passenger.

The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association called on the Transportation Security Administration Jan. 4 to expand use of the scanners, which can detect nonmetal devices.

Los Angeles International Airport is one of 19 airports nationwide that have the scanning devices, but they are used only on selected passengers.

Airports have beefed up security since a passenger allegedly tried to detonate an explosive on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

Beginning Jan. 4, passengers traveling to the United States from 14 countries are now subject to fullbody pat-downs and other measures.

THE STATE More Budget Pain, Cuts Ahead for Calif. in 2010 SACRAMENTO (AP) — During last summer’s fiscal crisis, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger borrowed the title of a film classic to describe California’s budget, saying it contained “the good, the bad and the ugly.”

He was referring to welfare reforms and the streamlining of state boards that he was able to broker, along with deep spending cuts for schools, health care programs for the poor, and AIDS-prevention efforts. All that’s left in 2010 See BRIEFS, page 5

Page 2

L.A. WATTS TIMES

January 7, 2010

OPINION

The Realities of Race What’s Next – Muslim-Only and Global Power Lines at Airports?

EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON

BY KOKAYI KWA JITAHIDI

The thought is offensive, disgusting, and blatantly unconstitutional. But it’s hardly far-fetched.

Three years before suspected Nigerian airline terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was hauled off a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit, British Department of Transportation officials openly discussed corralling men of Asian or Middle Eastern appearance at airports for intense questioning, checks, and searches.

The plan outraged Muslim leaders and British officials backed off the systematic profiling of Muslims. However, single men of Asian and Middle Eastern appearance were still subject to intense checks and searches. Britain was not alone. France and the Netherlands had already imposed de facto profiling of Muslim-looking young men and families at airports since the 9/11 terror attacks.

Polls showed that a substantial majority of Europeans agreed that racial profiling was not repugnant if it made airline travel safer and thwarted a possible terror attack. The clamor for a racial crackdown was first heard in the United States following the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

Then-President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno had the good sense not rush to judgment and scapegoat Muslims. The swift arrest of Timothy McVeigh squelched the building-mob hysteria against them.

But it didn’t squelch public suspicions that all Muslims were potential terrorists.

The federal building bombing propelled Clinton’s 1996 Antiterrorism Act through Congress. Civil rights and civil liberties groups had waged a protracted battle against the bill. The law gave the FBI broad power to infiltrate groups, quash fundraising by foreigners, monitor airline travel, seize motel and hotel records, and trash due process by permitting the admission of secret evidence to expel immigrants. The implication was that present and future attacks would likely be launched by those with an Arab name and face rather than by men like McVeigh.

President George W. Bush, as Clinton, took the high ground after the 9/11 attack. He did not reflexively finger-point Muslims. The Bush administration publicly assured that profiling was reprehensible and violated legal and constitutional principles, and that it would not be done.

But the attack stirred tremors among Muslims that they would routinely be targeted, subject to search and surveillance, and profiled at airports.

The profiling alarm bells went off again after a soldier with a Muslim name shot up the military base at Fort Hood last November.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations wasted no time and issued a loud and vigorous denunciation of the mass killing. The council didn’t know at that moment whether Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged shooter, was a Muslim by birth, a convert, or even a Muslim at all. The name and the horrific murder spree was enough to drive the group to quickly distance itself from the rampage.

Other Muslim organizations instantly followed suit and issued their own equally strong disavowal of Hasan. This didn’t stop the pack of Fox Network commentators, conservative radio talk show hosts, writers, and some officials from, again, openly shouting for even tighter scrutiny of Muslim groups.

Terror suspect Abdulmutallab has simply raised the decibel level on their call for transportation officials to openly profile Muslims at airports, train stations, and even on the open highways.

Some elected officials have even jumped on the profiling bandwagon. Congressman Peter King, ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, predictably loudly called for the profiling of Muslims.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Assemblyman Dov Hikind went further and announced he’d reintroduce the bill he first introduced in 2005 to let police stop and search anyone they deem to be suspicious. Hikind didn’t specifically finger Muslims, but the intent of the bill was unmistakable, namely to target Muslims.

The New York Assembly will reject Hikind’s bill again. But the rejection isn’t likely to be unanimous. Legislators read the papers and the polls. Informal online polls taken immediately after Abdulmutallab’s failed terror attempt found that a majority of Americans are ready to turn a blind eye to law, the Constitution, and just plain human decency to target Muslims, any Muslim, for special scrutiny. No See HUTCHINSON, page 9

What Workers Want: Paid Sick Days

BY LINDA MERIC

Last year, in our tough economy, many of us asked for necessities and basics as holiday gifts. Among the gifts that would still mean the most to families is the passage of the Healthy Families Act, introduced by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, along with Representative Rosa DeLauro, in the 111th Congress this past May. It wasn’t the first time that federal legislation guaranteeing workers a minimum number of paid sick days had been introduced. Previous efforts were unsuccessful. But now, the Healthy Families Act has 145 Congressional co-sponsors and has been endorsed by the Obama administration.

So health professionals, civil rights groups, labor unions, educators, faith organizations, elected officials and women’s groups like 9to5 are optimistic about its passage.

There’s something wrong when workers have to choose between keeping a job and taking care of themselves or their families when someone gets sick. There’s something wrong when going to a routine medical appointment or other preventative care could result in a pink slip. There’s something wrong when a domestic violence survivor

seeking help or services is punished with the loss of her job.

There is so much at stake for women and their families here.

Women are still the ones who most often serve as caregivers when children, elderly parents, spouses or other relatives are ill. It is often mom who takes the children to get immunized or to other routine medical appointments. And, domestic violence disproportionately affects women.

But taking the time off to care for our families or ourselves puts us at risk for losing our jobs. A survey widely reported showed that 1 in 6 respondents had been fired, suspended, reprimanded or threatened on the job for taking time off when they or a loved one was sick, or they knew someone who had faced those dire consequences.

9to5 members without paid sick days, such as Latisha Carter in Milwaukee, report going to work with H1N1 flu rather than staying home to get better — and Carter was pregnant at the time — for fear of losing their jobs.

Those such as Tahirah Foster in Denver report being forced out of good jobs because of a lack of paid sick days. In Foster’s case, her employer refused to allow her to

balance her obligations at work with her obligations as a parent of a toddler with asthma.

People such as Angel Warner Linda Meric in Northern California report struggling mightily to stay well — using hand sanitizer constantly and wearing a protective mask at work. Warner doesn’t have paid sick days on the job and fears she’ll get sick with H1N1 as some of her co-workers have, losing pay or even her job as others have.

Warner just can’t afford that in these tough economic times.

No one should have to work under those conditions — especially since paid sick days are not only good for employees but good for employers, too.

When federal paid sick days legislation passes, the huge cost to employers of workers coming in sick, lowering productivity, and spreading contagions to other workers and customers will be mitigated.

When federal legislation passes, employers will no longer be saddled with the turnover, human resource and retraining costs associated with See MERIC, page 7

The great Pan-African leader Marcus Garvey once stated that, “Englishmen, Frenchmen, Germans, (and) Japanese” were spared from being lynched because they are represented by some of the most powerful nations in the world.

With this statement, Garvey was making a direct connection between the treatment of a particular social group and their degree of power.

Therefore, according to the argument, blacks and Latinos in the United States can expect to suffer all types of state-sanctioned abuse (i.e. police brutality, lack of medical care, poor schools) because they lack significant power over the social, political, and economic system in the country they live in.

Although Garvey uttered these words nearly a century ago, recent developments in the world have reinforced its significance. As was the case in Garvey’s day — one when, during a time, the world was coming out of the ashes of World War I — we are experiencing a global shift in power and influence.

China is now a world power, with India and Brazil at the brink.

Feeling vulnerable for the first time in centuries, European nations desperately banded together to form the European Union (EU) as a way to maintain political and economic power.

While the United States is still the most powerful nation on the planet, it no longer has a monopoly.

With mixed results in Afghanistan and Iraq and millions of dollars in debt owed to countries like China, America — according to many — is losing its firm grip around the world’s people and resources.

All of this creates an interesting dilemma for blacks and Latinos, who along with Native Americans,

have long occupied the bottom rung of U.S. society.

Centuries of slavery, racism, colonialism, legalized discrimination, economic exploitation and incar- Kokayi Kwa Jitahidi ceration have rendered a large number of people of color ill-prepared to acquire power domestically.

With U.S. global hegemony lessening, blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans are faced with an interesting situation.

On one hand, declining U.S. power hurts the nation’s ability to force other countries to buy its products, which shrinks market share for its corporations and economic growth at home. As a consequence, domestic jobs and services become fewer and fewer, with blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans — who are largely dependent upon the white power structure for life’s essentials — receiving even less. In other words, the poor could get poorer.

However, the situation possibly presents people of color a golden opportunity to destroy the oppressive social, political, and economic relationships that keep them in bondage.

Established elements of the white power structure may become extinct or significantly downsized as foreign governments and companies gain control of the world’s landscape and markets.

The void in power that could result from this scenario may be filled by blacks, Latinos, or Native Americans. Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency may be the first of many examples to come that illustrate the before-mentioned theory.

Whatever side one chooses, it is important to consider one of Garvey’s See KOKAYI, page 6

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January 7, 2010

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 3

BUSINESS BIZSHORTS Foreclosure Institute to Host Workshops

Living Trusts & Wills Seminar Coming Up

The California Foreclosure Institute will present two free workshops for investors and realtors on how to get started finding and buying foreclosure properties.

These two-hour workshops will be held Jan. 11, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the East Los Angeles Library, 4837 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, and Jan. 13, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Pasadena Library Auditorium, 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena.

The guest speaker at both workshops will be Lloyd Segal, author of “Stop Foreclosure Now” and “Foreclosure Investing.” Reservations are required for both workshops.

Information: www.foreclosure workshop.net, (888) 285-0101.

Attorney Caprice Collins will lead a seminar on “Living Trusts and Wills” Jan. 9, 10 a.m., at the Westchester-Loyola Library, 7114 W. Manchester Ave., Los Angeles.

This seminar is open to the public, but seating is limited. Information: (310) 677-9787, ext. 5, www.collinslawgroup.com.

‘Women on the Move’ Resource Fair Slated The Los Angeles City Commission on the Status of Women and others will present a forum and resource fair, which will include information about job training programs for women.

This event will take place Jan. 13, 6 to 8 p.m., at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 3300 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.

Information: cswrsvp@lacity. org, (213) 978-0300.

Black Worker Center to Present Community Dialogue A labor and community dialogue will be presented on what some call a job crisis in Los Angeles. The event, a joint effort between the Los Angeles Black Worker Center and Southern Christian Leadership Conference, will take place Jan. 16, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Security Officers Union of Los Angeles Union Hall (SOULA 2006), 828 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles.

Information: (213) 480-4155, ext. 210, lscuevas@irle.ucla.edu.

Number of People Receiving Unemployment Soars WASHINGTON (AP) — A record 20 million-plus people collected unemployment benefits at some point in 2009, a year that ended with the jobless rate at 10 percent.

See BIZSHORTS, page 7

Retirement Today: Don’t Wait Till You’re Old or Rich for Estate Plan

BY DAVE CARPENTER AP PERSONAL FINANCE WRITER

CHICAGO (AP) — Hiding thousands of dollars inside a book may be a clever way to foil burglars. But it’s less than ideal estate planning — especially when you don’t tell anyone what you’ve done.

Ted Sarenski, a financial planner in Syracuse, N.Y., tells the story of one such literary cache by way of reminding people to not only get organized about estate plans but to not keep them secret from loved ones.

It seems an elderly Pennsylvania man hung on to so many personal items that it took his children a year to go through the clutter after he died. His many books were targeted for charity or the garbage.

Then a book popped off a shelf and money fell out. By the time his kids went through the others, they tallied up about $15,000.

“People do strange things with documents and cash,” says Sarenski, who’s also an official with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. “Give that next generation an idea they might find some hidden treasure, if that’s what you’re doing.”

Sharing your plans is possible only after you make them, of course. Here are some essential priorities to focus on concerning estate planning: 1. Start Your Plan Now. Many people think of an estate plan as something for when you’re elderly or on your deathbed. But everyone needs one. An estate plan is a way to manage and protect your assets while you are alive as well, as to conserve and control their distribution after your death.

The end of the year provides an ideal time to finally get into gear on a task that typically languishes on the bottom of to-do lists — if it’s there at all.

“No one really wants to think about estate planning,” says Donna Morgan, an estate planning attorney at Mayer Brown in Chicago.

“But it’s much more pleasant to think about when you’re in good health. You can make better decisions and not be so upset by the issues when it all seems so theoretical and academic.”

2. Update Your Beneficiaries.

Check to see that your beneficiary designations are correct on your company pension plan, life insurance policy, 401(k), IRA or other retirement accounts.

Failing to update them is perhaps the most common error in estate planning. Ex-spouses or parents who are no longer alive remain listed all too often, leaving your money to go where it wasn’t intended. Your children or siblings may get what your deceased parents would have. But you probably don’t want to have to count on a probate court and state law to decide how it’s divvied up.

Putting an extra name on an account is a similar mistake. When an elderly parent puts a child on a bank or mutual fund account for convenience sake, the child can take what’s left when the parent dies. Account titling takes precedence over a will or trust so, in this case, siblings might be left without an inheritance.

“These mistakes can cost you and your beneficiaries a lot of money,” says Leonard Wright, a San Diego accountant.

3. Name a Guardian.

The hardest decision for many couples is naming a guardian for their minor children — his parents, her parents, a sibling, friends? It’s a weighty request to make of any loved one, and not being chosen could cause hurt feelings too. So See RETIREMENT, page 6

Empower your dreams Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. More than that, he had an indomitable spirit, a dedication to community service and a clear vision of our nation, not as it was, but how it could be. He taught us dreams are nothing without action. That’s why Wells Fargo is committed to working with you and your community through national partnerships, grants for nonprofit organizations and financial education programs. Now is the time for all of us to recommit ourselves to our financial goals, our families and our communities. Wells Fargo honors and supports the national King Day of Service on January 18, 2010.

wellsfargo.com

© 2010 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC.

Page 4

L.A. WATTS TIMES

January 7, 2010

COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MEETINGS, FORUMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS King Week 2010 to Launch King Week 2010 will kick off with a press conference Jan. 8, 9 to 11 a.m., on the First Street Steps of City Hall.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles and the SCLC Dream Foundation will present the event.

Information: Personal Services Plus Inc., (909) 949-7585, events@personalservicesplus.com, http://sclclosangeles.org.

Christian Assembly Seeks Volunteers (Christian Assembly) — Every weekend, more than 2,200 people walk through the doors of Christian Assembly Church in the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles. The goal of staff is to provide a safe, comfortable, and fun experience for each person that attends services. The church achieves this goal with the help of more than 200 volunteers each weekend.

Volunteers are placed on a team that serves one service every four weeks.

WHAT’S GOING ON?

Helpers are needed for Kids’ Church, the First Impressions Team and the Tech Team, including ushers, parking lot attendants, teachers, team leaders, greeters, sound technicians and camera operators.

Kids’ Church information: Martinique, MartiniqueP@caeaglerock.com.

First Impressions & Tech Team information: Christy, ChristyL@caeaglerock.com.

Deadline for receipt of What’s Going On listings is Friday, 12 p.m., at least two weeks prior to activity.

Fax to: (213) 251-5720, e-mail us at lawattsnus@aol.com or mail to: L.A. Watts Times, 3540 Wilshire Blvd., PH3, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

CANDIDATES FORUM — The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, will host a candidates town hall meeting regarding the Long Beach City Council race.

This meeting will take place Jan. 13, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the main hall of the United Auto Workers Local 147, 3971 Pixie Ave., Lakewood. The Long Beach primary election will take place April 13. Information: (213) 381-5611.

H.I.P. — The Hollywood Institute of Poetics and the MoE Green Poetry Show will be at Stories Books and Café, 1716 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, on Jan. 8, 8 to 10 p.m.

Featured performers include XochitlJulisa Bermejo, Trish Falin, Sy Hoahwah and Jenifer Rae Vernon.

Information: (213) 413-3733, www. storiesla.com.

TENNIS — The Venus and Serena Williams Tennis Academy will begin its next eight-week adult group tennis classes Jan. 11 through March 5. Each eight-week session includes one class per week on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday from 7 to 8 p.m. and costs $11 per class,

L.A. Animal Services to Present Mobile Pet Adoption Fair (City of L.A.) — L.A. Animal Services will present a mobile pet adoption fair Jan. 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Hesse Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd., in Rancho Palos Verdes.

There will be a variety of dogs and cats from the services’ Harbor Animal Care Center available for adoption.

Bring cash or check for adoption fees.

Information: (888) 4-LAPET-1, laanimalservices.com.

$88 total. Adults of all levels can come out. All classes will take place at the Rancho Cienega Sports Complex’s Arthur Ashe Tennis Courts, 5001 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles. Limited space is available.

Information: www.tenniswithle george.com, (323) 392-6864.

CAMPING — Registration is under way for the 2010 season of weekend excursions to Camp Seely in the San Bernardino mountains.

The trips give families and other residents an opportunity to experience two days of outdoor activities, including hiking and other exploring, spending time with nature, or just relaxing. Indoor activities will also be available. Outings will be offered in 2010 on the weekends of March 13 to 14; April 17 to 18; May 15 to 16; June 5 to 6; Sept. 11 to 12; and Oct. 16 to 17. There are fees involved that cover the cost of meals as well as a heated sleeping cabin for each group and many activities. Information: (213) 4854853. “ S AV I O R S O F T H E NATION” — “Olugbala” means “saviors of the nation” in the Yoruba language. The first Olugbala Day Celebration will take place Jan. 12, 6 to 9 p.m., at Ras Bob’s Bles-sed Love Books, 1404 W. Vernon Ave., Los Angeles. This event will celebrate the life of Khalid Abdul Muhammad and

other “olugbalas” in the community and is sponsored by the Kwanzaa Kalenda Project. There will be videos and discussions to follow. Information: (323) 292-5215, (323) 7998409.

TELESEMINAR — “Overcome Fear to Reach Your Goals” is a free teleseminar that will be held Jan. 9, 8 to 9 a.m. Rosalind Henderson, of Passion Driven Wealth, will share strategies that are aimed at helping build emotional resilience and overcome “stinkin’ thinkin’.”

The call-in number for this seminar is (712) 432-0075 and the participant access code is 647674. Information: rozzy9315@sbcglobal. net POLITICAL PRISONERS — The Baobab Project will meet Jan. 16, 5 p.m., at the AFIBA Center, 5730 S. Crenshaw Blvd., between Slauson Avenue and 57th Street. People will write letters/ cards to send to political prisoners/prisoners of war within the United States and the study subjects will be Sundiata Acoli and Herman Bell, both of whom have birthdays on Jan. 14. The purpose of the project is to break down the alienation and the isolation these prisoners are subjected to by providing a lifeline to the “outside” world. Information: (424) 2004968, blkaugustla@gmail.com.

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January 7, 2010

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 5

COMMUNITY BRIEFS Continued from page 1 is the ugly.

California faces a nearly $21 billion shortfall over the next 18 months, a deficit that comes after years of making deep cuts in core state programs.

Enrollment in California classrooms could swell, public colleges may further limit enrollment and raise student fees, state workers could face another year of furloughs, and the poor may stop receiving welfare unless Schwarzenegger and lawmakers agree to raise revenue.

“It will be an absolutely hard and difficult year,” said Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, who is exploring a run for attorney general.

THE NATION Eunice Johnson, of Johnson Publishing Company, Dies CHICAGO (AP) — Eunice Johnson, the widow of Ebony magazine founder John Johnson and a fashion maven who ran thousands of traveling runway shows aimed at black audiences, has died. She was 93.

Johnson died Jan. 3 of renal fail- Eunice Johnson ure at her Chicago home, said Wendy Parks, a spokeswoman for the Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Company Inc., on Jan. 4.

Johnson had been the director and producer of the Ebony Fashion Fair since 1961. The traveling highfashion charity event that showcases black designers and models is staged in nearly 200 cities each year. Ads for the show have featured singer Aretha Franklin, and actor Richard Roundtree made his debut as a model with the show.

Along with her husband, Johnson developed a popular makeup and skin-care line — Fashion Fair Cosmetics — specifically for women of color. The products are sold in many high-end department stores.

She was a secretary-treasurer of Johnson Publishing, which produces JET and Ebony, two of the longest-running black-oriented magazines in the country.

Obama Says ‘Dots’ Not Connected in Airline Attack WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama asserted on Jan. 5 that the government had enough information to foil the attempted bombing on a Christmas Day airline flight but intelligence agencies “failed to connect those dots.”

Obama called that unacceptable. “I will not tolerate it,” he said.

The accused attacker, 23-yearold Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has claimed ties to alQaida. Witnesses said he ignited an explosive mixture but it failed to do serious damage to the Northwest jetliner or its passengers, and he was subdued by other passengers and airline crew members on the Detroitbound Northwest Airlines flight.

Feds Probe Obama Effigy in Jimmy Carter’s Hometown PLAINS, Georgia (AP) — The U.S. Secret Service says it is investigating an effigy of President Barack Obama found hanging by a noose

from a building in the hometown of former President Jimmy Carter.

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan told The Associated Press that the large black doll was found the morning of Jan. 2 along Main Street in the small town of Plains.

Footage from WALB-TV shows the doll was hanging by a noose in front of a red, white and blue sign that says “Plains, Georgia. Home of Jimmy Carter, our 39th President.” A witness told the station that the doll had a sign with Obama’s name on it.

DeLaughter Reports to Prison OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Bobby DeLaughter, who as a prosecutor and judge put thousands of people behind bars, reported to prison Jan. 4.

DeLaughter attracted worldwide attention as he pursued and won a case against Byron De La Beckwith for the 1963 assassination of Medgar Evers, field secretary for the Mississippi National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Beckwith, sentenced to life in prison, died in 2001.

On July 30, DeLaughter stepped down as a Hinds County circuit judge and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in a corruption investigation involving multimillionaire and former lawyer Dickie Scruggs.

The Clarion-Ledger reported Jan. 3 that DeLaughter had requested to serve his 18-month sentence in federal prison in Pensacola, Fla., or Montgomery, Ala., so his wife, Peggy, could visit, but the Bureau of Prisons decided he would serve his time more than 600 miles away at the federal prison in McCreary, Ky.

THE DIASPORA

KWANZAA — The Lula Washington Dance Theatre held its 19th annual Photos by EARL GIBSON III Kwanzaa celebration Dec. 29 and 30 at its facility on South Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the dance company’s ongoing programs including its dance school, youth scholarships and local performances. Pictured (left): Adama Ideozu dances with the Kwanzaa Unity Cup in her hand; (right) dancers in the Harambee Suite of the Kwanzaa celebration.

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Nairobi Buses on Strike Over Police Shakedowns NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Thousands of Nairobi residents are being forced to walk long distances to work after the owners of privately owned buses that many laborers depend on began a three-day strike Jan. 4 to protest police shakedowns.

Dickson Mbugua, the chairman of an association representing the bus owners and workers, said transport drivers pay police more than $20 million a year in bribes. Mbugua says the shakedowns are crippling their businesses and that no action has been taken by the government despite numerous complaints.

“A police officer from the traffic department goes home every day with no less than 5,000 shillings ($65) in his pockets ... all gained through extortion,” Mbugua said.

The average monthly salary for a Nairobi police officer is about $200. The international anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International ranks Kenya’s police force as East Africa’s most corrupt institution.

National police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said steps have been taken to apprehend police officers demanding bribes from public transport operators.

“Bus operators and the public in general are assured that every possible effort is being made to ensure that traffic police officers are courteous and honest in their dealings with motorists,” Kiraithe said in a statement.

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Page 6

L.A. WATTS TIMES

January 7, 2010

ARTS & CULTURE RETIREMENT

SHORT TAKES moving forward after financial ruin. Although a work of fiction, part of the intent of the book, which retails for $14, is to inspire women to reassess their financial status. Information: www.simon andschuster.com.

• “Street Shadows: A Memoir of Race, Rebellion and Redemption” is scheduled to be published as a Bantam Hardcover Jan. 26. This coming-of-age story by Chicago-born writer Jerald Walker,

CONCERT • The artist known as The Man I.B.E. will present his soon-to-bereleased new single, “Next To Me,” Jan. 8, 7 to 10 p.m., at the Krst Unity Center of Afrakan Spirituality, 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles. Also performing at this event will be Keisha Harvey, Michelle Johnson and Raaki Solomon. The Man I.B.E. is known as a performer on the Venice boardwalk for the past 10 years. Information: (310) 722-7470, raakisol@ hotmail.com.

EXHIBIT • Photo L.A. 2010 is the 19th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition. This event will be held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Jan. 14 to 17. The opening-night reception on Jan. 14, which will be from 6 to 9 p.m., will benefit the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and will be hosted by photographer David LaChapelle and actor/photographer Christopher Lowell. Photo L.A. 2010 will be open Jan. 15 and 16, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Jan. 17, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for a one-day pass, $30 for a three-day pass, and $10 for lectures. Tickets to the openingnight reception are $75 and all exhibition, lecture, and opening- night benefit reception tickets are available for purchase in advance or at the door. Information: www. photola. com, www.lacma.org/art/ photola.aspx, photola@lacma. org.

Ku Klux clan symbol was placed on her home, and how that incident would foretell the intimate forms of discrimination that would define her childhood. The author, who is the first black female professor of history at Yale University, is scheduled to sign copies of the book Jan. 18, 2 p.m., at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, and Jan. 20, 7 p.m., at Border’s Books and Music, 2110 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach. Information: www.theblackgirlnext door.com.

• The duo of Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant are scheduled to release their sixth novel, “What Doesn’t Kill You,” on Jan. 12. The 304-page paperback book tells a semi-autobiographical story of

• “The Black Girl Next Door: A Memoir” was released as a paperback by Touchstone Books/ Simon & Schuster Jan. 5. The 320page book tells the coming-of-age story of Jennifer Baszile, a member of the first generation of Americans born after segregation became outlawed in the United States. In the book, which retails for $15, Baszile recounts stories of her childhood, spent in the affluent suburb of Palos Verdes Estates, and incidences such as the time when a

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Jan. 7, 1891 Zora Neale Hurston, writer, anthropologist and folklorist, is born in Alabama. Her family moves to Eatonville, Fla., when she’s a toddler. Hurston would go on to become one of the most successful black woman writers of the 20th century, publishing four novels, two books of folklore, an autobiography, numerous short stories, and several essays, articles, and plays in her lifetime.

Source: blackfacts.com

Continued from page 3 frequently couples do nothing.

Don’t dodge a decision with such important consequences.

“You can always change your choice in the future, but don’t get frozen,” Morgan advises. “It’s better than having nothing in place.”

Free legal information about guardianship can be found at Nolo.com.

4. Prepare or Update Your Will.

A will directs the distribution of your assets after you die. If you have children, don’t make the common mistake of assuming they will work things out. More likely, lawyers will.

State law decides how assets are divided and who gets what if you die without a will. In most states, the surviving spouse gets only a third to a half of the estate, and the rest goes to your children or otherwise to any living parents.

Hiring a lawyer to write your will may cost at least several hundred dollars, but may be worth it to avoid a much costlier process that could take months to resolve your estate otherwise. For simple estates, an online will may be enough. Go to LegalZoom.com or Nolo.com to find out about basic online wills that can cost under $100.

5. Anticipate Your Health Care Needs.

Get an advance directive.

Often used synonymously with “living will,” an advance directive is a legal document that allows you to specify how you want to be cared for if you become so ill or incapacitated that you’re unable to make decisions about your health.

Create one that incorporates a health care power of attorney, which specifies who you want to

act on your behalf.

You don’t have to pay for a lawyer to do this. Caring Connections, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, offers free downloads of the advance directive or living will form for each state at: www.caringinfo.org/stateaddownload.

6. Make Documents Readily Available.

Many people name siblings or their children as the executor of their will but don’t discuss what they have. As with the hidden cash, don’t force your heirs to sort through your home hoping to locate all your holdings and financial records.

Make sure all important documents are readily available along with contact information for attorneys and advisers. Consider compiling a notebook that details bank accounts, IRAs, insurance policies and the like. Then let your executor(s) know.

7. Convert to a Roth.

Set yourself up for tax-free income in your retirement — consider converting from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. A new rule that went into effect in January allows people making more than $100,000 to do so for the first time.

The argument for doing this includes getting taxes out of the way now instead of later, when many think rates may be higher.

The money in a Roth IRA also will grow tax-free. And you aren’t required to withdraw the money starting at age 701/2, as with a traditional IRA or 401(k); you can just let it continue to grow. That can help keep retirement savings flush until they are needed, and allow you to possibly pass along a nest egg to your heirs.

KOKAYI Continued from page 2 other teachings. He believed that “the only protection against injustice is Power — Physical, Financial, and Scientific.” Physical power, meaning the ability to defend oneself against attack and violence; financial power, meaning the ability to accumulate and increase material resources to provide for the people’s needs; scientific power, meaning the ability to develop methods and tools necessary to master one’s environment.

When considering Garvey’s criteria for power, it would appear that blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans have a long way to go to effectively grab social, political, and economic power within the United States. As mentioned earlier, Ameri-

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ca’s system of oppression has ensured such a reality.

Until we develop a new game plan, people of color will be largely left with an overdependence on government services and protection, social protest, and mainstream political activity as its core tenets of change. While the positive value of these tenets cannot be discounted or ignored, we must admit that they — in isolation — cannot and will not build power.

As Garvey taught nearly a century ago, and countries like China and India are proving today, power requires a long-term plan and commitment to building leadership and expertise in areas that develop a group’s skills, create group unity, and produce things that fill needs.

Maybe then, blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans will truly be protected from the abuses they are currently subjected to.

Kokayi Kwa Jitahidi is a community organizer with the Families for Community Safety Campaign, a grassroots effort to create a more just and peaceful society by holding law enforcement officers accountable for their actions. FCSC seeks to work with all sectors of the community including political organizations, elected officials, and residents in general. Jitahidi can be reached at bro.kokayi@gmail.com.

January 7, 2010

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 7

ARTS & CULTURE BIZSHORTS Continued from page 3 As the pace of layoffs slows, the number of new applicants visiting unemployment offices has been on the decline in recent months.

But limited hiring means the ranks of the long-term unemployed continues to grow, with more than 5.8 million people out of work for more than six months.

The number of new claims for jobless benefits dropped recently to 432,000, the Labor Department said, down sharply from its late March peak of 674,000. The decline signals that the economy could begin adding a small number of jobs in January, several economists said.

AT&T is Latest to End Tiger Woods Sponsorship NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T Inc. said that it would no longer

RESOLUTIONS Continued from page 1 saving or managing money a financial resolution, keep in mind these five tips that should help you succeed: 1. Set a well-defined goal.

For example, you may have a goal to start an emergency fund.

Figure out how much it would take to pay your household necessities for three months or six months, whatever cushion you determine would give you peace of mind.

Then start setting aside enough from each paycheck to reach your goal.

2. Budget for it.

Allocate money every month to your financial resolutions, and trim expenses that may be keeping you from reaching your goals.

Budgeting tools are available online. Mint.com offers a useful free tool at www.mint.com/budget.

3. Pay yourself first.

Consider using automatic payroll deduction or a monthly deduction from your checking or savings account. View your savings as a bill that you need to pay like any other. Giving it a higher priority will ensure that it builds over time.

Keep in mind an online savings account will limit your immediate access to funds so you won’t be as tempted to raid your savings for purposes other than your intended goal.

4. Keep your list short.

Too many resolutions will lead to frustration and you’ll give up. A list of three to five goals can optimize your momentum.

5. Make it personal.

Create a list by thinking about what worries you, the things that keep you up at night. Accomplishing these tasks could remove some stress. Don’t just set a goal

MERIC Continued from page 2 firing some employees and hiring new ones.

When the Healthy Families Act passes, it will be a win for workers, a win for their employers, a win for our schools and communities, and a win for all of us.

We must speak out. Contact our members of Congress. Remind them that we’re moving into an election

sponsor Tiger Woods, joining Accenture in dropping support for the world’s top golfer, who’s taking a break from the sport to focus on his marriage after his admitted infidelity.

The phone company hasn’t used Woods’ image extensively in advertising, but its logo appeared on his golf bag. That deal had been billed as a “multiyear” agreement when it was signed early in 2009, after Buick ended its endorsement one year early because of its financial woes.

Woods has also been the host of the AT&T National PGA Tour event since it started in 2007. Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said that since Woods is on indefinite leave from professional golf, he will not serve as host for the 2010 event.

However, his Tiger Woods Foundation will continue to be the beneficiary of the AT&T National, under a contract that runs through 2014.

“Harlem Nights in Hollywood” was held Dec. 31 at Siren Studios in Hollywood.

During the New Year’s Eve bash, actor Mekhi Phifer also celebrated his birthday.

Model and TV host Claudia Jordan hosted the event. Pictured (left to right): Singer Cassadra Batie and actor Joe Torry.

because it’s what you think you’re supposed to do. A goal can also be something that excites you, perhaps a European vacation or saving for a down payment on a house or a car.

It’s one thing to make a resolution about money, quite another to keep it. The TD Ameritrade survey showed 60 percent of resolution makers in 2008 were resolution keepers.

That means a lot of us fail.

Psychotherapist Judith Barr says for many, annual resolutions are not all that serious. In many ways, New Year’s resolutions have become a joke, she said.

If you’re serious about making a change this year, whether it’s to lose weight, quit smoking, or fix your finances, you need to make a promise to do it no matter what obstacles surface.

“Make a commitment that’s solid and know every step of the way that things will come up,” said Barr, who practices in Brookfield, Conn., and is the author of “Power Abused, Power Healed.” “We need to learn not to use them as justification to break the commitment, but to explore them.”

One thing is clear in the current environment: Many people are determined not to get stuck in another economic downturn without enough knowledge to make informed decisions.

More than 80 percent of participants in a recent Fidelity Investments survey said they are likely to learn more about financial topics in 2010. The two most mentioned are setting financial goals and saving for retirement.

Perhaps most important, nearly 90 percent said the economic events of 2008 will give them impetus to stick with their resolutions. year and they must voice their support for this basic labor standard now. Tell them you want them to finish Sen. Kennedy’s work by making the gift of paid sick days a reality for the 50 million workers who lack paid sick days and the 100 million workers who don’t have a sick day they can use to care for an ill child or other family member.

Linda Meric is executive director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women.

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Page 8

L.A. WATTS TIMES

January 7, 2010

EDUCATION On the Money: When is it Too Late for a 529 Plan?

NOTEBOOK Nine California Mayors Press for Race to the Top Bill SACRAMENTO (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The mayors of Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest cities are urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers to meet a fast-approaching deadline to compete for federal education funds.

The mayors of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento released a joint letter on the issue Dec. 29. They were joined by the mayors of San Jose, Fresno, Long Beach, Santa Ana and Anaheim.

The mayors are asking state leaders to pass a bill that would allow California to compete for a share of $4.3 billion in education reform funding. The competition â&#x20AC;&#x201D; known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Race to the Topâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was set up by the Obama administration to improve schools.

California has about two weeks left to qualify for the competition. Lawmakers have indicated they plan to take up the measure sometime this year.

Off Track Youth Enrichment Program (City of L.A.) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The City of Los Angelesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Off Track Youth Enrichment Program will run Monday through Friday through March 30, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Off Track Youth Enrichment is a year-round program for children ages 5 to 18. This free program provides children a healthful lunch and learning opportunities in a supervised setting.

Information: (213) 485-9288, Carolyn.James@lacity.org.

LAUSD Wins Judgment Against Two Overpaid Teachers (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Officials say most of the 35,000 Los Angeles Unified School District employees who were overpaid by nearly $60 million in 2007 because of a faulty payroll system have repaid the excess money or arranged payment plans.

School district attorney Dave

Holmquist said two teachers were ordered by the court last month to return about $148,000 in overpayments, although officials have not been able to contact the teachers.

Holmquist said others who refuse to pay will also be sued.

The district said about 2,400 former and current employees still owe money and the average amount is under $5,000, but it also said it is still trying to determine how many employees were overpaid. Some were underpaid and some not at all.

Holmquist says those who refuse to repay are stealing money needed to save jobs.

Central Michigan University Sends Science Supplies to Schools in Ghana MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.

(AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Seven-hundred pounds of books, lab equipment, and other science materials are in the hands of children in seven schools in Ghana, thanks to the efforts of Central Michigan University.

Faculty members and student teachers from the Mount Pleasant campus recently returned from Ghana and said the children were thrilled to get the supplies.

Annual delivery of school supplies to Ghana began in 2006.

The program was launched by science education faculty member Jim McDonald and the late Education and Human Services Dean Karen Adams.

McDonald supervises Central Michigan students who do their student teaching in the Ghanaian village of Tema.

The university started the program in 2004.

Information: www.cmich.edu/ ehs/x17804.xml, http://tinyurl.com/ yl5st5h.

Facts Jan. 9, 1866 Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., opens its doors to â&#x20AC;&#x153;freedmenâ&#x20AC;? less than a year after the end of the Civil War. Source: blackfacts.com

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BY CANDICE CHOI AP PERSONAL FINANCE WRITER

NEW YORK (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Your child is in high school. Is it too late to start a 529 college savings plan?

The reluctance to dive in so late in the game is understandable, given the stock market swoons in the past two years. You might worry about not recovering from any turbulence in time.

As with retirement funds, however, there are 529 options for investors of every stripe. That means that even if your child is just a few years away from college, there could still be reason to open an account. If your child is a college freshman, you could sock money away for the final years of schooling.

For the uninitiated, 529 plans encourage families to save by letting them withdraw proceeds tax free for college, including tuition, books and room and board. Each state offers its own plans, but generally you can pick one from any state. Some states offer perks for selecting a plan from home.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking about opening an account, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what to consider.

Tax and Other Benefits Many states offer financial incentives for 529 plan contributions. So you can still reap benefits, even if the money wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be in an account for long.

In Pennsylvania, you can deduct up to $13,000 in contributions from taxable income if you invest in the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program. That alone could save a couple hundred dollars in the year you make contributions.

Given the short time horizon, consider fund options within the 529 plan that protect your contributions. These may be called â&#x20AC;&#x153;principal protection,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;stable valueâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;guaranteed optionâ&#x20AC;? funds. The returns may not be as high, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll still likely beat current CD rates, notes Peter Mazareas, vice chair of College Savings Foundation, which tracks the industry.

TIAA-CREF, for example, promises a minimum annual interest rate of 1 percent to 3 percent on its

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guaranteed option fund in Georgia.

And as with any 529 plan, distributions are tax free.

Some states also offer matching contributions for lower-income families. A Kansas plan, for example, matches up to $600 a year for households that earn less than twice the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that means income would have to be below about $44,100 to qualify.

Calibrating Risk Most states offer fund options designed to limit risk based on a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age. These funds spread assets over a mix of stocks, bonds, and short-term investments or money market accounts.

As the child grows older, a larger share of the funds are automatically shifted out of stock and into more stable investments.

For example, Vanguardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agebased plans for high school juniors allocate a maximum of 25 percent stocks for aggressive investors.

Moderate and conservative plans for the same age have no stock exposure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The analogy is very similar to retirement funds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; you should be more aggressive the more time you have,â&#x20AC;? said Mazareas of the College Savings Foundation.

As with any mutual fund, there are inherent risks with 529 plans. So even with age-based plans, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no guarantee youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a set dollar amount by the time your child is ready for college. The blend of stocks and bonds also varies by firm, so be sure you know the specific mix of the plan youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re considering.

To get a sense of how plans with different asset mixes fared during the recent market swings, consider a Vanguard plan that is fixed at 50 percent stock. If you put $10,000 into the fund on Sept. 30, 2007, before the market began its descent, it would be worth $9,768 as of Nov. 30.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assuming there were no additional contributions.

Compare that to a Vanguard plan that was 25 percent stock; that $10,000 contribution would be worth $10,720 as of Nov. 30. In a plan with no stock exposure, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be worth $11,385.

Avoiding Fees If your child is already in high school, minimizing fees should be a priority.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one reason to avoid adviser-sold plans, which usually charge commissions of 5 percent to 6 percent of the contribution. For a $10,000 contribution, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $500 to $600. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to pull the money out in year or two, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make sense to pay that,â&#x20AC;? said John Heywood, who heads the 529 business at Vanguard.

Families tend to go with adviser-sold plans if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already working with a broker. Others simply prefer making financial decisions with professional guidance.

But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re comfortable picking a plan on your own, you can get a direct-sold plan from the state planâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site or the investment firm that handles it.

To start researching, go to www.SavingForCollege.com, which gives quarterly updates ranking the top performing plans. The site also monitors fees for directsold plans; its latest study found Ohio, Kansas, and Illinois have some of the lowest-cost options.

You can also compare plans by features such as matching contributions and enrollment fees.

Other Concerns A common concern is that building a sizable 529 account will hurt your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to win financial aid. But as long as the plan is in a parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name (with the child as a beneficiary), the impact should be minimal when applying for aid.

Only a small percentage of parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; savings are assessed in aid formulas.

If you put the 529 in a grandparentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or other relativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no impact on aid applications.

Another worry is that your child will decide not to attend college. One option in that scenario is to change the beneficiary of the plan to a younger sibling, future grandchildren or even yourself. If you ultimately need to tap your 529 for reasons other than college, the earnings will be taxable at your ordinary income rate plus a 10-percent penalty rate.

All told, there are myriad factors to consider when opening a 529 plan â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not just a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age. If you decide itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right for you, you can start estimating how much you need to save each month at www.

SallieMae.com/invest.

This is personal.

She was the cornerstone of our family. But my mother died of colon cancer when she was only 56. Let my heartbreak be your wake-up call.

Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer in the U.S., but screening helps prevent this disease.

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Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer in the U.S., but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largely preventable.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 50 or older, please get screened.

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January 7, 2010

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 9

HEALTH THE PULSE Recommended Ways to Live Healthier in New Year (Fresh & Easy) — Supermarket chain Fresh & Easy has outlined ways to be healthier in the New Year. Their methods are below.

Walk around the block.

Walking is a low-impact exercise.

It not only manages weight, but the activity can also lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Start with 20 minutes a day and work your way up to a 30-minute brisk walk five days a week.

An apple a day. It is recommended that Americans eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Start with at least one serving a day, slowly building it up to five.

Reduce empty calories. While tempting, chips, candy, sugary juices and sodas have no nutritional value and are therefore considered foods and beverages with empty calories.

Breakfast. Avoid convenient breakfast foods like donuts and muffins. One large blueberry muffin can have more than 600 calories and an excess of 30 grams of fat.

Salads as an entrée. Salads are low in calories and contain a lot of fiber. Choose dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach topped with grilled chicken breast, walnuts or almonds, and fresh fruits like raspberries or apple slices.

Desserts. It’s OK to eat dessert after a meal, but instead of fruit custard, cut fresh fruit to make a fruit salad and top with light whipped cream. Choose sugar-free popsicles or fudgesicles instead of ice cream.

Customers Back AmmoniaTreated Beef After Report (AP) — Restaurant chains and beef processors defended their products’ safety Dec. 31 after a report that an ammonia treatment thought to kill harmful germs in meat isn’t as effective as the industry and regulators believed.

Citing government and industry records, The New York Times reported that E. coli and salmonella were found dozens of times in testing for the federal school lunch program on ammonia-treated beef from Beef Products Inc. The meat was not served.

Fast-food chains McDonald’s Corp. and Burger King Holdings Inc. and agricultural conglomerate Cargill Inc. all use the meat in their hamburgers. All said they’ll keep using the meat and that their products are safe.

Calif. Health Officials Issue Candy Warning SACRAMENTO (AP) — The California Department of Public Health is warning consumers not to eat Chen PiMei Candy imported from China and Ticorindo Candy from Mexico after tests found unacceptable levels of lead.

State public health director Mark Horton said both candies were found to contain as much as .14 parts per million of lead.

California considers candies with lead levels in excess of .10 parts

per million to be contaminated.

Ticorindo candy is sold at Dollar Max stores in Southern California and is packaged in clear plastic with the word ‘Ticorindo’ in bright red and yellow letters.

Chen PiMei Candy is sold in clear plastic bags with a large green rectangle containing Chinese characters and the candy’s name.

The CDPH says it is working with the candies’ distributors to remove them from store shelves.

Did Americans Get Any Healthier Over Past Decade?

ATLANTA (AP) — About 10 years ago, the U.S. government set some lofty health goals for the country to reach by 2010. By many measures, Americans didn’t do so well. There are more obese Americans than a decade ago, not fewer. They eat more salt and fat, not less. More of them have high blood pressure. More U.S. children have untreated tooth decay.

But the country has made at least some progress on many other goals. Vaccination rates improved.

Most workplace injuries are down. And death rates from stroke, cancer and heart disease are all dropping.

The government is now analyzing how well the United States met its 2010 goals and drawing up a new set of goals for 2020 expected to be more numerous and — perhaps — less ambitious.

About 41 percent of the 1990 measurable goals were achieved.

For the 2000 goals, it was just 24 percent.

As for the 2010 goals, data is still being collected, and a final report is not due out until 2011.

But it looks like the results will be in the neighborhood of 20 percent, according to a preliminary analysis by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

Information: www.healthy people.gov.

Medicare Officials Plan for Health Stimulus Funds WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicare officials have detailed plans to distribute billions of dollars in stimulus to upgrade the nation’s paper medical records to electronic files.

Under the proposal, doctors and hospitals that keep updated electronic medical records of their patients could receive bonus payments for using the software.

Officials for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stressed to reporters on a conference call that the proposal is preliminary and won’t be finalized until next spring. The proposal was posted to the agency’s Web site.

Using electronic records could reduce costly medical errors and duplicative testing, according to Obama administration officials.

Health care providers have been waiting for clarity on who will be eligible for stimulus payments because the law, signed early last year, says only that health care providers must show “meaningful use” of health information technology.

See THE PULSE, page 10

Diet and Exercise: Calorie Counts on Menus Force Hard Choices

BY MEGAN K. SCOTT AP WRITER

NEW YORK (AP) — Alejandra Ramos has lost her appetite for the occasional carnitas burrito from Chipotle, the frozen frappucino from Starbucks, and the blueberry muffin from Dunkin’ Donuts.

And she’s not happy about it.

“Once they put up the calorie counts, then suddenly I was like, ‘I can’t eat this, this is a whole day’s worth of calories,’ ” said Ramos, 26, of her Chipotle burrito. At Starbucks, the culinary writer said, “I have ended up ordering a hot tea, which is nothing, or a bottle of water.”

Blame New York City officials for her misery. The city requires chain restaurants to post calories alongside menu items, which means she has to face the music: That blueberry muffin has 510 calories.

After she read that, Ramos ended up giving the muffin to someone asking for change on the train.

“So those favorites of my childhood have now been ruined by the calorie counts,” she said.

Menu labeling laws are popping up across the country. And if the health care reform bill passes, restaurants with at least 20 locations throughout the country will have to post calories on menus; other nutritional information, such as fat, sodium and carbohydrates will have to be in writing somewhere in the restaurant. (There’s not enough room to fit everything on the menu board.)

Proponents say the information is needed more than ever. Americans eat about a third of their calories at restaurants, according to Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy

for the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., which worked with legislators on the menu labeling provision. Twothirds of Americans are overweight or obese.

Studies show that most people can’t guess how many calories are in a menu item, and often underestimate, Wootan said.

At Dunkin’ Donuts, for instance, Ramos would have been better off calorie-wise choosing the apple cheese danish (330 calories) or a ham, egg and cheese on an English Muffin (350 calories).

“People have a right to know what’s in their food so they can make their own choices,” Wootan said. “If someone is going to sell you a 3,000-calorie appetizer, they should tell you, so you can decide for yourself if you really want to eat 3,000 calories.”

The proposal seems to have a lot of public support. The California Center for Public Health Advocacy commissioned a telephone poll in 2007 that found that 84 percent of respondents supported requiring chains to post calories on menus and boards.

California became the first state to enact statewide menu labeling legislation, in September 2008.

While many restaurants voluntarily provide nutrition information online or in the establishment, diners often can’t find it or don’t see it.

Penny Shanks, 50, executive director of the Clarkston Chamber of Commerce in Michigan, recently spent more than 30 minutes online searching for nutritional information for a chain restaurant. She likes to choose what she orders before dining out to make sure it’s healthy.

“It’s hard when you eat out,” said Shanks, who wound up ordering soup that day. “Portion sizes are large. It’s kind of a mystery, how many calories, how much is fat, how much is carbs, all these little things you want to be concerned about.”

With a split-second decision, “you can save hundreds, even thousands of calories by ordering just a little differently,” Wootan said.

For example, ordering a glazed doughnut instead of a honey bran raisin muffin at Dunkin’ Donuts will save you 280 calories.

More than 80 percent of New Yorkers ordered differently when seeing calorie counts, she said, citing a survey from food service consultants Technomic Inc. More than half said it affected where they ate.

But other experts aren’t sure that calorie counts will achieve the desired results.

The plan could backfire, said Stacey Rosenfeld, a New York psychologist who specializes in eating disorders. If you don’t order what you want because it’s high in calories, you might become dissatisfied and overeat later, she said.

Jessica Setnick, a Dallas-based dietitian who works with children and teens to address weight and eating issues, points out that nutrition information has been out there for years on packaged foods.

“People either think it doesn’t apply to them — these people still won’t care — or they are overly preoccupied with calories and fat grams and focus too much on the insignificant data,” she said. “The people in the middle, who eat appropriate amounts of a wide variety of foods, don’t need nutrition information on a menu to guide them.”

lines do the same.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, “The Hutchinson

Report,” can be heard in Los Angeles, Fridays on KTYM Radio 1460 AM, and streamed live nationally on ktym.com.

HUTCHINSON Continued from page 2 matter that a potential terrorist can come in any shape, size, color, gender, and disguise.

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights noted that convicted terrorist John Walker Lindh was white, and Richard Reid was Jamaican and British. Abdulmutallab is Nigerian, but from all appearances he could just as easily be mistaken for a young African American hip-hop artist.

Broad-based ethnic profiling creates, in turn, panic and the false sense of security that airlines are actually preventing terrorist attacks.

It also causes law enforcement resources to be squandered by chasing the wrong targets.

Worse, it’s a witch hunt against a group based solely on their religion and ethnicity. This fuels even greater racial division, fear and hysteria. The public whispers and the right wing’s open talk of Muslim-only airport

Facts Jan. 7, 2002 Shirley Franklin is sworn in as the first African American female mayor of Atlanta and the only African American female mayor of a major American city.

Source: blackfacts.com

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Page 10

L.A. WATTS TIMES

January 7, 2010

SPORTS DESPERATE SOMALIS

BRAD PYE JR.

Continued from page 1

SPORTS BEAT Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond.

Jan. 7 is the BCS championship between Texas and Alabama at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide will be led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first recipient of this honor.

The Capital One Bowl game was a battle of black quarterbacks between Penn Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Daryll Clark and Louisiana State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jordan Jefferson. Penn State won on a field goal, 19-17, in the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last minutes.

Black quarterbacks performed in several games, headed by Ohio Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Terrelle Pryor in the Rose Bowl. Virginia Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ryan Williams scored a pair of touchdowns.

He rushed 1,655 yards in a single season. Virginia Tech beat Tennessee 37-14.

Pryor will maintain his Rose Bowl MVP because he soared

Facts Jan. 8, 1811 Charles Deslandes leads a slave revolt in Louisiana.

Varying accounts put the number of slaves involved at 200; other accounts say 500.

A total of 95 were executed in the aftermath of the rebellion.

Source: blackfacts.com

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Rocketsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tracy McGrady is the highest-paid player in the NBA, according to USA Today. But by the

Terrelle Pryor

above the Trojansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Matt Barkley and Oregonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jeremiah Masoli.

Pryor scored two touchdowns and passed for 266 yards.

Navyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ricky Dobbs was the big man in the Texas Bowlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 35-13 win over Missouri. Dobbs ripped off 166 yards and a trio of TDs for the Midshipmen. Dobbs also passed to Bobby Doyle for another TD. The University of Southern California whacked its basketball team because of the O.J. Mayo scandal before the NCAA could use its hammer. O.J. Mayo allegedly received cash and other extra benefits.

And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś The NFL playoff slate is set with the Wild Card games scheduled for Jan. 9 and 10. The Jets and Cincinnati Bengals meet for the second week in a row Jan. 9, and the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots tangle in the second AFC contest Jan. 10.

Over in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles tangle in a rematch Jan 9. The Cowboys beat the Eagles 24-0 Jan. 3.

In the other NFC playoff, the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers battle Jan. 10.

And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś At $23.5 million, the Houston

Tracy McGrady

time you read this, the Rockets may have traded McGrady, as heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unhappy about his limited playing time.

The L.A. Clippersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; assistant coach Tony Brown substituted for head coach Mike Dunleavy, out with a back injury, in that 104-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

If that proposed mega fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao goes down March 13, it could be a blood bath.

Pacquiao filed a defamation case against Mayweather.

And the beat ends.

Brad Pye Jr. can be reached at switchreel@aol.com.

terrorist organization by the United States. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are stories about houses being blown up by rocket launchers that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hear coming out of other countries as a normal occurrence,â&#x20AC;? said James Duff Lyall, an attorney for the Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, who has represented several Somali asylum seekers in Lancaster. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The consistently horrific stories are striking.â&#x20AC;?

In 2007, Kheireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother was shot in the head in his music store in Mogadishu after refusing to bow to al-Shababâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demands that he shutter the shop. A year later, Kheireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister was beaten with a stick and left bleeding outside a school. That night, Kheire, whose family belongs to a minority clan, was visited by three men who rammed his chest with a rifle butt and debated whether to kill him. Once they left, Kheire decided to leave.

His wife and then-nearly 4year-old son went to stay with family. He sold his taxi and used the money to go to Kenya, where a smuggler arranged for him to travel to Dubai, then to Cuba, using fake documents.

He then went to Ecuador and Colombia, where he boarded a small boat with about 20 African migrants.

It took them a week to reach Costa Rica. They traveled by night, bailing out sea water with plastic bins.

During the day, they hid in forests along the shoreline and waited for smugglers to bring them food.

In Nicaragua, Kheire was herded into the back of a sweltering truck container for 18 hours, fearing he would die of suffocation or be caught by police.

In Guatemala, he crossed a river atop two rubber tires bound together to reach Tapachula, Mexico. He spent 12 days in immigration detention before authorities released him with a piece of paper ordering him to leave the country in 30 days.

He would carry the paper on a plane to Tijuana and in the taxi to the U.S. border.

Immigration experts say such circuitous paths are routes of last resort. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always call it the back door,â&#x20AC;? said Bob Montgomery, director of the San Diego office for the International Rescue Committee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the refugee program is not robust, we see more people trying to come through the asylum system,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Most Somalis have reached the United States â&#x20AC;&#x201D; there are some 87,000 here â&#x20AC;&#x201D; through U.S.-sponsored refugee resettlement programs. But the State Department in 2008 suspended a family reunification program for refugees over fraud concerns. The number of Somalis admitted by refugee programs dwindled to about 4,000 last year.

Those now traveling through Latin America are taking a path well-worn by asylum seekers from other countries. Immigration attorneys say they have worked with clients from Ethiopia and Iraq who also reached the United States via Mexico.

Ronald Smith, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said most asylum seekers arrive in U.S. airports â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not on the

southern border. However, asylum experts said more people may now be seeking to come here by land due to tighter travel restrictions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To get a flight from Africa to Europe is very hard. The easiest place to go is America,â&#x20AC;? said Yahya Idardon, an asylum seeker who fled Somalia last year after his father and brother were killed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Africa to Latin America is easy ... when you are going to Latin America, no one is concerned about you, no one is asking, so it is easy to go there and cross all these countries.â&#x20AC;?

Once reaching the U.S. border in San Diego, Somalis are frisked and fingerprinted and screened by an asylum officer to gauge whether they have a credible fear of returning home.

They have then been shuttled to an immigration detention center until their cases go to court.

Roughly 80 Somalis are being held in Lancaster. Dozens more have been held in San Diego and the remote border town of El Centro, immigration attorneys said.

The government had planned to start releasing many asylum seekers on Jan. 4 while they wait for their immigration cases to be heard. It is unclear how many Somalis will be let out as they must prove their identity and many donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have documents.

And still others say they have nowhere to go even if they were freed, their attorneys said.

Compared with asylum seekers from other countries, Somalis have been more likely to win their cases, according to immigration court statistics.

But in the courtroom in Lancaster, Kheire spent the last few moments of his asylum hearing in agony, worried the judge would send him back to Mogadishu to face the threat of death â&#x20AC;&#x201D; even after he had survived such a harrowing journey.

The attorneys for Kheire and the government sat quietly in the courtroom, listening to the judge read the ruling as Kheire prayed.

A Somali interpreter whispered urgently into Kheireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ear. He broke into a hesitant smile. He would be allowed to stay.

Kheire left the courtroom in his black, laceless sneakers and jail jumpsuit, escorted by sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s officials. Later that night, he was dropped off by authorities at a nearby train station. He had five dollars in his pocket. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is America.

Welcome to the United States of America,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? Kheire said.

THE PULSE Continued from page 9 Under the proposed rule, health care professionals who use electronic records for 80 percent of their medical instructions could receive bonus payments.

They also would have to provide patients with printouts of their medical history and use computers to check for potential drug interactions. Hospitals would have to complete 10 percent of their orders electronically.

On the Net: www.cms.hhs.gov/ Recovery/11_HealthIT.asp.

January 7, 2010

L.A. WATTS TIMES

CAREERS PRINT ADVERTISING SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE The L.A. Watts Times, the most widely distributed African American newspaper in Los Angeles has an immediate full-time opening for a Print Advertising Sales Account Executives. The right candidate will sell advertising solutions to corporations and industries locally and nationwide over the telephone and by mail.

Qualifications

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Prior successful sales experience required, preferably in a media environment Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, able to establish rapport with all levels of clients/prospects and must be able to effectively close sales Ability to produce an effective call volume that exceeds goals Goal oriented and results driven Motivated, self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit Superb follow-up, strong organizational and planning skills Must be flexible and maintain a positive attitude

We offer a positive work environment and excellent compensation and benefits package.

If you possess the above qualifications, we’re looking for you. Please e-mail your resume to willa@lawattstimes.com.

L.A. WATTS TIMES “News You CanUse” 3540 Wilshire Blvd., PH3, Los Angeles, CA 90010 Phone: (213) 251-5700 Fax: (213) 251-5720 Website: www.lawattstimes.com

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091895258 The following person is doing business as: Haymon Realty & Investments 8306 Wilshire Blvd., #302 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Haymon Property Management 8306 Wilshire Blvd., #302 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Raymond Haymon 8306 Wilshire Blvd., #302 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Raymond Haymon. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on December 14, 2009.

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time.

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).

First Filing: 12/17/09, 12/24/09, 12/31/09, 1/7/10 LAWT 396

OSCAR Continued from page 1 “We definitely wanted to get the ball rolling early to show from the minute they touched down in L.A. (to let them know) that this isn’t the place they’re going to come to and get away with murder,” he said. “Los Angeles is not going to stand for it.

This is a city and a community that knows police brutality like no other place and because of that, there are literally thousands of people in this city who share the same story as Oscar Grant or similar to Oscar Grant.”

Keishia Brunston might be one of those people.

The 38-year-old Compton resident said she came to the meeting, “because it’s for Oscar Grant and his family … we’re all Oscar Grant, Deandre Brunston, same thing.

Everybody knows the situation with my nephew Deandre … And it’s just been happening ever since, back-toback. So, I’m here to support all the families and Oscar Grant’s family when they come to L.A.” Deandre Brunston was a 24year-old male whose shooting by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies on Aug. 24, 2003, was caught on video and also widely distributed.

Brunston, who had been sought for questioning in a domestic dispute, was cornered in a doorway by deputies and repeatedly stated he had a gun, which turned out to be false.

He said he would fire on deputies if they released a police canine on him.

Deputies released the canine, and when Brunston made a sudden move, fired more than 80 shots at him and shot the dog in the process. The canine was

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091859197 The following person is doing business as: Rhythm Records 2217 W. 25th St. Los Angeles, CA 90018 Mad Gear Clothing Co. P.O. Box 191087 Los Angeles, CA 90019 Angela E. Woods 2217 W. 25th St. Los Angeles, CA 90018 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Angela E. Woods. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on December 8, 2009.

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time.

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).

First Filing: 12/24/09,12/31/09, 1/7/10, 1/14/10 LAWT 397

then airlifted to a hospital while Brunston was allowed to bleed to death.

Michelle Lolles came to the Jan. 3 meeting from Orange County because she said she was highly disturbed about what happened to Grant just like so many other people.

Police brutality is something that concerns her as much as having her son shot on the street by a youth, she said. “ … And that shouldn’t happen.

It’s ridiculous. We don’t feel protected. We feel chased, hunted,” she said, adding police brutality “has just begun to be an epidemic and it needs to be addressed.”

Brothers Joshua and Jedi Jimenez, along with Kayla De Los Reyes, said they traveled from Long Beach to attend the meeting out of concern and to show solidarity.

The three are members of Anakbayan L.A., a Filipino youth and student organization.

“Anakbayan stands in solidarity with all struggling peoples all over the world, but especially in this area,” De Los Reyes said. “Now that they’ve moved the trial down to Los Angeles, we want to show our support.

“It doesn’t matter where the court case happens; there will always be people to stand up for the brothers this is happening to.”

A final preparation meeting for the Jan. 8 press conference and protest was also held by the coalition Jan. 6.

The group has set up a Facebook page and listserve for people who want to be kept abreast of the case’s developments and upcoming actions.

Organizers say one of their needs in the future will be donations

Page 11

PUBLIC NOTICE Qualified “B” licensed General Building Contractors are invited to submit a sealed bid on Project E09-25, Module 11.8 to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority by 2:05 PM, February 10, 2010.

The Work includes, but is not limited to, the following: Installation of new doors, new windows, air conditioning, insulation and correction of some code deficiencies for twenty-seven (27) multi-family units, consisting of three four unit buildings, one triplex building and six duplex buildings.

Bidders may obtain construction documents from the Bob Hope Airport Web Site at under bobhopeairport.com Business Opportunities and are encouraged to do so prior to the mandatory pre-bid conference. All Bidders shall register with the Airport Engineering Department either via web site or in person.

Bids submitted by firms who have not registered with Airport Engineering will be considered non-responsive. A mandatory Prebid conference has been scheduled for January 21, 2010, at 10:00 A.M. at the Bob Hope Airport Engineering Offices, 2800 N. Clybourn Ave., Burbank, California.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091878498 The following person is doing business as: Primeview Properties 24126 Silver Spray Dr. Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Primeview Group P.O. Box 151945 Los Angeles, CA 90015 Kevin Webb 24126 Silver Spray Dr. Diamond Bar, CA 91765 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Kevin Webb. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on December 10, 2009.

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time.

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).

First Filing: 12/24/09,12/31/09, 1/7/10, 1/14/10 LAWT 398

for Bay Area activists and family members of Grant who want to travel to Los Angeles for the trial.

Family members of Grant are expected to speak at the Jan. 8 press conference.

Another thing organizers say they will need are volunteers who can attend the trial to monitor it.

John Burris, the attorney representing Grant’s family in its $50 million wrongful death civil lawsuit against BART, said that it was important to have people present at the trial to observe what is going on at all times.

“It lets the judge and everyone know that this case is important … and in order to ensure that justice is done, it is important that the jurors see that there are people out here who care about this case, and hopefully it will cause them to not allow police bias to enter into their verdict or decision-making process,” he said.

According to Melody Ramirez, Superior Court Judge Perry’s clerk, the dates for Mehserle’s murder trial may not be set at the Jan. 8 hearing, which is open to the public. It’s quite possible the Jan. 8 hearing will move very quickly, she said.

Regardless of how quick the hearing moves, Patterson said that police brutality activists and concerned citizens will have a visible presence at the court house.

“The central idea that we want to send is that we are united for justice for Oscar, we demand that this killer

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (Metro) INVITATION FOR BIDS Metro will receive bids for 10-0027, P865/P2020 LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE FRICTION BRAKE OVERHAUL per specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (12th Floor).

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You may obtain bid specifications, or further information, by faxing Otto Ojong at (213) 922-5265.

Qualified “B” licensed General Building Contractors are invited to submit a sealed bid on Project E09-29, Module 11.9 to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority by 2:05 PM, February 11, 2010.

The Work includes, but is not limited to, the following: Installation of new doors, new windows, air conditioning, insulation and correction of some code deficiencies for thirty-two single family homes.

Bidders may obtain construction documents from the Bob Hope Airport Web Site at bobhopeairport.com under Business Opportunities and are encouraged to do so prior to the mandatory pre-bid conference.

All Bidders shall register with the Airport Engineering Department either via web site or in person.

Bids submitted by firms who have not registered with Airport Engineering will be considered non-responsive. A mandatory Prebid conference has been scheduled for January 21, 2010, at 10:00 A.M. at the Bob Hope Airport Engineering Offices, 2800 N. Clybourn Ave., Burbank, California.

DBA’s and Legal Notices, Call (213) 251-5700 cop be jailed, and we understand that this case is not an isolated case,” he said. “It’s one piece within a worldwide epidemic of police brutality.”

The Criminal Justice Center is located at 210 W. Temple St. Mehserle’s hearing will be on the ninth floor in department 104.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091811295 The following person is doing business as: DeJa’s Praise 925 W. 156th Street Compton, CA 90220 Retha Meredith 925 W. 156th Street Compton, CA 90220 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Retha Meredith. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on December 4, 2009.

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time.

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).

First Filing: 12/31/09, 1/7/10, 1/14/10, 1/21/09 LAWT 399 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091811295 The following person is doing business as: Mus1c Notes, LLC 505 West 5th Street #216 Long Beach, CA 90802 Mus1c Notes 505 West 5th Street #216 Long Beach, CA 90802 James Pascascio 505 West 5th Street Long Beach, CA 90802 This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is James Pascascio.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on December 1, 2009.

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time.

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).

First Filing: 12/31/09, 1/7/10, 1/14/10, 1/21/09 LAWT 400

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January 15,

Vol. XXX, No.

SERVING LOS

1110

2009

G AREAS

te, n, a Confidan Xernona Clayto Legacy g’s Reflects on Kin

ANGELES AND

SURROUNDIN

System Inc. She Broadcasting of the oneis also the originatorin History” s minute “Moment is a ball of broadcasts televised annually Xernona Clayton History Month. during Black schedule is a minute, the Although her Moving a mile and former found Clayton recently a man veteran is full, civil rights King, to talk about King Jr. confidante time Luther for severMartin calls, respected, knew Atlanta fielding the she with durin her office in , and putting years, and worked the Civil doing interviews Trumpet Awards, al of the ing the height With a venfinal touches on accomt. highlights the Rights Movemen knowledge, an affair that ions of of wealth contribut and erable at plishments admittedly “never s.

African American founder and CEO Clayton, words,” has a million a loss for Clayton is the n to tell.

Awards Foundatio Times pro- stories of the Trumpet and executive The L.A. Watts get her to Inc., and creator Awards, which with Clayton ducer of the Trumpetand will air on spoke the nation’s upcoming year take on is in its 17th One. to King.

Atlanta on TV but tribute is the best April 12 from ents are vast, LAWT: What ty activist, Her achievem horn. dge King’s preacher, communi and one to toot her the way to acknowle Baptist isn’t — husband, Clayton KING son, brother, woman in who HONORING birthday? wouldn’t Nobel Prize winner, The first black Luther King Jr., televiXC: He definitely like all a prime-time intellectual, author, and more, describe Martin were it not for an South to host a vice He didn’t 15, words, Clayton was Tenn., father. These old today, Jan. want the hoopla. in Memphis, sion talk show, been 80 years at Turner April 4, 1968, would have urban affairs sanitation workers He was killed president of assassin’s bullet. in support of the city’s black rest of the counthe gone where he had Watts Times joins our Special Edition. strike. The L.A. this man with who were on — in honoring try — and world

PRESIDENT OB AMA INAUGU RATION EDIT IO N

E DONLOE

BY DARLEN WRITER CONTRIBUTING

fire.

Assembly Speaker

Karen Bass

Parade founder

1111

SERVING LOS

Giant Steps: Ba rack

Xernona Clayton

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ANGELES AND SURR

OUNDING AREA

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Obama America ’s 44th Presid ent January 22,

Larry Grant

2009

BY TERENCE HUNT AP WRITER

Civil Rights ‘Little Rock 9’ Inauguration Icon to Attend

of violence from taunts and threats adults opposed MN and FIRST COLU white students BRISCOE

BY ANDRE of Central High.

WRITER the integration CONTRIBUTING Roberts has lecObama is sworn Over the years, When Barack college stuUnited high school and president of the in as the 44th s may tured at seminars, and has been 20, American ly about what States on Jan. finally dents the nation has year interviewed extensive conclude that the turbulent racist past. it was like during He uses his Roberts overcome its Dr. Terrence psychology pro- he spent in high school. to teach But for retired Roberts, 67, one experiences as a platform e in as many and intefessor Dr. Terrence e of education ips at events, and participat .” teenagers who the importanc as possible, Roberts Today and Tomorrow of nine black Rock Central how to best improve relationsh inaugural balls ld great grandD Little to speak to 11-year-o NORWOO Arkansas’ “My C. grated He also plans Williams,

BY CHICO people of color. the Sidwell to said. in 1957, the ceremony Neeko Anthony in among this and faculty at leading up High School STAFF WRITER Speak- son, 7 cleared hurdle the theme for In the days Rock students ROCK 9, page “Little E. California Assembly as the came up with will be just another for equal rights. the Larry Day, See LITTLE organizer battle will serve Inauguration the continuing luncheons, speak J. year,” said er Karen Bass validates force behind the and Norris Nine” will attend Obama’s election Grant, the driving tried to grand marshal grand Nine” Rock the celebrity parade. the Los Angeles what the “Little Bishton Jr. and Bishton Roberts, a former Association and In his the 25th annual Joining Bass NEWS IN BRIEF Psyaccomplish, said Commerce.

P. Val19 marshal for Master’s in as Chamber of Gen. David the Parade on Jan. Lt. of be Day service role will co-chair offiKingdom at Antioch Uniprevious public year’s reviewing Day THE SOUTHLAND for Real Estate chology program in Los Angeles. celebration of court, this who has been deputy director state of in Los Angeles and 2009 Kingdom as the cer, The largest versity cerefor Serve to ent Taylor. holithe inaugural King Jr. Developm Rosenfeld Queen Wyvetta is credited in invited to attend the Martin Luther California, the Parade a, Rosenfeld s and offifirst black president Other celebritie Planning Deputy Supervisor Californi to create about mony for the 11 day in Southern to attend include with helping will begin at ctor jobs, Second District cials slated U.S. history.

2.5-mile parade Stanis of to what we homas has chosen 72,000 new private-se Avenue and urban Bern Nadette “It adds substance Mark Ridley-T “When a.m. at Western Boulevard. It actress to serve as which revitalized struggling fame; jazz legend Roberts said.

King Daniel A. Rosenfeld “Good Times” tried to do,” history, a State Martin Luther areas. this country’s west to Crenshaw Herby Hancock; Californi to a Senior Deputy you look at Instrucon will proceed Disat the opposition at turn south nds of L.A. ndent of Public for the Second and you look in Superinte Boulevard and District: Thousa ll; members of then you look Vernon Avenue Lose Jobs trict team. Rosention Jack O’Conne integration, and Crenshaw onto Council; with Obama’s Teachers Could where a festival the Los Angeles City ds of Los feld will be responwhat has happenedapparent that the Leimert Park, — Thousan (AP) quite planning, sible for and more. and other emelection, it is will follow. include 14 enKABC Telecrumbling.

Angeles teachers laid off this The parade will in transportation, Set to air on old system is teams to could be , what we did fits and ployees t secbands, 20 drill 7 from 11 a.m. retrospect annel “In A. nation’s vironmen marching 4 chip Daniel vision-Ch as the , page were able to parade theme school year grapSee MLK PARADE economic developRosenfeld that pattern. We system — weak1 p.m., this year’sLives On For st school district old of ond-large a $250 million deficit, ment. now away a bit at the is “The Dream than 35 years with — to the point He has more and ples officials recently said. en it if you will faster than ever.” assessment Ramon Corprivate sector co- school where it’s crumbling the election and is the Superintendent Legislature Roberts said developm ent Partners LLC, blamed the state anything, because founder of Urban entrepreneurial tines potential cutbacks, saying doesn’t change elements that the for the solve to an award-winning there are “systemic fabric of this focusing on devel- that lawmakers need if the Los the real estate firm are woven into crisis investment opportu- state’s budget District is opment and society.” ds the harm western United Angeles Unified School If anyone understan Roberts. In nities in the force intact. it is to keep its work , page 6 States. segregation causes,age 15, he and the as a board See BRIEFS at He has served City who the fall of 1957, the Central black teenagers the member of eight other as to be known would come insults, Nine” braved “Little Rock

s on in The Dream Live of Year This Historic ade Par Day Kingdom

Vol. XXX, No.

‘HOPE OVER FEAR’ — Barack John Roberts Obama, joined to become the by his wife Michell 44th presiden e and t of the United States at the U.S. daughters Malia, third from left, and Capitol in Washing Sasha, takes the ton Jan. 20. oath of

FIRST COLU MN

Not Just a Dre am: Obama Sparks Black Men to Action

BY LUCAS L. JOHNSON II AP WRITER

The Son of Our Soil

AP Photo/RON

EDMONDS

office from Chief

Justice

WASHINGTO into history, Barack N — Stepping Hussein Obama grasped the reins of power as America’s first black presiden t on Jan. 20, declarin g the nation must choose “hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord” to overcome the worst econom crisis since the ic Great Depress ion.

In frigid temper atures, an exuberant crowd of more than million packed a the National Mall and parade route Obama’s inaugur to celebrate ation in a highnoon ceremony.

With 11 million Americans out of work and trillions of dollars lost in the stock market’s tumble, Obama emphas ized that his biggest challen ge is to repair the tattered econom y outgoing Preside left behind by nt George W. Bush.

“Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and See OBAMA, page 6

they say they

BY REMA REYNO might not have LDS SPECIAL TO NASHVILLE taken without L.A. WATTS , Tenn. (AP) his example.

TIMES — An actor NAIROBI, Kenya Van Jones, turns 40, founde d — I sent one inner-city mosque a dilapidated, Green For last e-mail to my All, a into a theater Kenyan friend in just a few asking her what I gram that seeks national prodays. A 20-year should expect. to create -old energy buckles down I would be teaching jobs. His Oaklan clean on in Nairobi d-based historically black his studies at a program during the time , which employ college after his of Preside nt Barack s 25 peomother dies of Obama’s inaugur ple and has an cancer. A commu ation. I wonder nity organizer - of $4.5 million operating budget ed Kenyans were decides his plan excited as I was, if , was instrum create thousan to in passing ental excited as the as ds of green jobs a portion of a majority of Amerinational too modest and is energy bill cans, as excited as enlarges it twencalled the Green ty-fold.

Jobs cans particularly. African AmeriAct. It will use up Barack Obama to train 30,000 to $125 million My BlackBerry people in jobs flashed her the White House ’s election to such as reply just as HOME PRIDE installing solar is I boarded the — Kenyans react ization of what the very real- and retrofit panels plane: a large screen, “Kenya is full AP Photo/SAY as U.S. Presiden ting buildings so many black as thousands of Obama mania t Barack Obama YID AZIM to make of people fathers have don’t be surprise them more so guration ceremony appears on told their sons — from Nairobi, gather to watch the U.S. enviro nment d if Jan 20th aspire to for to friendly. presidential inaually another nationa Kenya — that is D.C., Jan. 20. Across the years, even l holiday. Kenyan took place country, if it often was just are extremely s year ago came together to celebrat neighbors divided by political in Washington, With Obama’s proud of this election, Jones e the inaugura violence only booster not meant a confidence- decided son of our soil!” tion of its favorite a to shop a $33 to be taken litson, Obama. billion erally. And proposal before Congre Another nationa long before NEWS IN BRIE l holiday? Yes, ss that would he wrapped up the another.

F contest, his can- hire about 600,000 people didacy had over the next two When Obama driven these THE SOUTHLAND years for similar three Top police official black men and ident of the United was elected presothers to actions work.

States, Kenyan edged that minorit s acknowlwere granted See BLACK Los Angeles Police a day off, a holiday s MEN, page 3 frequently subject ies are more commemorate to Reject ed to searche the occasion.

Study on Racial but they told As I turned off my the commission s, Bias phone the statistics do not (AP) — A commi the flight attendan in obedience to prove racial prossion that filing oversees the is rampant in me, in my jealousy t hovering over Los the departI thought, “Now Department told Angeles Police ment. why didn’t we police on Jan. get a day off?” to investigate 13 Information whether data While waiting from Times, http://w from: Los Angeles in London to a recent study board the last ww.latimes.com. can be used plane of the identify officers to trip, Kenyans spoke who discriminate L.A. Gang has with against minorit $5 Million asm and animate great enthusiies. d gestures Tab to Pay The commission’s Americans as to they decision came after hearing (AP) — City symbol of hope pontificated the hours of testiofficials said Obama embodi mony about the they secured with proud, boomin es a $5 million study, which was judgment g voices. They conducted by civil couldn’t have against a Los a Yale Univer cared Angele sity street gang professor, and flight was delayed less that our whose 11 membe s published in Oct- control the five hours — ober by the Americ rs more time to brag heroin an Civil Liber- downto trade in the about Obama ties Union of wn area. their relative.

Southern Califor nia.

The City study Attorne When we finally found that Los y Rocky DelgaAngeles police HE’S GOT dillo and other arrived at Jomo Kenyatt MOVES — officers are more law enforcement a International A parade participa the many perform Photo by HGSTAR1 likely official to stop and search Airport s announced in Kenya, everyon nt nearly does /UNW ances that took the judgment black and against 19. Go to page the splits as part e Latino residen 17 to view more place at the 2009 Kingdom the 5th and Hill of ly Kenyan passeng— even the livets than they Day Parade on parade photos. gang are week. Officia whites, even last Jan. subdued, exhaust ers — seemed though whites ls ed from the journey are obtained againstsaid it is the first more often found . a gang in Calicarrying guns See KENYAN and contraband. fornia.

SON, page 6 See BRIEFS, page 7