LAWT-10-29-2009

Vol. XXX, No. 1151

SERVING LOS ANGELES COUNTY WITH NEWS YOU CAN USE

October 29, 2009

FIRST COLUMN

Former Nurse’s Aide in U.S. Becomes a King in Uganda

BY TOM MALITI AP WRITER

KASESE, Uganda (AP) — For years, Charles Wesley Mumbere worked as a nurse’s aide in Maryland and Pennsylvania, caring for the elderly and sick. No one there suspected that he had inherited a royal title in his African homeland when he was just 13.

On Oct. 19, after years of political upheaval and financial struggle, Mumbere, 56, was finally crowned king of his people to the sound of drumbeats and thousands of cheering supporters wearing cloth printed with his portraits.

At a public rally later in the day, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni officially recognized the 300,000-strong Rwenzururu Kingdom. Museveni restored the traditional kingdoms his predecessor banned in 1967, but has been adamant that kings restrict themselves to cultural duties and keep out of politics.

“It is a great moment to know that finally the central government has understood the demands of the Bakonzo people who have been

AP Photo by KAREL PRINSLOO

Charles Wesley Mumbere

seeking very hard for recognition of their identity,” Mumbere told The Associated Press in the whitewashed single-story building that serves as a palace.

The Rwenzururu parliament sits nearby, in a much larger structure made of reeds. It was here the traditional private rituals were held Oct. 18 and 19 to crown Mumbere king.

Thousands walked several miles (kilometers) to see Mumbere, dressed in flowing green robes and a colorful hat, be officially recognized.

Old men clutching canes shuffled up the hill beside women in colorful Ugandan dresses called “gomesi.” Among them was Masereka Tadai, 43, proudly overseeing practice for a march that retired scouts and girl guides would perform before the king.

“Everyone is very happy because the president has accepted to come here and officially recognize the Rwenzururu Kingdom,” Tadai said over a nearby drumbeat.

The new King of Uganda’s Mountains of the Moon has undergone many transformations — from teenage leader of a rebel force to impoverished student to a nursing home assistant working two jobs in the United States, where he lived for nearly 25 years.

Mumbere’s royal roots only became public in Pennsylvania this July, when he granted an interview to The Patriot-News of Harrisburg as he was preparing to return to Uganda.

See UGANDA, page 7

Photo by PAT HENDRICKS MUNSON

STILL SEARCHING — Mitrice Richardson has been missing since leaving a Malibu-area sheriff’s station Sept. 17. Her family continues to search for her and for answers from police officials as to why they allowed Richardson to leave in the early morning. Pictured (left to right): Tessa Moon, Michael Richardson, Matrice Richardson’s father, and members of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club, who will participate in a rally and do outreach on behalf of Mitrice Richardson in Malibu on Nov. 1.

Missing Woman’s Family Plans More Outreach

BY PAT HENDRICKS MUNSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Bikers, family and friends plan to rally and do outreach in Malibu Nov. 1 for Mitrice Richardson, the 24-year-old South Los Angeles woman who still can’t be found more than a month after leaving a police station in the early morning without a purse, car or cell phone.

In an effort to keep Richardson’s face in the public and the search alive, hundreds of bikers and others are expected to first show up at a rally, led by the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club of South Los Angeles, and then pass out flyers.

The rally will begin at 10 a.m.

Some people have claimed they saw Richardson in Los Angeles, including at Manchester and Denker avenues, according to news reports.

Students Upset, Teacher Sorry Over Assignment

BY SAMUEL RICHARD MANAGING EDITOR

A local college teacher who asked students to draw a black man with a noose around his neck awaited word Oct. 28 on how he could be disciplined.

Los Angeles Trade Technical College teacher Bill Robles could

be disciplined in various ways if officials found that Robles gave the homework assignment with malicious intent, but the primary option is to ask him to undergo sensitivity training, college President Roland “Chip” Chapdelaine said.

Based on his initial review, Chapdelaine said he did not think FOR ART’S SAKE? — Los Angeles Trade Technical College art teacher Bill Robles said he thought that assigning his students this photograph would allow them to apply principles learned in his class. The photo of dancer/choreographer Geoffrey Holder holding a noose around his neck offended his African American students, who walked out of class. A student filed a complaint and wants Robles to be fired.

Robles could be disciplined by undergoing sensitivity training, but the information cannot be divulged since it deals with a personnel issue, according to college President Roland “Chip” Chapdelaine.

Robles gave the assignment with malicious intent.

“He gave an assignment that was probably insensitive,” Chapdelaine said Oct. 26, adding he had to reserve final judgment until he conducted a full review.

Final decisions would not be disclosed, however, since the situation is a personnel matter, said Chapdelaine, who did not respond to an e-mail by presstime on Oct. 28 to confirm if an ultimate recommendation had been made.

Robles wouldn’t have to take training but only be recommended to do so, Chapdelaine said Oct. 26.

Although there are different levels, the training generally involves dialogue, exposure, understanding and discussion with people from different ethnic groups, Chapdelaine said, adding he could not speculate on future discipline.

Camelle Williams and other African American students walked out of class Sept. 16 because Robles passed out an image of a black man standing in his bare feet, pointing to the floor with one hand See ART ASSIGNMENT, page 9

Richardson was arrested at Geoffrey’s Malibu restaurant Sept.

16 after dining with strangers, acting in what some said was a bizarre manner, and then not having money to pay her $89 bill.

She passed a field sobriety test before being taken to the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Malibu/ Lost Hills station in Agoura. After processing, she was released about 1 a.m. Sept. 17 and has been missing since then.

Since Richardson is a Los Angeles resident, everything sheriff’s officials had for the case has been given to the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery and

Photo courtesy of LAPD

Mitrice Richardson

Homicide Division, including a request for phone records, sheriff’s department spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

See MISSING WOMAN, page 10

NEWS IN BRIEF THE SOUTHLAND Mayor Names 3 Finalists for Police Chief (AP) — Three of the Los Angeles Police Department’s topranking commanders were named Oct. 27 as finalists for the job of chief of the 10,000-officer force.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced at a news conference that the Police Commission recommended: Deputy Chief, Chief of Detectives Charles Beck, First Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell and Deputy Chief San Fernando Valley Bureau Michel Moore.

Villaraigosa said he would spend the rest of the week interviewing each candidate at length, one man each day, and make his decision over the weekend.

The mayor said the decision on who will replace outgoing Chief William Bratton will be the most important one of his tenure.

He will make a recommendation to the City Council for final approval. Deputy Chief Michael Downing, who did not apply for the job, will serve as interim chief.

After seven years as the city’s top cop, Bratton’s last day on the job will be Oct. 31. He is returning to New York to become a private security consultant.

Amtrak Agrees to Run Calif. Commuter Trains (AP) — Rail officials tentatively agreed Oct. 23 to hire Amtrak engineers to operate commuter trains and replace a private company that employed an engineer who was at the throttle during a 2008 crash that killed 25 people in the San Fernando Valley.

Metrolink’s board approved a memorandum of understanding with Amtrak to provide train crews for the Southern California commuter trains that run through five counties from Ventura to San Diego.

The tentative agreement — which must be finalized by year’s end — would be worth more than $100 million. It calls for the national rail service to begin providing crews for all seven Metrolink lines next July, after Metrolink’s contract with Connex Railroad LLC expires.

Amtrak currently staffs trains on four Metrolink lines.

Metrolink has been critical of Connex since federal investigators determined that one of its engineers, Robert Sanchez, was textmessaging on his cell phone and failed to stop at a red light just before his Metrolink train ran See BRIEFS, page 6

Page 2

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 29, 2009

OPINION EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON

Scrapping Drug Disparity Law Still Leaves Thousands Behind Bars Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s Fairness in Sentencing Act 2009 is anything but fair to the thousands of inmates serving time for drug crimes in federal prisons.

The Durbin bill and the companion bill the House Judiciary Committee passed in July will scrap the blatantly racially biased sentence for first-time crack cocaine possession. The law requires that judges slap a minimum mandatory sentence of five years on anyone caught with crack cocaine.

More than 80 percent of those sentenced for crack cocaine use are poor, ill-educated blacks. Those caught with the same amount of powdered cocaine, mostly whites, often middle-class and suburban, get probation and referrals to drug diversion programs.

However, Durbin’s bill and the House bill are not retroactive. It doesn’t require judges to take a second look at any of the sentences of those currently incarcerated for crack possession. This is not fair and it’s not justice.

The reason that Durbin and the House Committee even took action on ending the sentencing disparities is because of the legions of terrible, heart-wrenching stories of mostly young poor blacks who have been warehoused in America’s jails the past two decades for possessing crack.

Despite studies confirming that illicit drug use by African Americans

is no greater than that of whites, black offenders are less likely to be offered a chance to plea bargain and more likely to fall under the federal or state minimum-mandatory sentencing law.

The escalation in black incarceration is a major reason for the massive bulge in the number of inmates in federal prisons. The number has jumped four-fold since the late 1980s. More than half of them are there for drug crimes or other petty offenses.

When Congress enacted the dual drug sentencing law in 1986, the idea was to use tougher drug sentencing to rid the streets of violent drug kingpins. At the time, drug and gun violence tore up many poor black neighborhoods. Police and terrified residents demanded a crackdown.

The law hammered poor blacks, had almost no affect on drug lords, and gave white drug users a relatively free legal pass.

The law has wreaked havoc beyond the prison system. It’s also debilitating many black communities and families.

Women convicted of felony drug offenses are also barred for life from receiving welfare benefits. This puts thousands of women and their children at dire social risk and increases the likelihood that they will commit more crimes. The high black imprisonment rate also drastically increases health risks and costs in black communities,

since many prisoners are released with chronic medical afflictions, particularly HIV/AIDS. Every effort to scrap or modify the blatantly unfair minimum-mandatory sentencing law for illicit drug abusers has failed. Former President Bill Clinton made a half-hearted effort in the mid-1990s to change the disparity in sentencing in Congress.

Congress said no.

President Bush and the then-Republican-controlled Congress flatly ruled out any move to change the law.

However, lawmakers did take note of the loud protests in 2005 from many federal judges who said that it was time to change the sentencing law.

The judges were moved to protest, in part, out of outrage that the gaping disparity in sentencing of drug offenders for virtually the same crime was patently unfair, and, in greater part, out of deep resentment that the law hamstrung their discretion to impose sentences. The law was clearly a slap at their judicial power. In several judicial districts, judges quietly rebelled, bent the rules, and lightened sentences for some first-time offenders.

Supreme Court justices Stephen G. Breyer, Anthony M. Kennedy, and the late William Rehnquist publicly called for scrapping, or at least modifying, the mandatory law.

The judges’ outspoken advocacy of changing the laws drew a loud rebuke from then-Attorney General See HUTCHINSON, page 3

Can Children Get Congress to Protect Their Health?

BY MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

In 1931, Grace Abbott, the thenchief of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, gave a speech about her long and frustrating workdays in our nation’s capital trying to advocate for children’s needs. She said she felt all alone standing with her baby carriage on the sidewalk watching a great traffic jam moving toward the Capitol where Congress sits.

She saw all kinds of vehicles including the tanks and trucks the Army put into the street; “the handsome limousines in which the Department of Commerce rides … the barouches in which the Department of State rides with such dignity … (and) the noisy patrols in which the Department of Justice officials sometimes appear.”

And so she stood on the sidewalk watching, “because the responsibility is mine and I must, I take a very firm hold on the handles of the baby carriage and I wheel it into the traffic.”

And so must we parents and grandparents and child care providers and educators grab the handles of our baby strollers and the hand of our children and walk into the traffic headed for Congress. We must make them hear and respond to the urgent, but still too ignored, needs of our 8.1 million uninsured children.

We must break through the political den of powerful special interests like the insurance and drug

companies with their fleet of wellpaid lobbyists.

On Nov. 4, the Children’s Defense Fund is organizing a Champions for Children’s Health Stroller Brigade in the nation’s capital to send an urgent and clear message to our political leaders that real health reform for children must be enacted this year. Children’s unmet health needs have been lost in the debate’s “big” issues. Unless we act now, millions of children could be worse, rather than better off, as a result of pending health reform legislation.

D.C.’s stroller brigade will extend to Congressional districts across the country on Nov. 6 through 8 where concerned parents, grandparents, and faith and community leaders will tell members of Congress back home to stand up and invest in an affordable, accessible, and comprehensive child health system. So far, stroller brigades are being planned for Arkansas, California, Florida and several other states.

It is morally and economically indefensible for millions of American children to be denied critically needed health reform in the richest nation on earth claiming it lacks the money to protect its children.

We need to end the bureaucratic barriers that keep two out of three of the more than 8 million uninsured children who are already eligible for either CHIP or Medicaid from actually getting the care they need.

A simple, seamless enrollment process like older Americans have for Medicare would ensure our children are cared for and covered. We need Marian Wright Edelman to guarantee every child access to the full range of preventive and other health care services they need and that we now provide to all children in Medicaid but not to all children in CHIP or in the proposed Exchange.

A child covered by CHIP has the same value as a child covered by Medicaid and all deserve comprehensive care regardless of the program they are in.

And we need to provide an affordable national health safety net for children whose families make up to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($66,000 for a family of four) and eliminate the unjust lottery of geography.

Whether a child’s family can afford coverage should not depend on where they live. New York covers children up to 400 percent; North Dakota only to 160 percent; and Massachusetts and 21 other states, plus the District of Columbia, are already at 300 percent. A child in North Dakota is no less valuable than a child in New York or Massachusetts.

See EDELMAN, page 3

An Inappropriate Attire Policy

BY MAYA RUPERT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Morehouse College, the allmale historically black college, has recently enacted a new dress code for its student body. The dress code, called the “Appropriate Attire Policy,” prohibits a number of items from being worn in certain settings.

For example, under the new policy, students may not wear dorags, hoods, baseball caps or sunglasses indoors.

Also banned are what it terms “decorative orthodontic appliances,” otherwise known as “grillz,” from being sported anywhere on campus.

Further, students may not wear pajamas to class and must wear shoes at all times in public.

The most curious feature of the dress code, and the one that has arguably garnered the most attention, is the final new rule of the policy, which reads “no wearing of clothing associated with women’s garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at College-sponsored events.”

It differs from the other new rules in a couple of ways. Instead of banning a particular item of clothing, it attempts to ban a manner of dressing.

Also, and more disturbingly, it is the only rule banning a style of dress that is associated with a minority identity.

In response to questions over that portion of the policy, Dr. William Bynum, Morehouse vice president for student services, issued a telling statement: “We are talking about five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men.”

What astounded me first about that statement was its honesty.

Rather than claim this is a general rule that may have a discriminatory impact on gay students, the administration admitted that the policy was crafted specifically to quell actions the school associated with students

leading “a gay lifestyle.”

People aren’t usually quite so willing to admit when a policy is targeting a specific group of minorities; typiMaya Rupert cally, such a policy would be camouflaged better.

Then again, the administrators who decide what we expect from Morehouse men are a little new to this — it wasn’t that long ago that it was our community on the other side of discriminatory policies, after all; so perhaps we should cut them some slack.

On second thought, maybe we shouldn’t.

Martin Luther King Jr., the Morehouse alum whose likeness is enshrined in a statue in front of the campus, once said “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

He understood that the Civil Rights Movement could not concern itself merely with fighting for equality for the black community and leaving other communities to fend for themselves.

An understanding of that sentiment is what I’ve come to expect in Morehouse men, and I think King would be ashamed that his alma mater has chosen to enact a policy that aims at making individuals feel ashamed of their identities.

The same principles that provided the moral backdrop for the Civil Rights Movement, the same principles that make a place like Morehouse still necessary, are the very same principles that compel the school to eliminate this policy.

I’ve heard arguments in favor of this dress code to which I’m not entirely unsympathetic. And people can debate about whether a school does students a disservice for allowing them to dress in a way that might ultimately cause them discrimination in the work force.

See RUPERT, page 13

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CIRCULATION AUDIT BY

October 29, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 3

BUSINESS BBA Procurement Summit Set The Black Business Association will present its sixth annual Procurement Exchange Summit Nov. 5 at the Sheraton Gateway LAX Hotel, 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles.

The summit will feature oneon-one “matchmaking appointments,” an awards luncheon, and workshops such as “Thriving during the Economic Downturn” and “Procurement Opportunities Do Exist through the Stimulus Plan.”

Information: (323) 291-9334, www.bbala.org, mail@bbala.org.

BWN to Hold Annual Networking Breakfast Forum The Black Women’s Network will present its annual Business/ Career and Networking Breakfast Forum — Dedicated & Determined, Yes You Can! — Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Proud Bird Ballroom, 11022 Aviation Blvd., Los Angeles.

Networking opportunities, breakfast, a panel of speakers and other features will be part of the event.

Information: (323) 964-4003, www.blackwomensnetwork.net.

Court: Texas Company Unfair to Black Workers LUFKIN, Texas (AP) — State historical markers outside the headquarters of Lufkin Industries Inc. tell how the company started repairing sawmill equipment at the turn of the 20th century and grew to make many of the pumps dotting the world’s oil fields.

But a different history has been written in a class-action lawsuit winding to a close. That story describes how the 107-year-old company for years discriminated against its black employees, assigning them to the worst jobs and repeatedly denying them promotions.

More than a thousand of the company’s current and former black employees stand to divvy up $5.5 million in back pay and interest as compensation for what a federal judge in June called the company’s

HUTCHINSON Continued from page 2 John Ashcroft. There were open threats to retaliate against the dissenting judges. The issue momentarily died down, and other than an occasional call from some members of the Congressional Black Caucus for hearings on the sentencing disparities, little more was said about changing the law in Congress during the remainder of George W. Bush’s second term.

President Barack Obama’s election reopened the door on efforts to scrap the disparities. Obama has taken a guarded stance in support of

EDELMAN Continued from page 2 The lives and health of millions of children depend on health reform this year. They will not get what they need unless you speak up and demand it. Children have no other voice but yours.

Lift it high and loud. Grab your strollers, your scooter, or your walking shoes, and join our children’s brigades on Nov. 4 in Washington, D.C., and in other states across the

unlawful discrimination in awarding promotions.

While each worker will get a relatively modest sum, those who brought the lawsuit see the award as validation of their struggle for equality in a region often associated with racial turmoil — most famously the 1998 dragging death of a black man, James Byrd Jr., by three white men in nearby Jasper.

“It’s not about the money,” said Sylvester McClain, 62, the former employee who initiated the suit. “It’s about equal pay, equal treatment, equal justice.”

Lufkin Industries employs about 1,200 in Lufkin, making it one of the largest employers in the city of 33,000 about 120 miles northeast of Houston. Publicly traded since 1990, the company makes gearboxes for industrial use as well as oil field equipment.

Along with the $5.5 million in damages, U.S. District Judge Ron Clark has ordered Lufkin to pay the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees, estimated at nearly $5.6 million after 12 years of litigation.

Default Notices Drop by 10 Percent in California (AP) — Lenders filed nearly 112,000 mortgage default notices against California homeowners during the past quarter, a 10 percent drop from the previous quarter.

San Diego-based MDA DataQuick says in a report released Oct. 19 that the decrease came as lenders renegotiated more mortgages and took other efforts to limit foreclosures, apparently to keep cheap homes from flooding the market.

The firm says the latest figures for the July-through-September period were down from a record high of more than 135,000 during the first quarter of 2009.

The latest figures marked a 19 percent increase from the nearly 94,000 recorded in the year-ago period.

Notices of default are the first step in the formal foreclosure process.

the law change. However, he has not made it a priority of his administration. Fortunately, many in Congress have. But sadly they have only got it partly right. In making no provision to offer relief to those who languish in federal prisons under the blatant racially skewed laws, Congress continues to mock the concept of equal protection under the law for all.

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. country Nov. 6 through 8.

In America, every child should have the health care they need — now. They have only one childhood.

Together we can make it happen. To learn how to join a stroller brigade, create your own, or take action in other ways with simple steps, visit www.childrensdefense.org/strollerbrigade.

Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund.

For information about the organization, visit www.childrensdefense.org.

Will Smith: Good Actor and Even Better Business Man

BY SEENA SHARP

Will Smith is arguably the most successful actor of his generation, grossing in excess of $4 billion for his movies — but it is his business acumen that got him there. It wasn’t luck or charm, although he certainly possesses considerable charm.

There’s a bigger story here.

When Smith decided to enter the movie business, as he told the television program “60 Minutes,” he did so in a very deliberate fashion by doing his due diligence on what constituted success in the movies, and every business can take a page from his playbook.

First, he gathered the right data — information that was current, accurate, relevant and sufficient to make his decision. Second, he analyzed it for patterns or insights, and discovered that the top 10 movies included special effects; nine of 10 included special effects with creatures; and eight of 10 included special effects, creatures, and a love story. His first two movies, “Independence Day” and “Men in Black,” followed that model, and grossed $1.3 billion combined.

Third, he didn’t look to his competition for guidance. In the mid-1990s, when the biggest movie actors were Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, Smith opted against making the same films they did. Instead, his strategy was to look at the top-grossing movies, and analyze what made them so — and most importantly, give the movie fans (the buyers of his product) what they wanted.

So how does this strategy translate to everyday business?

Yes, Smith might have chosen another direction; and yes, he might have been equally successful. He might have studied the Oscar winners — though they were not all box-office successes. He might have followed the path of other successful stars, but even they have made some losers.

Instead, he chose not to rely on his “gut feeling” for what might make a successful film. Rather, he looked at what the customer wanted and responded with a product to suit them.

The strategy is simple. It is powerful. And it got the results Smith wanted.

This is a lesson that every business can learn. In a constantly changing business world, gut or past successes are less and less reliable for knowing what the market wants and will buy. Good decisions require homework and objective investigation.

The message here is to study what the market wants and buys and then respond accordingly. It is a basic approach that is often forgotten in the life of a business. While each successful business started with a product or service that cus-

tomers wanted, somewhere along the timeline the business began to believe that, paternalistically, it knew or knows better. This is a mistake, and this is why so many businesses fail or fail to grow. They rely on yesterday’s knowledge and yesterday’s gut feel.

But, the market changes every day, and so do customers’ tastes.

This is why Smith investigated the marketplace before he started his movie career, and it is a lesson he can teach every business. Do your homework and verify or learn what is true — today!

Seena Sharp is author of the recently released book “Competitive Intelligence Advantage: How to Minimize Risk, Avoid Surprises, and Grow Your Business in a Changing World.” She is principal of Los

Seena Sharp

Angeles-based Sharp Market Intelligence, www.sharpmarket.com, and is invited to present keynotes and workshops, globally. She can be contacted at ssharp@sharpmarket.com.

metro.net

MetroBriefs Medical, Dental, Metro Pass Get your company to buy Metro passes for all its employees as an employee benefit. It’s a win-win situation: you get a tax-free bene>t of riding Metro and your company enjoys tax savings, increased productivity, reduced parking demands and improved employee morale. Find out more at 213.922.2811.

Breaking Metro News Online At “The Source” Now you can get instant updates on the issues and actions that keep LA County moving. Just go to “The Source,” a real-time online news and feature service that is updated throughout the day on developments that a=ect Metro’s projects and services.

Look for it today at metro.net.

‘Tis The Season To Go Metro Celebrate the start of the holidays with more than 80 years of tradition. The Hollywood Christmas Parade once again marches down Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday, November 29. Metro Rail’s Hollywood/Highland and Hollywood/Vine stations are located on the parade route. Make Santa’s “Nice List” by making your trip on Metro.

Metro Plans for $300 Billion Over 30 Years It covers everything from new transit projects to freeway improvements to freight movement. Metro’s ambitious 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan for LA County outlines $300 billion worth of mobility improvements through the year 2040. Find out more at metro.net.

Guard Against Flu – Metro Is! To help reduce exposure to ?u viruses on its system, Metro has increased its sanitizing procedures in buses, trains and stations.

Metro also has launched various e=orts under its Flu Prevention Action Plan to provide information to riders and others on how to avoid catching the ?u.

Facts Oct. 29, 1929 The stock market collapses and the Great Depression begins. By 1937, 26 percent of black males were unemployed.

Source: blackfacts.com

If you’d like to know more, please call us at 1.800.464.2111, or visit metro.net.

GEN-CE-10-005 ©2009 LACMTA

BIZSHORTS

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L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 29, 2009

COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MEETINGS, FORUMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Job Fair Slated California Assemblyman Mike Davis is sponsoring a third annual job fair Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Exposition Park’s Wallis Annenberg Building, 700 State Drive, Los Angeles.

Photo by ROBERT LOWDEN

Mike Davis

Photo by MARCUS OF LA.INDYMEDIA.ORG

This event is for persons 18 years of age and older.

Various employers will be present and several workshop topics will be offered including interview techniques. Information: Joan Scott, (213) 744-2111.

Veterans Expo, Job Fair Event to Take Place

Photo by MARCUS OF LA.INDYMEDIA.ORG

TAKING A STAND — The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation (O22) held its 14th annual march to protest police brutality Oct. 22. Marchers traveled along Crenshaw Boulevard from Florence Avenue north to Leimert Park.

An afternoon rally and an evening candlelight vigil were held in memory of the victims of police shootings.

✁

This third annual career expo and job resource fair will be held Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel, 5855 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles.

One hundred and twenty public and private employers are expected to attend, as well as representatives from 12 state and local government agencies.

This event is free and is sponsored by California state agencies that provide veterans with the help they need to transition from military life to new civilian careers.

Information: (310) 348-7600, ext. 3146, www.usvetsinc.org.

Jenesse Center to Present Celebrity Fashion Show The Jenesse Center will host a celebrity fashion show Oct. 29, 6 p.m., at Bloomingdale’s Century City.

Models and actresses Wendy Raquel Robinson and Regina Taylor will be in the show.

Proceeds will benefit the center, which works to stop domestic violence and provides shelter and counseling and other services for women who suffer domestic abuse, along with their children.

RSVP information: Michelle Hudson at (323) 294-0022.

impact underserved communities across California.

The meeting will take place Nov. 2, 5 to 8 p.m., at endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities, 1000 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles.

This event is free, but interested persons should RSVP. Information: Christina Peñate, cpenate@calendow.org, (213) 9288892.

More information: www.calendow.org.

AME Bishop to Speak At Extravaganza The Rt. Rev. T. Larry Kirkland

Halloween Masquerade Ball Set Women 4 Wesson will sponsor Councilman Herb Wesson’s third annual Halloween Masquerade Ball Oct. 30, 8 p.m. to midnight, at Crenshaw Live Bar and Grill, 3888 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the homeless. Tickets, which are tax-deductible, are $35 and checks should be made out to Cover the Homeless Ministry.

Costumes are optional and attendees should RSVP at (310) 672-7281 or (323) 293-7502.

Information: (323) 350-1167, kingandassociates@yahoo.com.

U.N. Official to Address Housing, Health Issues Raquel Rolnik, the United Nations special rapporteur on housing, will address The California Endowment and community organizations in a town hall highlighting health and housing issues that

The Rev. T. Larry Kirkland Sr.

Sr. is slated to be the keynote speaker for the 61st Annual Extravaganza of the Southern California Conference Lay Organization.

The luncheon will be held Nov. 14, 1 p.m., at the Proud Bird Restaurant, 11022 Aviation Blvd., Los Angeles.

Kirkland is the 114th bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1996.

The theme for the event is “Moving Forward – Serving God.” The public is invited.

Ticket information: Fay Swan, (310) 973-4476.

Photo by ROBERT LOWDEN

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NEW HEADQUARTERS — The Los Angeles Police Department dedicated its new headquarters, the police administration building, Oct. 24, at 1st and Main streets. The old police headquarters, named after former chief of police William H. Parker, had been in use since the 1950s. Current police Chief William Bratton, who leaves his post Oct. 31, was among those on hand to dedicate the new building.

October 29, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 5

COMMUNITY

WHAT’S GOING ON? 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.

SEMINAR — Mt. Salem Missionary Baptist Church will have a free living trust and wills seminar open to the public. This event will take place Oct. 31, 10 a.m., at Westchester Loyola Village Branch library, 7114 W. Manchester Ave., Los Angeles. Attorney Caprice Collins will address the issue of “how to protect yourself and loved ones from financial loss in a bad economy,” and “providing a valuesbased legacy for your family.”

Seating is limited for this event.

Information: (310) 677-9787, ext. 5, www.collinslawgroup. com.

HISTORY WALK — Forest Lawn Museum’s History Comes Alive series will present “A Visit with Great African Americans,” an interactive educational program that will feature performers using the words, speeches, poems and songs of notable African Americans including Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Langston Hughes. This program is free and will take place in the Church of Our Fathers at Forest Lawn-Cypress Nov. 5, with shows beginning at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Forest LawnCypress is at 4471 Lincoln Ave., Cypress. Information: (760) 3283471, www.forestlawn.com.

RISE OF CORPORATE MINSTRELISM — Author, lecturer and people’s advocate Sadiki Bakari will present a visual experience entitled “Parallel Dimensions of Hip Hop: Divinity vs. Desecration” on Nov. 7, 6 p.m., at the Lotus on the Nile Wellness Center, 4307 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. Topics include the feminization “of the black male image by corporate psychopaths” and more. Admission is $10 at the door, and guests will also receive a copy of Bakari’s newest book, “Liberation Song.” DVDs will be available for purchase. Information: www.sadikibakari.com.

EMPOWERMENT SESSIONS — KRST Unity Center of Spirituality will sponsor Africancentered activities and programs including empowerment sessions, black gnostic studies, and more, Sundays at 10:30 a.m. The center is at 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 7597567.

PET FOSTERING — The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Fostering program is in need of volunteers to assist with the care of pets of all ages. The agency will hold a parenting class Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to noon, at its South Bay Pet Adoption Center, 12910 Yukon Ave., Hawthorne. Information: (310) 6761149, ext. 222, www.spcaLA.com.

GIFTS FOR GUNS — The Inglewood Police Department will conduct a gifts for guns exchange program Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in

the parking lot behind the Target and Home Depot stores, 3471 W. Century Blvd., Inglewood. Participants should enter the parking lot through the entrance on Village Drive. The department will issue a $100 gift card, with a maximum of three gift cards per person, while supplies last. Firearms should be unloaded before being transported to the exchange site and stored in the trunk of a vehicle or in a sturdy bag.

Information: (310) 412-5530.

BLACK MEN’S HEALTH — The Los Angeles Initiative of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program will launch Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the following locations: New Millennium Barbershop, 4310 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles; In The Cut, 220 E. Regent St., Inglewood; New Millennium Barbershop, 1207 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood; Legends Barbershop, 5366 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles; and Inglewood’s Finest, 122 S. Market St., Inglewood. The program will offer free diabetes, high blood pressure and PAD (Peripheral Artery Disease) screenings in an effort to address the declining health of African American men. Information: www.blackbarberhop.org.

FORECLOSURE WORKSHOPS — The California Foreclosure Institute will present two free

Photo by GLENN MARZANNO

POKER FACES — The Children’s Institute Inc. held it’s First Annual Celebrity Poker Tournament Oct. 17 at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.

The event was a fundraiser to benefit children who have been affected by violence in their homes or communities. More than 20 celebrities supported the tournament. Pictured: Actors Kevin Rahm (third from right) and Mekhi Phifer (seated, arms crossed).

workshops for investors and realtors on how to get started finding and buying foreclosure properties. The guest speaker will be Lloyd Segal, author of “Stop Foreclosure Now” and “Foreclosure Investing.” These events will take place Nov. 3 at the Palms-Rancho Park Library, 2920 Overland Ave., Rancho Park, and Nov. 4 at the Marina del Rey Library, 4533 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey. Both workshops are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Reservations are required to attend. Information: www.foreclosureworkshop.net, (310) 379-0101.

LUNCH AND LEARN — The Jenesse Center invites the community to learn about opportunities to partner with it in moving families from crisis to self-sufficiency. Some opportunities include beautifying the facilities where families live, raising money for family-oriented programs and services, and spreading the word about ending domestic violence in homes and communities. The lunch will take place Nov. 6, noon, at 3761 Stocker St., suite 100, Los Angeles.

RSVP information: (323) 299-9496, ext. 103, srobertson@jenesse.org.

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FALL FESTIVAL — The Children’s Fall Festival was held at Compton’s Kelly Park Oct. 24. The event, which focused on literacy, fitness and nutrition, was geared toward children in primary grades but had offerings for all ages.

Pictured: Antonio carving pumpkins for the children; Lavell Lavert II rock climbs.

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As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to tits programs, services and activities.

Page 6

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 29, 2009

COMMUNITY BRIEFS Continued from page 1 head-on into a freight train in Chatsworth on Sept. 12, 2008.

Sanchez and 24 other people died and more than 130 people were injured.

The tentative deal would provide Amtrak with a four-year contract and the potential for two threeyear extensions. Metrolink would pay about $28 million a year, compared to the $24 million annual cost of the Connex contract.

Officials Unveil $437M Police Headquarters (AP) — The Los Angeles Police Department has been handed the keys to its new headquarters.

Outgoing Chief William J. Bratton dedicated the gleaming 10story, $437 million downtown structure at a ceremony Oct. 24 attended

by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other city and state officials.

Bratton said the glass facade of the 500,000-square-foot structure represents the new LAPD of the 21st century, an era of transparency for a department once resistant to public scrutiny.

The Police Administration Building replaces Parker Center four blocks away. The 1955 building named for former Chief William H. Parker outlived its service life and is likely to be demolished.

Voters approved a bond measure for new police facilities in 2002.

Construction began on the new headquarters in 2007.

The project also includes two garages and a data center elsewhere downtown.

Audit: County Exec Had Conflict Of Interest (AP) — An audit has found that Los Angeles County’s second-highest-ranking employee had a “clear conflict of interest” in getting her future son-in-law a job with the county’s fire department.

The audit reviewed by the Los Angeles Times on Oct. 24 determined that Sharon Harper played an “instrumental” role in getting 29year-old Ed’Ward Rhone a job, and did so because she had a personal relationship with him. At the time of Rhone’s hiring in November, he was engaged to Harper’s daughter.

The couple has since married.

Harper is the top deputy to county chief executive William T. Fujioka (foo-jee-OH’-kuh).

Auditors said Fujioka “should consider appropriate disciplinary action.” County officials have refused to comment on whether Harper has been disciplined.

THE STATE 5 Arrests in Alleged Gang Rape of Girl RICHMOND (AP) — Three more people have been arrested in connection with the gang rape and beating of a 15-year-old girl out-

side her high school homecoming dance in an attack that has generated widespread outrage.

A man and two boys were arrested late Oct. 27, including 21year-old Salvador Rodriguez of Richmond, Calif., and two teens, 16 and 17. They were each booked on one count of gang rape and likely face other charges including robbery and kidnapping.

“These are people who played a significant role in the incident,” Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan said Oct. 28.

The arrests bring to five the number of people taken into custody in the attack that occurred the night of Oct. 24 at Richmond High School, located in the San Francisco Bay area.

Police believe as many as 10 people ranging in age from 15 to mid-20s attacked the girl for more than two hours at a dimly lit area near benches. As many as two dozen people saw the rape without notifying police.

Gagan said the girl left the dance and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard. The girl had consumed a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said. Gagan said the girl’s father tried to call her cell phone, but no one answered.

Officers found the girl semiconscious and naked from the waist down near a picnic table. She

remains hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

Police received a tip about a possible assault on campus from a young woman, a former student, who heard two males bragging about it.

THE NATION Tavis Smiley to Be Tuskegee’s Convocation Speaker TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) — Author and talk show host Tavis Smiley has been chosen to be the speaker at Tuskegee University’s homecoming, according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.

Smiley will talk to students and alumni at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 8 at the University Chapel in Tuskegee, Ala. Smiley’s half-hour nightly talk show on PBS reaches 92 percent of America’s households and is seen in 187 countries.

His annual symposium, “State of the Black Union,” engages thousands who attend the event and more than 100 million viewers worldwide.

Alumni classes at the 2009 Homecoming/Charter Day Convocation also will present the university with donations to benefit the institution and students.

The class of 1984 will be celebrating its 25th reunion along with reunions for 1974, 1979, 1994, 1999 and 2004.

Woman’s Torture Recantation Irks Supporters CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The lawyer who organized rallies and benefits for Megan Williams says she’s being manipulated to falsely repudiate the story of her kidnapping and torture.

U.S. Rep. Artur Davis

move Alabama forward.

Arrington was elected mayor of Birmingham in 1979.

Judge U.W. Clemon, who became Alabama’s first black federal judge in 1980, announced Oct. 20 he was endorsing Davis.

Sparks and Davis meet in the Democratic primary on June 1.

Bill OK’d to Increase Blacks at Coast Guard School WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted overwhelmingly for a bill that includes a provision giving members of Congress a say over who is admitted to the U.S. Coast Guard’s 1,000-cadet service academy in New London, Conn.

The measure — part of a multibillion-dollar authorization bill that passed 385-11 on Oct. 23 — was sponsored by Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., who argues that congressional nominations are needed to help increase the number of blacks enrolled at the academy and graduate as commissioned officers.

The school is the only service academy that does not have congressional nominations and has no requirements for geographical distribution.

Four blacks graduated in the spring. More recently, five blacks were admitted for the Class of 2013.

At present, its four classes include 25 blacks.

Black Workers Accuse Centreville of Racial Bias

Megan Williams

Malik Shabazz, founder of Black Lawyers for Justice, says he has no doubt that Williams, who is black, was hideously tortured by a group of whites in Logan County in 2007.

At a news conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 21, Williams’ lawyer Byron Potts said she fabricated the story to get revenge on an ex-boyfriend.

Seven people pleaded guilty to charges from the incident. Six are serving lengthy prison terms, and that’s not likely to immediately change.

Legal experts say recantations don’t automatically lead to cases being reopened, and the burden to act is on the convicts.

Birmingham’s First Black Mayor Backing Sparks BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Birmingham’s first black mayor, Richard Arrington, says he will support state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks for governor rather than U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, who is trying to become Alabama’s first black governor.

But he told The Birmingham News on Oct. 20 that he believes Sparks will be the kind of governor who will work across racial lines and

CENTREVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A lawsuit filed by two blacks claims former Centreville Mayor Julius Murphy used racially derogatory language, was seen wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit, and discriminated against them in their jobs with the city.

The suit, filed in federal court in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 19, accuses Murphy of boasting about going to Ku Klux Klan meetings and says he was seen wearing a Klan outfit when he was mayor.

According to the suit, when several blacks were fired in 2007 and a white councilwoman said she thought it was racially motivated, Murphy responded: “Well, maybe you need a cross burned in your yard.”

The suit, filed on behalf of Roy Jackson and Devie McLaughlin, said Murphy used racial slurs and fired them on racial grounds before they got their jobs back. The suit said less-qualified white workers were paid better.

It seeks compensatory and punitive damages and an order barring any further racial discrimination in the city work force.

Murphy did not immediately return a phone message for comment. City attorney Mike Hobson said he had not seen the suit and could not comment at this time.

October 29, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 7

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK CSU Dominguez Hills to Host Community Town Hall Acommunity town hall will place at California State University, Dominguez Hills, Nov. 7, noon to 3:30 p.m., at Claudia Hampton Hall, Welch Hall D165, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson.

The Center for Service Learning, Internships and Civic Engagement (SLICE) at CSUDH is hosting the town hall to assess communitybased needs as a direct result of the economic recession.

The afternoon will include local leaders and representatives of various organizations speaking on ways they are helping the community, as well as a panel discussion titled “Why We Need Direct Government Job Creation Now: Lessons from the Past,� led by Dr. Frank Stricker, CSUDH emeritus professor of history and author of “Why America Lost the War on Poverty, and How to Win It.�

Speakers scheduled to attend include Carson Councilman Mike Gibson and representatives from JusticeCorps and Habitat for Humanity.

Admission is free. RSVP for the event by Oct. 31. Information: (310) 243-2438, www.csudh.edu/csl.

University System Launches $1B Fundraising Drive

Rev. Sharpton Appears With Chicago Parents CHICAGO (AP) — The Rev. Al Sharpton is calling on Chicago officials to help stop violence at a high school on the city’s South Side.

Sharpton appeared Oct. 26 at Altgeld Gardens public housing with parents of Fenger High School students. The parents have organized a two-day boycott of the high school because they say it isn’t safe.

Sharpton and the parents say

60,000 Teacher Jobs Saved With Stimulus (New America Media) — More than 60,000 of the 250,000 education jobs saved nationally by President Barack Obama’s stimulus package were in California, according to data recently released by the state’s Department of Education.

The $4.9 billion in education funding that California received under the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act partially offset deep cuts to classrooms that were made by politicians in Sacramento.

The stimulus package caused fewer teachers to be laid off, rather than hiring new ones.

Community activists expressed relief, but Fred Glass, spokesperson for the California Federation of Teachers, cautioned that while the stimulus “stopped some of the bleeding,� the state still had to lay off an estimated 10,000 teachers.

College Says Victim Wandered Into Rampage SACRAMENTO (AP) — The suspect in a fatal California college campus beating was breaking up his room and hitting himself with a baseball bat before his victim arrived, officials say.

Sacramento State University officials say witnesses heard windows breaking and saw 19-year-old Quran Jones smashing things six minutes before his 23-year-old roommate, Scott Hawkins, entered the room Oct. 21.

Jones is accused of beating Hawkins to death with the bat, then charging campus police with a knife. He was shot by police, and is in serious condition at University of California, Davis, Medical Center.

Investigators are awaiting drug tests after a roommate said Jones had talked of experimenting with a powerful psychedelic drug. Campus officials said Oct. 23 they saw no evidence of drug use.

Thomas to Fellow Supreme Court Justices: Hush!

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas used an appearance at the University of Alabama to criticize his colleagues on the court for badgering attorneys during oral arguments.

Addressing law students in Tuscaloosa, Thomas said Oct. 23 that he and the other eight justices virtually always know where they stand on a case by reading legal briefs before oral arguments are presented.

So, as Thomas put it, there’s no need for justices to “beat up� on attorneys. Thomas said he doesn’t like it and doesn’t do it.

Thomas hasn’t asked an attorney a question during oral arguments before the Supreme Court since 2006. He has long been known as the silent member of the Supreme Court. The justice didn’t name names during his encounter with a group of law students.

College Tuition is Up Sharply Amid Recession

BY JUSTIN POPE AP EDUCATION WRITER

With the economy struggling, parents and students dared to hope this year might offer a break from rising college costs. Instead, they got another sharp increase.

Average tuition at four-year public colleges in the U.S. climbed 6.5 percent, or $429, to $7,020 this fall as schools apologetically passed on much of their own financial problems, according to an annual report from the College Board, released Oct. 20. At private colleges, tuition rose 4.4 percent, or $1,096, to $26,273. “Every sector of the American economy is under stress and higher education is no exception,� said Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education. “It’s regrettable, and it’s yet another piece of disappointing economic news that affects families.�

The price increases came despite painful cost-cutting by colleges on everything from faculty to cafeterias and sports travel. And as usual, the rise in tuition outstripped the overall inflation rate.

In fact, during the period cov-

UGANDA Continued from page 1 He inherited the title when his father, Isaya Mukirania Kibanzanga, died while leading a secessionist group in the Rwenzori Mountains, otherwise known as the Mountains of the Moon. The rebels were protesting the oppression of their Bakonzo ethnic group by their then-rulers, the Toro Kingdom.

The Bakonzo demanded to be recognized as a separate entity and named Kibanzanga, a former primary school teacher, as their king in 1963. “It was very difficult growing up in the bush,� said Mumbere, who was 9 years old when his father took the family into the mountains. Although he received military training, Mumbere did not fight. “Our country has been independent (from the British) for 40something years but in Rwenzururu you may not find running water, there are no hospitals,� Mumbere said.

ered by the report, consumer prices declined 2.1 percent. So the latest tuition increase at public colleges was closer to 9 percent in real terms. “It’s only natural for parents to question why colleges are raising their prices yet again, while the rest of our economy is inflation-free,� said James Boyle, president of the group College Parents of America.

The news isn’t all bad. The estimated net price — what the average student actually pays after financial aid is taken into account — is still much lower than the list price, at about $1,620 at public four-year colleges, and under $12,000 at private ones.

Both figures are up slightly from last year but still lower than five years ago.

Community colleges, home to about 40 percent of college students, raised prices, too, but tuition is still essentially free to many, after financial aid is factored in.

A companion report also released Oct. 20 shows financial aid from Uncle Sam is surging and reliance on often-expensive private loans has plummeted. And while students in states such as California,

Florida and New York have seen double-digit tuition increases, some other states have held the line. Maryland and Missouri froze tuition.

Still, this year’s increases were bad news for the estimated one-third of students who do not receive grant aid and must pay full price.

Also, state appropriations to public colleges declined nearly $4 billion in 2008-09 from the previous year, even as enrollment grew.

Private colleges were forced to offer more financial aid even as their endowments fell by record amounts in the stock market meltdown and philanthropy dried up.

Worst hit is California, whose giant public university and community college systems educate about one in eight full-time college students in the United States.

Facing unprecedented state funding cuts, public colleges here have boosted fees, raised class sizes and furloughed faculty, but still can’t balance their books. The University of California system is considering fee increases of more than 30 percent by next year.

On the Net: www.collegeboard. com/press/releases/208962.html.

Shortly after Kibanzanga died, his son led the fighters down from the mountains to hand in their weapons. Mumbere went to the United States in 1984 on a Uganda government scholarship, attending a business school until Uganda’s leadership changed and the stipend was stopped. He gained political asylum in 1987, trained as a nurse's aide and took a job in a suburban Washington nursing home to pay his bills, The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported in a July 2009 story.

In 1999, he moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital, where he worked for at least two health care facilities.

He was “very loyal, a very hard worker, a very private person,� said Johnna Marx, executive director of the Golden Living Center-Blue Ridge Mountain on the outskirts of Harrisburg.

Mumbere said he chose to train as a nurse’s aide because the work, “was more reliable. Other jobs you can be laid off easily.�

Living in the United States, however, was “a very difficult experience,� he said. “Sometimes you have two jobs. You go to college in the morning, between 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Then you go prepare to go to work at 3 p.m. and then return at 11 p.m.�

He is now a green card holder, and his son and daughter live in Harrisburg. But he never forgot the people he left behind. When the Ugandan government decided to reinstate the traditional kingdoms, Mumbere lobbied the Rwenzururu Kingdom to be among them.

After 10 years of negotiation, President Museveni announced in August the government would recognize the Rwenzururu Kingdom as Uganda’s seventh kingdom.

Government recognition does not grant any executive power but allows the monarchs to determine cultural and social issues affecting their people.

On the Net: www.rwenzururu. com.

“To actually sit in a group of fellow Christians with the same beliefs and pursue the same goal was just awesome. To this day, words can’t describe that experience. It was all God.� – Jonathan Dean, Organizational Leadership Major

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FRESNO (AP) — Chong Xiong was on the edge of her seat when University of California President Mark Yudof announced an ambitious plan Oct. 23 that would guarantee students who are accepted into the system would have the money to pay for their education. “Now my parents won’t have to worry,� said the junior who wants to study science at the Irvine campus.

Yudof chose an assembly at Sunnyside High School in the heart of the rural San Joaquin Valley to unveil the $1 billion fundraising effort that would ensure students with annual family incomes of $70,000 or less would pay no fees.

At the school on Fresno’s impoverished east side, the families of all but 30 of the 3,000 students would meet that income threshold.

The region has been hard hit by unemployment and foreclosures. “Nobody needs a handout, but some of you might need a hand up, and we’re here to offer that to you,�

Yudof said to thunderous applause.

Yudof’s announcement came as the UC Board of Regents is set to meet next month to consider raising fees by 32 percent for most students.

The hike would follow a 9.3 percent increase approved in May. Each of the 10 campuses has set a fundraising goal, Yudof said, and will be hitting up alumni and friends for donations. The $1 billion he hopes to amass over four years would double the system’s previous fundraising efforts.

fighting at Fenger has continued since a 16-year-old student was beaten to death after school on Sept. 24.

Sharpton says the burial of Derrion Albert shouldn’t take attention away from the problem because it’s continuing. He says Altgeld parents are sending their children into a “war zone.�

Parents say they don’t know how many students stayed out of school Oct. 26.

Come to an Information Session at our Inglewood location

Thursday, Nov. 5th at 6:00 P.M. Meet our friendly admissions counselors who will answer your questions about BOLD’s biblically centered degree completion program. Family and friends are welcome. Please R.S.V.P. by calling 310.419.5870.

Finish your degree. Deepen your faith.

Visit www.biola.edu/bold or call 800-705-BOLD

333 W. Florence Avenue Inglewood, CA 90301 Located in the Trinity Building, Faiithful Central Bible Church Level C, suite 325

Page 8

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 29, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE SHORT TAKES power, antiwar, New Left, and civil rights movements on the one hand, and with local and state politics on the other. An alliance of black students and residents of Harlem and Morningside Heights openly protested the school’s plan to build a large, private gymnasium in a small park that separated the university from the community.

BOOKS • 2009 marks the 40th anniversary for many of the Black Studies departments in the United States. Two recently released books examine the impact of the Black Power Movement on academia.

“Black Students in the Ivory Tower: African American Student Activism at the University of Pennsylvania, 1967-1990” describes the circumstances surrounding the University of Pennsylvania’s decision to increase its black student population and the events that subsequently transpired. The author, Wayne C. Glasker, follows the controversy and debate over such issues as assimilation, integration, black nationalism, and cultural pluralism on one university campus. The

260-page paperback book retails for $28.95.

“Harlem vs. Columbia University: Black Student Power in the late 1960s,” by Stefan M. Bradley, explains how the campus was ground zero for the clash between Black Power, student

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The ensuing takeover and occupation of administration buildings and its aftermath are detailed. The 272-page hardcover book retails for $40.

TRIBUTE • Holman United Methodist Church will honor actor, humanitarian and church member Hal Williams during its third annual Season of Thanksgiving fundraising dinner Oct. 29, 6 p.m., at the

Hal Williams

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Omni Hotel, 251 S. Olive St., Los Angeles. Williams is widely known for his as roles as Officer Smith (“Smitty”) on “Sanford and Son” and as Lester Jenkins on the 1980s comedy “227.” The master of ceremonies will be Ted Lange and Louis Gossett Jr., T.K. Carter., Regina King, Nancy Wilson and William Allen Young will be among those giving tribute to Williams. Tickets for this fundraiser are $500 and can be purchased online at www.holmanumc.com.

Information: (323) 634-2514.

DVD • “DIRTY: The Official ODB Biography,” from ZuFilms and SKD, will be released on DVD Nov. 10. This film takes a look into the life and death of hip-hop artist Russell Jones, aka Ol’ Dirty See SHORT TAKES, page 14

Cosby Keeps it Clean for Humor Prize

BY BRETT ZONGKER AP WRITER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bill Cosby still thinks America is funny — like the name-calling over health care and the way we drink so much water from plastic bottles that could be toxic — even though he says the nation has some serious problems it needs to tackle.

The 72-year-old who has long drawn laughs for his wisecracks and deadpan observations received the nation’s foremost humor prize Oct. 26 at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Sinbad and other top entertainers honored him with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

It’s a prize Cosby has turned down twice before because he said he was disgusted with profanity and the N-word thrown around by performers honoring Richard Pryor, who was the first recipient in 1998.

“I told them flat out no because I will not be used, nor will Mark Twain be used, in that way,” he told The Associated Press from his home in New York.

The profanity bugs Cosby. He always kept it clean with the family laughs on “The Cosby Show,” portraying a middle-class black family and everyday life, from 1984 to 1992. And he’s not impressed with today’s comedians who can’t help but curse.

It took a chat with Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser this year at Sen. Edward Kennedy’s birthday celebration for Cosby to accept the award this time.

“What I wanted was to associate my work with why I do what I do,” he said.

For a man with a master’s degree and doctorate in education, his life is about more than laughs.

So Cosby helped craft the tribute show — airing Nov. 4 nationwide on PBS — to capture his overarching emphasis on taking education seriously and telling stories that teach something in the process.

Producers of the show were worried it won’t be funny, Cosby said. But he said there will still be plenty of entertainment.

Cappy McGarr, one of the show’s executive producers, said they were thrilled with the lineup, which also included Carl Reiner, Wynton Marsalis, and “Cosby” costars Phylicia Rashad and MalcolmJamal Warner.

The producers shape each show around the honoree and have had Cosby on their list for years. McGarr explained the tribute to Pryor aired for a different audience on Comedy Central and wasn’t meant to be offensive, but the show has aired on PBS ever since.

He said the producers were grateful Cosby finally accepted.

“He is a comic genius,” McGarr said. “He just has a wonderful reflection of funny ... and is an absolute master at taking an ordinary human condition and giving his take on it.

“He makes us laugh with us, not at us.”

The comedian who kept NBC viewers laughing on Thursday nights after “Cosby” went to reruns

Bill Cosby

will salute the man he says reinvigorated the sit-com.

Seinfeld said he started buying Cosby’s comedy albums when he was 11 years old. He was watching as Cosby made the jump from nightclubs to television with the “I Spy” series and as physical education teacher Chet Kincaid on “The Bill Cosby Show” in 1969.

“Watching him do those things showed me the right way for a standup comedian to play himself on television — how you kind of transform your standup persona into a character persona,” Seinfeld told The AP. “I think only comedians know and understand that this guy has reached like a virtuoso point of command over this form that most people, even the big star comedians, don’t get anywhere near.”

Beyond the comedy that he still performs on stage, Cosby has spoken bluntly about society over the years. He has spoken out about personal responsibility in the black community and talks often about education on his Web site, Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Of all things he’d wish for young people, better television is on the list. Cosby said he wishes kids had access to classic writers and their stories on TV, “so that our youth can find themselves being excited about things other than going straight for the genitalia.”

The longtime TV dad also has some observations on politics, though he says he’s not a “wheeler, dealer” when he visits Washington.

Recently, the tea party protests against President Barack Obama have struck a chord.

“To see people marching down the street, talking about a tea party, they’ve got to be kidding ... and the name-calling, these people are hilarious,” he said. “What’s not funny is how seriously so many of them have come together to speak like this.”

He was appalled by the refusal of some public schools last month to show students an Obama speech about education, and he agrees with some observers, such as former President Jimmy Carter, that some of the opposition is driven by racism.

“I just want this United States of America to be the United States of America, for which it's supposed to stand,” Cosby said.

His family will join him for the award show in D.C. “I don’t know if the Suburban’s going to look like ‘Grapes of Wrath’ or what,” he said.

On the Net: Bill Cosby’s Web site: www.billcosby.com.

October 29, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 9

ARTS & CULTURE “Michael Jackson: This Is It,” the film that chronicles Jackson’s final preparations for his world concert tour, opened at L.A. LIVE’s Nokia Theater Oct. 27.

Jackie, Tito and Marlon Jackson

Actresses Nia Long and Paula Abdul

ART ASSIGNMENT Continued from page 1 and holding a noose around his neck with the other.

Students in the Drawing II and Drawing III classes were given a different assignment the same day — a picture of a home, students said — but Williams still filed a complaint after talking to Robles.

Camelle Williams

“He was defending himself the whole time. He didn’t say he was sorry,” said Williams, who recently went before the L.A. Community College District’s board of trustees about the incident.

“He didn’t even acknowledge the noose,” she added.

Robles said he doesn’t remember exactly what he said that day but did not intentionally give the assignment as a racist gesture or to offend anyone. He added that he never associated the photo with any racist themes.

“In retrospect, I see it was an error in judg-

Home page of Bill Robles’ Web site, which highlights his work as a courtroom sketch artist.

Actor Tyrese Gibson and guest

ment,” Robles said.

Black students had an uproar over the image, he said, “and I can see their side of it, but I’m totally devoid of any of those (racist) feelings.”

“I did it in total innocence,” he added.

Robles, a longtime courtroom sketch artist, has worked at Trade Tech for roughly 20 years.

Chapdelaine said he did not know of any other complaints filed against Robles in the past.

Robles said he picked the assignment — originally something he drew based on photos he saw many years ago in a magazine — because he felt students could apply drawing principles they learned in class with it. Students, he said, were complaining about not wanting to do certain assignments, so Robles said he wanted to give them an assignment that would be “stimulus” to the students.

Robles said he never gave the assignment to students before. Chapdelaine and Williams, in separate interviews, said he did.

Raymond Baptist, a visual communications student who saw the illustration before it was passed out, refused to draw it.

“It was kind of shocking to me,” Baptist said. “He’s not even being considerate of people’s feelings.”

Virtually all the black students — about five in a room of roughly 30 — walked into a neighboring lab and told another teacher about the incident, according to some students.

“Everybody just came in mad, basically,” Baptist said.

Robles added that the picture — which he said was an intriguing pose and photo of Trinidadian artist and performer Geoffrey Holder — was considered a piece of art several years ago, wasn’t considered offensive, and appeared in a magazine.

Baptist said that doesn’t change his opinion about the photo “because people saw it for what it was … especially black students.”

“We see a black person with a rope around their neck,” he added.

School officials held meetings, including one with Robles. An administration official also visited the class to evaluate Robles because of the incident, and not for a usual review, Chapdelaine said.

Robles apologized to students several days later. The school also apologized in a letter “on behalf of the Arts Trades and Fashion Department” and the administration “for the lack of sensitivity in the Visual Communication assignment…”

Williams said she didn’t accept Robles’ apology, but wants him fired, noting that she doesn’t have a personal problem with him. She said the situation should not be tolerated because racism shouldn’t be tolerated anywhere.

Actress Vivica Fox

Actress Jennifer Lopez

“He is only a symptom to a much bigger problem,” she said, also alleging that racism exists at the school.

Robles reiterated he is not racist, adding he would not have passed out the assignment if he was.

“I don’t know why somebody would want to tarnish a career spending all (these) 40 years with something like this,” he said, reiterating it was false that he meant to offend anyone.

“You’re worried about your 40 years. I’m worried about my 400 years (of slavery),” Williams said as a response.

Actor/comedian Flex Alexander and wife, singer Shanice

Later, Robles added, “In retrospect, I’ve had a sensitivity awakening.”

He said he was in “lala land” because he just didn’t think in racist terms when he saw the drawing, but is now more aware.

Nana Gyamfi, a lawyer and co-founder of L.A-based Human Rights Advocacy contacted

by Williams, said she would help Williams get the word out about the situation.

People have the right to speak out, Gyamfi said.

“The damage has occurred,” she added, “whether the intent is there or not.”

Page 10

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 29, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE

Singer Monica Accepts Reality secutive chart-topping hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.

What followed were four more albums for the Georgia native, “The Boy Is Mine” (also a duet with Brandy), “All Eyez on Me,” “After the Storm” and “The Makings of Me.” However, along her musical journey, Monica, 29, hit some sour notes, including a decline in her popularity, the suicide of her boyfriend Jarvis “Knot” Weems, plus a reportedly tumultuous relationship with her former fiancée Corey “CMurder” Miller, who was sentenced last August to life in prison for the 2002 second-degree murder of 16year-old Steve Thomas.

With her latest CD “Still Standing” and her new reality show, Monica, who has also acted on tele-

BY DARLENE DONLOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

R&B singer Monica has already had more than her share of reality.

But this week, the award-winning songstress went one step further, pulled back the curtain and invited the world into her personal life with the debut of her new reality show, “Monica: Still Standing,” airing Tuesdays on BET. In the show, Monica is raising her two young sons, and works on a new clothing line and album, “Still Standing.”

It was 1995 when Monica, born Monica Denise Arnold, first took the R&B world by storm with her highly successful debut album, “Miss Thang,” which produced four singles and made her the youngest recording act to ever have two con-

BASED ON AN EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY

“EMOTIONALLY MESMERIZING! UNMISSABLE!” Chrissy Iley, The Sunday Times (UK)

Monica

trusted other people?” Did you have any trepidation about going into a show when you’ve had these issues in the past?

M: It was very scary stepping into the type of situation that would expose all that takes place before the album is actually finished, on top of the fact that it exposes everything personally.

But I think that there are so many kids now that are aspiring to do exactly what I’ve done. My first record was recorded when I was 12.

And I think that they don’t know exactly what it takes and what it’s like to try to juggle both lives. The hardest part is that — trusting people before; when I say that, that means that in picking songs, picking singles, a lot of times it happens without the artist.

MISSING WOMAN

NEVER GIVE UP.

Continued from page 1

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vision and in several films, is out to prove she’s a survivor. The L.A. Watts Times caught up with the songstress in Pasadena.

LAWT: Was there anything that was off limits for the cameras?

M: Nothing was off limits to the camera. James (DuBose, executive producer) and I established a relationship, and I was very open about the fact that my kids came first. If that meant that I sacrificed my career, I was fine with that. I made it very clear that things would be happening within my family. My father was very sick. He was trying to beat prostate cancer. I lost a lot of people in the midst of just us doing what we had to do.

And I just let him know that when those things happen, I would be going where the situation was. So if there was something scripted, I would be walking away. And he basically explained to me that this won’t be a scripted show. And once he explained to me that that’s how the show would be, I was totally comfortable.

LAWT: In a clip of the show, someone says, “You’ve got to trust me.” And you say, “Just like I’ve

So you’ll see in the show me finding ways to take charge of what’s actually happening and pick the records again myself, like I was allowed to the first four albums when I was much younger and music was just about a feeling. So we try to get that back. It creates a lot of friction between me and some of the people that I work with. But I think it’s well worth it because the music is ultimately for the fans.

LAWT: When you were younger you were able to choose and control your albums, then you weren’t. What did you do to get control again?

M: Fight. Fight a lot. I just fought for what I knew was right and what I thought the audience would appreciate.

LAWT: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from the beginning of your career to now?

M: My biggest lesson from beginning to now is, a lot of people believe in a lot of things, but I trust God and I believe in Him fully and wholeheartedly. And He’s allowed me to step out of my past and into my purpose and recognize that who I used to be is not who I am anymore, and there’s reasoning for that.

“Monica: Still Standing” airs at 10 p.m., Tuesday on BET.

CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORIES G ENCINO OR CALL FOR SHOWTIMES Laemmle’s Town Center 5 (818) 981-9811 LPresented in GPresented in

LAPD Detective Steven Eguchi said the incident is still a missing person’s case “until something else points us in another direction.”

“There have been many searches so far,” he said, adding, “So far there is no evidence of foul play, and we just want to let people know she’s still out there and we’re looking for her.”

The father of Mitrice Richardson, Michael Richardson, said he is getting assistance from community members who have helped in searches from Malibu to South L.A. including homeless shelters, Skid Row, hospitals and other areas. For now, Michael Richardson is intent on keeping his daughter’s name in public view, as he holds out hope for

her safe return.

Michael Richardson expressed confusion as to why his daughter was released into the dark, in a rural area alone.

“They had a responsibility and civic duty to protect her,” Michael Richardson said. “If she was acting bizarre and talking out of her head at the restaurant, why didn’t the sheriff’s (deputies) put her on a 24-hour or 72-hour hold and have her evaluated before letting her go out alone at that time of morning in such an isolated and remote area?”

Michael Richardson also claims the arrest report was altered and that deputies’ stories have changed several times. He has also requested copies of the Malibu-Lost Hills sta-

tion phone records to determine who his daughter reportedly called from there. He has also teamed with Change.org to circulate a petition that calls for a federal investigation.

Whitmore said it is believed that Mitrice Richardson called her grandmother because her conversations were overheard, and the department is trying to get the phone records, but it takes time.

“There is no conspiracy here.

We are very concerned about this young lady,” Whitmore said. “I understand deeply her parents’ concerns. Everything that can be done was done and is being done.”

Whitmore added that there were no changes or alterations to the original arrest report.

“We don’t do that. It’s not about us,” he said. “It’s about this young woman and finding her.”

Michael Richardson also claims his daughter did not receive an evaluation before being released. Whitmore said she was “evaluated extensively” by the three deputies called to the restaurant. According to Whitmore, the deputies spent a total of three to four hours with Mitrice Richardson from their first encounter at the restaurant.

She was given a field sobriety test, which included eye movement, pulse check, and questions to determine whether she was intoxicated or suffering from mental health issues.

While at the sheriff’s station, Mitrice Richardson talked at length to a female jailer about music and other subjects. According to Whitmore, the jailer and other deputies witnessed no signs of intoxication or mental health issues. Therefore, they had no authority to hold her.

Despite the early morning-hour, chilly weather outside and lack of money or transportation, Mitrice See MISSING WOMAN, page 11

October 29, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 11

HEALTH THE PULSE Breast Cancer Seminar to Take Place Sisters Breast Cancer Survivors Network’s seventh annual Breast Cancer Health Educational Seminar — A Change is Going to Come — will take place Oct. 31 at Good Samaritan Hospital Conference Room, 637 Lucas Ave., Los Angeles.

Attendees will be able to learn about risk factors for getting breast cancer and how to reduce them, among other topics.

Cancer and women’s health researcher Dr. Susan Love will be the keynote speaker. There will also be entertainment.

Information: Jewel Williams, (323) 759-0200, sbcsn@yahoo.com, www.survivorsofbreastcancer.org.

20 Charged in Medicare Fraud Bust in California (AP) — Federal authorities have charged 20 people, including clinic owners and patient recruiters, in a scam they say fraudulently billed Medicare about $26 million.

The indictments came as part of an ongoing crackdown on Medicare fraud as President Barack Obama pursues health care reform.

Arrests were made Oct. 21 in the Los Angeles area after seven suspects were taken into custody last week, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

Medicare was fraudulently billed for pricey medical equipment such as power wheelchairs and hospital beds that were not needed, he said.

In Washington, Lanny Breuer, head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, said the arrests were further proof of the intense pursuit of Medicare fraud.

Working as part of a Medicare fraud strike force, agents in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston and Detroit have been involved in the indictment of 331 people across the country since March 2007.

Breuer said some of the schemes involved “wheelchairs that went to people that never needed them, wheelchairs that went to people that never received them, and wheelchairs that were purchased by people who were already deceased.”

Gang involvement was alleged in some of the latest charges.

All but one of the suspects were made in California. The other was a Las Vegas resident.

Obesity Among Black Children Targeted by Wayne State University DETROIT (AP) — Wayne State University researchers have received a $5.7 million federal grant to find ways to fight obesity among African American children.

Obesity is significantly higher among blacks, particularly among children and adolescents.

The five-year grant comes from the National Institutes of Health. The school says it will start recruiting 58 families for the study in 2010.

Wayne State says the project will use a multidisciplinary team of researchers with specialties that include adolescent health behavior and provider-family interactions.

Pediatrics associate professor Sylvie Naar-King and food sciences professor Catherine Jen will lead the center.

Patient Exposed to Radiation at Los Angeles Hospital Sues (AP) — A patient who was exposed to an overdose of radiation during a CT scan has sued CedarsSinai Medical Center and the maker of the scanner.

Trevor Rees’s lawsuit, filed in Superior Court, seeks class action status on behalf of the 206 patients who received radiation overdoses because of an equipment error that went undetected for 1 1/2 years.

The lawsuit claims the hospital’s staff and the scanner’s manufacturer, General Electric Healthcare, were negligent in performing the scans.

Hospital officials said the staff reset the machine’s computer to help doctors see blood flow in the brain and better diagnose strokes.

However, “a misunderstanding about an embedded default setting applied by the machine” led patients to receive eight times the normal dose of radiation. About 40 percent of them lost patches of hair as a result.

Rees said the hair on his head and eyebrows fell out in the days and weeks following two CT scans in December 2008. He also experienced red and flaky skin on his face and scalp, symptoms of radiation overdose, he claimed.

GE has said the machine was not defective.

The suit also alleges medical malpractice, product liability and breach of warranty. It seeks general and economic damages.

Senate Health Bill Will Embrace ‘Public Option’ WASHINGTON (AP) — Health care legislation heading for the Senate floor will give millions of Americans the option of purchasing government-run insurance coverage, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Oct. 26.

Reid, D-Nev., said individual states would have the choice of opting out of the program.

His announcement was cheered by liberal lawmakers.

Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, the only Republican to vote with Democrats on health care so far this year, issued a statement saying she was “deeply disappointed” in the approach the Democratic leader had chosen.

Reid said, “While the public option is not a silver bullet, I believe it’s an important way to ensure competition and to level the playing field for patients with the insurance industry.” He said a long-delayed Senate debate on President Barack Obama’s call for an overhaul of the health care system would begin as soon as the Congressional Budget Office completes a mandatory assessment of the bill’s cost and impact on coverage.

Both the House and Senate are struggling to complete work by year’s end on legislation extending coverage to millions who lack it, to ban insurance industry practices such as denying coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions and to slow the rise in medical costs.

Experts: Key Drug Facts Often Left Off FDA Labels

BY MATTHEW PERRONE AP BUSINESS WRITER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Did you know that Lunesta will help you fall asleep just 15 minutes faster? Or that a higher dose of the osteoporosis drug Zometa could damage a cancer patient’s kidneys and raise their risk of death?

Chances are you didn’t, and neither did your doctor. Much of what the Food and Drug Administration knows about a drug’s safety and effectiveness is not included on the label, say two drug safety experts who are calling on the agency to make that information more accessible.

In last week’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from Dartmouth College argue that drug labels don’t reflect the nuanced decisions the FDA makes when deciding to approve a drug. The editorial from Drs. Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin recommends easy-toread fact boxes to help patients weigh the benefits and risks of medications.

If drug labels sometimes exaggerate benefits and play down drug risks, the authors say there’s a very good reason: they are written by drugmakers.

While the FDA must approve the final labeling, the actual language is drafted by the manufacturer, with input from FDA scientists.

The labeling is based on results from company studies, which generally compare results for patients taking the drug versus those taking placebo.

If the FDA decides the drug’s

ability to treat or prevent a disease outweighs its side effects, the agency is obligated to approve it.

But Schwartz and Woloshin point out that benefits may be slim and potential harms may not be fully understood.

“The take home point is that just because a drug is approved doesn’t mean it works very well,” said Schwartz, in an interview with The Associated Press. “You really need to know more to see whether it’s worth the cost.”

Schwartz and Woloshin say FDA labeling frequently fails to provide a full picture of a drug’s effects.

In the case of Sepracor Inc.’s blockbuster sleeping pill Lunesta, it’s virtually impossible to tell how well the drug works based on the labeling, which only indicates that it worked better than placebo, or a dummy pill.

Only by wading through the FDA’s 403-page internal review of Lunesta do the details emerge: patients fell asleep 15 minutes faster and slept 37 minutes longer, on average.

“Lunesta patients still met criteria for insomnia and reported no clinically meaningful improvement in next-day alertness,” the authors state.

Despite that lackluster finding, the drug has grown into a $600 million-a-year drug for Sepracor, helped by the company’s advertisements featuring a green Lunesta moth.

FDA review documents can also hide critical safety information.

The authors point to the example of Novartis’ Zometa, which was approved in 2001 to prevent skeletal fractures in cancer patients with brittle bones. The drug was approved in both 4-mg and 8-mg doses, despite FDA findings of increased kidney damage and death with the higher dose.

The FDA went back and added language about kidney toxicity in 2008, but the information about death rates is still missing from the label. While the FDA reviews are posted online, they are often hundreds of pages long and written in extremely dense medical language.

Woloshin and Schwartz recommend the FDA provide readerfriendly summaries of its drug reviews, to supplement industrydrafted drug labeling.

Earlier this year, the FDA’s panel of communication experts recommended the agency adopt fact boxes for all announcements about drug risks and benefits.

Woloshin and Schwartz said they have met with FDA leadership to discuss the proposal.

A spokeswoman for the FDA declined to comment Oct. 21.

In a study comparing comprehension of drug benefits, patients showed significantly better understanding with fact boxes versus traditional drug advertising. Seventy percent of patients viewing the boxes correctly identified a superior heart burn medication, versus just 8 percent who viewed drug advertisements, according to the 2006 study by Schwartz and Woloshin.

MISSING WOMAN Continued from page 10 Richardson insisted on leaving, Whitmore said. And that was the last time they saw her, he said.

Mitrice Richardson’s car was impounded, according to news reports.

Jeff Peterson, owner of Geoffrey’s restaurant, said calling the police on Mitrice Richardson wasn’t so much about money as it was concern for her safety. With the way she was acting and talking that night, Peterson advised his staff to call police for fear of her driving in that condition.

“She was very sweet, friendly and harmless. She was reading guests’ palms and talking about being from Mars,” Peterson said.

Facts Oct. 30, 1991 BET Holdings Inc., the parent company of Black Entertainment Television, sells 4.2 million shares of stock in an initial public offering on the NYSE. BET is the first African American company listed on the “Big Board.”

Source: blackfacts.com

“We grew concerned about her safety and we made a decision because we didn’t want to give her her car keys.”

Peterson added that as a human being and as a businessman, if he just let her go and something happened to her, he would be vilified.

“I have a responsibility to my customers,” he said, adding, “I just hope she’s safe somewhere.”

Mitrice Richardson never displayed any prior signs of mental illness, Michael Richardson said,

adding she “doesn’t know what’s going on” because of the condition she could be in.

A couple of days before her disappearance, she was sending strange text messages and posting bizarre comments on Facebook, Michael Richardson said.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information on Mitrice Richardson’s whereabouts. Anyone with information about where she is can call Michael Richardson at (310) 283-4717 or the Los Angeles Police Department at (213) 485-2155.

Page 12

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 29, 2009

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October 29, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 13

SPORTS BRAD PYE JR.

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

The University of Southern California’s football team hits the road October to square off against the University of Oregon. Perhaps the Trojans just hope Oregon isn’t as tough and offensive-minded as Oregon State.

Troy was good and lucky to escape with a 42-36 victory over the Beavers here at the Coliseum Oct. 24. Tailback Allen Bradford was the Most Valuable Player of the game, and quarterback Matt Barkley, and wide receivers Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson were some of the touchdown-makers. The Oregon Ducks

Damian Williams

prepped for the Trojans with a 4319 victory over the Washington Huskies, who slapped the Trojans down with their first loss of the season, 16-13.

The University of California at Los Angeles lost Oct. 24, 27-13,

RUPERT Continued from page 2 But even if it was done with the best of intentions, telling young men that they may not wear clothing traditionally worn only by women is telling them that who they are is inappropriate, unprofessional, and something to hide. It is telling them that while we fight against injustice within one community, we will perpetuate it within another.

This policy does nothing but single out certain students by virtue of their identity and tell them they are flawed.

The effect will be to make gay students feel that they are not welcome to be themselves in a learning environment.

This is a matter of affording students the respect to allow them to embrace and celebrate their identities. And it would be wrong to forget that no historically black college would exist if not for the understanding that minority identity should never be a barrier to equal dignity in academic settings and equal opportunities to succeed.

And a historically black college with the legacy and history of Morehouse has an institutional responsibility to be on the right side of this issue.

Maya Rupert is an attorney in

to Arizona. UCLA’s next whipping should come on Halloween against those Rodgers brothers and the rest of the Oregon State Beavers.

And the beat continues‌ Baseball is over for 2009 as far as the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the AL West champion L.A. Angels of Anaheim are concerned. The Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees were the better teams with too much pitching and bat firepower for the Dodgers and the Angels.

And the beat continues‌ A tribute to former Crenshaw High School coach Willie West Jr. and his First City Championship basketball team (The 1971 “CC Fivesâ€?) is set for halftime of the L.A. Clippers-San Antonio Spurs game at the Staples Center Dec. 13.

Be there to take in the Crenshaw Cougar Walk of Fame as players from 1968-2009 will honor coach West’s First City Championship team. The event will be emceed

by Marques Johnson, an all-time Crenshaw great, Milwaukee Bucks star and 1978 Player of the Year.

Contact Bill Smith for more details at (310) 739-1964.

And the beat continues‌ The commissioner of the new United Football League (UFL) is a man of color. He’s Michael Huyghue. He’s a former NFL executive and player agent. Two of the four head coaches in the UFL are two former NFL head coaches — Dennis Green (California Redwoods) and Ted Cottrell (New

York Sentinels). Each team will play six regular games and the two teams with the best record will play in the title game on Nov. 27.

And the beat continues‌ Is it true Magic Johnson played a role in keeping Isiah Thomas off the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team?â€? And is it true

downtown Los Angeles. She has previously contributed to the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as other publications. Her column explores

issues of race, gender and politics and appears in the L.A. Watts Times regularly. She can be reached at maya.rupert@gmail.com.

Nike Unveils Pacquiao Billboard in Hollywood

BY JOSEPH PIMENTEL ASIAN JOURNAL

Earvin “Magic� Johnson

Johnson says in his new book that Thomas questioned his sexuality?

These are two of the questions making the rounds on SI.com.

Thomas, currently in his first season as head coach at Florida International University, reportedly said he was “hurt� by Johnson’s actions.

And the beat continues‌ Did you know that one of the best poker players in the world is an African American? Well, he is. He’s Phil Ivey, 32. He travels via his private jet. Ivey’s next big test will come on Nov. 7 in the World Series of Poker.

And the beat ends.

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

HOLLYWOOD — It’s another first for Manny Pacquiao.

The pound-4-pound king became the first Filipino athlete to be featured in a major billboard in Los Angeles.

Nike, a Pacquiao sponsor, has featured the Filipino boxing hero on a billboard campaign promoting its AW77 hood sweatshirt.

The towering billboard located on top of the Nike Montalban Theater in Hollywood on Selma Avenue and Vine Street shows Pacquiao wearing a grey and teal blue hooded sweater with a scowl on his face. “For him to be on an actual billboard that’s a big statement,� said Anthony Nguyen, a passerby. “Manny Pacquiao is the man. He’s the hero of the Philippines. Everyone loves him over here in America and I think it’s good timing especially with the fight coming up soon.� “I just twittered it because I want all my friends to see it,� he added.

Nike Spokesperson Rachel Buenviaje said they’ve received a positive response from the local Filipino community since the billboard went up last weekend.

Alex Rotodo, an events promoter from San Francisco, recently visited the billboard and took photos of it.

He said for Nike to put Pacquiao’s face on a billboard on a

major street speaks highly of the Filipinos buying power. “Here I am walking in Hollywood along the sidewalk of stars and I look up and I see Manny’s billboard,� Rotodo said “He’s the biggest star in the Philippines and what this billboard shows is not only is Manny like the hugest icon but shows the marketing power of the Filipino community.� “They (Nike) believe in our buying power just like Gatorade and the Jabbawockeez,� Rotodo added.

Pacquiao is still training in Baguio, Philippines. Pacquiao will face Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico at the MGM Grand on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

It’s not known whether Pacquiao has seen the billboard but it is located only a few blocks away from the Wildcard Boxing Gym, where he trains in Los Angeles.

Joseph Pimentel is a writer for the Asian Journal, which, along with the L.A. Watts Times and five other publications, publishes local stories from ethnic media on www.labeez.org.

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Page 14

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 29, 2009

Some Tips on Acing the Job Interview

BY TALI ARBEL AP BUSINESS WRITER

Just landing an interview these days is tough.

There are more job seekers out there right now than at any other point this decade, according to government data — in August, the latest data available, there were about 6.3 unemployed workers Police Aide $10.22 - $12.34 per hour (Part-time) The City of Claremont Police Department is looking for two highly energetic, customer service oriented individuals who have top-notch office skills. Police Aides are utilized in a variety of areas within the Police Department, including Records, Investigations, Overnight Parking, and Traffic.

The current open positions are in the Records Bureau.

Additional information about job duties and qualifications are available on the City website at www.ci.claremont.ca.us or from the Personnel Office at (909) 399-5450. Completed application required and must be received by Thursday, November 5, 2009, by 1:00 p.m.

EOE/DRUG FREE EMPLOYER

competing for each open position.

Job openings are at their lowest point in nine years of data.

So if you actually get called in to talk about a job, congratulations.

Be sure not to undermine your chances of landing it with shaky responses to common questions.

In their book, “101 Toughest Interview Questions,” career ex-

perts Daniel Porot and Frances Bolles Haynes also advise interviewees to practice tough questions beforehand with a friend or family member, memorize effective answers, be truthful, listen to what you’re actually being asked and keep answers concise.

What are some of the toughest questions?

• “What interests you most about this job?” Answer this with specifics: Emphasize how your past work experience relates to the opening, or how your skills fit with the job’s tasks and responsibilities.

Also mention what makes the company unique and appealing to you from your research of it.

• “What are your strengths and

weaknesses?” Give them your strengths. If you bring up a weakness, keep it minor or address how you work around it.

• “What salary figure do you have in mind?” Give them a broad salary range. Porot and Haynes also recommend saying that compensation is a topic best left until after you've received a job offer.

SHORT TAKES

FILMS

Watts Towers Arts Center Director Rosie Lee Hooks. This event is free and open to the public. Information: (213) 847-4646.

as an Afrikan-centered spiritual center. Activities will take place at the KRST center, 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, on Nov. 6, 5 to 8:30 p.m., and on Nov. 8, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a spoken word/hip-hop concert at 6 p.m. The center will hold a Family Unity Day and Wellness Fair on Nov. 7, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Kenneth Hahn State Park, 4100 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 759-7569, (213) 804-1305.

Continued from page 8 Bastard or ODB, a co-founder of Wu-Tang Clan. The documentary, which traces ODB’s life from his childhood in Brooklyn to his eternal influence on music, time spent in prison and, finally, to his death just two days before his 36th birthday, includes interviews with the Rza, Method Man, Gza and other members of the Wu-Tang Clan, and with ODB himself.

Directed by Raison Allah, ODB’s cousin and a member of the WuTang-affiliated rap group Brooklyn Zu, the 86-minute DVD retails for $14.99. Information: www.skddvd.com.

• Watts Towers Film Festival continues the 2009 celebration of the 50th year of preservation of Simon Rodia’s famous Watts Towers. The festival will be held Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Mayme Clayton Library and Museum, 4130 Overland Ave., Culver City. The program, highlighting art and music inspired by Rodia’s Towers, ranges from a 1954 short on Rodia’s work, to animation by current students in the Watts Towers Arts Center/Sony Pictures Media Arts Program.

Feature documentaries include “Fertile Ground: Stories From The Watts Towers Arts Center,” by actress S. Pearl Sharp and

ANNIVERSARY • KRST Unity Center of Afrakan Spiritual Science will hold its anniversary celebration Nov. 6 to 8. The church will celebrate 72 years as a unity center, 20 years under the ministerial leadership of the Rev. Meri Ka Ra, and 16 years

Photo by PAT HENDRICKS MUNSON

MULTI-TASKING — Actress Sherri Shepherd, co-host on “The View” and star of her own self-titled TV sitcom, stopped by Leimert Park’s Eso Won bookstore to sign copies of her new book, “Permission Slips, Every Woman’s Guide To Giving Herself A Break.”

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

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ANDRUS TRANSPORTATION Seeking Team Drivers for fast turning freight lanes! Also Hiring Solo OTR drivers - West states exp/hazmat end, great miles/hometime. STABLE Family owned 35 yrs+ 1800-888-5838, 1-866-806-5119 x1402.

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ALL CASH VENDING! Be Your Own Boss! Your Own Local Vending Route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy for $9,995. MultiVend LLC, 1-888-625-2405. (Cal-SCAN)

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Training provided. www.KTPGlobal.com or call 1-800330-8446. (Cal-SCAN)

NEWS RELEASE? Cost-efficient service. The California Press Release Service has 500 current daily, weekly and college newspaper contacts in California.

FREE email brochure. Call (916) 288-6010. www.CaliforniaPressReleaseService.com (Cal-SCAN)

FINANCIAL SERVICES Get Out of Debt in Months! Avoid Bankruptcy. Not a high priced consolidation company or a consumer credit counseling program. Free consultation CREDIT CARD RELIEF 1-866-475-5353. (Cal-SCAN) TAX RELIEF! Do You Owe Over $15,000 in BACK TAXES? Need to Settle State, Business, Payroll Tax Problems, Eliminate Penalties, Interest Charges, Wage Garnishments, Tax Liens! Call American Tax Relief 1800-496-9891. FREE, Confidential, No obligation, consultation. (Cal-SCAN)

HELP WANTED ATTN: COMPUTER WORK. Work from anywhere

HELP WANTED/SALES CUSTOMER SERVICE. Call on businesses. Includes training, start immediately, commissioned, bonus, and draw on account. Need Internet, good work ethic and serious people. patrick@skyadman.com 800-477-2334.

OVER 18? AVAILABLE to TRAVEL? Earn Above Average $$$ with Fun Successful Business Group! No Experience Necessary. 2wks Paid Training. Lodging, Transportation Provided. 1-877-646-5050. (CalSCAN)

HOMES FOR SALE * NATIONWIDE ONLINE LAND AUCTION * 400+ Props. 168 Absolute. ALL Starting Bids: $100. REDC. View Full Listings. www.Auction.com/land (CalSCAN)

LAND FOR SALE/OUT OF STATE MONTANA STATE Land SALE Over 50 tracts: 201000 Acres Pine ridges, grassy meadows, mtn. views, huge elk & deer area. Great bird hunting. Federal lands accessible. 20 Acres w/ Utilities- $39,900 New Cabin on 20 Acres- $79,900 160-1000 Acres- $625/Acre.

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MISCELLANEOUS DISH NETWORK. $19.99/mo. Why Pay More for TV? 100+ Channels - FREE! 4-Room Install - FREE! HD-DVR Plus $600 Sign-up BONUS. Call Now! 1866-747-9773. (Cal-SCAN)

October 29, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 15

PUBLIC NOTICE $50,000 REWARD NOTICE The City of Los Angeles offers a reward payable at the discretion of the City Council to one or more persons in the sum or sums up to an aggregate maximum total sum of $50,000 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the act of murder, in the City of Los Angeles. On Saturday, August 1, 2009, at approximately 9:51 P.M., Martha Cruz, an 18 year-old woman, was a rear passenger inside a vehicle driving northbound on Normandie Avenue approaching 29th Street. The driver of the vehicle stopped at a red light on Normandie Avenue and 29th Street. A light-colored four door vehicle with tinted windows stopped alongside the driver's side of the vehicle that Cruz was seated in. The suspect seated in the front passenger seat rolled down his window and stated “Where are you from?” The suspect then produced a chrome revolver and fired multiple gunshots at the vehicle.

Cruz was struck by the gunfire and transported to California Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

LAPD is still searching for the suspects and encourages witnesses to come forward, even anonymously, to assist them in their investigation. The person or persons responsible for this crime represent an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles. Unless withdrawn or paid by City Council action, this offer of reward shall terminate on, and have no effect after, APRIL 24, 2010.

The provisions of payment and all other considerations shall be governed by Chapter 12 of Division 19 of the LAAC Code, as amended by Ordinance Nos. 158157 and 166666.

This offer shall be given upon the condition that all claimants provide continued cooperation within the criminal justice system relative to this case and is not available to public officers or employees of the City, their families, persons in law enforcement or persons whose misconduct prompted this reward. If you have any information regarding this case, please call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-LAWFULL, 24 hours.

C. F. No. 09-0010-s50 10/29/09 CNS-1720953# WATTS TIMES $50,000 REWARD NOTICE The City of Los Angeles offers a reward payable at the discretion of the City Council to one or more persons in the sum or sums up to an aggregate maximum total sum of $50,000 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the act of murder, in the City of Los Angeles. On Sunday, August 2, 2009, at approximately 10:50 P.M., Roy Anthony Sutherland was stabbed multiple times as he was walking on the sidewalk in the 3500 block of Western Avenue. A passerby called 911 after coming across Sutherland lying unconscious and fatally wounded at the northwest corner of Western Avenue and 35th Place. LAPD is still searching for the suspect(s) and encourages witnesses to come forward, even anonymously, to assist them in their investigation. The person or persons responsible for this crime represent an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles.

Unless withdrawn or paid by City Council action, this offer of reward shall terminate on, and have no effect after, APRIL 24, 2010.

The provisions of payment and all other considerations shall be governed by Chapter 12 of Division 19 of the LAAC Code, as amended by Ordinance Nos. 158157 and 166666. This offer shall be given upon the condition that all claimants provide continued cooperation within the criminal justice system relative to this case and is not available to public officers or employees of the City, their families, persons in law enforcement or persons whose misconduct prompted this reward. If you have any information regarding this case, please call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1877-LAWFULL, 24 hours.

C. F. No. 09-0010-s51 10/29/09 CNS-1720961# WATTS TIMES

DBA’s and Legal Notices, Call (213) 251-5700

PSOMAS REQUEST FOR BIDS & NOTICE OF INTEREST Psomas is bidding on the following project as a Prime Contractor: Complete On-Call Engineering Design Services for Various Airports & Capital Improvement Projects for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Bid Date: November 5, 2009 @ 2:00 pm Psomas is seeking interest, qualifications, bids, and quotes from DBE subcontractors in the following areas of services/work: Project Management, Geotechnical, Survey, Traffic, Structural (bridges & buildings), General Civil, Drainage, Right of Way, Utilities (dry & wet), Landscape Architecture, MEP, GSE Charging & PCA, Fault Current Analysis, 30 Day Meter Readings, Public Outreach, Environmental, PSR/PR, QC/QA, Security, Cost Estimating, Technical Writer (specifications), Laser Scanning, Balancing/Testing, Noise/Acoustics, Title 24 Support, and Reprographics/Printing All interested subcontractors must be certified as a minority business by the California Unified Certification Program (CUCP).

Responsive subcontractors will also be required to provide acceptable insurance and appropriate bonding—or immediately inform Psomas if assistance is needed.

Psomas intends to conduct itself in good faith in regards to all DBE and OBE firms participating in this project.

All interested firms should FAX a one-page firm overview and CUCP documentation to Debra Rahal at 213-223-1444.

All additional materials will be directly solicited via phone and/or fax.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091518022 The following person is doing business as: Tasha’s Home Health Services 420 E. 131st St. Los Angeles, CA 90061 Veleka N. Gipson White 420 E. 131st St. Los Angeles, CA 90061 This business is conducted by a 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 Veleka N. Gipson White.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on October 6 , 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: 10/8/09, 10/15/09, 10/22/09, 10/29/09 LAWT 389

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NO.(Numero del Caso) BC409221 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (Aviso Acusado) ROBERTA MELL; AND DOES 1 to 20 YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (A Ud.le esta demandando) ANDREW LAZAR You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons is served on you to file a typewritten response at this court.

A letter or phone call will not protect you; your typewritten response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case, and your wages, money and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may call an attorney referral service or a legal aid office (listed in the phone book).

Despues de que le entreguen esta citacion judicial usted tien un plazo de 30 DIAS CALENDARIOS para presentar una respuesta escrita a maguina en esta corte.

Una carta o una llamada telefonica no le ofrecera proteccion; su respuesta escrita a maguina tiene que cumplir con las formalidades legales apropiadas si usted quiere que la corte escuche su caso.

Si usted no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso, y le pueden quitar su salario, su dinero y otras casasde su propiedad sin aviso adicional por parte de la corte.

Existen otros requisitos legales. Puede que usted quiera llamar a un abogado immediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de referencia de abogados o a una oficina de ayuda legal (vea el directorio telefonico).

The name and address of the court is: El nombre y direccion de la corte es) Los Angeles Superior Court 111 N. HILL STREET LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney is: El nombre, la direccion y el numero de telefono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es) Donald Iwuchuka, SBN 181726 Law Offices of Don Iwuchuku 3540 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 917 Los Angeles, CA 90010 NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. [x] as an individual defendant.

2. [ ] as the person sued under the fictitious name 3. [ ] on behalf of (specify): PUBLISH DATES: 10/8/09,10/15/09, 10/22/09, 10/29/09

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091527268 The following person is doing business as: House of Venusian 1608 Centinela Ave., Suite 11 Inglewood, CA 90302 Stewart Clemons 1608 Centinela Ave., Suite 11 Inglewood, CA 90302 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 Stewart Clemons. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on October 7 , 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: 10/15/09, 10/22/09, 10/29/09, 11/5/09 LAWT 390 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091529178 The following person is doing business as: Golden West Maintenance 509 So. Chester Ave. Compton, CA 90221 William Tatum 509 So. Chester Ave. Compton, CA 90221 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 William Tatum. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on October 7, 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: 10/29/09, 11/5/09, 11/12/09, 11/19/09 LAWT 391

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. LS019294 Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of Los Angeles.

In the Matter of the Application of Sahar Victoria Mortiane, Ory Reuven Mortiane and Ron Moshe Mortiane for change of names.

The application of Sahar Victoria Mortiane, Ory Reuven Mortiane and Ron Moshe Mortiane for change of names having been filed in Court and it is appearing from said application that has Sahar Victoria Mortiane, Ory Reuven Mortiane and Ron Moshe Mortiane filed an application proposing that the names be changed to Sahar Victoria Moore, Ory Reuven Moore and Ron Moshe Moore. Now, therefore, it is hereby ordered and directed, that all persons interested in said matter did appear before this court located at 6230 Sylmar Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91401 on the 8th day of October, 2009, of said day to show cause why such application for change of name should not be granted.

It is further ordered that a copy of this Order to Show Cause be published in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in said county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the day of said hearing at 8:30 am, Dept A on November 30, 2009.

Richard H. Kirschner Judge of the Superior Court.

Published Runs 10/22/09, 10/29/09, 11/05/09, 11/12/09 NC-LAWT-14

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY PROPOSED DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE OVERALL GOAL This announcement will serve as notice of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) proposed Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Overall Goal of 8% for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) – assisted contracts for Federal Fiscal Year 2010 (FFY10). Metro will achieve its proposed overall goal using race-neutral measures. The overall goal is expressed as a percentage of FTA funds Metro projects to expend in the upcoming year. The annual goal methodology used is in accordance with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) DBE Program Final Rule, 49 Code of Federal Regulation, Part 26. The annual goal is established to achieve a “level playing field” for DBEs to participate in Metro’s FTA-assisted contracting opportunities.

Metro’s FFY10 DBE FTA overall goal and methodology will be made available during regular business hours of 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Monday through Friday for public review for 30 days from October 26, 2009 through November 25, 2009. The public may review and provide comments on the FTA overall goal for 45 days. Public comments will be accepted at the address listed below starting October 26, 2009 and ending December 10, 2009.

Metro Headquarters Diversity & Economic Opportunity Department (DEOD) Attn: DBE Liaison Officer, Mail Stop: 99-13-2 One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 DEOD Hotline: (213) 922-2600 - Fax: (213) 922-7660 LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (Metro) INVITATION FOR BIDS Metro will receive bids for IFB C0950 METRO SUBWAY STATION ENTRANCE CANOPY per specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (12th Floor).

All Bids must be submitted on forms furnished by Metro, and must be filed at the reception desk of the Office of Proc. & Mat. Mgmt. on or before 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), Wednesday, December 2, 2009, at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. Bids received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the bidder unopened. Each bid must be sealed and marked Bid No. IFB C0950. A Pre-Bid conference will be held on November 12, 2009 at 9:00 a.m.

(Pacific Time) in the Board Room (3rd floor) located at the address above. A jobwalk will also be held after the Pre-Bid Meeting at various Metro subway stations.

You may obtain bid specifications on CD available on November 2, 2009 @ $10.00 per copy. For further information, faxing Charles W. Fitzsimmons at (213) 922-7392 or by phone at (213) 922-7301 or e-mail at fitzsimmon@metro.net.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FCI / Fluor / Parsons, J. V. (FFP) will accept bids by fax at (760) 471-4860 until 2:00 P.M. PDST on Thursday, November 5, 2009, for the furnish and installation of all material, labor, equipment and incidentals in accordance with the available design documents and bid documents for the LA DWP Service on the Mid-City/Exposition Light Rail Line Project.

The associated bidding documents may be downloaded from the FFP website at http://www.ffpexpoline.com/BusinessOpportunities/Listing of Advertised Projects. In order to be notified about changes in bid information you must register as a document holder. Prospective bidders may also request a CD-ROM containing the documents from FFP. NOTE THAT ALL SUBCONTRACTORS BIDDING WORK MUST BE UNION. FFP ENCOURAGES DISADVANTAGE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (DBE) PARTICIPATION. FCI/Fluor/Parsons, a Joint Venture, is committed to implementing and maintaining a Community Jobs Outreach Program within the Exposition Light Rail Transit Corridor. This program utilizes the services of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms at a goal of 20% through each phase of the project and employs construction craft workers from the local community to work at a goal of 30% of all construction work hours over the life of the project.

If you have any questions about accessing the bid package, please call Christine Burton at (760) 613-4856.

Facts Oct. 29, 1994 Pearl Primus, who founded her own dance company in 1946, dies. Primus was best known for her “primitive” dances. She was famed for her energy and her physically daring moves, which were characterized by leaps up to 5 feet in the air. Dance critics praised her movements as forceful and dramatic, yet graceful and deliberately controlled. During this time, Primus often based her dances on the work of black writers and on racial issues.

Source: blackfacts.com

Page 16

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 29, 2009

BUSINESS CARD BULLETIN BOARD A VOLUNTARY RESEARCH STUDY

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Join hundreds of other Black men in Los Angeles, who are part of a program to promote self-acceptance, healthy lifestyle choices and reduce HIV infection in the Black community. To get more details about the program and find out if you are eligible, call 310-825-5474. Both HIV-ve and HIV +ve men may participate. Cash compensation and refreshments provided.

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FREE MONEY U.S. Government Grants To Buy Homes Call Joe (310) 674-8822 N RATIVE EDI TIO JR. COMMEMO LUTHER KING DR. MARTIN

L.A. Watts Times “News You Can Use” S

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January 15,

Vol. XXX, No.

1110

SERVING LOS

2009

G AREAS SURROUNDIN

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

ANGELES AND

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 for severMartin Luther calls, time knew , fielding respected Atlanta 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 accomMovement. highlights the e, of Rights an affair that of knowledg contributions erable wealth at “never plishments and y admittedl s.

African American founder and CEO Clayton, words,” has a million for Clayton is the n a loss 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. Atlanta on TV tribute to King. best the but is April 12 from vast, ents are LAWT: What ty activist, Her achievem horn. dge King’s preacher, communi one to toot her the way to acknowle husband, and Clayton isn’t KING — Baptist 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

Larry

1111

SERVING LOS

Giant Steps: Ba rack

Xernona Clayton

him as that pinpointed the activities go into of our time. I the great savior N, page 22 See CLAYTO

ANGELES AND SURR

OUNDING AREA

S

Obama America ’s 44th Presid ent January 22,

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 interviewed extensive turbulent year conclude that like during the racist past. was it its He uses his Roberts overcome Dr. Terrence psychology pro- he spent in high school. teach But for retired 67, one a platform to e in as many and experiences as Dr. Terrence Roberts, intefessor e of education ips at events, and participat .” teenagers who the importanc as possible, Roberts relationsh Today and Tomorrow of nine black inaugural balls ld great grandD Little Rock Central how to best improve to speak to “My 11-year-o C. NORWOO , grated Arkansas’ He also plans color. ceremony of Williams

BY CHICO the Sidwell people to said. in 1957, Neeko Anthony faculty at the in among this leading up High School STAFF WRITER Speak- son, students and 7 cleared hurdle the theme for In the days ROCK 9, page “Little Rock California Assembly as the came up with will be just another for equal rights.

Larry E. See LITTLE ion Day, the serve organizer battle g will Inaugurat said , speak the continuin J. year,” er Karen Bass validates behind the will attend luncheons and Norris the driving force Obama’s election to Nine” grand marshal grand Grant, Rock Nine” tried the celebrity “Little the Jr. Los Angeles parade. the what former Bishton and Bishton Roberts, a Association and In his the 25th annual Joining Bass NEWS IN BRIEF accomplish, said Commerce.

P. Valin Psy19 marshal for as Chamber of Gen. David the Master’s Parade on Jan. service role will be Lt. Unico-chair of offiKingdom Day public AND Antioch reviewing at previous year’s THE SOUTHL for Real Estate chology program has been in Los Angeles. celebration of court, this Kingdom Day deputy director Angeles who state of cer, and 2009 The largest versity in Los cereent for the ld to Serve as the inaugural Wyvetta Taylor.

King Jr. holiDevelopm Rosenfe attend credited Queen Luther to is in Parade invited the Martin a, Rosenfeld s and offiCalifornia, the first 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 ds of L.A. turn south ndent of Public for the Second and you look in Superinte Boulevard and District: Thousan 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, (AP) — Thousan other emit is quite for planning, more. sible 14 and and election, will follow. include enKABC Telecrumbling.

Angeles teachers laid off this The parade will in transportation, Set to air on old system is be teams to what we did fits and ployees could secbands, 20 drill 7 from 11 a.m.

“In retrospect, vironmen t to chip Daniel A. vision-Channel as the nation’s , page 4 theme marching able year were parade PARADE school grapSee MLK 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 an award-winning there are “systemic fabric of this on develrs need to solve lawmake focusing the that Los real estate firm are woven into crisis if the 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 braved insults, Nine” “Little Rock Grant

s on in The Dream Live of Year This Historic Parade Day m gdo Kin

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 Capitol in Washing left, and Sasha, takes the oath ton Jan. 20. 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. presiden enviro nment d if Jan 20th aspire to for to friendly. ally another nationa Kenya — that is D.C., Jan. 20. Across the tial inauyears, 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. s acknow States, Kenyan edged that minorit lwere granted See BLACK Los Angeles Police a day off, a holiday s frequently subject ies are more MEN, page 3 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 Airport stop and search 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 ers are week. Officia whites, even last — seemed Jan. subdued, exhaust 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