LAWT 03-21-2013

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Inside This Edition Blacks continue a

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Second of a four part series examining the Los Angeles Fire Department

RIES ~ You’ll want to spend some time with a special friend this week just being together. If you’ve been neglecting a relationship because of work demands, this week is a wonderful week to set things to rights. Soul Affirmation: I open myself up to the vibrations of love.

AURUS ~ Lots of spirituality discussions are going on around you this week. This energy will probably last throughout the week, so expect to enjoy yourself, or pass on all social company and spend the week enjoying yourself. Soul Affirmation: I slow down so love can catch up with me.

EMINI ~ You will get so much done this week that your friends and coworkers will be amazed! Accomplish this small happy miracle by focusing on serenity instead of perfection. You’ll be very surprised at the results! Soul Affirmation: I listen to the sweet music of the life all around me.

ANCER ~ It’s best to keep your opinions to yourself this week, as many will be experiencing minor irritations and general grumpiness. Let others be who they are. You are a beacon of serenity.

Others will notice. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy working with others this week.

EO ~ It’s a great week to tell somebody you are close to that you love them. Saying it aloud gives you energy, and of course your designated adoree will be delighted! Keep the big picture in mind this week and you’ll feel completely buoyant! Soul Affirmation: When I reach out in love someone is always there.

IRGO ~ Hello, home life. After a busy week, all you want to do is savor the feelings of domesticity at home. Or perhaps go shopping to spruce up your living space.

Whatever you decide, do it with a close friend. You’ll both enjoy the week more if you are together. Soul Affirmation: Trust gives me a deep sense of peace and joy.

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IBRA ~ Hardly anyone alive learns new skills in an instant, so cut yourself some slack if you feel you’ve made a beginner’s mistake somewhere. Mistakes are part of the learning process that is called Life, so selfcorrect and proceed with happiness. Soul Affirmation: My emotions provide me a pathway into the sunshine of my being.

CORPIO ~ A happy week is in store for sociable you. Lots of friends and a party or two or three will keep your energy bright.

Use caution while driving and watch for a pleasant surprise or two this week. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy the spirits of people whose spirits are akin to mine this week.

AGITTARIUS ~ You’ll have a busy week, as the energy around you seems supercharged. With everyone rushing about, you’ll wonder how you’ll get anything done, much less the things you feel you must get done. Not to worry. Stay calm and flexible and a way will be found. Soul Affirmation: Anticipation of a beautiful night will light up my week.

APRICORN ~ You may feel a bit crabby about your health this early this week. If you feel you need a physical checkup, make the appointment this week. If you want to feel and look better this week, skip lunch and take a walk instead. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy learning new things about myself this week.

QUARIUS ~ All vibes are positive this week, and your vibration may be the most positive of all. Many friends and family members may call, and all will want to see you. You’ve got a way with words this week, so use them to spread the sunshine around.

Soul Affirmation: I master fear by knowing that all is well.

ISCES ~ Get out and enjoy the sunshine this week. Remember that the sun is always shining somewhere in our big island home, so use your imagination if the weather isn’t perfect where you are. You can still enjoy your week and the sun that is shining whether you see it or not! Soul Affirmation: What I need to be is fully present inside of me.

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BY KENNETH MILLER ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

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L.A. Watts Times

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

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social injustice within the fire service to better conditions for all employees.

The organization forced change within the LAFD, transforming segregation to integration, thus reminding all of us just how far the Department has come in its 125 years of existence.

Chief Cummings is the leader that the department needs because he understands the pressures and responsibilities that come with his position. He is committed to moving his organization forward by introducing cutting edge technology that will assist in the following areas: response See LAFD, page 11

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LAFD Chief Brian Cummings

City Councilmembers, Chief honor officer in Grim Sleeper case

Published Weekly – Updates

Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. ............Executive Publisher & Executive Editor Brenda Marsh Mitchell ..................................Executive Vice President Tracey Mitchell ......................................................................Controller Brandon I. Brooks........................................................Managing Editor Kenneth Miller ..............................................Assistant Managing Editor Jennifer Bihm................................................................................Editor Dennis Hunn ......................................................Director of Advertising Benjamin Samuels ....................................................Graphic Designer Kim McGill ............................................................Production Designer

Since 1888 African Americans have been an integral part of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

From Sam Haskins the first paid call fireman who started his career in 1888 to the current Fire Chief Brian L. Cummings, Black firefighters have a storied history within the LAFD. The LAFD has a proud tradition of service and innovation, but all their employees did not always embrace fundamental human rights such as fairness and equality.

Throughout its history, Black firefighters were subjected to treatment that was horrible and bordered on the intolerable. These courageous men and women who wore the uniforms of firefighters were the only race of people who were subjected to segregation.

The Jim Crow practices that were designed for division, instead brought about unity for Black firefighters who banded together to provide much needed comfort and support to address these unfavorable conditions, while at the same time carrying out their responsibility to the public.

From this time of despair and neglect the Stentorians (Association of African Americans in the Fire Service) were organized to address

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BlackFacts.com March 20, 1970 Students strike at the University of Michigan and demand increased Black enrollment. The strike ended April 2, after the administration agreed to meet their demands.

March 24, 1912 Dorothy Irene Height is born in Richmond, Virginia. Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women for more than three decades, organized a successful drive to place a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune in a District of Columbia park. Once erected, the statue became the first of an African American in a public park in Washington, D.C.

The Los Angeles Police Department detective credited with the dogged pursuit of a suspect in the Grim Sleeper serial killings received a retirement sendoff Wednesday at the Los Angeles City Council meeting. Detective Dennis Kilcoyne will end his 36-year career with the LAPD April 1. In 2010, Kilcoyne was credited with tracking down Lonnie Franklin, who has been charged with 10 murders and one attempted murder attributed to the so- alled Grim Sleeper.

Kilcoyne lobbied for the firstever use in the United States of familial DNA, the genetic material of a potential suspect's family members.

The technique led to the identification of Franklin as a suspect in the killings that began in 1985. He is still awaiting trial.

Council members Jan Perry and Bernard Parks were joined by Police Chief Charlie Beck to honor Kilcoyne at today’s council meeting.

Lonnie Franklin “There was one man whose force of will, whose refusal to accept the status quo, whose refusal to accept defeat found the suspect in that case, and that’s Dennis,” Beck said.

Kilcoyne was also involved in the murder investigation of O.J. Simpson, the killing of Bill Cosby’s son Ennis and the North Hollywood Bank of America shootout.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

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Group Seeks Oversight 2013 Honda Campus All Star Challenge Nation’s only HBCU academic of County Jail Demand is supported by County Supervisor competition brings best and Mark Ridley-Thomas brightest to Los Angeles area LAWT NEWS SERVICE

Photo courtesy of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’s office

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas addresses people from different areas of Los Angeles that came to the 28th Street YMCA on Mar. 14 to strategize on ways to end the epidemic of violence occurring in the Los Angeles County Jail System.

BY THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER Close to 150 people from different areas of Los Angeles came to the 28th Street YMCA on Mar. 14 to strategize on ways to end the epidemic of violence occurring in the Los Angeles County Jail System. The Coalition to End Sheriff Violence in the L.A. County Jails (C2ESV), which organized the townhall meeting, says that only an independent and elected civilian review board that would oversee the jail and have the power to investigate complaints and discipline sheriff’s deputies will bring transparency and accountability to management of the L.A County Jails.

The group was supported in their efforts by Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas who told them that the jail administration can not police itself and that the Board of Supervisors is unable to do it either.

“Its just not practical,” said the 2nd District Supervisor.

Current Sheriff Lee Baca and former undersheriff Paul Tanaka have been in the line of fire over the last several months for findings from the Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence which was created in October of 2011 to “conduct a review of the nature, depth and cause of the problem of inappropriate deputy use of force in the jails, and to recommend corrective action as necessary,” according to the Los Angeles County government website. In issuing their findings in September of 2012, the Commission made 64 recommendations, 60 of which dealt specifically with the management of the jails.

The report’s executive summary notes that, “ … multiple witnesses, both inmates and non-inmates, described numerous instances in which LASD personnel used force when no threat was present, used force disproportionate to the threat posed, used force after the threat had

ended, or enabled inmates to assault other inmates.”

“Black and Brown people are the ones who are bearing the brunt of the violence and racism inside the L.A. County Jails,” said Patrisse Cullors, founder of the Coalition. “We organized this townhall meeting because we want South L.A. residents to not only be heard, but to be armed with action that has a longstanding positive impact in this city.”

Cullors-Brignac’s brother was incarcerated in the L.A. County Jail approximately 13 years ago, she said.

Cullors-Brignac alleges that his assault by sheriff’s deputies left him with a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that continues to this day.

“He hasn’t been the same since, she said.

26-year old Jermond Davis “testified” at the townhall that he was a victim of jail violence during a sixmonth stay in 2006. Davis says he was in the jail as a result of doing “something stupid when he was a kid,” two years prior.

“I was talking to an officer, asking why they were using such force on another inmate; why does it take that many officers? An officer overheard me, started cursing at me, and then another officer came and punched me in the face while I was handcuffed to the table,” said Davis.

“They took me out of there and took me to C-Pod, a place that’s a blind spot in the jail, and they just started beating and kicking me. One officer said that he should he take his shoe off and stick it [up in me.]”

“I still have handcuff marks to this day from where the cuffs were on me too tight while they were beating,” Davis added.

Although he didn’t testify at the townhall, Fanya Baruti attended because he believes the issues of accountability and oversight for the sheriff’s department are important.

“It has been proven that [a civilian review] is the only board that is going See OVERSIGHT, page 11

After hundreds of hours of studying, countless practice matches, and almost a year of preparation, one question stood between Morgan State University’s academic team and the title of 2012 National Champion: “Who was America’s only chief executive never elected as president or vice president?”

Now, one year later, Morgan State returns to defend its title at the Honda Campus All Star Challenge (HCASC), an intense academic competition among the best and brightest students from Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs). The actionpacked, suspense-filled National Championship Tournament (NCT) takes place April 7 - 8 on the campus of American Honda Motor Co, Inc., a culmination of the year-long program.

More than 250 students from 18 states representing 48 HBCUs have spent many months training for their chance at the National Championship by participating in pre-NCT matches. A win will not only give them bragging rights as the nation’s top academic

LAWT File Photo

Defending champion Morgan State University is prepared to compete with student teams representing the “Great 48” HBCU schools across the country.

HBCU, but will also give them the opportunity to win a share of the more than $300,000 in institutional grants awarded annually by Honda. The two-

day competition will test students’ knowledge of history, science, literature, religion, the arts, social science, See HBCU page 10

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BY JULIE PACE AND MATTHEW LEE ASSOCIATED PRESS Eager to reassure an anxious ally, President Barack Obama on Wednesday affirmed Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself from any threat and vowed to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He said containment of a nuclear-armed Iran was not an option and said the United States would do whatever it takes to prevent Iran from getting “the world’s worst weapons.”

Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his

City of Inglewood – election news On December 4, 2011, the Inglewood City Council approved the Office of the City Clerk to place Measure P & W on the ballot.

Proposition P would require the Office of the City Clerk to publish a summary of the ordinance in the local newspaper while continuing to post the entire ordinance on the city website and making a copy available for review in the clerk’s office.

According to city of Inglewood records, city ordinances can range from one to 30 pages and cost the city up to $6,000 to publish in their entirety.

“With the advent of social media, cable television, and the internet, we can be more effective and efficient in informing the public of our ordinances for far less,” said Yvonne Horton, Inglewood city clerk. “It is wiser and more prudent for the city of Inglewood to use technology to communicate the content of ordinances, while continu-

ing to publish a summary in the local newspaper.”

The City Council also voted to place Measure W on the ballot. If adopted, this measure would change the city charter to require that the majority of the City Council must decide if the entire ordinance should be read into the record.

“The city of Inglewood functions as a democracy where the majority rules and no-one should have absolute power,” said Inglewood Mayor James Butts. “Measure W enhances transparency, efficiency and democracy and gives voice to fairness.”

Measure W ensures that every voice is heard, while fairness rules the day and the City Council functions as a democracy,” concluded Horton.

The Inglewood City Clerk also announced that early voting is available in the City Clerk’s office on the first floor of the City Hall Building and encourages voters to vote, either by mail or at their designated polling place.

he said. “I appreciate that. I appreciate the fact that the president has reaffirmed, more than any other president, Israel’s right and duty to defend itself by itself against any threat.”

Netanyahu said the carrot-andstick approach now being employed to cajole Iran into proving that’s its nuclear intentions are peaceful had to be bolstered by “a clear and credible threat of military action.” Obama’s recognition of Israel's right to act alone appeared to satisfy him on that score, and the prime minister beamed with delight in response to the new security pact talks.

On another issue of critical importance to Israel’s security, Obama said the U.S. is investigating whether chemical weapons were deployed in Syria earlier this week. He said he was “deeply skeptical” of contentions by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government that rebel forces were behind any such attack.

Both the Assad government and Syrian rebels have accused each other of using chemical weapons in an attack on Tuesday.

Obama said the U.S. policy not to intervene militarily or arm Syrian rebels thus far is based on his desire to solve the problem with world partners.

He rejected as “inaccurate” suggestions that the United States had done nothing to stop two years of bloodshed that has claimed more than 70,000 lives.

“It’s a world problem when tens of thousands of people are being slaughtered, including innocent women and children,” Obama said.

Obama’s three-day visit to Israel, from its start earlier Wednesday, is designed to send a message of reassurance to a key ally.

At an extravagant welcoming ceremony, Obama declared that “peace must come to the Holy Land” and not at Israel’s expense. U.S. backing for Israel will be a constant as the Middle East roils with revolution and Iran continues work on its nuclear program, he said.

“The United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend,” Obama said

after landing at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.

“Across this region the winds of change bring both promise and peril,” he said, calling his visit “an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, and to speak directly to the people of Israel and to your neighbors.”

Seeking to alter a perception among many Israelis that his government has been less supportive of Israel than previous U.S. administrations, Obama declared the U.S.-Israeli alliance “eternal.”

“It is forever,” he said to applause as Israeli and U.S. flags fluttered in a steady breeze under clear, sunny skies.

Before leaving the airport for Jerusalem, Obama offered a vivid display of the U.S. commitment to Israeli security by visiting a missile battery that is part of Israel’s Iron Dome defense from militant rocket attacks.

The United States has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing the system with Israel.

Obama and Netanyahu toured the battery, which Israel relocated to the airport for the occasion. They met and chatted with soldiers who operate the system that Israel credits with intercepting hundreds of rockets during a round of fighting against Gaza militants last November.

In his comments to reporters with Netanyahu, Obama also took note of the difficult way forward in the broader quest for Mideast peace, acknowledging that in recent years “we haven't gone forward, we haven’t seen the kind of progress that we would like to see.”

The president said he came to the region principally to listen, and hoped to return home with a better understanding of the constraints and “how the U.S. can play a constructive role.”

Netanyahu, for his part, said he was willing to set aside preconditions in future talks with the Palestinians, adding that it was time to “turn a page in our relations.”

Obama is to meet Palestinian See OBAMA IN ISRAEL, page 10

LAWT STAFF REPORT

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tour the Iron Dome Battery defense system, at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. first visit to the Jewish state as president, Obama offered his personal commitment that the U.S. would stand

by Israel in any circumstances that required it to act to protect its people.

He said the U.S. and Israel would start talks soon on a new, 10-year security cooperation package to replace one that expires in 2017.

Obama also pledged to investigate whether chemical weapons were used this week in neighboring Syria's 2year-old civil war, something he said would be a “game-changer” for current U.S. policy. In addition, he said he would continue to urge Israel and the Palestinians to re-launch the moribund peace process.

Speaking at a joint news conference, Obama and Netanyahu, who have sparred on numerous occasions in the past, presented a united front on Iran.

They stressed repeatedly that all options — including military ones — are on the table to keep Iran from acquiring an atomic weapon if the diplomatic track fails. And they brushed aside apparent differences over when the Iranian nuclear program might reach the point that military action is required.

“We will do what is necessary to

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Obama pledges resolve against Iran’s nuclear aims

Thursday, March 21, 2013

prevent Iran from obtaining the world’s worst weapons,” Obama said, calling a nuclear-armed Iran a threat to Israel, the greater Middle East and the world.

Although Obama did not promise that the United States would act militarily against Iran if Israel decided that must be done, he offered an explicit endorsement for Israel to take whatever unilateral measures it deems necessary to guard against the threat.

“Each country has to make its own decisions when it comes to the awesome decision to engage in any kind of military action and Israel is differently situated than the United States,” he said. “I would not expect that the prime minister would make a decision about his country’s security and defer that to any another country any more than the United States would defer our decisions about what was important for our national security.”

Netanyahu seized on the remarks, saying they were an important demonstration of America’s steadfast alliance with Israel and part of making the carrot-and-stick approach a credible option to avoid the use of force.

“I am absolutely convinced that the president is determined to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons,”

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

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Roland Martin comments on Voting Rights Act and Trayvon Martin case

BY NICOLE WILLIAMS LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER Late February to early March were months full of controversial issues.

For example, on Tuesday, March 5 George Zimmerman’s attorneys waived his right to a Stand Your Ground hearing that was scheduled to take place on April 22. While the rest of the media was shocked, CNN Political Analyst, Roland Martin was not, and said he’s “not buying for one second” that Zimmerman has a strong self-defense argument.

On George Zimmerman waiving his right to a stand your ground hearing: It is not shocking or surprising because George Zimmerman’s attorneys think, “well we believe we have a strong self defense argument” and I’m not buying that for one second. I think that they clearly understood that they were taking a huge chance by having the Stand Your Ground hearing…And also, they would’ve had to lay out a significant part of their case had they gone forward with a Stand Your Ground hearing and so I think with all of those factors they probably said it makes good for us to pull back onto this thing and focus on the June 10th trial, which the last thing you want to do is risk all that negative publicity and now all the sudden if you can’t even prove Stand Your Ground, now you’re really at a disadvantage moving forward in the trial.

In Sanford, FL on February 26, 2012, unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman in what Zimmerman claims was self-defense. He says he operated under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which says a person may use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief that the other person is a threat. When asked on challenging the Stand Your Ground law, Martin says the law is challenged all the time and that it should be thrown out.

On challenging stand your ground law: There are numerous examples of individuals who have asserted stand your ground but the judge threw it out.

The judge said, “no that’s not the case.”

Now, the problem is that you will hear prosecutors, you hear law enforcement personnel say it makes it difficult for them and that’s one of the reasons why the law quite frankly should be thrown out because there’s so many restrictions faced upon law enforcement personnel the moment somebody tries to invoke stand your ground. That’s where the difficulty comes in.

Roland Martin On February 27, 2013, the Supreme Court heard a Voting Rights Act challenge from Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. More specifically, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is the section under question. Martin explains what Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act means.

On Section 5 of Voting Rights Act: Practically what it means is that, when there’s a voting change in those locales, it means that a voting advocate would have to file a lawsuit to prevent it from going forward whereas right now, the difference is that the moment a voting law is changed, the department of justice has to pre-clear it…What it also means is that with people who are trying to suppress the vote, you’re making it a heck of a lot easier for them to do so except now they don’t have to worry about the Department of Justice looking over their shoulder. That’s one of the reasons why Shelby County has filed a lawsuit. They don’t like the fact that the Department of Justice is and everybody is looking at every single thing they do, which most likely is a good thing though.

On Wednesday, February 27, 2013 Justice Antonin Scalia made a comment that the continuation of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is a “perpetuation of racial entitlement” in his statement here: “I think it is attributable, very likely attributable, to a phenomenon that is called perpetuation of racial entitlement. It's been written about. Whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get out of them through the normal political processes.” Martin says that Justice Scalia’s comment is beyond offensive.

On Justice Scalia’s comments regarding Section 5 of Voting Rights Act: The comments made by Antonin Scalia are an abomination because to sit there and to make such a See ROLAND MARTIN, page 10

Education under arrest Tavis Smiley turns his critical eye toward the “school-to-prison pipeline”

BY THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER Television and radio personality Tavis Smiley will premiere his sixth episode of Tavis Smiley Reports (TSR) Mar. 26 from 8 to 9 pm ET/PT on PBS with a focus on what he’s calling “Education Under Arrest,” which examines the impact of zero tolerance policies in education and the resulting fallout – the “school to prison pipeline.”

TST began as a series of primetime specials in 2010 and Smiley has used the program to cover a range of topics from a “One on One With Hillary Clinton,” to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr; a look at New Orleans 5 years after Hurricane Katrina; music programs for schools and an inside look at the high school dropout rate specifically among Black males.

Smiley says his decision to focus on “the connection between the juvenile justice system and the dropout rate among American teens” was a logical outgrowth of his concern about poverty.

“I’ve been talking about the issue of poverty for quite some time and this is another one of those poverty tentacles, he said. “I wrote about it in the book I did with Dr. Cornel West, The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto, but I’ve talked about it in a number of different forums over the years and I’ve done other specials about education but … ‘Education Under Arrest,’ this particular special focuses uniquely on the school to prison pipeline and how it is that we are criminalizing our children.

So, my interest in it has always been there.”

According to Smiley, one out of three teens arrested in this country are arrested at school.

“The stuff that I used to get sent to the principal’s office for – foul language, getting into a fight, disruptive behavior, missing school, chewing gum in class, getting caught too many times chewing gum – kids are now being suspended for; they’re being expelled for, and they end up in front of a judge and that get’s them a criminal record. And they end up on lockdown. We’re criminalizing our kids and its’ all because of this notion of ‘zero tolerance.’ This idea of ‘zero tolerance’ does not work,” said Smiley.

Describing zero tolerance policies as “a complete, total, utter, abject failure,” Smiley also noted that many youth feel that they are being intentionally pushed out of school.

Students expressed what they perceived as an apparent lack of concern from teachers and administrators to their wellbeing and this is what fuels this feeling of not caring, not being present. “So it’s a vicious circle but it leads ultimately to these kids not doing what they ought to be doing, not focusing on what they should be focusing on, not going to school not graduating and they end up casualties of the school to prison pipeline,” said Smiley.

Here in Los Angeles, that pipeline appears to be a rather lucrative one.

“The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) spends $52 million a year to arm the largest school police department in the country and we have the largest juvenile court in the county; it’s not that hard to connect the dots,” said Manuel Criollo.

Criollo is an organizer with the Community Rights Campaign (CRC)

which successfully challenged the LAUSD over what it called the outrageous practice of issuing truancy tickets to students – many of whom were sometimes actually on their campuses – for being late to school, and charging exorbitant fines and fees.

Criollo stated that, “On a weekly basis our black and brown youth in Los Angeles Unified are being impacted by the punishment culture in our schools - suspensions, tickets, court fines, and rap sheets are pushing-out students to the streets and some into juvenile camps and toward prison.”

According to the Los Angeles School Board and the Los Angeles Police Department, in 2010, Hispanic/Latino students accounted for 62% of all truancy tickets and African American students accounted for close to 20% of all students ticketed. The base fine for tickets was $50 but mandated fees raised the amount $190 and in some instances, students were being

Tavis Smiley

hit with fines totaling $900. In February of 2012, the CRC was able to convince the Los Angeles City Council to end the practice of punitive ticketing of youth for tardiness and truancy.

Though not dismissing Los Angeles’ situation Smiley, who traveled to Washington State, Louisiana, Missouri as well as within California to observe and interview subjects for the special, says that the “pipeline” is not just a black and brown problem. “Kids of all races all colors and all creeds all across this country from California to See TAVIS SMILEY, page 10

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Wind Storms, fires, earthquakes or flood floods ds can strike aatt an anytime. ytime. These emergenciess do ha happen, ppen, and it’s it’s important to be ready. ready. That That means m knowing knowing your neighbors, making a specific specific plan and working together to be prepared. prepared. Take Taake the first step today. today. Visit bereadyla.org. bereadylla.org.

This project was was supported bbyy Grant/Cooperative Grant/Cooperative Ag Agreement reement Number 2U90TP917012-11 from the Centers for Disease Control and Pr Prevention evention (CDC).

Its contents are are solely the responsibility responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily rrepresent epresent the official views of the CDC. CDC.

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

BY NICOLE WILLIAMS | LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER You know her as an Emmy-nominated co-host of the awardwinning talk show “The Doctors,” but you may not know that Dr. Lisa Masterson among many other things, is a humanitarian and an advocate for women’s empowerment.

Masterson is a board certified specialist in obstetrics, gynecology, infertility, adolescent gynecology and family planning and is on staff for Los Angeles’ CedarsSinai Medical Center, St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica and UCLA. She also owns a private practice and is the founder and medical director at Ocean Oasis Medical Spa in Santa Monica. The spa offers programs specialized for women in all phases of their lives through exercise, nutrition and spa treatments. Masterson also has a charity called Maternal Fetal Care International (MFCI), which helps pregnant women all around the world sustain healthy lives. She says that being a co-host for “The Doctors” has helped her charity and has been a rewarding experience.

“The show has been monumental for that. I was mostly doing my charity and it was a friend who told me if you get this then you could actually speak to people all over the world. It’s very interesting because the countries that I go to, they actually get the show in Africa and they’ll hear what I say on the show and they get that even when I’m not there, ” she said.

But before becoming such a well-known image in the health world, Masterson has had life experiences that started to pave the way for her career. Growing up, she had the responsibility of taking care of her younger brother. It was the long days of watching over him that stirred something inside of Masterson to find an escape. Even currently, with all of her success, you’d be surprised to know she didn’t initially know she wanted to be a doctor.

“I never knew in high school that I wanted to be a doctor, but my mother had my brother and we’re 13 years apart and I was stuck babysitting him because she had to go back to work because she was a single parent. So to get out of the house, because I spent one whole summer babysitting, I volunteered at a hospital

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L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

and as a candy striper that’s kind of where I knew I wanted to be a part of medicine and it blossomed from there,” she said.

In fact, it’s Dr. Lisa’s mother who inspires her in everything she does. Her memories of joy and also memories of struggle are captured in her book, “Paper Dollhouse: A Memoir.” The book captures the struggle her mother faced being a single parent living in the South during times of racial segregation. An excerpt from her book proclaims the adoration Masterson has for her mother.

“My mom was my best friend and biggest supporter, and as I’ll say on the show, I owe everything to her unflagging belief in me.

It was the one thing I had in abundance growing up in a crazy childhood that seems almost impossibly far from here (Paper Dollhouse: A Memoir).”

The doctor has spoken on her mother’s lost battle to breast cancer both in the book and on “The Doctors.” It is one of the main reasons, she said, for her efforts in improving women’s healthcare. On an episode of “The Doctors”, titled “Dr. Lisa’s Life Lesson,” she spoke about the pain of losing her mother and the inspiration it brought her.

“I’m so proud of my mom because the thing that my mom left with me was that she was all about surviving, success and serving others. She was a human rights and civil rights champion and people don’t know that about her, which is one reason I do what I do (The Doctors: Dr. Lisa’s Life Lesson).”

The strong bond between Masterson and her mother is one of the reasons she says her most important duty is being a mother to her son, Daniel. She says balancing all of her responsibilities and being a mother can be a little challenging.

“It’s tricky,” she laughs.

“My son knows I’m a human being. When he was little, he would come with me to work. I went with my mother work. I think it’s a very good thing for your kids to be a part of your life,“ she said.

Even with the large workload and responsibilities that Masterson has, she says it is all equally rewarding.

“When you do things that you love, then everything is exciting and fun. Just like being up all night and not even realizing it; it’s almost invigorating. I think the idea is people have the privilege or can do what they love or find what they love to do,” she said.

Through Masterson’s love of helping others, she has proven to be a world-class caretaker. She has won awards such as the Red Cross Humanitarian Award and the March of Dimes Golden Rattle Award, which she was awarded for her efforts made to improve healthcare for women and children. She also holds seminars on adolescent sexuality for teens and their parents. She continues to be a part of “America’s medical dream team” on “The Doctors” and strives in her continuous effort to improve women and children’s health care around the world.

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, March 21, 2013

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When you do things that you love, then everything is exciting and fun. Just like being up all night and not even realizing it... ~DR. LISA MASTERSON, M.D., F.A.C.O.G, OB/GYN

DR. LISA MASTERSON SITS ON THE SET “THE DOCTORS” WITH TWO OTHER HOSTS OF THE SHOW, PEDIATRICIAN DR. JIM SEARS (LEFT) AND E.R. PHYSICIAN DR. TRAVIS STORK (RIGHT).

OF

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of “The Doctors”

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

NFL star Richard Sherman returns to Dominguez High for a pep talk

Sentinel File Photo

Ask the Pro— Class of 2006 Dominguez High School graduate and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (left) listens to a student’s question regarding his academic and athletic experiences, Wednesday, March 6, as part of an assembly sponsored by nonprofit Students with a Goal (SWAG).

SWAG’s Founder Romal Tume (center) moderated the event.

LAWT NEWS SERVICE Over 500 Compton Unified School District (CUSD) Dominguez High School students listened as professional football player Richard Sherman shared his journey from their school’s football field to college, and finally the NFL, Wednesday, March 6.

The Dominguez High School alumnus, who graduated in 2006, visited his alma mater as part of a special assembly sponsored by Students with a Goal (SWAG), a nonprofit dedicated to presenting motivational speeches by professional athletes. Sponsors also included Fritz Management, Education Inc., and Revolution Prep K-12.

Moderator Romal Tume, founder of SWAG, provided students with the opportunity to ask Sherman questions about his experiences as a Dominguez student, his college years, and his NFL career. The assembly was also filmed by the NFL Network’s E60 program.

While attending Dominguez, Sherman, who plays cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, maintained a 4.2 GPA and scored 1,400 on the SATs, but he acknowledged that his path to success was not an easy one.

“It always feels good to come back to Compton. It’s gotten a little less violent, everything’s a little more cleaned up, but making things better starts with you guys.

Wherever you want to be, wherever you want to go, understand that the future is right here. It is what you make of it,” he said.

Sherman, a graduate of Stanford University, also cautioned students about the dangers of making the wrong kinds of friends. “In high school gangs might seem cool because those guys, some of them are your friends and maybe they support you, but down the line they’ll be the same dudes from jail, and the same dudes back on the streets,” he said. “But you’ll be saying, ‘Man, I could’ve been a doctor. Man, I could’ve been See SHERMAN, page 10

Robinson film screenings to help KC Negro Leagues

BY BILL DRAPER ASSOCIATED PRESS Kansas City was announced Wednesday as the host site for the only advance public screenings of a film chronicling the rise of Jackie Robinson, a nod to the city where the baseball great made his professional debut two years before breaking the major league color barrier.

Harrison Ford stars as former Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey in the film, “42,” which details Robinson’s Rookie of the Year season in 1947 while combating unabashed racism on and off the diamond.

Ford and fellow AP Photo/File cast member Andre Holland planned to Brooklyn Dodgers baseball player Jackie Robinson attend the screenings poses in 1952. Kansas City’s Negro Leagues on April 11 at a Baseball Museum is hosting an advance screening of movie theater on the an upcoming movie about Robinson, who broke city’s north side. major league baseball’s color barrier. Thomas Butch Proceeds will bene- of the financial firm Waddell and Reed announced fit the Negro Wednesday, March 20, 2013 that actors Harrison Leagues Baseball Ford and Andre Holland will be among those appearMuseum in Kansas ing at an April 11 screening of “42.”

City, museum president Bob Kendrick said.

Although the story of Robinson in Brooklyn is well known, Kendrick said Kansas City also played a prominent role in his early career. Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs, a member of the Negro Leagues, in 1945, batting .387 while hitting five home runs and stole 13 bases in 47 games. After a year in the minor leagues, he joined the Dodgers in 1947 and won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award.

The film gets its name from Robinson’s uniform No. 42, which is retired throughout baseball and prominently displayed at major league stadiums Kendrick said Robinson’s story “signaled the beginning of what we know as the civil rights movement” and was a source of pride for Kansas City.

“This film gives us the opportunity to collectively stick out our chest,” Kendrick said Wednesday at a news conference at the museum.

Other than the official premiere in Los Angeles, the movie will be shown only in Kansas City prior to its nationwide opening April 12, which is three days before the 66th anniversary of Robinson's first game as a Dodger.

The Negro Leagues museum is in the midst of a revival after falling on hard times following the death in 2006 of one of its founders, former Kansas City Monarchs star Buck O'Neil. Only blocks from where the Monarchs took the field at Municipal Stadium, the museum sits adjacent to the American Jazz Museum in the heart of the city’s 18th and Vine District. After nearly being forced to close in 2010 after it started losing money, the museum got a huge boost last year when Kansas City hosted the major league All-Star Game.

Kendrick said the exposure “42” brings to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum will be as important as the financial windfall from the advance screenings.

“We’re often asked here if Jackie Robinson was the best player in the Negro Leagues,” Kendrick said. “No, he wasn’t. He may not have been the best player on our Kansas City Monarchs team. But he was the right man” to break the color barrier.

The Overland Park, Kan., financial planning company Waddell & Reed was instrumental in bringing the screenings to Kansas City, taking advantage of its relationship with Legendary Pictures — which along with Warner Bros.

Pictures produced the movie — to arrange them.

Thomas Butch, executive president of Waddell & Reed, said the $42 tickets include unlimited concessions, two adult drink tickets and a souvenir bag and has a total value of $70. He said “42” is the only movie that will be shown at the BarryWoods 24 complex on the night of the screenings.

Tickets are available exclusively on the website 42kansascity.com.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

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‘Motown: The Musical’ goes platinum in first week on Broadway Joins millionaire’s club with $1,029,883 gross

Bobby Brown turns himself in for DUI conviction ASSOCIATED PRESS Bobby Brown has surrendered to authorities and will begin a 55-day jail sentence for a driving under the influence conviction.

Brown's attorney and a spokesman for the city attorney's office say the R&B singer turned himself in at a Los Angeles courthouse Wednesday.

Brown pleaded no contest to DUI and driving on a suspended license in February. He will also be required to serve four years on informal probation and complete an 18-month alcohol treatment program after he is released.

The conviction is Brown's second for DUI in less than a year. He avoided jail after pleading no contest to a March 2012 drunk driving case.

The 44-year-old New Edition singer is the ex-husband of deceased singer Whitney Houston.

AP Photo/Joe Giblin, File

In this Feb. 18, 2012 file photo, singer Bobby Brown, former husband of the late Whitney Houston performs at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

This March 5, 2013 photo shows Berry Gordy posing for a portrait in front of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York.

LAWT NEWS SERVICE “Motown: The Musical” celebrated platinum sales of $1,029,883 during its first week of sold-out performances at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre on Broadway, joining the celebrated Million Dollar Club following only 7 performances while surpassing 100% capacity of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

This marks the first time a new Broadway musical has joined the Million Dollar Club in its first week of previews without an out-of-town tryout.

Seen for the first time anywhere by a paying audience, the new musical based on the life of iconic Motown founder Berry Gordy and featuring music and lyrics from the legendary Motown catalog, officially opens on Sunday, April 14.

“Motown: The Musical” began preview performances last Monday, March 11 at The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street).

Directed by Charles RandolphWright, “Motown: The Musical” is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed American culture forever.

This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy’s incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who

launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more.

“Motown: The Musical” stars Tony Award® nominee Brandon Victor Dixon (“The Color Purple”) and Valisia LeKae (“The Book of Mormon”) in the leading roles of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross and features Charl Brown (“Jersey Boys”) as Smokey Robinson and Bryan Terrell Clark as Marvin Gaye leading an ensemble cast of 40 featuring Timothy J. Alex, Michael Arnold, Nicholas Christopher, Rebecca E. Covington, Ariana DeBose, Andrea Dora, Preston W. Dugger III, Wilkie Ferguson, Dionne Figgins, Marva Hicks, Tiffany Janene Howard, Sasha Hutchings, Jawan M. Jackson, Lauren Lim Jackson, Morgan James, John Jellison, Crystal Joy, Grasan Kingsberry, Jamie LaVerdiere, Raymond Luke Jr., Jibreel Mawry, Marielys Molina, Sydney Morton, Maurice Murphy, Jarran Muse, Jesse Nager, Milton Craig Nealy, N’Kenge, Dominic Nolfi, Saycon Sengbloh, Ryan Shaw, Jamal Story, Eric LaJuan Summers, Ephraim Sykes, Julius Thomas III, Daniel J. Watts and Donald Webber, Jr. “Motown: The Musical’s” creative team features choreography by Patricia See MOTOWN, page 11

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10

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Women rule

ences the way companies and advertisers design their messages to us to achieve their economic bottom line.

See how much power we have? These types of insights tell them that women respond to concepts that are authentic.

Touch our hearts and you might earn our dollars. Even those of us who may be tomboys at heart, messages that focus on conflict simply aren’t going to resonate.

And, you know how we love a bargain and will hunt high and low to find the best price? That’s something American women have in common with our sisters around the world. A Nielsen survey of more than 29,000 people with internet access in 58 countries shows that we women are browsers, no matter where we live – going for the best deal (in the store or online) while men are more likely to pay a higher price. That’s because men are typically on a mission to just win (uh, get the item no matter what).

Here and across the globe, women are responsible for $12 trillion of the $18 trillion of global buying power.

So, if marketers want our business, they need to offer products and services that reflect our needs. Consider these facts: • Women worldwide are optimistic about their roles, with 90% reporting they believe their role is changing for the better.

• Worldwide, 70% of women surveyed have cut household spending over the past year in clothes, gas, electricity and entertainment outside the home.

• Women in the U.S. spend significantly more time on social media sites than men. We’re online users of social media 44% more than men; and visit social media sites on our mobile devices 39% more than men.

• African-American women between 18-35 are 72% more likely to publish a blog or express our preferences online via links or “likes” than the average adult in this country.

•In the United States, AfricanAmerican households are 127% more likely to include a single parent – usually a woman. (These are my people as I am one of them and I live by the mantra, ‘If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy’).

•Women in the U.S. talk 28% more and text 14% more than men every month.

•Globally, women are 25% more likely than men to rely on friends or family for personal finance advice.

There’s so much more wonderful information on www.nielsenwire.com that affirms women’s power and influence as consumers. Take time to visit the site during March, and feel free to belt out a couple of lines along with Chaka, “I’m every woman. It’s all in me . . .”

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies go to www.nielsenwire.com.

people they can achieve their dreams and overcome challenges,” he said.

“We want them to know that yes, it is difficult, but if they stay focused, they can make it happen.” Tume added that because Sherman grew up in Compton and attended Dominguez High his life story resonates with students.

“Richard is here saying he’s been through what they’ve been through, but that they can still succeed.”

For Assistant Principal Bobby Walker, the SWAG assembly was a great opportunity to open the eyes of Dominguez students. “It was wonderful of him to come out and share his experiences with our children. I hope they walk out knowing there are positive role models coming out of our community, and our school,” he said.

“Having Richard here today is a reminder that our kids don’t always have to believe the bad things people say about our city.”

BY CHERYL PEARSON-MCNEIL NNPA COLUMNIST As I write, Chaka Khan’s empowering “I’m Every Woman” loops in my head – like a soundtrack. (By the way, have you seen her lately? All slim, trim and more fabulous than ever).

It’s Women’s History Month and the lyrics to that iconic anthem should be resonating with all women, and those who love us, as we celebrate ourselves and the countless contributions we make everyday — both large and small — that keep the world turning.

No matter how small or far-reaching the radius of your world is every choice you make is important.

Nielsen shines the light on women’s choices and our dynamic impact as consumers with two new global reports: Does Gender Matter and 10 Things to Know About Today’s Female Consumer.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – “Vive la différence.” Yes, we know that girls are just as smart as boys and women can do pretty much everything a man can – but, like it or not – our brains are wired differently. And, that’s ok. Women are master multitaskers and there’s a scientific reason for that. Who knew, right? Nielsen’s NeuroFocus research shows that “ability” is driven by what happens to developing brains in the womb. Traits like big-picture thinking and multitasking are hard-wired in women’s brains, along with “gut” reasoning, social and verbal skills and the worry/empathy tendency. We balance work (either outside or in the home), take care of our families – nurture, budget, shop, schedule, run hither and yon – and keep it tight with ourselves as best we can.

Men’s brains, on the other hand, are pre-conditioned for concrete thinking, goal-oriented tasks, logical solutions and competition/defense. (Cheryl’s translation: give them one thing to do at a time if you really want something to get done).

How we think and respond influ-

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil

SHERMAN Continued from page 8 somebody.’ Those same people you follow, where are you following them to? You can be somebody right now.

You can make those decisions right now. It all depends on what direction you want to go.” Sherman praised Dominguez’s teachers for their support during his high school years and reminded students to value them.

“You have great teachers, you have great staff. It may seem like they hold you down or are messing with you all the time, or your coaches are too tough on you, but they really just want to see you be successful,” he noted. “It’s tough out there. It’s tough in the Hub City, but once you make it outside the city, nobody can stop you. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”

SWAG’s Founder Romal Tume said he hopes each event he brings to schools awakens students to tap into their potential and excel in whatever they’re passionate about. “It’s our mission to work with schools by having athletes share their personal stories. We want them to show young

OBAMA IN ISRAEL Continued from page 4 Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank this week to assure him that an independent Palestinian state remains a U.S. foreign policy and national security priority — even though he is bringing no new plan to restart negotiations with Israel.

Although many Israelis warmly greeted Obama, Palestinians held several small protests in the West Bank and Gaza. Demonstrators in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip burned

posters of Obama and U.S. flags, accusing the U.S. of being biased toward Israel.

In the West Bank, about 200 activists erected about a dozen tents in an area just outside of Jerusalem to draw attention to Israel’s policy of building settlements. The tents were pitched in E1, a strategically located area where Israel has said it plans on building thousands of homes. The U.S. has harshly criticized the plan.

HBCU Continued from page 3 and popular culture.

This year’s HCASC student competitors from the 48 HBCUs, or “Great 48,” are traveling to the national competition in Torrance, Calif., from schools around the nation, including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, New York, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, Oklahoma, Virginia, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The competitors will be split into eight divisions and will compete in a modified round-robin format. The top two teams from each division will advance to the “Sweet 16” and will compete in a single elimination playoff. The final two teams that emerge from the playoffs will battle for the title of National Champions and the grand prize of $50,000. The grand prize, along with the other institutional grants, will support academic activities at the participating HBCUs. Last year’s National Champions, Morgan State, took home its first-ever title by beating second-place finisher Oakwood University, a previous national champion. Morgan State’s winning answer in last year’s Honda Campus All-Star Challenge was: Gerald Ford.

“My favorite part of being on this team has been bonding with our teammates and coach,” said Craig Cornish,

captain, Morgan State Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team “There have been a lot of incendiary moments, but they’ve made us stronger. I’m looking forward to getting ready for next year.”

Said Dr. Oluwa Tosin Adegbola, Morgan State Honda Campus All Star Challenge team coach, "This is everybody’s first year on the team, and to try to figure out how to meld what they know with what they need to know, takes a journey that builds a relationship of trust. It’s been a beautiful relationship with my team."

“The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge brings together great minds from Historically Black College and Universities around the nation and offers them a friendly and competitive environment to demonstrate their intellect, hard work and dedication,” said Steve Morikawa, assistant vice president Corporate Community Relations, American Honda Motor Co. “We are proud to support HCASC as it continues to exemplify HBCUs’ academic excellence, enrich our nation’s youth, and invest in one of the country’s largest pipelines for professional, artistic, and academic talent.”

For more information on the Honda Campus All Star Challenge and a list of the 48 participating HBCUs, please go to www.HCASC.com.

TAVIS SMILEY Continued from page 5 the Carolinas, this criminalization of our children is the order of the day,” he said. “This is an American catastrophe, not some sort of “color coded” crisis with our kids.”

Tanisha Denard, an organizer with the Youth Justice Coalition in Los Angeles, says that the school-toprison pipeline does more to acclimate youth to prison than to college.

“Our schools have more police and probation officers than guidance counselors; we get searched by metal detectors and drug sniffing dogs; our lockers and back packs are emptied out on the regular; campuses have police holding rooms.”

Fortunately, the bleak portrait that Denard paints does not hold everywhere. According to Smiley, “The principals, the judges, the counselors, the advisors, the administrators, even some politicians who get this and who do care, and who are implementing programs and policies that work,” gave him hope.

“In Washington state we talk about these things called “truancy boards.” These truancy boards are really working … we talk about what [it is] and why it’s working so well there and whether or not we can scale these up across the country,” he said.

“The second thing that gave me hope was seeing alternative schools.

Just like one size does not fit all, some

people want to go to a small private college, some want to go to a big public school – that’s why choice is so important in our society. So these alternative programs, alternative schools do work better for some of these young people than the traditional public school,” said Smiley.

Lastly, Smiley said that there were judges whose work should be known as “Exhibit A” in an effort to halt the “pipeline’s flow” of youth into the criminal justice system. He quotes Judge Jimmie Edwards, who is also the principal of Innovative Concept Academy in St. Louis, who says that, “Locking up an 11-year-old in jail for any length of time doesn’t make sense for him, for his family and certainly not for his community.”

Smiley stated, “I’ve seen a lot of evidence out there that suggests we can do better on this and we try to highlight that in this special.”

“Education Under Arrest” airs on PBS Tuesday, March 26 from 8 to 9 pm ET/PT, and is part of “American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a public media initiative supported by the Corporation for a public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to help local communities across America find solutions to address the dropout crisis.” For more information, pbs.org/tavis/reports.

ROLAND MARTIN Continued from page 5 ridiculous claim is beyond offensive.

And then to sit here and say that “Oh, the White legislators who voted to stand for Voting Rights Act that they did so because they are afraid of being called racist or bigots yet these are the same people we have no

problem opposing all kinds of other laws. They had no problem opposing Affirmative Action, no problem opposing the Violence Against Women Act, no problem opposing all those other laws. But all of the sudden, now they’re scared on this one.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Measure R Independent Taxpayers Oversight Committee of Metro (Oversight Committee) will hold a public hearing at 10 a.m., April 2, 2013, in the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Boardroom located at One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles.

The Oversight Committee was appointed under Measure R, also known as the Traffic Relief and Rail Expansion Ordinance, that imposed an additional 1/2 of one percent transactions and use tax to fund transportation improvements in the County, approved by voters in 2008. The Oversight Committee and oversight process has been established to ensure that Metro and local subrecipients complies with the terms of the Ordinance. The oversight process requires that an annual audit be conducted to determine compliance with the provisions of the Ordinance related to the receipt and expenditure of sales tax revenues during the fiscal year. The audits must be provided to the Oversight Committee so it can make findings on whether Metro and local subrecipients have complied with the Measure R requirements. In compliance with the Ordinance, Metro contracted with Bazilio Cobb and Associates (BCA) to perform the independent audit of the Measure R Special Revenue Fund and contracted with Vasquez & Company, LLP and Simpson & Simpson to audit the compliance of the 87 cities (Cities) and the County of Los Angeles (County).

The purpose of this hearing is to receive public comments on the results of the independent audits conducted on the Schedule of Revenues and Expenditures for Measure R Special Revenue Fund and Compliance with Requirements Applicable to Measure R Local Return Guidelines from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, and the Committee’s annual report on these audits.

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORTS Measure R Special Revenue Fund Audit BCA conducted the audit of compliance in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that BCA plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the Schedules of Measure R revenues and expenditures are free of material misstatement. The audit found that Metro complied, in all material respects, with the requirements applicable to the Measure R revenues and expenditures for the year ended June 30, 2012. However, BCA found that more timely follow-up with Local Return recipients is needed to resolve prior audit findings. Management will make a more coordinated effort to ensure that follow-up actions are taken in a timely manner.

Measure R Compliance Audits of Cities and the County Vasquez & Company, LLP and Simpson & Simpson conducted the audits of compliance with the Local Return Guidelines in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that Vasquez & Company, LLP and Simpson & Simpson plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether noncompliance with the requirements in the Ordinance occurred which could have a direct and material effect on the Measure R Local Return program. Vasquez & Company, LLP conducted the audit of 49 cities, and Simpson & Simpson conducted the audit of the other 38 cities and the County. The auditors found that the cities and the County complied in all material respects with the requirements in the Measure R Ordinance that are applicable to the Measure R Local Return program for the year ended June 30, 2012. The audits found 24 deficiencies in internal control over compliance, none of which were deemed material. Only one of those deficiencies was deemed a material weakness.

MOTOWN Continued from page 9 Wilcox (“Blues in the Night”) and Warren Adams (“Toy Story”), scenic design by David Korins (“Bring It On: The Musical,” “Annie”), costume design by Tony Award® nominee ESosa (“The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” “Project Runway”), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz (“Once,” “Sister Act”), sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenski (“Rock of Ages,” “The Scottsboro Boys”), projection design by Daniel Brodie (“Jekyll and Hyde”).

“Motown: The Musical” features arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp (“Rock of Ages”), who will also serve as musical supervisor for the 18 piece orchestra and reproduce the classic “Sound of Young America” for the Broadway stage, with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Bryan Crook (“Smash”), dance arrangements by Zane Mark (“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”) and music direction by Joseph Joubert (“Nice Work If You Can Get It”).

“Motown: The Musical” is produced by Tony Award winning producer Kevin McCollum (“Rent,” “In the Heights,” “Avenue Q”), Chairman and CEO of SONY Music Entertainment

Black Facts.com March 20, 1852 Martin R. Delany published “The Condition, Elevation, Emigration and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States,” it was the first major statement of the Black nationalist position. Delany said, “The claims of no people, according to established policy and usage, are respected by any nation, until they are presented in a national capacity.” He added: “We are a nation within a nation; as the Poles in Russia, the Hungarians in Austria, the Welsh, Irish, and Scotch in the British dominions.”

Doug Morris and Motown founder Berry Gordy.

“Motown: The Musical” will play the following performance schedule during preview performances: March 11 – March 24: Mon – Sat at 8pm; Sat at 2pm; Dark Sun (no Wed matinee) March 25 – April 7: Mon – Sat at 8pm; Wed and Sat at 2pm; Dark Sun April 8 – April 14: Tues – Sat at 8pm; Wed and Sat at 2pm; Sun at 6:30pm (Opening Night); Dark Mon Beginning April 15: Tues at 7pm; Wed – Sat at 8pm; Wed and Sat at 2pm; Sun at 3pm; Dark Mon. Tickets prices range from $57.00 $142.00 and are available by calling Ticketmaster at 877-250-2929 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

Measure R Independent Taxpayers Oversight Committee Annual Report The Committee reviewed the three independent audit reports and based on this review, developed an annual report. The annual report describes the audit results and makes several findings. The report finds that: 1) the audits were performed in accordance with the Ordinance that the voters approved in 2008; 2) Metro complied, in all material respects, with the requirements applicable to the Measure R revenues and expenditures for the year ended June 30, 2012; 3) the cities and the County complied with the requirements in the Measure R Ordinance that are applicable to the Measure R Local Return program for the year ended June 30, 2012, however, the audits found 24 deficiencies in internal control over compliance, none of which were deemed material; and 4) more timely follow-up with Local Return recipients is needed to resolve prior audit findings.

Written comments on this matter will be accepted through April 2, 2013. All comments should be addressed to Board Administration, LACMTA, One Gateway Plaza, Mail Stop 99-3-1, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952. Copies of the Independent Auditors’ Reports and the Oversight Committee’s Annual Report are available from Metro’s Records Management Center at the LACMTA Plaza Level at (213) 922-2342. These documents will also be made available to every library located within Los Angeles County for public review. Members of the public who wish to provide public comment in person during the public hearing on April 2 are encouraged to contact the Board Secretary’s Office, at (213) 922-4600.

CNS#2458263

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 201304052 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Nile Valley Landscape Mainstenance & Sprinkler Repair, 3717 La Brea Ave. Suite 642, Los Angeles CA 90016, County of

Registered owner(s): Tamora Neal, 4061 West Blvd. Unit A, Los Angeles CA 90008 This business is conducted by an Individual The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.)

S/ Tamora Neal, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on February 28, 2013 NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on

OVERSIGHT

LAFD

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to substantiate a righteous judgment against complaints that come out of the jail; it cannot police itself, Baruti said. “So when you get other people involved who have no vested interest in the accusations that are being made, and will do a thorough investigation, what are you afraid of?”

Baruti says he was also a victim of sheriff’s deputy violence in the L.A. County Jail in the early 1980s. He is now an organizer with the group All of Us or None, which is made up of formerly incarcerated and convicted persons, that fights for the restoration of their civil and human rights.

On Mar. 19, Sheriff Baca made a presentation to the Board of Supervisors calling for close to $1 billion dollars to replace the Men’s Central Jail, which recently turned 50 years of age, and to refurbish other existing facilities in other parts of Los Angeles

County. The Board postponed a decision on the proposal, opting to wait until they hear back from an independent consultant who will produce a study on the exact needs of the county’s incarceration system.

The Board has not yet taken up the issue of civilian oversight but as evidenced by his appearance at the townhall meeting, Chairman Mark RidleyThomas will be the most likely cheerleader for it when it does come before the body.

“Independent civilian oversight of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is fundamental to achieve modern, constitutional policing,” said Sup. RidleyThomas. “We don’t need another report to confirm the conditions within the jails. We need structural reform by independent civilian oversight. Constitutional policing must be a norm rather than an aspiration.”

times, deployment of Emergency Medical resources, and integrating neighborhoods with their local fire stations to better provide service to all the communities of Los Angeles.

Chief Cummings understands that in order to provide world-class service, he must develop world-class leadership. He is accomplishing this through the LAFD Leadership Academy where attendees are building their skill set to accept the leadership challenges of the 21st. century fire service.

Chief Cummings has created an Information and Data Analysis Task Force to identify patterns and trends that will aid in service. This task force will allow any community to log on to the LAFD website and locate a fire station and receive the following information; how many firefighters are assigned, what equipment and sup-

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

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

Original 3/14, 3/21, 3/28, 4/4/13 CNS-2458372# WATTS TIMES

GOVERNMENT ARMED AND UNARMED SECURITY GUARD SERVICES RFP 7576 The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites proposals from qualified firms to provide armed and unarmed security guard services for its various property sites. Copies of the RFP may be obtained beginning March 18, 2013 online at http: //www.hacla.org/ps/.

Proposals will be accepted until 2:00 p.m., April 18, 2013.

3/21, 3/28/13 CNS-2459438# WATTS TIMES PROJECT BASED VOUCHER NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY PBV NOFA NO. 7577 The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (“Authority”) in collaboration with the Los Angeles Housing Department invites proposals from qualified developers under the Project Based Voucher Program for Permanent Supportive Housing projects that serve extremely and very low income chronically homeless special needs and veteran individuals, and homeless senior and disabled individuals. Copies of the PBV NOFA may be obtained beginning March 15, 2013 online at http: //www.hacla.org/ps/. Electronic proposals will be accepted until 11:59pm, April 15, 2013.

3/21, 3/28/13 CNS-2459003# WATTS TIMES PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLICIT BIDS Sealed bids will be received by Drew Child Development Corporation at 1770 E. 118th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059 until 5:00 pm on April 5, 2013 for meals for service in Child Care Center(s).

At said time and place and promptly thereafter, all bids that have been duly received will be publicly opened and read aloud.

The following types and quantities of meals: Approximately 400 Breakfast, 400 Lunches, 400 Snacks – 5 days a week. Daily delivery of meals to 6 center locations.

Types of forms of packaging or containerizing to be used for meals: Pre-packaged, inclusive of milk based on a 5-day menu cycle to be provided by this agency.

All meals of each type must meet the minimum standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture for Child and Adult Care Food Program meals of that type.

The Contract will be awarded to the responsible bidder whose bid is responsive to this invitation and is most advantageous to the Drew Child Development Corporation, price and other factors considered.

Any or all bids may be rejected when it is in the interest of Drew Child Development Corporation to do so. Any questions regarding this proposed contract may be referred to Jackie McDowell at (323) 249-2950.

3/14, 3/21/13 CNS-2457252# WATTS TIMES

plies are housed/stored, and response times and resource types that are assigned to that fire station.

Relying heavily on the men and women of the LAFD to reach out and assist in the personal preparedness of all, who live, work, reside and travel in and around Los Angeles, Chief Cummings is committed to fairness and equality for all employees and he is also confident that the LAFD will remain the premier public service life safety provider in the world.

Not bad, for a second generation fire fighter who has risen to the rank of Fire Chief who knows all too well the horrors of inequality in the fire service. A lesson learned from his father Louie Cummings who lived through segregation and integration.

Chief Cummings remains vigilant that the unfairness of the past will never be repeated in the future.

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

3/2013

e v e n t LISTINGS

L.A. Watts Times Calendar, Compiled by Brandon I. Brooks, Co-Managing Editor THE THIRD ANNUAL FATHER-SON, MENTOR-MENTEE BOWL-O-RAMA: Grandfathers, fathers, and sons, c’mon let’s bowl!

If you are a big brother, mentor, or father figure, bring your little brother, mentee, or “son” too.

The event includes bowling competitions, raffles, educational resources, and more. WHEN: Saturday, 12 noon – 4 p.m. WHERE: AMF Midtown Lanes, 4645 y ph gra Photo Photo by Kim C. Martinanna Hamilton, Venice Blvd., Los Bri n, sto ing a Travis, Ruby Liv Angeles, 90019. The (L-R) Imani Burton, Shenik, Charnayne Brooks and Stevi Meredith. ton Tal r tickets are only $10 in nife Jen es, Kasi Yat advance (bowling and shoes), $15 at the door.

Tickets can be purchased online at fathersofthe3/22 – 3/24 worldunite3.eventbrite.com. For additional info, please contact Hasani Johnson at FOR COLORED GIRLS... RETURNS TO hasanij@hotmail.com.

CELEBRATE WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH:

To celebrate Woman’s History Month, Dark Blue Mondaze is reprising it's production of “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.” According to Marshall, “people come and they see lots of patrons in the theater and they assume that we are making lots of money. But at $10 a ticket, no one is making money. We need to call upon the people in the community that will give in order to protect all that art means to a community and to society at large.” WHERE: Manazar Gamboa Theater, 1321 Gundry Avenue, Long Beach CA. WHEN: March 24 @ 2:30 pm. March 22 & 23 at 7 p.m. For tickets, visit www.darkbluemondaze.ticketleap.com.

For information on group sales, call (562) 264-5717.

3/23 THE LOS ANGELES CARES MENTORING MOVEMENT: Volunteers interested in mentoring a young person are invited to this event designed to inform, educate and recruit mentors.

Research proves that mentoring is a low-cost, high-results solution to a deepening crisis in our community. Unfortunately, Black adult mentors are grossly underrepresented as volunteers and our most precious resource; our youth are in need of your presence, guidance and support.

WHEN: Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

WHERE: The African American Firefighter Museum 1401 South Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90021. Los Angeles CARES Mentoring Movement is dedicated to recruiting and connecting mentors with local youth-serving organizations to help guide our struggling children to academic and social success. Join us in learning how you can support at-risk youth who desperately need the guidance a mentor like you can give. We will have representatives from National CARES and other youth organizations available to provide you various ways to participate as a mentor and to answer any questions or concerns you may have moving forward with a rewarding experience working with our youth. For additional information, please contact Miriam Percell, Program Director at (323) 596-0875. RSVP: by March 22nd, 2013 at (323) 596-0875 or via email: losangeles@caresmentoring.org.

3/27 GRAND OPENING OF DOMINGUEZ HIGH SCHOOL HEALTH CENTER: Compton Unified School District (CUSD) families, students, and community members will be joined by local leaders as they cut the ribbon to officially open St. John’s Well Child & Family Center’s (SJWCFC) brand new Dominguez High School Health Center. WHEN: Wednesday, 10 a.m. WHERE: St. John’s Well Child and Family Center - 15301 San Jose St. Compton, CA 90221. WHO: Hon. Congresswoman Janice Hahn, Hon. Mark RidleyThomas, LA County Supervisor, Hon. Micah Ali, President, Board of Trustees, Compton Unified School District (CUSD), Jim Mangia, President & CEO, n ma wo ess ngr Co St. John’s Well Janice Hahn Child & Family Center, Cynthia McClain-Hill, President, Board of Directors, LACEF, Darin Brawley, Superintendent, CUSD, Dominguez High School Marching L.A. County Supervisor Band, Compton Mark Ridley-Thomas parents, patients, and community members. Opening the new health center on the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) Dominguez High School campus to serve students and community members of all ages will make free or low-cost healthcare services available to more than 36,000 Compton

area families. The health center will provide medical and dental services, health insurance enrollment and programs to improve the health of Compton area families. SJWCFC, one of Los Angeles County’s largest non-profit community health providers, will operate the Dominguez High School Health Center. Opening the center on the high school campus was supported through a partnership with CUSD and the Los Angeles County Education Foundation (LACEF).

tional workshops are scheduled every Monday at 9 a.m. Some of the topics include how to start a new business, licensing and permits, the planning process, how to grow your existing business, and how to obtain a business loan.

WHERE: St. Lawrence of Brindisi Church 10122 Compton Ave. Los Angeles. For more information or to confirm your participation, please call Martha G. Castro (562) 212-0312 or Email: wattsadvising@gmail.com.

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FRIDAY & SATURDAY (NOW – 3/31)

FREE N ONE PRAYER BREAKFAST: This year’s breakfast speaker will be DeVon Franklin Senior Vice President for Columbia Pictures.

Entertainment will be Gospel recording artist Beau Williams.

The Master of Ceremony DeVon for the Franklin breakfast will be radio personality Roland Bynum of KJLH radio.

WHEN: Saturday, 9 a.m.

WHERE: Holman United Methodist Church the Los Angeles.

BARBARA MORRISON PAYS TRIBUTE TO DINAH WASHINGTON: Barbara Morrison,

A SHOWCASE OF FILMS BY CHARYSSE TIA HARPER: Filmmaker Charysse Tia Harper was born and raised in Oxnard, California and is of Trinidadian descent. While living in London she fell in love with learning about different cultures, and has focused on her own culture in three of her projects: “The Other Side of Carnival” is an award-winning film that looks at the social and economic impact Carnival has on the Trinidad & Tobago society; “T&T 50 in Fifteen”, is a look at important events that have occurred during Trinidad & Tobago’s 50 years of independence; and “Panomundo”, examines the history of Trinidad & Tobago’s steelpan and its influence around the world. Q & A to follow the screenings.

WHEN: Saturday, 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Charysse Tia Harper AC Bilbrew Library 150 E. El Segundo Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90061. For more information please call (310) 538-3350 or visit olapublib.org.

ON GOING MONDAY FREE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISING: The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is conducting free advising for business owners and new entrepreneurs. WHEN: The informa-

one of the top jazz, blues & R&B singers of the past 30 years, pays tribute to the Queen Of The Blues Dinah Washington in an exciting new show. WHEN: Now – Mar. 31, 2013.

The event takes place on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees 4 p.m. WHERE: Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center 4305 Degnan Blvd., #101, Los Angeles, CA 90008.

Each performance at the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center will be folBarbara Morrison lowed by a Champagne Reception for the full price ticket holders. Tickets are going fast, with eight of the 22 performances already sold out as of this writing. For more information and to purchase tickets, please call 310462-1439 or logon to www.barbaramorrisonpac.com.

NOW – 4/7 CAAM PRESENTS GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN: The California African American Museum (CAAM) presents the exhibition “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” The exhibit showcases 24 artists who examine Christianity’s role in fostering political action and social engagement. The exhibition’s curators, Nery Gabriel Lemus and Mar Hollingsworth, utilized James Baldwin’s 1953 novel of the same title, “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” as a point of departure to select a variety of pieces. The selections celebrate faith and, at times contrast, the oppositional forces within Christianity and the underlying tensions of religious control as well as human hypocrisy. WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles.

For more information visit www.caamuseum.org or call (213) 744-2024.

Parking is $10 per vehicle and available on 39th and Figueroa streets.

TO MAKE A CALENDAR SUBMISSION: Include event name, date(s), time, location, contact/RSVP information and admission price, if any. Use BRIEF paragraph format (no lists, line breaks, or all caps). All calendar submissions are space-permitting and may be edited for brevity. Send submissions, along with any images, to brandon@lasentinel.net with the subject heading “LAWT Community Events.” Please include text in the body of your email, not in an attachment.