LAWT-6-11-2009

June 11, 2009

SERVING LOS ANGELES AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Vol. XXX, No. 1131

Plan to Sell Off California Landmarks Questioned

FIRST COLUMN

1st Black Female Rabbi Spent Years Searching

BY LISA CORNWELL AP WRITER

CINCINNATI (AP) — Alysa Stanton began quenching her spiritual thirst early, discovering Judaism after a search that began at age 9 and worried her mother only when a man called the house one night asking for her youngest child.

Turns out he was a priest Stanton had contacted to ask

questions about Catholicism, part of a road that took her through charismatic Christian and Eastern faiths and finally to a position that experts say makes her mainstream Judaism’s first ordained black female rabbi.

“I was considered an ‘old soul’ even when I was young, because my family believed I had See FEMALE RABBI, page 12

AP PHOTO/THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, JEFF SWINGER

UP FOR THE TASK — Alysa Stanton, who is believed to be the first black female rabbi in mainstream Judaism, after her ordination at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 6. Stanton will serve as the rabbi of Congregation Bayt Shalom in Greenville, N.C., this summer.

BY SAMANTHA YOUNG AP WRITER

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to put some of California’s biggest landmarks up for sale to help erase a $24 billion budget deficit.

Among them: San Quentin State Prison, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the California State Fairgrounds.

It is an idea fraught with questions, the biggest being: How can California taxpayers possibly get a good deal in this slumping real estate market?

Schwarzenegger, who has also proposed deep cuts in education, health care, welfare and parks, wants to sell off some property outright, sell office buildings and then rent them back from the new landlords, and lease some state land to developers.

“Everywhere I go, I hear stories about families selling off their boats and motorcycles to make ends meet.

They have garage sales and yard sales,” he told state lawmakers last week, offering his rationale for selling assets. “They know that you don’t have or keep a boat at the dock when you can’t put food on the table.”

The governor said California could generate $3 billion from selling seven landmarks and 11 office buildings scattered around the state.

Is L.A. Experiencing a Rebirth of Black Theater?

BY DARLENE DONLOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Black theater is alive and as well as can be expected in Los Angeles.

It’s no secret that the City of Angels is not regarded as a theater town. Its identity, and rightly so, is that of a mecca for both the television and film industries.

But, with a number of “black” plays consistently up and running every weekend at local theaters, to the casual observer it could look like there is a resurgence of “black” theatrical productions in Tinseltown.

A sampling of more high-profile “black” shows mounted this year include: “Stormy Weather” which broke records at the Pasadena Playhouse; “Crowns,” an Ebony Repertory Theatre production currently playing at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center; “Stick Fly,” still running at the Matrix Theater; “Bronzeville,” a Robey Theatre Co. production which had a successful stint at The New LATC; “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men,” at the Skirball Cultural Center; “Ain’t Misbehavin,’ ” at the Ahmanson Theatre and “Gospel, Gospel, Gospel” at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

For every high-profile black play mounted in Los Angeles, there are numerous smaller shows in production throughout the city.

But looks can be deceiving.

According to several L.A. theater veterans, it may appear like there’s a resurgence of black shows,

‘CROWNS’ — Angela WildflowerPolk and veteran stage and screen actress Paula Kelly, two cast members of “Crowns,” the Regina Taylor play.

but after all — this is Hollywood — it could all be just smoke and mirrors.

All agreed there is no resurgence, but there is hope.

“When you talk about a resurgence, there has to be something new coming forth,” said “Stick Fly” director Shirley Jo Finney, who also helmed the 2005 drama “Yellowman.”

“I don’t see new stories and new writers being introduced — so it’s not resurgence,” she said. “I’m going to say there is an interest and a portal being opened. If you do revivals of work, that is one thing.

Resurgence means new stories.”

Theater veteran Israel Hicks, who has been doing productions since 1969 and is currently directing “Crowns” for the Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT), agreed.

“I don’t see resurgence,” he said. “I hear there is one, but I don’t see it. Looking around the country, it’s not happening like that. If it was, we’d see more actors, directors and playwrights.

We can’t survive simply by using the old material. We have to write about today from a different perspective. It’s going to change during the writing.”

ERT founder and producer Wren T. Brown said he was “hopeful” there was resurgence because resurgence speaks to volume.

“I’m not seeing the volume in Los Angeles or around the country,” Brown said. “However, I know there are countless voices. I think there is a tremendous opportunity for a rebirth. We are achieving in so many ways that we have even more stories to tell. We as a people have broadened our discussion.”

“As someone who has worked in theater, black theater has always been incredibly strong,” said Sheldon Epps, artistic director of the Pasadena Playhouse. “The audience has always been there. When something is offered that is of quality and appeal, that audience will come out and see the plays and See BLACK THEATER, page 10

In most cases, however, it would take a few years to complete the sales, doing nothing for California’s immediate budget crisis.

Moreover, selling in the middle of a recession and a downturn in real estate is a questionable proposition.

“Fundamentally, this is the wrong time to do this,” said Robert Griswold, a real estate author and member of the planning commission in San Diego. “The market is down and is now in the favor of people looking to buy these properties and not in the favor of the state.”

Fred Aguiar, Schwarzenegger’s secretary of consumer services, defended the proposal, saying many of the properties cannot be compared to ordinary commercial or retail space because they are unique and often sit on prime land. He said potential buyers have already inquired about the sites, though he would not identify them.

“These are some very valuable properties,” Aguiar said. “When you start a bidding process on valuable properties, I think a lot of people will be surprised at the kind of prices they will fetch.”

The state estimates that San Quentin Prison — situated on 488 picturesque acres on the San Francisco Bay — could bring in $1 billion in today’s market. It is widely assumed that any buyer would be

interested primarily in the land and might tear down all or some of the 1880s prison to make way for condos or some other development.

It is unclear, however, where California’s death row would be housed, and how long it would take to move the prison’s 5,150 inmates — a process that could cost many millions of dollars and eat into any proceeds from San Quentin’s sale.

The state has not put a price tag on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum but estimates any sale of the 86-year-old stadium could take two to three years. The expectation is that a buyer would continue to operate the stadium, which can seat more than 100,000 people and was the site of the 1932 and ’84 Summer Olympics.

Democratic state Sen. Rod Wright said lawmakers should be careful about holding a fire sale of valuable landmarks.

“When New York was in the middle of a crisis, they never considered taking out Central Park,” Wright said. “It would be like the Romans trying to sell the Trevi Fountain or the French trying to sell the Arc de Triomphe, or the British trying to sell London Bridge.

Those are landmarks.” (Actually, the British did sell London Bridge, which was shipped to the United States See LANDMARKS, page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF THE SOUTHLAND Chief Bratton Hopeful Consent Decree Will End (AP) — Police Chief William Bratton said June 4 he was optimistic that a federal judge would end an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department that has governed policies of the Los Angeles Police Department since 2001, when the force was emerging from several years of scandal and corruption.

Police department attorneys were scheduled on June 8 to ask U.S. District Judge Gary Feess to allow the so-called consent decree to expire on June 16. But Feess postponed the hearing until next week, June 15.

Bratton said he hopes the judge acknowledges how far the department has come in the last eight years but remains cautious about his expectations.

The city agreed to allow oversight of the police department by federal monitors after the Justice Department threatened to sue the city over a pattern of police misconduct. Two high-profile cases from the 1990s included the beating of Rodney King and the Rampart division corruption scandal in which officers beat, shot and framed suspects, dealt drugs and covered up their crimes.

The judge could extend the decree by two years if Feess finds

the department does not meet three conditions: financial disclosure for officers in gang and narcotics units, video cameras in patrol cars, and a computer system to track complaints against officers.

THE STATE California Legislators Reject Education Cuts SACRAMENTO — Legislative budget committees are refusing to end state college financial aid or cut most state funding from Hastings College of the Law. Rejecting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s two proposals means lawmakers will have to find $235 million to trim elsewhere in the budget. Legislators must quickly close a $24.3 billion budget hole before the state runs out of money.

But Senate Budget Committee chairwoman Denise Ducheny, a Democrat from San Diego, says the state can’t drop the Cal Grant program that will help 77,000 lowand moderate-income students enter college this year.

San Francisco Democratic Sen. Mark Leno said ending aid to San Francisco-based Hastings law school is unfair because it is deeper than cuts facing other University of California programs.

Information from: The Sacramento Bee, www.sacbee.com.

See BRIEFS, page 6

Page 2

L.A. WATTS TIMES

June 11, 2009

OPINION EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON

The Terrible Price of Being Tagged a Reverse Racist Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich back-pedaled from his reverse racist slur of Supreme Court designate Sonia Sotomayor as a racist.

A defiant Rush Limbaugh didn’t.

There’s a reason. For more than four decades, the reverse racist tag has been the most potent weapon in the arsenal of ultra conservatives and closet bigots to torpedo affirmative action, cower elected officials and judicial appointees into silence or tepid support of civil rights and poverty-related issues and court decisions, and deflect attention from the continued political and economic dominance of well-to-do white males.

Ob a ma ’s e le c tion di d not change the racial power dynamic in America.

There is still only a handful of African American, Latino or Asian CEOs who run Fortune 500 companies or who sit on their boards of directors. The overwhelming majority of top, middle and lower corporate managers are white males.

There is only one African American in the Senate.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund notes that the increase in the number of minorities on the federal bench has been frozen during the Bush years. Minorities still make up a small percentage of state and federal judges. The first Latina on the High Court won’t change that. Laws and public policy are still made, shaped and enforced by white males.

Sotomayor and any minority

perceived to be a threat to corporate and political white-male dominance will be branded a reverse racist. This is not new.

The bogus term cropped up in the early 1960s during the first surge of black militancy. A CBS special on the Nation of Islam and Malcolm X,

by Mike Wallace, was called “The Hate That Hate Produced.”

The special played hard on the theme that the black Muslims, with their white-man-is-a-devil rhetoric and messianic, religious-flavored black separatism, were the incarnate of racial bigotry. In the next few years, the Black Panthers, Young Lords, Chicano activists and other militant groups were routinely reviled as reverse Klan, Nazis and racist nightriders.

The term reverse discrimination seeped into the official lexicon in 1969 when conservatives took the first light swipe at alleged racial favoritism in government contracting programs that mandated hiring goals and timetables for minorities.

The term didn’t fully resonate at that time. There was still the glow and goodwill from the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.

And at that time President Richard Nixon backed Affirmative Action programs that included minority hiring and contracting quotas in the trades. The mood abruptly changed in the late ’70s with the first full-blown assault on Affirmative Action. The assault was fueled by the notion that white males were fast

losing ground to hordes of unqualified, incompetent blacks, Latinos and women in business, the professions and the trades.

Reverse discrimination or reverse racism now became a staple in the public vocabulary. In its Bakke case ruling in 1978, the Supreme Court virtually banned the use of quotas for minorities in hiring and education, under the guise of ending reverse discrimination.

Since then, the faintest hint of a tilt toward minorities in a corporate hiring program, or a university hiring or scholarship program, has drawn instant howls of reverse discrimination and piles of lawsuits.

The chill on Affirmative Action programs partly worked. Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and Democratic President Bill Clinton, vowed to end or modify Affirmative Action programs in government agencies.

Much of the public now firmly believes that minorities were getting unfair advantage in business and the professions, and that this and they are racist.

Limbaugh and conservatives are banking that branding Sotomayor with the racist tag will punch the standard emotional hot buttons before, during and after her confirmation. The after effect is especially important since so much is at stake in how Sotomayor will vote and the opinions she’ll write on the likely stream of race-tinged cases that the See HUTCHINSON, page 4

Race is Dead; Long Live Racism

BY MAYA RUPERT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I knew it.

I knew I didn’t want to live in a post-racial America; I just wasn’t entirely clear why. Honestly, at first I just thought I didn’t like the phrase.

Post-racial. It just sounded silly.

Had we gotten past race?

Because if so, I hadn’t realized that had been our goal.

We wanted to get past racism, of course, but race? Race isn’t a temporary condition that we just needed to wait out. And creating a “postracial” society so that we can end racism is like trying to get rid of weather because we don’t like the rain.

We weren’t just throwing the baby out with the bathwater; we were throwing the tub out too. Postracial America scared me. Could I still have a race if I wanted to?

Could I talk about it?

But the cult of post-racialism persisted, and disliking it made me seem divisive and out of touch. So I let it go. I could be post-racial. D.L. Hughley might stop making fun of black people. Good. Martin Lawrence might stop making movies.

Better. Maybe we didn’t need the tub. Or the bathwater. Or the baby.

She cried a lot. Maybe now we could all sleep through the night.

We all woke up when President Barack Obama made Judge Sonia

Sotomayor his Supreme Court nominee. Immediately, critics were calling her a racist because of a statement she made at a La Raza Symposium at the University of California’s Berkeley Law School in 2001.

The portion frequently quoted is that she “would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” She went on to explain, “Let us not forget that wise men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice Cardozo voted on cases which upheld both sex and race discrimination in our society.” And finally, that despite efforts to remain neutral, she acknowledged that there would be some cases in which she would be influenced by her gender and Latina heritage.

So her position is that her judicial philosophy is informed in part by her racial heritage. Her position is that women of color are better equipped, based on their experiences as minorities in this country, to understand issues of injustice, even when that injustice represents the status quo. Her position is that while neutrality is the goal of every judge, it is naive to pretend that a judge’s personal experience and background doesn’t help shape their thinking.

Her position is downright banal.

Judges should be able to identify with the people who they are charged with evaluating. Isn’t that a Maya Rupert theory of judging pretty well proven by “American Idol,” “Project Runway,” “America’s Next Top Model?” In a quest for a controversial judicial philosophy, steer clear of anything that goes without saying on reality television.

Sotomayor’s statement wasn’t met with animosity because it was wrong; it was met with animosity because she broke the cardinal rule of the post-racial society: She had the nerve to talk about race when discussing racism. It was raining outside, and while everyone else was content to say that it wasn’t, she bought an umbrella.

When Obama became a symbol for post-racialism, he ushered in a new era. But that new era is very quickly becoming dystopian for its demonization of acknowledging race. Suddenly, the controversial cartoon of Sotomayor that ran in The Oklahoman takes on a new meaning. The cartoon depicts Sotomayor strung up like a piñata with Obama handing out bats to Republicans.

See RUPERT, page 4

Of Pecs, Packs and Poles

BY TRICIA ALKMIA COCHÉE

If I hear the phrase “men are visual” one more time — as if women are not — I’m going to scream!

I think most African American women can remember hearing their grandmothers, great grandmothers or “big Mommas” saying, “baby, better think about how it’s going to be looking at that man in the morning across the breakfast table. Think about the kids.”

In other words, God don’t like ugly, so don’t bring no ugly home.

In his bestselling book, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man,” Steve Harvey talks about the importance for a woman to always look her best for her man, which I agree with. Yet it should be understood that the man needs to do the same for his woman.

Mutual attraction maintenance is just that: mutual. Women appreciate a good presentation, or to use Harvey’s phrase, “a shiny penny” too.

So many of our male celebrities have their own brand of clothing or cologne that it appears you haven’t really made it until you too have the latest fashion line. Yet, the pressure seems to be only on us women to satisfy that most fickle of appetites: the male imagination.

Why is it that even the most out-of-shape, no-exercising, beerdrinking, can’t-see-or-touch-his-toes, hygiene-challenged man will demand that his woman be in shape, smell good even after working out, and entertain him with the latest acrobatic-pole-dancing tricks while twirling a hula hoop on one leg?!

OK, I’m exaggerating just a bit, but you get the visual.

I say let’s get back to the basics.

Listen women, it’s time to tell that man, “Baby, if you want me to be in shape (which all women should be doing for themselves anyway), then you better be bringing not just a six-

pack but packing some stamina and good circulation to go along with it!”

Men, speaking of hygiene, if Tricia Alkmia you want to be Cochée touched, massaged and kissed from head to toe, then please, please wash from head to toe, including those ears.

In this Obama age, I’ve heard it said many times in our community that the president has set the standard, making it cool for black men to outwardly, even publicly, show tender affection toward us black women.

Well, taking a page from his book, we can only hope that our black men will have the audacity and fortitude to follow President Barack Obama’s fitness lead as well.

So black men, take your woman by the hand and go for a walk; a dip in the pool; bike to the beach; take a yoga, tai chi or dance class; or go roller skating to some “oldies but goodies.”

Let’s put the “play” back in our workouts while encouraging each other’s fitness goals. To all those fine and fit brothas out there handling their health and hygiene business, I say keep up the good work, and I’ll see you at the Jacuzzi!

Tricia Alkmia Cochée is a freelance writer and dancer. She can be reached at sambistadancer@hotmail.com.

Facts June 11, 1963 Vivian Malone and James Hood attempt to register at the University of Alabama. Gov. George Wallace physically blocks them by “standing in the schoolhouse door.” The two return later in the day, accompanied by National Guardsmen, and are allowed entry.

Source: blackfacts.com

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CIRCULATION AUDIT BY

June 11, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 3

BUSINESS September 11th — It Could Have Been Me

BIZSHORTS L.A. Budget Calls for 1,200 Layoffs, Furloughs

Corporate Procurement Workshop to be Presented

(AP) — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed a $7 billion city budget June 2 that calls for 1,200 layoffs, unpaid furloughs and a freeze on police expansion in the next fiscal year.

The budget includes money to replace up to 480 police officers who are lost through attrition, but it will halt the mayor’s efforts to increase the size of the force, unless the city gets money for law enforcement through the federal stimulus package, said mayor spokesman Matt Szabo.

The budget also mandates 26 unpaid furlough days for civilian employees — equal to a 10 percent pay cut.

City officials could still cut $54 million for police officers and firefighters and require an additional 781 layoffs and 11 furlough days.

That’s because of another $95 million budget gap that was created when the City Council refused to approve the funding transfers recommended by the mayor.

The city faced a $529 million deficit when budget deliberations began.

A two-part workshop to help entrepreneurs gain access to corporate procurement opportunities will be held June 18, 9 to 11 a.m., at the offices of U.S. Bank, 5760 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles.

The event is sponsored by the Black Business Association in conjunction with the African American Supplier Engagement Collaboration, National Black Business Council and the Small Business Administration.

Advice on how to best take part of trade fairs attended by Fortune 1000 corporations will be a part of this workshop. Small-business owners may need to understand their market and do specific homework before participating in large trade fairs if they want to maximize the opportunities afforded by these events.

Representatives from the Small Business Association will be on hand to detail access to capital and other training programs available.

To participate, RSVP to the BBA office at (323) 291-9334.

(AP) — Homeowners caught a welcome break June 1, when the Los Angeles County assessor’s office announced it was reducing property taxes on thousands of recently purchased homes.

The assessor’s office conducted a review of about 473,000 homes bought between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2008, and reduced assessments for 256,000 single-family homes and 77,000 condominium owners.

The average property tax savings is $1,400 for single-family homeowners and $1,100 for condo owners. The average reduction in value was $126,000 for single-family homes and $96,000 for condos.

Lower tax revenue will result in a $440 million hit for county coffers, a 1 percent drop.

Northern parts of the county, where many homes have recently been constructed, saw the most reductions. Many of those homes were likely bought with problematic loans and ended up in foreclosure, Assessor Rick Auerbach said.

Homeowners can check online to see whether their properties were reviewed. Results are expected to be posted online by early July.

Homeowners who didn’t get a reduction have until Nov. 30 to appeal to the county’s assessment appeals board.

L.A. Will Shut Down City Departments Some Days (AP) — The Los Angeles City Council has authorized a plan to shut down most city departments every other Friday in an attempt to save $100 million.

The council approved the move after four hours of closed-door talks June 3 and city officials were to meet with union representatives to find a way to implement the plan, which takes effect July 1.

The new $7 billion city budget was approved June 2.

The zoo, libraries and sanitation services would continue to operate, and police officers, firefighters, airport workers and others will not be affected by the Friday closures.

Millions of Americans watched in horror on Sept. 11, 2001, as terrorist-controlled jumbo jets struck at our buildings and hearts. The attacks killed thousands of Americans.

Now, we are still left cleaning up the mess.

Valiant firefighters, police and construction workers had worked tirelessly to remove the debris at Ground Zero, where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood tall. Less visibly, countless people have helped those who were left behind to bring order to the financial and legal chaos caused by the attacks.

The victims of the attacks were firefighters, maintenance personnel, secretaries, bookkeepers and financial traders. Many of the victims were in the prime of life, and many of them died without wills or other planning. Their loved ones are left with disorganization and court struggles.

Bill had been comfortably living with Liz and her daughter for several years, but they had not yet

married. While Bill and Liz had been sharing finances, he never made a will nor planned in any way.

As a result of the attack, Liz had to face the personal tragedy of losing Bill without any security from his assets: His property went to his heirs, as state law directs. Although Bill’s family liked Liz well enough, they did not give any of Bill’s assets to Liz. Liz will have nothing but memories. Bill’s estate, life insurance, and all other benefits will go to his heirs at law and not to Liz. Craig faced a similar struggle after the death of his life partner, Rick. The state did not recognize their relationship, so Rick’s assets went to his brother, who never approved of Rick and Craig’s relationship and had not spoken to Rick in years.

Sue and John were married and had two children. While Sue’s assets will go to John and the children as her heirs, the portion of the assets going to the children was subjected

to court supervision because the children are minors. John has to ask a judge for approval before using any of the funds inherited by William K. the children.

Hayes C e r t a i n l y, Bill, Rick and Sue — whose real names were not used in this article — did not expect to become victims of a national tragedy. They expected they would have time to take care of things later.

We all do.

But each year, countless Americans die unexpectedly.

Unfortunately, death and disability are not reserved for those of advanced age.

Effective planning can sometimes guarantee that things happen the way you want. It can direct where your assets go and ensure See HAYES, page 4

metro.net

Notice of Availability of Final EIR/EIS Schuyler Heim Bridge Replacement and SR-47 Expressway Project

The Gold Line heads East.

MetroBriefs Metro Rail Returning to East LA Some 46 years after the last trolley crossed the First Street Bridge, rail is returning to East LA with the opening of a new branch of the Metro Gold Line. The soon-to-open extension will span six miles from Union Station in downtown LA via the Little Tokyo/Arts District and Boyle Heights to Atlantic/ Pomona Boulevards.

Metro Bus Team Nation’s Best What is Being Planned?

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), District 7, is proposing to replace the seismically deficient Schuyler Heim Bridge with a fixed-span bridge and construct a new elevated expressway in and adjacent to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Six alternatives have been addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) . The Preferred Alternative will replace the lifted Schuyler Heim Bridge with a fixed-span bridge and construct the SR-47 Expressway, and require acquisition of right-of-way.

Why This Notice?

Caltrans has studied the potential effects this project may have on the environment. Caltrans has recently approved the Final Environmental Impact Report/Statement (EIR/EIS). The Final EIR/EIS is now being distributed to elected officials, affected Federal, State and local Agencies, and individuals that submitted comments on the Draft EIR/EIS. This notice also serves as notification that the project-level conformity analysis shows that the project will conform to the State Implementation Plan, including the localized impact analyses for carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM1 0 and PM2 . 5 ) required by 40 CFR 93.116 and 93.123.

A Notice of Availability is being published in the Federal Register, and a Record of Decision will be prepared after 30 days pursuant to NEPA. A Notice of Determination is being filed with the State Clearinghouse pursuant to CEQA. Your Involvement The Final EIR/EIS that describes the recommended project is now available.

Copies of the Final EIR/EIS and technical studies are available for review at our District 7 office and the following public libraries around the project area: Carson Regional Library; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Carson; East Rancho Dominguez Library; Los Angeles Central Library; Harbor City – Harbor Gateway Branch Library; San Pedro Regional Library; Wilmington Library; Long Beach Main Library; Mark Twain Neighborhood Library, Long Beach; Bret Harte Neighborhood Library, Long Beach; Compton Library, Compton. The Final EIR/EIS and technical studies can also be accessed through our website at http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/resources/envdocs and through the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority website www.acta.org.

Contacts: Mr. Ronald Kosinski, Deputy District Director Division of Environmental Planning CALTRANS, District 7 100 South Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 If you have any questions regarding this project or comments on the Final EIS, please contact Karl Price at (213) 897-1839.

Thank you for your interest!

Teams from more than 50 public transit agencies recently competed to see who was best and Metro came out on top.

Mechanics Frank Forde, Rommel Vargas and Andrew Warren Jr. along with operator Juan Navarro formed the Metro team which won the overall championship at the 2009 International Bus Roadeo.

Metro Service Changes Set for June 28 The expansion of Metro Rail to East LA is prompting several bus route changes beginning June 28. In addition, service in the Northeast San Fernando Valley is being restructured on that date. For complete details and timetables, visit metro.net.

Metro Budget Adds $636 Million in New Programs Federal stimulus funds and the Measure R transit sales tax resulted in $636 million for new highway and transit building projects in Metro’s recently adopted budget. Unlike other major transit agencies, the Metro budget does not include fare increases or impose major service cuts in the coming year.

Kaiser Wins Rideshare Corporate Award Kaiser Permanente, headquartered in Pasadena, took top honors at this year’s Diamond Awards for its ridesharing e=orts. Kaiser was cited for promoting an array of ridershare options to its 30,000 employees at 18 work locations throughout Southern California.

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

GEN-CE-09-013 ©2009 LACMTA

County Drops Property Taxes for Thousands

BY WILLIAM K. HAYES

Page 4

L.A. WATTS TIMES

June 11, 2009

COMMUNITY Local Hair Salon Reaches Out to Unemployed

BY NADRA KAREEM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

During tough financial times, people tend to skip the luxuries in life — eating out, shopping, visiting the hair salon.

For African Americans on the job hunt, however, missing hair appointments may put them at a disadvantage because black hair care requires more than simply washing and blow drying, according to Kehinde Ololade, owner of The Spice Salon on Pico Boulevard.

“It all starts from how you look,” she said about making a good impression in job interviews.

To keep black job seekers from losing out because of their hair, the salon is offering 30 to 50 percent discounts to the unemployed throughout June. It’s a move that old and new customers both appreciate.

Anne Njoroge and Crystal Williams, both 29, recently visited Spice Salon for the first time after hearing about the discounts offered there.

“You can’t ever get a first impression back,” Njoroge said.

“With nice hair, you walk a little bit taller. (Hair) is an extension of your personality. When it’s done right, I feel like I got my mojo going on.”

Njoroge traveled to the salon from Long Beach after hearing about the special on television. She works in the film and music industry

but interviewed at a temp agency on the day she visited Spice.

“Right now any (work) is good,” she said.

Wi l l i a m s , a C e n t r a l L o s Angeles resident, heard about the discounted prices at Spice from her father’s girlfriend. She is searching for work after losing her job at a daycare center and visited the salon to have her hair pressed and curled.

Hair “is really important,” Williams said. “It gives the person who has an interview confidence.

People look at you from head to toe.”

African Americans in particular have long been stigmatized in the workplace because of the way their hair is styled.

Jasmyne Cannick, a Spice Salon client for three years, has direct experience with this. The activist and writer wears her hair in locks. While she worked for a politician, other blacks often asked her, “How can you work in Congress with locks?”

She said they asked the question because they were accustomed to blacks being singled out for wearing their hair in ways many people deem inappropriate.

Considering the troubled history African Americans have had with their hair in mainstream workplaces, Cannick believes that the discounts Ololade is offering clients “is a

smart business move.” She predicts that clients who took advantage of the deal will remember Ololade’s generosity.

“It’s a way to give back to the community,” Cannick said.

“They’re going to come back and be repeat customers.”

Ololade certainly hopes so. The 42-year-old Nigerian immigrant opened Spice Salon in 1998 after moving to Los Angeles from Houston. As the recession first began to surface in 2007, business at Spice was cut in half, she said.

“Two-and-a-half years ago, the companies started downsizing gradually,” she said. “The business at the salon was really slow.”

The clients who used to visit the salon weekly or biweekly slowly stopped coming because their financial situations made it difficult to pay.

Ololade said she had to take action because it was the worst slowdown in business she’d ever experienced. She thought, “This is really bad.”

Even those not yet in the workplace appreciate Ololade’s move.

Armando Almanza, 22, is scheduled to graduate from the University of California at Los Angeles on June 14. He hopes to get a job as an emergency medical technician after graduation but knows the job market right now is challenging.

Photo by THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA

GOOD HAIR — The Spice Salon, on Pico Boulevard near La Brea Avenue, is offering discounted services to people who may be feeling the pinch of the current recession. “We don’t want a bad hair day to stand in people’s way” of finding a job, said Kehinde Ololade, owner. Pictured: Ololade applies “comb twists” to the hair of Bisi Day.

Recently in the salon for a haircut, Almanza empathized with the unemployed.

“It’s really beneficial,” he said of the salon’s discounts. “When people lose their jobs, they can’t pay fullprice for everything. It’s really helpful and makes people feel appreciated.”

HUTCHINSON Continued from page 2 court will be called on to decide.

Pounding Sotomayor as a racist has already paid a small dividend. In private meetings with moderate Democrat and conservative Republican senators, the judge slightly pulled back from the reference she made to herself as a wise Latina in a 2001 speech. She called it a poor choice of words. This won’t be the last mea culpa she’ll be required to make for her alleged racism before she’s confirmed.

She’ll be under tremendous pressure to assure senators that she’ll

RUPERT Continued from page 2

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WATER | POWER | MONEY

The Spice Salon specializes in color, relaxers, texturizers, cuts, press n’ curls, weaves, locs, braids, twists and natural hairstyles. It is at 4855 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles.

For more information, call (323) 936-7830 or visit www.

TheSpiceSalonLA.com.

Obama, in a sense, did give Sotomayor’s critics the tools they are using to attack her. By willingly playing the role of the post-racial candidate, there is a sense in which Obama opened the door for criticism of future public figures who openly engage in issues of race.

The legacy of Obama’s historic election can’t be that identity politics becomes synonymous with racism.

The woman who will become the first Latina to sit on the Supreme Court should be able to acknowledge that her race is relevant to the

HAYES Continued from page 3 there are enough assets to go to the people you choose. Planning can direct how those assets will be used, for example, for your children’s education. Planning can direct who will raise your children. The basics of estate planning include a will, a revocable living trust, a general durable power of attorney, and a health care durable power of attorney.

These documents express your wishes as to how events should transpire in the event of your death or disability.

play it strictly by the moderate and conservative playbook on any and all decisions that even remotely touch on race and class issues on the bench.

This is the terrible price that a wise Latina or anyone else tagged as a reverse racist will have to pay — and will continue to pay.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, “The Hutchinson Report,” can be heard in Los Angeles at 9:30 a.m. on KTYM Radio 1460 AM and nationally on blogtalkradio.com.

way she sees the world without being attacked as divisive.

We can’t tell people of color that the only way to exist in this new America is to be silent on the issue of race. And if we do, we can’t call it post-racial — we need to call it racist.

Maya Rupert is an attorney in 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.

Effective planning makes it easier for loved ones left behind. While the loss of a loved one is never easy, effective planning can ease the traumatic effects of sudden death on those left behind. Personal tragedy can strike unexpectedly.

With planning, your loved ones can be spared the needless additional grief of disorganization and court struggles that faced the families of the victims of Sept. 11.

William K. Hayes is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. For more information, visit LosAngelesTrustLaw.com.

June 11, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 5

COMMUNITY PASSINGS

COMMUNITY MEETINGS, FORUMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sheryl Flowers, Producer of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tavis Smiley Show,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Passes

Series of Community Events Slated

Sheryl A. Flowers, longtime executive producer of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Tavis Smiley Showâ&#x20AC;? on public radio, passed away June 8 at Cedar â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after an almost two-year battle with cancer.

Sheryl Flowers She was 42.

Flowers was director of communications at The Smiley Group.

Flowers was the producer of the radio show for its three years on National Public Radio and was asked by Smiley to take the helm when he moved in 2005 to have the show distributed by Public Radio International. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without Sherylâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s particular genius, our companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity to empower listeners and viewers over these years would have been severely diminished,â&#x20AC;? Smiley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We all loved her deeply and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll sorely miss her.â&#x20AC;?

The family has announced that there will be no funeral service. Plans for a public memorial service in Los Angeles to celebrate her life and lasting contributions will be announced at a later date.

The City of Los Angeles will present a series of community events June 13. First, Tree Care Harbor City will spruce up young trees between 9 a.m. and noon. The group will remove weeds that have

grown up and lay down mulch to protect trees from the summer heat.

The group will also give the trees a deep watering to keep the roots moist in the hot weather. To register, contact Lisa Sotelo at volunteer@treepeople.org or (818) 623-4879.

Next, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m,

there will be a Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Recognition featuring a softball game.

Afterwards, staff and family members will participate in a picnic luncheon. All ages are welcome.

The event will take place at Victory Valley Child Care Center, 6451 Saint Clair Ave., North Holly-

wood. Information: Daniel Gutierrez, (818) 764-1679. At noon, the city will present the Wilmington Family Picnic at Banning Park, 1371 Eubank Ave., Wilmington.

Also at noon, the city will have a Juneteenth Celebration at Peck Park, 560 N. Western Ave., San Pedro. The event will last until 5 p.m. Information: lacity.org.

Henry Lucas, Well Known Black Dentist, Succumbs Dr. Henry Lucas, a renowned dentist, longtime Republican and confidant of President Ronald Reagan, died June 2 after suffering a stroke. He was 77.

Lucas was the second vice chair on Charles Drew Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board Henry Lucas of trustees, serving since 2002. He was also active with Meharry Medical College and the Institute for Advancement of Multicultural & Minority Medicine.

Born on Feb. 27, 1932, in Rahway, N.J., Lucas attended Howard University, where he graduated with a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of science in 1957. He studied dentistry at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, Tenn., in 1960, and later completed post graduate studies in orthodontics at the University of Pacific in 1972.

In San Francisco, he founded the Sutter Place Dental Group, his own private practice.

Dr. Kim Benton said the family plans to hold a â&#x20AC;&#x153;going home celebrationâ&#x20AC;? for her father in August. She asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to PACT Inc., an organization Lucas co-founded to help students plan for college. The organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site is: www.pactinc.org.

LANDMARKS Continued from page 1 and rebuilt at Lake Havasu City, Ariz.)

Paul Habibi, a real estate lecturer at the University of Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Los Angeles campus, said state taxpayers could be shortchanged if the state moves forward with a sale now. In general, commercial properties in California have lost 25 percent to 35 percent of their value since the market peaked several years ago, Habibi said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the classic pawn shop mentality of trying to divest the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assets,â&#x20AC;? he said.

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Page 6

L.A. WATTS TIMES

June 11, 2009

COMMUNITY BRIEFS Continued from page 1

Preschool Helps Close the Learning Gap (New America Media) — Providing high-quality preschool education to more Latino and African American children is key in closing the achievement gaps in California’s K-12 public education system, according to a recent study.

“Preschool Adequacy and Efficiency in California: Issues, Policy Options, and Recommendations,” is the last in a series of studies on California’s early childhood education system by the RAND Corp. It focuses on the need to increase both access to, and quality of, preschool programs, especially for children who are likely to fall behind in elementary grades.

“California’s early childhood education system is both inadequate and inefficient,” said report author Lynn Karoly. “It can only serve about half of the eligible three and four year olds.”

The report points out that students from low-income, disadvantaged families are least likely to participate in any preschool programs and will be less prepared when starting kindergarten. As a result, those readiness gaps will then become significant achievement gaps as they advance in grade level.

The achievement gap can be narrowed by 10 to 20 percent by doing two things, the report states.

First, by increasing the number of disadvantaged children attending preschools; and second, by improving the quality of preschool education.

On The Net: Full report, www. rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG889.

Judge Rules Ex-Transit Cop Will Face Murder Trial OAKLAND (AP) — A judge ruled June 4 that a former Bay Area transit police officer will stand trial on murder charges in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man on a train platform.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay said there was sufficient evidence for ex-Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer Johannes Mehserle to face murder charges in the shooting of Oscar Grant early New Year’s Day. “There is no doubt in my mind Mr. Mehserle meant to shoot Oscar Grant with a gun, not a Taser,” Clay said concluding a seven-day preliminary hearing in Oakland. “It’s a dangerous act, an intentional act, a deliberate act.”

Mehserle sat looking straight ahead after the ruling. Grant’s mother burst into tears.

Videos of the incident that spread across the Internet show Mehserle, 27, firing a shot into the 22-year-old’s back as he lay face down. Officers had detained Grant and four friends at Oakland’s Fruitvale station for allegedly fighting on a train.

About 300 supporters of the men gathered in front of San Francisco Superior Court June 8 demanding that the charges against the accused be dropped. They say that confessions extracted from some of the individuals were based on torture.

Mehserle’s lawyer Michael Rains has contended that Mehserle accidentally grabbed his pistol instead of his stun gun during the incident.

Rains said June 5 he intends to file a change of venue for his client because he does not believe Johannes Mehserle will get a fair trial in Alameda County.

THE NATION

Hearing Delayed for ExMilitants in SF Cop Killing

Shell Settles Human Rights Suit for $15.5M

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A preliminary hearing scheduled for June 8 was postponed until July 6 for seven alleged ex-members of the Black Liberation Army accused of killing a San Francisco police officer in 1971.

The hearing was rescheduled for July 6 because one of the attorneys, John Philipsborn, is in the middle of another case.

Philipsborn represents Henry Jones, an Altadena resident and one of the defendants prosecutors say was in the BLA, an off-shoot of the Black Panthers.

The seven are accused of killing Sgt. John V. Young.

Authorities allege the group robbed banks, bombed a police funeral, and killed officers during a five-year campaign against law enforcement on both coasts.

The other defendants in the San Francisco case are Herman Bell; Anthony Bottom; Ray Boudreaux; Richard Brown; Harold Taylor; and Francisco Torres.

NEW YORK (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell agreed to a $15.5 million settlement June 8 to end a lawsuit alleging that the oil giant was complicit in the executions of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other civilians by Nigeria’s former military regime.

Ken Saro-Wiwa

Shell, which continues to operate in Nigeria, said it agreed to settle the lawsuit in hopes of aiding the “process of reconciliation.” But Europe’s largest oil company acknowledged no wrongdoing in the 1995 hanging deaths of six people, including poet Ken Saro-Wiwa.

The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New York claimed Shell colluded with the country’s former military government to silence environmental and human rights activists in the country’s Ogoni region. The oil-rich district sits in the southern part of Nigeria and is roughly the size of San Antonio. Shell started operating there in 1958.

The primary complaint against Shell focused on activities by the company’s subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Co. of Nigeria Limited.

✁

Blues Legend KoKo Taylor Succumbs CHICAGO (AP) — Koko Taylor, a sharecropper’s daughter whose regal bearing and powerful voice

Koko Taylor

earned her the sobriquet “Queen of the Blues,” has died. She was 80.

Taylor died June 3 after complications from surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about two weeks after having surgery for a gastrointestinal bleed, said Marc Lipkin, director of publicity for her record label, Alligator Records.

Taylor’s career stretched more than five decades. While she did not have widespread mainstream success, she was revered and beloved by blues aficionados and earned worldwide acclaim for her work, which includes the bestselling song “Wang Dang Doodle” and tunes such as “What Kind of Man is This” and “I Got What It Takes.”

Taylor appeared on national television numerous times. She was the subject of a PBS documentary and had a small part in director David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart.”

In the course of her career, Taylor was nominated seven times for Grammy awards and won in 1984.

Born Cora Walton just outside Memphis, Tenn., Taylor last performed on May 7 in Memphis at the Blues Music Awards.

Facts June 11, 1964 Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly attempting to sabotage the white minority government of South Africa.

Source: blackfacts.com

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June 11, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 7

COMMUNITY 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.

IMMIGRATION FILMS — The Youth Justice Coalition will show “Sin Nombre” (“without name”) and “Border Crossings” June 16, 6:30 p.m., at Chuco’s Justice Center, 1137 E. Redondo Blvd., Inglewood. Information: (323) 2354243, freelanow@yahoo.com.

URBAN FARM WORKDAY — A late spring workday will be conducted at all three of CSU’s Urban Farm Sites June 13, 9.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The locations are Normandie Avenue School, 4505 S. Raymond Ave., Los Angeles; John Muir Middle School, 5929 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles; and the Expo Center, 3980 S. Menlo Ave., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 299-7075, neelam@csuinc.org.

THE ALZHEIMER’S PROJECT — There will be a free

screening of the documentary film “Momentum in Science” from HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project.

Attendees can create a complimentary “Making a Memory” personalized DVD and hear a Q-and-A discussion panel with Alzheimer’s disease experts.

Local and national Alzheimer’s groups and related organizations will be present. The screening will take place June 13, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Marina del Rey Marriott, 4100 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey. Information (310) 374-8434, info@newleafevents.com, www.ALZjointhefight.com.

FATHERHOOD CONFERENCE — Judge Greg Mathis will provide the keynote address at this second annual conference on the impact of absentee fathers on children’s lives. Teen fathers and exgang members; the role of the church in delivering fatherhood services; homeless fathers; and reintegrating incarcerated fathers are just some of the topics to be addressed. The conference will take place June 20, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the University of Southern California’s Davidson

Convention Center, 3415 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. Information: (213) 385-5100, ext. 1861, http://childrens institute.org/events/details/2.

LAW LUNCHEON — Local attorney Leo Branton Jr. will be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California’s 15th Annual Law Luncheon June 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Branton was the first black lawyer to serve as a delegate to the California State Bar Convention and to sit on the State Bar Review Board, is renowned for successfully defending black activist Angela Davis on murder charges in the 1970s, as well as for representing Dorothy Dandridge, Miles Davis, Nat King Cole and other entertainment industry luminaries. Information: (213) 977-5252, www.aclu-sc.org.

ROUNDTABLE — The Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable will present Ron Brewington, a double prostate cancer survivor, who will speak on the battle to reclaim black men’s health and specifics on what black men can do to protect their health and well-being in the fight against prostate cancer. The roundtable will take place June 13, 10 a.m., at Leimert Park’s Lucy Florence Coffeehouse, 3351 W. 43rd St., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 3836145.

JUNETEENTH — Long Beach’s 13th Annual Juneteenth Celebration will be held June 13,

Photo by MARTY COTWRIGHT

RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER — (Left to right) Howard L. Bingham signs Patrice Samm’s copy of his new book “Black Panthers 1968.” Bingham, who was Muhammad Ali’s photographer for many years and also photographed the Black Panther Party, attended Target Sunday @ CAAM on June 7. The theme was “Celebrating Black Music Month from Blues to Hip Hop Crews.”

noon to 5 p.m., at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave., Long Beach. This year’s theme is “Creating Community through People, Places, Programs and Partnerships,” which is also in celebration of the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The celebration will be an open-air festival with live musical performances, food and merchandise vendors, a Health & Safety Fair, and a children’s area with games, crafts, jumpers and more.

Information (562) 570-4405.

COMPUTER CLASSES — The Foundation for Successful

Solutions Project T.E.C.H. will sponsor Summer ’09 Computer Classes through Aug. 31. Computer Basics I and II, Desktop Publishing Basics and many other classes will be taught. The classes will be held at two locations: the Tom Bradley Youth and Family Center, 5213 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, and South Seas House, 2301 W. 24th St., Los Angeles. Class times have not yet been set; class sizes are limited to a firstcome-first-served basis. Attendees must be residents of the City of Los Angeles and income-qualified. Information: (323) 300-6077.

Photo courtesy of CHARLES DREW UNIVERSITY

EXECUTIVE SEND-OFF — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered the keynote address to more than 200 graduates at Charles Drew University’s 25th commencement ceremony June 6. The students were awarded degrees and certificates from the university’s College of Medicine and College of Science and Health. Schwarzenegger was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the university. Pictured: Schwarzenegger in the procession.

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Page 8

L.A. WATTS TIMES

June 11, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE SHORT TAKES BOOKSIGNING • Eso Won Books will co-sponsor Julian Bond, board chairman of the National Association for the

Julian Bond

founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Geoffrey Holder, multifaceted choreographer and artist.

Tickets are $200. Information: (818) 609-7137, operanoir2@yahoo.com.

artwork. Seating is limited and is first come, first served. General admission tickets are free but must be reserved via e-mail to gparker@ pasadenaplayhoues.org.

CONVERSATIONS

PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL

• The Community Outreach Program of the Pasadena Playhouse invites the community to attend “Conversation With …” events with acclaimed artist and author Synthia Saint James on June 14, 2 p.m., and playwright and actress Regina Taylor on June 20, 6 p.m. Taylor commissioned Saint James to create a painting for merchandising for her play “Crowns.” The “Conversation With

• Veteran soul singer and songwriter Phil Perry will join Norman Brown’s Summer Storm at the upcoming Playboy Jazz Festival June 13, at the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. The Summer Storm tour is an annual, rotating, multiartist ensemble that features the Grammy-winning Brown on guitar, saxophonist Eric Darius, Gail Johnson and now Perry on vocals. The group will perform in a tribute to jazz bassist Wayman Tisdale, who had originally been scheduled to perform.

Ticket costs, information: $37.50 and $32.50, (213) 365-3500. Further information: www.playboyjazzfestival.com, Playboy Jazz Festival Hotline: (310) 450-1173.

Advancement of Colored People, at the California African American Museum June 12, 6 to 8 p.m., 600 State Drive, Los Angeles. Bond will be interviewed by actress Denise Nicholas and also sign copies of the newly published book “NAACP: Celebrating a Century 100 Years in Pictures.”

Information: (323) 290-1048.

PERFORMANCE Synthia Saint James

JUNETEENTH GALA • Opera Noir will present the 10th anniversary Juneteenth Gala entitled “A Song and A Dance: Celebrating the Masters” on June 16, 7 p.m., at McClaney Estates in Holmby Hills. Opera Noir’s mission is to promote cultural diversity in the classical arts with an emphasis on the works of African American composers and artists. Honorees for this year include Arthur Mitchell,

…” series offers a glimpse into the women’s creative process of the musical. The events will be held upstairs in Pasadena Playhouse’s Carrie Hamilton Theatre, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. The Synthia Saint James Solo Exhibition “In Celebration of Crowns” is on display at the playhouse’s Friendship Center and will run through Aug. 16, showcasing high-end and affordable

• The MusicUNTOLD Orchestra and Chorale will have its debut performance during the 13th annual Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration June 13, at Martin Luther King Park, 1950 Lemon Ave., Long Beach. This will also be the West Coast premiere of the Roy Harrisdirected “Bicentennial Symphony,” which is in honor of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s See SHORT TAKES, page 11

COLORFUL VIBES — The Watts Labor Community Action Committee held its first Vision and Vibes festival June 6 in Watts. Pictured: (top) Summaiya Muhammad, Jade Hewitt and Amy Jones prepare for a “Jerk” dance contest; (middle) Breezy, lead vocalist and drummer of the Breezy Love Joy Band; (bottom) Daniella Kyle of the Mebayah Wisal Afrikan Dance Troupe.

Photos by ROOPAM KAKOTI

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June 11, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 9

ARTS & CULTURE The 24th Annual CedarsSinai Sports Spectacular was held June 7 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City.

The event was a benefit for the Medical Genetics Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Honoree Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat basketball team

Photo Courtesy of JAMES M. SIMMONS

“Imagine That” star Eddie Murphy and family

Actress Erica Hubbard (“Lincoln Heights”)

Photo by CECILY GARDNER

CAPOEIRA — (Top photo) The Ngolo Arts Preservation Society held a series of workshops on Capoeira Angola June 2 through 7 in Los Angeles.

Pictured: Participants in the “negativa” position, intended to neutralize an attack by avoiding a kick, in a workshop June 6 at the Industry Cafe and Jazz Ethiopian Restaurant in Culver City. (Bottom photo) Ginga Arts held a Capoeira Demonstration and Children’s Capoeira Graduation June 6 in Los Angeles. More than 20 Capoeira masters from around the world participated in a demonstration of the African martial art form developed in Brazil. Pictured: Mestre Marcelo Caverinha from Capoeira Mandinga-Oakland attempts to kick Mestre Lucas from Capoeria Canavial-Oakland, who successfully dodges.

Honoree Laila Ali and husband Curtis Conway

Raves...

“A

SUMMER MOVIE THAT HAS E VERYTHING -

NON-STOP THRILLS, L AUGHS, AND

TOP TIER ACTING.” — Peter Travers

A FILM BY TONY SCOTT

COLUMBIA PICTURES ANDMUSICMETR0-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES PRESENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH RELATIVITY MED MEDIA A SCOTT FREE/ESCAPE FREE /ESCAPE ARTISTS PRODUCTION “THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3” JOHN TURTURRO LUIS GUZMAN MICHAEL RISPOLI EXECUTIVE AND JAMES GANDOLFINI BY HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS PRODUCERS BARRY WALDMAN MICHAEL COSTIGAN RYAN KAVANAUGH BASEDNOVELOONN THEBY JOHNDIRECTEDGODEY SCREENPLAYBY BRIAN HELGELAND PRODUCEDBY TODD BLACK TONY SCOTT JASON BLUMENTHA BLUMENTHAL STEVE TISCH

BY TONY SCOTT

“... A RIVETING BATTLE OF WITS BETWEEN

DENZEL WASHINGTON AND JOHN TRAVOLTA .”

— Karen Durbin, ELLE

STARTS FRIDAY, JUNE 12

CENTURY CITY WEST LOS ANGELES L.A./BEVERLY HILLS WESTWOOD AMC The Landmark At Pacific’s The Grove Mann Century 15 Pico & Westwood Blvd.

Stadium 14 At The Dome 888/AMC-4FUN 310/281-8233 323/692-0829 #209 310/248-MANN #051 323/464-4226 SANTA MONICA SHERMAN OAKS UNIVERSAL CITY WEST LOS ANGELES BALDWIN HILLS AMC CityWalk Stadium 19 The Bridge AMC Magic Johnson Santa Monica 7 At The Sherman Oaks Galleria with IMAX® Cinema De Lux Crenshaw 15 888/AMC-4FUN 818/501-0753 888/AMC-4FUN 310/568-3375 888/AMC-4FUN HOLLYWOOD

AND AT A THEATER NEAR YOU

Talk show hostess Sherri Sheppard (“The View”)

The Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount Pictures’ and Nicklelodeon Movies’ “Imagine That,” starring Eddie Murphy, took place June 6 at The Paramount Theatre in Hollywood.

The film will be released nationwide June 12.

Page 10

L.A. WATTS TIMES

June 11, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE BLACK THEATER Continued from page 1 musicals. There may be more of a focus on it because of people like Tyler Perry and some others and big musicals like ‘The Color Purple.’ I think that’s only shining the light on something that has been going on for many years.”

Black productions have historically done well in Los Angeles, often powered by the proficiency and volume of networking in the

Ben Guillory

black community. Some of those shows go back as far as “Your Arms Too Short To Box With God,” “Beauty Shop,” and “The Gospel Truth,” to plays by August Wilson, shows by Tyler Perry (“Madea Goes To Jail” and “Marriage Counselor”), musicals like “Sister Act,” and Oprah Winfrey’s presentation of “The Color Purple.”

Black theater has a rich and lush history dating back to slavery, minstrel shows and vaudeville.

After the Civil War, blacks started forming their own theater companies and eventually gained entry to the mainstream stage. Once the door was opened, black theater companies began to flourish.

Ben Guillory, founder of the 15-year-old Robey Theatre Co., said at one time there were a number of black theater companies in Los Angeles and across the country. However, he added many were

Sheldon Epps

dismantled due to either mismanagement or no support.

“In 1973 there were over 400 black theaters in this country,” said Guillory, whose company will mount “River Niger” in November.

Then it went to about 120. Why? There were a lot of reasons, but the outcome was fewer black companies.”

A vocal administrator, actor and director, Guillory has a lot to say about the notion of a rebirth and points to what he calls “a lack of support.”

“The only way there can be resurgence is if we get support,” Guillory said. “And I mean support in different ways, including financially. …

“There needs to be artistic support for artists and technicians who want to be part of a creative team. It comes in the support of the community that is interested and will come purchase a ticket and be part of the audience. I don’t think there is (a) resurgence. There has always been theater in Los Angeles. There have always been theaters of color.”

The Towne Street Theatre, helmed by Nancy Cheryll Davis, touts itself on its Web site as “L.A.’s Premiere African-American Theatre Company.”

Now in its 16th year, the company was started after the 1992 L.A. Rebellion by Davis, Nathaniel Bellamy and Nancy Rene in response to the question, “Can the arts heal L.A.?” Since that time, it has consistently showcased the works of black playwrights, actors, directors and other creative technicians.

“No, there is no resurgence,” said Davis, whose company will mount “Purlie Victorious” later this year. “Maybe it just looks like folks

‘STICK FLY’ — John Wesley and Michole Briana White are two of the cast members of “Stick Fly,” which follows the unraveling of an upper-middle class African American family over the course of a weekend on Martha’s Vineyard.

Shirley Jo Finney

are doing more because plays are being done, but it’s not (a) resurgence necessarily.”

While all agreed there is no black theater renaissance happening in Los Angeles, there was a slight difference of opinion when it came to defining black theater.

The answer isn’t exactly black and white.

The question becomes: Is it the cast, director, lead actor/actress, venue, playwright or material that constitutes a black production?

“It’s all of the above and then some,” Guillory said. “More than anything else, it’s about the black experience. It’s a good idea if the director is black. However, I think it’s dangerous to generalize. How we do it at Robey is to talk about the black experience globally. Here we look at the black experience as opposed to the African American experience because it limits it to

Israel Hicks

Wren Brown

the United States.”

Michole Briana White, a 20year acting veteran who has won an OBIE, Drama Desk and AUDELCO for her performance in the original Off Broadway production of August Wilson’s “Jitney,” said black theater is about “black people and black life.”

“It’s something I can relate to,” said White, who is currently starring in “Stick Fly.” “I can see myself on stage. Everyone likes to see themselves on stage. That’s for any culture. It’s more interesting when you see yourself and it’s good work.

Good work is universal.”

The debate on black theater may rage on for generations, but there’s no dispute about it being a survivor. It has seen highs and lows.

And just what does the future hold?

Says Hicks: “I wish I knew.”

Facts

By Mildred Dumas

A comedy-drama

Directed by Jennifer Dove Presented by: Inglewood Center for Spiritual Living Performances at, 525 N. Market St., Inglewood, CA 90302

3 Perfomances: Firday – Sunday, June 26-28, 2009 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Sunday 4 p.m.

General admission $18 Call (310) 412-4027 for senior citizen and group rates

June 15, 1921 Bessie Coleman attends a French flying school for a 10-month flight training course. She finishes the course three months early and obtained a license on June 15, 1921 — the first U.S. woman of any race to do so.

Source: blackfacts.com

June 11, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 11

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK Medical Students Awarded Scholarships Kaiser Permanente on June 4 awarded mentoring scholarships to 12 medical students seeking to provide high-quality and culturally responsive care to Southern California’s diverse patient population.

Each awardee will participate in a mentoring program with a Kaiser Permanente clinician, complete a four- to six-week clinical rotation at a Kaiser Permanente facility, and receive a $5,000 scholarship for their education.

The mentoring scholarship recipients are a diverse group. Nearly all have roots in Southern California and most are attending local schools, such as University of California at Los Angeles, UC Irvine and UC San Diego.

The Kaiser Permanente Oliver Goldsmith, MD, Scholarship program aims to promote and advance culturally responsive care. With this year’s awardees, the program, which was established in 2004, will have given out 53 awards and a total of $265,000 in community benefit scholarships to medical students.

Two Men Ordered to Trial for USC Sprinter Shooting (AP) — Two men have been ordered to stand trial for the shooting last year of a star University of Southern California sprinter.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Samuel Mayerson ruled June 1 that trial could proceed for Travon Reed and Horasio Kimbrough. The men are scheduled to be arraigned June 15.

Both are charged with one count of attempted murder in the shooting of Bryshon Nellum.

Nellum was shot in the legs as he was returning to his car after attending a Halloween party. He survived the shooting and doctors are hopeful he can resume his track career.

Nellum was the nation’s number one sprinter in the 200- and 400meter races in 2007 and the first athlete to win California state titles two straight years in both races.

More Minority Teachers Needed at Theology Schools NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Minority teachers are underrepresented at theological schools and need more financial help and encouragement to become faculty, according to a prominent group of

scholars dedicated to improving religious education.

Most teachers at theological schools are white men, and more than a third of 253 U.S. and Canadian theological schools accredited by the Association of Theological Schools report they don’t even have a minority on their faculty.

Theology scholars from across the U.S. are gathering this week at Vanderbilt University for a meeting of the Fund for Theological Education, an Atlanta-based advocacy group that aims to grow the number of minorities in teaching positions at theological schools.

There has been a slight increase recently in the number of minority faculty in theological schools. But of the 3,676 total faculty who teach at schools accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, 3,028 are white — and 2,339 of those are men.

Over the past decade, the Fund for Theological Education has awarded about $4 million to 214 minority doctoral students.

Pa. Prep School Disputes Racist Recruiting Claim PITTSBURGH (AP) — One of the nation’s oldest prep schools on June 2 disputed a lawsuit brought by a former basketball coach who claims he was forced to quit after complaining that the school told him he was recruiting too many blacks.

Anthony Cheatham sued The Kiski School, an all-boys institution founded in 1888, on June 1 in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh. He seeks unspecified damages for mental anguish, loss of income and humiliation, and wants his job back.

But the school said that race is not the issue, that Cheatham was recruiting from the wrong league, and that he quit voluntarily.

The school has about 200 students in grades 9 through 12. Students come from 15 countries, and about one-third are of color, headmaster Christopher Brueningsen said.

Cheatham was hired as a consultant in the spring with the expectation that he would become an employee in July, Brueningsen said June 2. He soon began recruiting.

According to Cheatham’s suit, school officials told him that “the school could not tolerate a basketball team with five African American starters.”

Brueningsen disputed that anyone would have said that.

Photo by EUGENE LEE

A TRIBUTE — More than 400 people came to support L.A.’s BEST After School Enrichment Program at the 14th Annual Family Brunch at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles with the theme “Imagine the Future.”

Pictured: (far left) Musician Usher Raymond IV is honored with the Family Focus Award. (Right) L.A.’s BEST Students from Grape Street Elementary in Watts dance for Usher.

SHORT TAKES Continued from page 8 birth. Blues artist Mighty Mo Rodgers and Latin jazz performer Bobby Rodriguez will also perform.

For priority seating and other information, including the catered VIP reception, call (562) 436-4352, (562) 5703150, johnmalveaux@yahoo.com.

DINNER LECTURE • The Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum and the Southern California Genealogical Society will present “An Evening with Dr. Tukufu Zuberi” June 26, 7:30 p.m., in the City Ballroom of the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, 2500 North Hollywood Way, Burbank. Zuberi, whose talk is entitled “Finding Your Roots in the 21st Century: Lessons from the History Detective,” is on the popular PBS television show the “History Detectives,” is professor and chair of the Department of Sociology, and the director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. This event is part of the genealogical society’s 40th Annual Genealogy Jamboree, also being held at the Burbank Airport Marriott. Tickets for the dinner and Tukufu’s talk are $67. Make reservations before June 15. Information: (818) 385-0871.

PHOTO EXHIBIT • Photographs by members of the Woodcraft Rangers’ Photography Club will be exhibited at the group’s 10th Annual Urban Photography Show, “Living for the City.” The exhibit runs through July 3, Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m., at the William Grant Still Arts Center, 2520 S. West View St., Los Angeles. Information: (213) 249-9293, ext. 258, www.woodcraftrangers.org.

SOUL POWER

Photo by MARTY COTWRIGHT

THRILLING DANCE MOVES — The Mary Williams Kandid Co. dancers perform to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in front of the audience at the Leimert Park Village Book Fair on June 6. The book fair featured author panels and special guest speakers, live music, poetry, storytelling and other performances. It also included writing workshops and other activities.

• The UCLA African Studies Center and AfroFunke will hold a screening of the concert film that documents “Zaire ’74,” the sister event to the famed Muhammad Ali-George Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match. The film features previously unseen performances by James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz and others. The screening will take place June 21, 8:30 to 10 p.m., at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood. Tickets are $12 and are available at the amphitheatre box office. Information: (323) 461-3673, (310) 825-3686.

Page 12

L.A. WATTS TIMES

June 11, 2009

HEALTH The Counseling Corner

Stress Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Have to be a Negative Think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a lot of stress in your life? Well, welcome to the club.

In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hectic world and troubled economy, stress is a part of everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life.

And while itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true that stress that comes with certain events, such as buying a house, changing jobs or the loss of a loved one, can affect your health and even your life span, the reality is that not all stress has to be damaging.

Stress, even so-called bad stress, has the potential to motivate us, to help us focus and to provide important information about ourselves. The key is to learn how to respond to stress and to make the most of it.

One starting point is to analyze how stress affects you. When you feel stressed, monitor how youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reacting. Do you get irritated with others, feel physically tense, or develop a headache?

Perhaps you get jumpy or very talkative, or maybe become very quiet and listless.

Once you see what stress does

to you, look for ways to better handle your reactions. If your stress seems to give you energy, try to channel it in appropriate directions.

Step away from the stress-inducing event and use your energy productively.

Take a walk, do some gardening, or find other physical activities that will redirect some of that stress-induced energy.

If stress, however, seems to sap your energy, then take time to rest and get back on track. Try something relaxing like reading or listening to music. Try finding a pleasant activity rather than just facing the unpleasant reactions stress can bring.

As you learn to handle your stress, you also want to reflect upon why youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re feeling stressed to begin with. Start writing down situations and activities that prompt stressful feelings for you.

As you develop such lists, try to analyze the fears that lie beneath these stressful situations. In identifying such situations, you may find the fears are unfounded, or that the

Testosterone Dose Response in Surgically Menopausal Women Principal Investigator: Matthew H. Ho, Ph.D., M.D. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank you for your interest in our research program. The purpose of this particular study is to find out the effects of testosterone, in women. Women who are post-menopause often have low testosterone levels in their blood. Some doctors recommend giving testosterone to women after menopause, but it is not clear whether this helps women health. This study may find out whether it is beneficial to replace testosterone in women who are post-menopause and therefore have low testosterone in their blood. This research study may also find out the most appropriate dose of testosterone that shows beneficial effects on womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sex life, muscle and fat mass, physical function, and ability to solve some types of problems with the least amount of side effects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will measure the effects of testosterone on fat and muscle size, muscle strength, sexual desire and activity, and higher functions of the brain. Approximately 140 women will take part in this study that is approved and funded by the National Institutes of Health. The protocol of this study has also been reviewed and approved by our Institutional Review Board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For this study, we are looking for women between the ages of 21 to 60, who are post-menopausal (either menopause occurred naturally with their ovaries intact or occurred surgically with their ovaries removed) and have had their uterus removed by surgery, and who do not have breast or uterine cancer. Do you meet these criteria?â&#x20AC;?

For information call (323) 357-3697 â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you are interested in obtaining more information about this study or taking part in this study, I can set up an appointment for you to come to our Clinical Study Center at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. During this visit, I will explain all the procedures in great detail, describe the risks and benefits involved, and answer any questions that you might have about this research study.â&#x20AC;?

situations can often be avoided or minimized.

Responding to and managing stress takes work, but your goal is to understand what stress is telling you in order to change for a morepositive and less-stressful you.

However, if you find that stress is overwhelming you and that your efforts arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t minimizing its effects, then look for professional help. A counseling professional can offer stress management tools to help reduce stress levels and allow you to use your stress for more positive outcomes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Counseling Cornerâ&#x20AC;? is provided as a public service by the American Counseling Association.

For more information, visit www. counseling.org.

FEMALE RABBI Continued from page 1 a maturity beyond my years,â&#x20AC;? said Stanton, a Cleveland native who remembers being a bit indignant that her surprised mother was questioning the unknown man.

American Judaism marked the milestone June 6, when Stanton was ordained in preparation for leading a predominantly white congregation of about 60 families in Greenville, N.C. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has been a journey with many twists and turns along the way, but Judaism is the language of my soul, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what resonates with me,â&#x20AC;? the 45-year-old Stanton said.

Yet Stanton didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always feel accepted by Jewish congregations or some friends when she converted during her 20s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of my African American friends thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d sold out; the Jewish community wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as accepting then and some Christian friends thought I had grown horns,â&#x20AC;? said Stanton, who had been a Christian. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt ostracized at times, but I had to learn who I was, what my values were, and move forward.â&#x20AC;?

Her mother, Anne Harrison, instilled in her four children the importance of having faith and a spiritual path. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care what that was, as long as it was God-based and that we knew there was something greater than ourselves out there,â&#x20AC;?

Stanton said.

Her mother wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t surprised when she decided to become a rabbi. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alysa has always reached for the top,â&#x20AC;? said Harrison, 78, of Lakewood, Colo., where the family moved when Stanton was 11.

Stanton, who is divorced and has a 14-year-old daughter she adopted as a 1-year-old, is fairly soft-spoken with a warm, engaging smile and a steady, confident gaze.

Congregation Bayt Shalom in North Carolina eagerly awaits her arrival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We needed someone who is a magnet, who radiates warmth,â&#x20AC;? said member Carol Ogus Woodruff, 54. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She brings a scholarly awareness but also has great relationships with kids and can talk to different kinds of people.â&#x20AC;?

Questions about race or gender never arose at Congregation Bayt Shalom, congregation President Michael Barondes said. Stantonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

THE PULSE Relief on Prescription Drug Costs May be Available Medicare is paying 75 percent or more of prescription drug costs for people with limited incomes and resources nationwide, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To learn if you qualify for assistance, contact Social Security at (800) 772-1213 or visit www. socialsecurity.gov. You may also go to the local Social Security office for assistance. All information provided in the application is confidential.

Individuals who make less than $16,245 and married couples who make less than $21,855 may qualify to have lower Medicare prescription drug premiums, copays and deductibles. If you support other family members, this income limit may be higher. In addition, these individuals should have resources less than $12,510 and these married couples should have resources less than $25,010 to qualify. Resources include things such as bank accounts, stocks and bonds, but not your house or car.

To learn more about the Medicare prescription drug plans and when you can join, call (800) 6334227 or visit www.medicare. gov.

L.A. County Settles Three Inmate Suits for $2.7 Million (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Los Angeles County supervisors have approved roughly $2.7 million in payouts to settle negligence and civil rights lawsuits involving former jail inmates â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including one who died from a health problem.

The board of supervisors agreed June 2 to pay $1.26 million in settlement money and legal costs to Franklin Silva, whose foot was amputated in 2005 after a toe infection spread.

About $670,000 will be used to settle a negligence suit by the family of Michael Buford, a 32year-old inmate who died from complications of emphysema.

Supervisors also approved $800,000 in payments to Darryl Titus, who sued for false imprisonment. He spent 106 days in custody in 2005 after he was falsely linked to car vandalism.

New Regulations Make Insurance Procedures More Consumer-Friendly (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Proposed state regulations announced June 3 a call on health insurers to provide clearer applications and proactively collect ability to listen and communicate with others immediately impressed members.

The 9-year-old Stanton started her religious search while living in a Jewish neighborhood in Cleveland Heights. The following year, an uncle gave her a Hebrew grammar book that she still has and picks up from time to time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think some things are just destined,â&#x20AC;? she said.

As a student at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Stanton drove more than 140 miles a week to study with a rabbi in Denver for her conversion. She later moved to

medical information before granting policies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a move designed to reduce the amount of policies dropped after customers make costly claims.

The proposal, which only affects individually purchased policies and not those often obtained through employers, follows a spate of fines, complaints and lawsuits in recent years that have accused health insurers of unfairly canceling policies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consumers deserve to have their insurance companies hold up their end of the deal, paying out claims and not canceling coverage when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needed most,â&#x20AC;? said Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who unveiled the regulations at a press conference.

While itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal in California for insurers to drop a policy if applicants misrepresent their preexisting conditions, some insurers have been accused of post-claims underwriting that aims to better their bottom line.

The new rules would allow applicants to say they are â&#x20AC;&#x153;not sureâ&#x20AC;? about their pre-existing medical conditions on applications.

City Council Closes Medical Marijuana Loophole (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Los Angeles City Council has closed a legal loophole that led to the opening of hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries across the city.

The council voted unanimously June 9 to direct the city attorney to eliminate a hardship exemption that officials say allowed hundreds of dispensaries to open throughout the city.

The exemption was included in a 2007 ordinance that temporarily banned new medical marijuana dispensaries.

The purpose of the ban was to give city leaders time to draft regulations that limit where and how dispensaries can operate in Los Angeles.

The city had 186 dispensaries when the ban was put in place in September 2007. It now has as many as 600, according to an estimate from the Los Angeles Times, a level of growth unmatched by any city in the state. Other officials estimate that nearly 500 dispensaries were opened in Los Angeles.

The council on June 9 also extended the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ban on new dispensaries for another six months.

The council is expected to vote on the revised ordinance next week.

Denver, becoming involved in the Jewish community.

She also learned to chant the Torah, the five books of Moses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That opened something in the recesses of my being, and I had a hunger and a thirst to learn more,â&#x20AC;?

Stanton said.

Stanton, who worked as a licensed psychotherapist specializing in grief, loss and trauma, thought she was too old and too poor to start rabbinical studies at age 38. But she believed it was meant to be.

She enrolled in 2002 at the See FEMALE RABBI, page 15

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June 11, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 13

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vs.

Tuesday, June 16, 7:10PM Heroes Week Police Appreciation Night

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Page 14

L.A. WATTS TIMES

June 11, 2009

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.

Who will win the NBA Finals?

The Lakers won game one against the Orlando Magic at the Staples Center with a 100-75 win and game

two with a 101-96 overtime struggle.

The Lakers lost in a close game 3 in Orlando June 9, 108-104. Game four is tonight, June 11.

To beat the Magic, the Lakers will have to do a monster job against Superman (Dwight Howard) like they did in the first two games.

And the beat continues.

Did you notice the Dodgers posted a 20-9 record in May? To boot, the Dodgers’ James Loney is reportedly on a pace to drive in 123 runs, as of presstime. And in the process, he may not smack anymore than six homeruns. With his 41 RBIs, Loney, as of presstime, ranks seventh in the NL. Not too tacky.

For the record, he’s back.

Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero was 6-for-25 with a pair of doubles in his first six games back.

Vladimir Guerrero Dwight Howard

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(323) 242-0500 11900 Avalon Blvd.

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Howard and his Orlando Magic have something Kobe Bryant and his Lakers don’t have — a black general manager — Otis Smith. Smith must be pretty good. He was third in the balloting for Executive of the Year, behind second-place finisher Danny Ferry of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The L.A. Sparks made a smashing 78-58 debut against Bill Laimbeer’s defending WNBAchampion Detroit Shock at the Staples Center June 6. Super standouts for the Sparks were Betty Lennox (17),

Betty Lennox

DeLisha Milton-Jones (10) Vanessa Hayden (12) and Tina Thompson (18), the former Morningside High School and University of Southern California star.

Guerrero missed 35 games because of injuries. Look for the Angels to challenge the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West.

The Rangers, managed by Ron Washington, won 20 games in May. This is the second time the Rangers have ever won 20 games. Texas won 21 in September 1978. The Rangers are now the one MLB team managed by an African American in first place.

Will Barry Bonds’ alleged use of steroids ever come to trial? The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had delayed the start of the trial indefinitely.

And the beat continues.

Former San Francisco ’49ers defensive end Charley Powell went from San Diego High School to the NFL and played. Powell was a great all-around athlete in baseball, football, boxing and track and field. His little brother, Art Powell, was one of the greatest wide receivers in Oakland Raiders and NFL history.

The late Gene Upshaw’s replacement as executive director of the NFL’s Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, isn’t hitting it off with some veteran players. Reason: Smith says if there is a lockout by the

Serena blew a 3-1 lead in the final set and lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova, 76, (7-3), 5-7, 7-5. Serena was bidding for her 11th Grand Slam title.

Tyson Gay tuned up for the 100 in the U.S. Championship in Eugene, Ore., with a 19.58 clocking in the 200 (third best time in history) in the Reebok Grand Prix in New Gene Upshaw

owners in 2011, retired players’ benefits would be reduced by 80 percent while it lasts. A number of “retired players meeting in Las Vegas recently about their problems with the union declared their benefits are protected” — lockout or not, according to The Associate Press.

The NFL’s Players’ Development program will be conducted at South Gate High, June 22 through 27. It’s five days of free intense football drills. Additional information may be obtained from the site manager, Reginald Grant, at (323) 3761057. Coaches should contact Grant to become paid staff members.

And the beat continues.

Tiger Woods established another magic moment in his illustrious career in The Memorial over the weekend as he fired a 65 on the final round for his fourth title in this event and a 12 under par victory. This was his 20th comeback championship.

What happened to Serena Williams in the French Open? Down a set and one point from losing, she battled back from a 2-5 deficit to tie the score in the second set at 5-5.

Tyson Gay

York City on May 31. This was Tyson’s first 200 since pulling a hamstring muscle at the Olympic Trials 11 months ago.

And the beat ends.

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

Facts June 13, 1967 Thurgood Marshall, U.S. solicitor general, is named to the Supreme Court by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He is confirmed by the Senate on Aug. 30 and becomes the first African American Supreme Court justice.

Source: blackfacts.com

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June 11, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 15

PUBLIC NOTICE INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) NO. 1669

NOTICE INVITING BIDS

THE REPLACEMENT OF HVAC SYSTEM AT UNION TOWER SENIOR HOUSING BUILDING

FOR WEYERHAEUSER PAVEMENT REHABILITATION AT PIER T, BERTH T122 LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) invites vendors to submit bids for the Replacement Of HVAC System At Union Tower Senior Housing Building located at: 455 South Union Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90017. Copies of the IFB may be obtained, at no charge, at the Authority's General Services Department, 2600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 3100, Los Angeles, CA 90057, or may be downloaded from the internet at www.hacla.org/constgs Bids will be accepted at the same location until 2:00 p.m. (local time), July 3, 2009.

5/28, 6/11/09 CNS-1599617# WATTS TIMES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20090825963 The following person is doing business as: Solar 360 871 Glenway Dr. Inglewood, CA 90302 Rembert James 871 Glenway Dr. Inglewood, CA 90302 Rembert James P.O. Box 83847 Los Angeles, CA 90083 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 Rembert James.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on June 3, 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).

Published: 6/4/09, 6/11/09, 6/18/09, 6/25/09 LAWT372 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20090745196 The following person is doing business as: Intergrated Control 7015 Charmant Drive #187 San Diego, CA 92122 Tuan Tony Tu 7015 Charmant Drive #187 San Diego, CA 92122 Intergrated Control 953 Laurel Drive Los Angeles, CA 90046 Bill Wilson 953 Laurel Drive Los Angeles, CA 90046 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 Bill Wilson.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on May 20, 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).

Published: 5/28/09, 6/4/09, 6/11/09, 6/18/09 LAWT373

FEMALE RABBI Continued from page 12 Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the nation’s oldest institution for training rabbis, cantors and educators of Reform Judaism.

She believes her future is in God’s hands but isn’t satisfied with the world as it is, said Rabbi Kenneth Ehrlich, campus dean.

“She deeply believes that God calls upon her — and upon all of us — to make this a better world, a place that God wants it to be,” Ehrlich said, referring to Stanton’s work with a hospice and other community activities.

Her ordination is a politically significant and healthy step in the next stage of Judaism’s development in America, said Lewis Gordon, founder of the Institute of AfroJewish Studies at Temple University

AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S2330 AND DRAWINGS LISTED ON DRAWING NO. HD 10-2005-T01 AND REFERENCE DRAWINGS LISTED IN DRAWING NO. HD 10-2005T01 All bids must be submitted before 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 7, 2009. Any Bids received at or after 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 7, 2009 will be deemed non-responsive and will not be opened. Bids will be publicly opened in the 6th Floor Board Room of the Harbor Department Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza, Long Beach, California, 90802 at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7, 2009. Bids shall be sealed in an envelope and the outside of the envelope should clearly state the specification number, title of the project and the bid opening date. Bids received before Tuesday, July 7, 2009 shall be sent to the 4th Floor, Plans and Specifications office, where the bid envelope will be date stamped. If bids are hand-carried or received the day of bid opening, prior to 10:00 a.m., the bids will be clocked in at the Lobby desk of the Harbor Department Administration Building and taken to the 6th Floor Board Room by the Port Contract Administrator. It is anticipated that the Board of Harbor Commissioners will consider a conditional award on July 20, 2009 with Staff given the authority to execute a Contract provided the lowest responsive bidder submits the required completed insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) days after conditional award by the Board.

Copies of said specifications and drawings in CD format may be obtained, at no cost, in the Plans and Specifications office, 4th floor, Harbor Department Administration Building beginning Thursday, June 11, 2009 during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To arrange to receive a CD by FedEx at Bidder’s expense call the office at (562) 590-4140. The printing of hard copies from the CD will be the responsibility of the Bidder.

For information on this project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/ future_work/default.asp.

Copies of all Port insurance forms are available at http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/forms_permits/insurance.asp.

The Engineering Staff of the Harbor Department will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 9:00 a.m., on Wednesday, June 24, 2009, in the Training Room, 5th floor, of the Harbor Department Administration Building. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended.

This project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE) and Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program.

POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal for this project which is fifteen percent (15%) SBE/VSBE, of which a minimum of three percent (3%) must be allocated to VSBEs. Award of the Contract will be conditioned on the Bidder providing documentation that it has obtained enough SBE/VSBE participation to meet the goal or that it made adequate good faith efforts to meet the goal even though it did not obtain enough SBE/VSBE participation to do so as specified in the Special Provision 35 (S.P. 35). The Port’s SBE Program Staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the staff at (562) 590-4146. You may also view the Port’s SBE program requirements at: http://www.polb.com/sbe/contractors/sbe_program/default.asp

This project consists of furnishing all labor, materials, power, equipment, tools, transportation and supervision necessary to demolish and dispose of existing pavement and electrical system; construct asphalt concrete pavement with cement treated base, duct banks and conduits for lighting and future communication system, lighting standards, poles, luminaries, and footings, water distribution system, and storm drain system; installation of line striping; and all other works as specified.

Bidders shall, at the time of submitting their bids, in compliance with Section 7028.15 of the California Business and Professions Code, be licensed by the State Contractor’s License Board as a General Engineering Contractor with a "Class A" license.

This project includes work on a natural gas pipeline. Bidders must be approved by Long Beach Gas & Oil Department prior to submittal of bid.

Whenever any material, product, thing, or service identified in the specifications is described by one or more brand or trade names and is followed by the words “or equal”, the apparent low bidder shall submit data substantiating a request for the substitution of equivalent item(s) within forty-eight (48) hours following bid opening.

All bids shall be submitted upon forms provided by the City accompanied by a satisfactory "Bidder’s Bond" or other acceptable security deposit in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of such bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if conditionally awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) days thereafter, execute and deliver such Contract to the office of the Chief Harbor Engineer along with all required insurance forms and a “Payment Bond” for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price, and a “Performance Bond” for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price. The “Bidder’s Bond” shall be signed by the bidder and the surety and both signatures shall be notarized. All bonds shall be submitted on forms provided by the City.

The work shall be completed within three hundred (300) calendar days from a date specified in a written "Notice to Proceed" issued by the City. Failure of the Contractor to complete the work within the specified time frame will result in liquidated damages in the amount of four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500) per calendar day of delay in completed work.

The Board of Harbor Commissioners, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time prior to the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject all bids and to return all deposits accompanying said bids. If the lowest responsive bidder fails to submit the required insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) days after conditional award, the Board reserves the right to rescind the conditional award and conditionally award the Contract to the next lowest responsive bidder. All bids and bid bonds shall be guaranteed for a period of ninety (90) days following the bid opening or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. The Board also reserves the right at any time to terminate the Contract for its convenience.

Dated at Long Beach, California, this 8th day of June, 2009.

Richard D. Steinke Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California Note: The Long Beach Harbor Department intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This specification is available in an alternative format by request. If a special accommodation is desired, please call (562) 5904140, 48 hours prior to the bid opening or any pre-bid meetings.

Office hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (METRO) INVITATION FOR BIDS

(An Equal Opportunity Employer) is seeking bids from all qualified Consultants and other Service Providers and strongly encourages MBE, WBE and OBE participation for PRECONSTRUCTION SERVICES including, but not limited to, Estimating, Design Review, Document Control, Scheduling and Quality Control for:

BRADLEY WEST CORE IMPROVEMENTS (PK-TB05) At the Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles, California In order to allow for full evaluation Proposals are Due no later than: June 10, 2009 at 5:00 PM The Request for Proposal, Plans and Specifications are available for review in our offices at 7600 World Way West, LA; the Clark office at, 575 Anton Blvd.; Suite 100, Costa Mesa and the McCarthy office at, 20401 S.W. Birch Street, Suite 300, Newport Beach, 7:30 am – 4:30 pm Mon thru Fri; and on-line at the Los Angeles Business Assistance Virtual Network (www.LABAVN.org). Interested firms must submit their Statement of Qualifications indicating the specific work area of interest, along with unit rates for services. Firms performing work for the Owner’s design, engineer or management teams on this project are excluded.

Clark/McCarthy, intends to seriously negotiate with all qualified consultants and service providers, and requires each selected to execute the Clark/McCarthy, A Joint Venture Master Agreement. Copy of the Master Agreement is available for review at our office. M/W/OBE firms must provide proof of certification acceptable to the City of Los Angeles as identified in the Request for Proposal.

Clark/McCarthy, A Joint Venture 20401 S.W. Birch Street, Suite 300 • Newport Beach, CA 92660 License No. 873455 Contact: Jim Metoyer Phone: 949-851-8383 Fax: 949-851-8398 • Cell: 949-500-1885 Email: jxmetoyer@mccarthy.com Or Molly Huddleston - Phone: 714-429-9779 Fax: 714-429-9778

in Philadelphia. Many believe it could draw more women and blacks to the rabbinate and other leadership roles.

A check of major seminaries in mainstream Judaism shows 994

women rabbis will have been ordained as of the end of 2009. And several experts said they know of only one ordained black male rabbi in mainstream Judaism.

Stanton said she is happy to be

Metro will receive bids for 09-0031 ENGINE DRIVE SHAFTS 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)., June 30, 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. 09-0031.

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

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (Metro) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Metro will receive proposals for RFP #PS097140250, License to Manage Billboard Advertising on Metro Owned Property, per specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (12th Floor).

All proposals must be received on or before July 16, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.

(Pacific Time), at the address listed above, sent to the attention of Linda Wasley. Proposals received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the proposer unopened.

You may obtain a copy of the RFP, or further information, by faxing Linda Wasley at (213) 922-1005.

a face that reflects diversity.

“I want our synagogue to be a place of hope, healing and inclu-

sion,” she said. “I want it to be an oasis for anyone seeking spiritual refreshment.”

Page 16

L.A. WATTS TIMES

June 11, 2009

BUSINESS CARD BULLETIN BOARD Buy REO and Bank-Owned Properties NOW Thru-Out Southern Calif. 1% Down Payment and 31/2% Up to $700,000

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MEN DID YOU EXPERIENCE UNWANTED OR FORCED SEXUAL CONTACT BEFORE YOU WERE 18 YEARS OLD? You may be eligible to participate in a research study that examines the psychological and physical stress of men who experienced forced sexual contact as a child or adolescent.

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JOB OPENINGS Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Seeking Licensed Insurance Agents Salary, Benefits, & Training Management Opportunity

Contact James Jackson Take advantage of the stimulus package to modify your loan at the current interest rate.

I CAN STOP ANY TRUST DEED SALE OF YOUR PROPERTY. Why not short sale your property and save your credit for your new loan.

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A VOLUNTARY RESEARCH STUDY 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.

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