LAWT 06-23-2011

W E E K E N D E R

L.A. Watts Times Vol. XXX, No. 1237

FEATURE STORY

| PAGES 8-9

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

HOROSCOPES

JUNE 23 - 29

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RIES ~ You may find that discussions at home have taken a sudden, spiritual orientation. Give everyone room to express their personal beliefs without trying to preach your point of view. Your open-mindedness helps you with deep learning this week.

AURUS ~ Feeling bold, are we? Well, go with the flow of your feelings! No other sign can call on inner courage as easily as you. Whether at home, at work, or out on the town, let your personal statements be stylish and bold!

EMINI ~ Tempers may flare around you this week but it’s nothing personal, so keep your mind on your own work and let others act up. You’ll be doing yourself a big favor if you get some exercise this week!

ANCER ~ Restless feelings may arise over health matters, or perhaps education or the lack of it. Do what you need to do to feel comfortable with yourself. If it involves seeing a dentist or taking a class, what’s stopping you? Self-improvement can be a very enjoyable game!

EO ~ Eternal optimist, eternity is now.

Get in touch with your hopefulness and be a beacon to others. Try not to be taken in by promises made by others or promises you’ve made to yourself. Concerning your own affairs, avoid contemplating lofty subjects and seeking long ranged solutions.

IRGO ~ Work. You like work. You have faith in the results it produces.

Luck is important, but getting the job in front of you done to the best of your ability will put you ahead of the game this week. Work at love, or rather work for those you love.

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IBRA ~ Don’t ask yourself when the answer will come. It is on its way, but it will not get here this week. Yield not to frustrations. Don’t fly off the handle and create problems for yourself later on. Chill.

Time will provide the best medicine for anything that ails you this week.

CORPIO ~ This week is excellent for being still and letting the wealth inside yourself produce emotional dividends. Get in touch with the forces that work behind the scenes that produce the bright facades that everyone enjoys. Take comfort in the fact that you know these forces are eternal.

AGITTARIUS ~ Set a limit on what you can do for others this week. You’ll enjoy your feelings more if you are straightforward about refusing a less than appetizing assignment. Trust your feelings and say “No, I won’t.” Clear bound help you define yourself.

APRICORN ~ Let happiness flow inside and outside of you this week.

Refuse to be drawn into any pseudo-crisis and you’ll stay happy. Stay quietly on task and you’ll have accomplished much by the end of this busy week.

QUARIUS ~ A dream in which you already are what you hope to be will offer much insight into your current situation. Take some practical steps to keep the focus on this wonderful vision. You know you can be what you see!

ISCES ~ Do you realize that you are the only one who can tell you what to think and how to feel? Let go of any behaviors that are keeping you from achieving the things you want to achieve.

Be creative and positive this week.

Inside This Edition

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L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER Published Weekly – Updates 3800 S. Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008 Administration – Sales – Graphics – Editorial 323.299.3800 - office 323.291.6804 - fax

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11 Black Facts June 28, 1964 Organization for Afro-American Unity is founded in New York by Malcolm X. June 23, 1970 Charles Rangel defeats Adam Clayton Powell in the Democratic primary in Harlem, ending the political career of one of the major political symbols of the post-World War II period.

June 24, 1968 Resurrection City is closed. More than one hundred residents are arrested when they refused to leave the site. Other residents, including Ralph Abernathy, are arrested during a demonstration at the Capitol. The National Guard is mobilized later in the day to stop disturbances.

Source: blackfacts.com

How do you feel when you are pulled over by a Police Officer?

Beverly Cook – Publisher, Managing Editor 1976 – 1993 Charles Cook – Publisher, 1976 – 1998 Melanie Polk – Publisher 1998 – 2010

36.4%

Nervous

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WWW.LAWATTSTIMES.COM Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. ..........Executive Publisher & Executive Editor Brenda Marsh Mitchell ................................Executive Vice President Tracy Mitchell........................................................................Controller Brandon I. Brooks ............................................Co – Managing Editor Yussuf J. Simmonds..........................................Co – Managing Editor Joy Childs....................................................................Assistant Editor Bernard Lloyd....................................................Director of Advertising Benjamin Samuels ..............................................Production Designer Chris Martin ........................................................Production Designer EMAIL: lawattsnus@aol.com Circulation ................................................................................50,000 The opinions expressed by contributing writers are not necessarily those of the L.A. Watts Times.

The L.A. Watts Times is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, CDs or tapes.

CIRCULATION AUDIT BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL

POLL RESULTS

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Comfort Visit www.lasentinel.net to vote for Weekender polls.

MOMBASA SQUARE ANSWERS FROM 6-16-11

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

DIVERSITY, COMMUNITY, COMMITMENT. VERIZON IS COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.

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Meet Debbie Hall, our Director of Training at Verizon Wireless, who has been with the company for 30 years. In Debbie’s words, “Diversity is Verizon.”

STANDING BEHIND THE COMMITMENT LAST YEAR THE VERIZON FOUNDATION PROVIDED OVER $8 MILLION IN GRANTS TO NON-PROFITS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA WHILE OUR EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERED OVER 48,000 HOURS! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES GO TO VERIZONWIRELESS.COM.

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Thank you to all the families who submitted stories and entered our “It’s a Family Affair” contest.

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Obama likely to bring 10K troops home this year

BY JULIE PACE AND ROBERT BURNS ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — President

Barack Obama will map a course for drawing down the nearly 10-year war in Afghanistan Wednesday, when he is expected to set a target of bringing

home about 30,000 troops by the end of 2012.

The president is likely to pull out 10,000 troops home by the end of this

Legal Notice

If You are African American and Suffered Farm Loan Discrimination by the USDA between 1981 and 1996, AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

You may be eligible for money from a $1.25 billion class action Settlement Fund (Heirs/Kin may be included) There is a proposed class action Settlement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) involving racial discrimination against African American farmers between 1981 and 1996. This Settlement is only for certain people who tried to ďŹ le a late claim in the original Pigford case, or their heirs (kin) and legal representatives. The current Settlement (sometimes called Pigford II) provides beneďŹ ts to some of those late ďŹ lers.

Am I included?

You may be included if you: s "ETWEEN AND WERE discouraged or prevented from applying for or were denied a USDA farm loan OR OTHER BENElT OR YOU WERE GIVEN A loan with unfair terms because of racial DISCRIMINATION

s 7ERE ELIGIBLE FOR A PAYMENT IN THE original Pigford CASE and s 3UBMITTED A LATE lLING REQUEST THAT WAS denied or never considered because it was late.

If you are the heir or kin of someone who DIED WHO lTS THIS DESCRIPTION YOU MAY lLE a claim for a payment that would become part of the deceased person’s estate. If you are not sure if you (or someone for whom you are the legal representative) ARE INCLUDED PLEASE CALL

You are not included if you received a payment in the original Pigford case.

What does the Settlement provide?

You may be eligible for a substantial cash payment and USDA loan forgiveness from the Settlement. You will need to ďŹ le a claim to be eligible for these beneďŹ ts.

The claims deadline may be as early as February 28, 2012. The Court has appointed lawyers to help you ďŹ le a claim under the Settlement. You do not have to pay them or anyone else to help you with the claims process. These attorneys will ask the Court for fees and expenses of BETWEEN AND OF THE 3ETTLEMENT &UND AND THE #OURT WILL DECIDE HOW much they are paid. You may hire your OWN LAWYER IF YOU WISH AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE )F YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED MORE INFORMATION CALL What else should I know?

The Court will hold a hearing on September 1, 2011 to consider whether TO APPROVE THE 3ETTLEMENT AND A REQUEST for attorneys’ fees and expenses. If you want to object to or comment on the 3ETTLEMENT OR APPEAR AT THE HEARING YOU need to ďŹ le a letter with the Court by August 12, 2011. If the Court approves THE 3ETTLEMENT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE to sue the USDA about your farm loan discrimination claims in the future.

For more information or to begin the claims ďŹ ling process:

Call: 1-877-810-8110

Visit: www.BlackFarmerCase.com

In this June 15, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in Pensacola, Fla. Nearing a critical benchmark in the Afghanistan war, President Barack Obama is considering both how many U.S. troops to bring home next month and a broader withdrawal plan to give Afghans control of their security in 2014. But there are deep divisions over how to achieve that, with military leaders favoring a gradual troop reduction and other advisers pushing for a significant decrease in coming months. year, administration and Pentagon officials said, and aim to bring another 20,000 home by the end of next year.

The initial withdrawal is expected to happen in two phases, with 5,000 troops coming home this summer and an additional 5,000 by the end of the year, a senior U.S. defense official said.

The pace of bringing home the other 20,000 forces was unclear heading into Obama’s primetime address to the nation Wednesday.

Obama’s expected withdrawal plan focuses on the 30,000 surge forces he ordered to Afghanistan as part of his 2009 decision to send reinforcements to reverse the Taliban’s battlefield momentum. But with 100,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan, the drawdown may not be substantial enough to satisfy some lawmakers on Capitol Hill and a warweary public.

The president reached his decision a week after receiving a range of options from Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan. Obama informed his senior national security advisers, including outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, of his plans during a White House meeting Tuesday. “The president is commander in chief,� spokesman Jay Carney said. “He is in charge of this process, and he makes the decision.�

The administration has begun briefing NATO allies on its plans.

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s office confirmed that officials there have been informed but declined to offer comment, or to make any immediate statement on the plans for about 9,500 British forces in Afghanistan.

The withdrawals would put the U.S. on a path toward giving Afghans control of their security by 2014 and ultimately shifting the U.S. military from a combat role to a mission focused on training and supporting

Afghan forces.

The Obama administration has said its goal in continuing the Afghanistan war is to blunt the Taliban insurgency and dismantle and defeat al-Qaida, the terror network that used the country as a training ground for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. As of Tuesday, at least 1,522 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

The U.S. and its allies have set Dec. 31, 2014, as a target date for ending the combat mission in Afghanistan.

A reduction this year totaling 10,000 troops would be the rough equivalent of two brigades, which are the main building blocks of an Army division. It’s not clear whether Obama’s decision would require the Pentagon to pull out two full brigades or, instead, withdraw a collection of smaller combat and support units with an equivalent number of troops.

If Obama were to leave the bulk of the 30,000 surge contingent in Afghanistan through 2012, he would be giving the military another fighting season — in addition to the one now under way — to further damage Taliban forces before a larger withdrawal got started. It also would buy more time for the Afghan army and police to grow in numbers and capability.

Under that scenario, the emphasis in U.S.-led military operations is likely to shift away from troop-intensive counterinsurgency operations toward more narrowly focused counterterrorism operations, which focus on capturing and killing insurgents.

Afghan security forces and judicial institutions are expected to take up many aspects of the counterinsurgency fight by establishing the rule of law and respect for government institutions, U.S. officials in Afghanistan said Tuesday.

See TROOPS, page 12

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Brutal racial attacks haven’t stopped in ‘post-racial’ America

BY JESSE MUHAMMAD SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE FINAL CALL As candidates from both parties line up to run and unseat President Barack Obama in 2012, some in the Black community are being forced to face the reality that race relations in America have not improved. Others were never under that illusion.

“I truly thought things might evolve racially with Obama in office.

But I’ve watched even more racism spew from White folks, the Tea Party, and Republicans. I’ve watched them attack Michelle Obama and even read about all of the assassination attempts against her husband. It’s sad,” Deborah Rogers, 60, told The Final Call.

Rogers says she stood in line for hours in Houston to vote for President Obama over two years ago in hopes that a change was on the horizon. “I feel like we’re going backwards. A ‘post-racial America’ was only a mirage,” she said.

“Black people got mesmerized by the Obama phenomenon. However, when it comes to the continuous heinous crimes done to Blacks and Hispanics in this country, the scales of justice remain unbalanced,” Kofi Taharka, national chairman of the National Black United Front, told The Final Call.

Reflecting on the 13th anniversary of the dragging death of James Byrd Jr., Taharka says, “Much hasn’t really changed since in terms of the treatment of Black people. But no matter who is in office we can't stop addressing the issues.”

On May 31, a Texas district judge ordered a Sept. 21 execution date for Lawrence Brewer, one of three White men convicted for the murder of Mr. Byrd in Jasper, TX. John William King is expected to be executed as well and Shawn Berry is serving a life sentence for involvement in the crime.

“I’m against the death penalty and I would rather see them locked up for life and rot inside the prison to think about what they did,” said filmmaker Eligah Jason of Beaumont, TX. Jason directed an award-winning documentary on the life and tragic death of Byrd. “We wanted to let people know about who he was as a family man and not let this story die,” he said.

The 49-year-old Byrd was chained by his ankles to the rear of a truck and dragged along a rural road on June 7, 1998. Mr. Byrd’s head and right arm were severed while his torso was dumped near a cemetery in Jasper County.

“Just because Texas has set an execution date for Lawrence Brewer, people should not think that this state all of a sudden cares about ending racism and addressing hate crimes,” said Gloria Rubac, of the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement.

“Racism is one of the weapons used by capitalists. This execution will not improve race relations when the system is making ugly attacks on the poor in education and immigra-

tion. We need a top down shift,” said Rubac.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was signed into law in October 2009

by President Obama.

The act authorizes the federal government to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated crimes based on the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. The bill also gives the federal government jurisdiction over prosecuting hate crimes in states where the current law is inadequate or when local authorities are unwilling or do not have the resources to do so themselves.

Attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz only sees it as a piece of paper that does not serve justice for the poor.

“The use and application of this act has been slow and disappointing.

The local and state authorities have done a horrible job in bringing these hate crime laws into prosecution.

Since President Obama has been elected there has been a noted increase in hate crimes and racist acts toward Blacks and Hispanics,” said Shabazz, who heads the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense.

The U.S. Justice Department announced that Frankie Maybee, 20, of Green Forest, AR, was convicted on May 19 by a federal jury of five counts of committing a federal hate crime and one count of conspiring to commit a federal hate crime. Codefendant Sean Popejoy pleaded guilty to one count of committing a federal hate crime and one count of conspiring to commit a federal hate crime.

This is the first conviction at trial for a violation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. “The defendants targeted five men because they were Hispanic, and today’s verdict shows that the Justice Department is committed to vigorously prosecuting individuals who perform acts of hate because of someone's race or national origin,” said Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division.

According to the Justice Department, on June 20, 2010, Maybee and Popejoy threatened and injured five Hispanic men who pulled into a gas station parking lot. The coconspirators taunted the victims, causing them to run off the road, and crash into a tree. The victims survived but suffered injuries.

“We will continue to use the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and every other tool in our law enforcement arsenal, to identify and prosecute hate crimes whenever they occur,” said Perez.

A November 2010 report by the FBI showed there were 8,336 victims of hate crimes the previous year. Over 4,000 of those crimes were race related and Blacks represented nearly 72 percent of the victims. Hispanics accounted for 62 percent of those victimized due to ethnicity or national origin.

Of the 6,225 known offenders,

62.4 percent were White, 18.5 percent were Black, and 7.3 percent were groups of individuals of various races, the report said.

Shabazz is quick to remind people about the case of Anthony Hill, who was shot in the head, tied up and dragged several miles by White male Gregory Collins early last June, according to South Carolina authorities in Newberry County.

“No hate crime charge was made.

Gregory Collins took a plea deal and was sentenced to eight years in prison,” said Shabazz.

Also in June of last year, the Orange County sheriff’s office in Beaumont, Texas reported that 35year-old White male William Baker Bibb confessed to killing 26-year-old Theresa Ardoin, who was Black. Bibb allegedly dragged her body a quarter of a mile behind his pickup truck.

Authorities said the two were in a relationship and there was no evidence the incident was a hate crime.

In September 2008, Brandon McClelland was dragged nearly 70 feet up and down a county road in Paris, TX. Two White males, one of whom was allegedly a close friend, were accused of the crime. All of the charges against Shannon Finley and Charles Crostley were dropped.

James Byrd Sr., father of James Byrd Jr., kneels in prayer during Sunday services at the Greater New Bethel Baptist Church the day following his son’s funeral Sunday, June 14, 1998, in Jasper, TX Byrd Jr. was chained to a pickup truck and dragged to his death along a rural East Texas road. Three white men have been charged with his murder.

AP Photo/Brett Coomer

A lot of questions are still lingering in Mississippi over how 26year-old Frederick Jermaine Carter lost his life. The body of Carter was found Dec. 3, 2010, hanging from an oak tree in the predominately White North Greenwood area of Leflore County.

Despite local authorities ruling it a suicide based on a preliminary autopsy report from the Leflore County coroner’s office, the victim’s

TOO

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family, Black politicians, residents, and community activists haven’t accept that declaration as the truth. No suspects have been charged.

Student Minister Robert Muhammad of the Nation of Islam was in attendance at the emotional funeral of Byrd over a decade ago.

“We have to revitalize and reenergize our grassroots movement for justice regardless of who is running or who is elected in 2012,” he said.

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Holder defends terror trials in civilian courts

BY NEDRA PICKLER ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Attorney General Eric Holder gestures during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Monday, April 4, where he announced plans to try avowed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged henchmen before a military commission.

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday defended the prosecution of terrorism suspects in civilian court after the top-ranking Senate Republican urged him to send two Iraqis to Guantanamo Bay rather than try them in Kentucky.

Holder criticized what he called a “rigid ideology” among political opponents working to prevent terror trials that have been successfully handled by civilian courts hundreds of times.

“Politics has no place — no place — in the impartial and effective administration of justice,” Holder said in remarks prepared for delivery to the American Constitution Society’s convention.

“Decisions about how, where, and when to prosecute must be made by prosecutors, not politicians.”

Although Holder didn’t mention Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell by name, his comments come two days after McConnell took to the Senate floor and urged Holder’s Justice Department to send terrorism suspects Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi to Navy-run prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He said a trial planned in his home state of

Kentucky could risk retaliatory attacks against judges, jurors and the broader community.

The Justice Department says there have been more than 400 convictions of terrorismrelated charges in civilian courts.

“Not one of these individuals has escaped custody,” Holder said. “Not one of the judicial districts involved has suffered retaliatory attacks. And not one of these terrorists arrested on American soil has been tried by a military commission.”

But members of Congress have successfully fought Holder over the prosecution of five other terrorism suspects planned for New York City, including alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The Obama administration bowed to the political pressure and backed off the plan, saying it would instead prosecute them before a military commission.

McConnell issued a statement in response to Holder’s speech that said foreign terrorists belong at the secure detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. “There is wide, bipartisan opposition to giving the rights of U.S. citizens to men who

tried to kill our troops on the battlefield,” McConnell said. “Unfortunately, this administration has been working since its first week in office to do just that, regardless of the opposition in those communities or their elected leaders in Congress.”

Holder insisted in his speech that civilian courts are “our most effective terror-fighting weapon.”

“Despite this reality, we continue to see overheated rhetoric that is detached from history — and from the facts,” Holder said. “We see crucial national security tools, once again, being put at risk by those who disparage the American criminal justice system and misguidedly claim that terror suspects cannot be tried safely in our civilian courts.”

Alwan and Hammadi were arrested in the United States after being admitted as refugees from Iraq in 2009. Homeland Security officials have said the men slipped through cracks in the system that have since been fixed.

They are charged in a 23-count indictment with conspiring to send weapons and money to See HOLDER page 7

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, center, talks to members of the media following a meeting with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and a bipartisan group of mayors to discuss the economy at the White House in Washington, Monday, June 20, 2011.

Mayors with Villaraigosa are from l-r, Michael Nutter, Philadelphia; Sly James, Kansas City, Mo.; Anthony Foxx, Charlotte, N.C. and Scott Smith, from Mesa, Ariz.

Villaraigosa to lead U.S. Conference of Mayors LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa became president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Monday as he meet with President Barack Obama to discuss the needs of cities.

Villaraigosa, who appeared on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” will represent mayors from around the nation in a meeting with Obama on Monday and address the Conference of Mayors in Baltimore, where the nonpartisan group of about 1,200 mayors is meeting for the first time in its 79-year history.

The role as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors puts Villaraigosa in a good position to push his agenda for accelerated federal spending on local transportation projects, among other things, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Villaraigosa will be the first L.A. mayor to lead the group since Norris Poulson did more than 50 years ago, though Mayor Tom Bradley was president of the National League of Cities,

a similar organization, in 1974.

The nonpaying role also could help Villaraigosa plot a political future beyond 2013 when his term as mayor expires. Jaime Regalado, director of the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A., told The Times Villaraigosa may be positioning himself for a possible role in the Obama administration — if the president is re-elected.

Villaraigosa told The Times the new role should help him help the city.

“With so much of our funds coming from Sacramento and Washington, if you’re not there, you’re not doing your job,” he said.

In a copy of his speech to be delivered on Monday, Villaraigosa calls for his fellow mayors to get involved in bringing underperforming schools up to par, with or without federal help, and weeding out ineffective teachers.

He also backs an accelerated military withdrawal from Afghanistan, in part to free up more federal money for domestic spending.

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Watts Father’s Day luncheon a huge success

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Fathers of Jordan Downs gather for a Saturday luncheon.

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HACLA’s non-profit affiliate, Kids Progress Inc., in conjunction with The Department of Housing and Urban Development, hosted a Father’s Day Luncheon at the Jordan Downs Gym on Saturday, June 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., which was a huge success.

With more than 100 fathers in attendance from Jordan Downs, this luncheon showcased fathers and their commitment to the lives of their children. Partnering with several Watts community groups, such as We Care Outreach Ministries, Watts United, Motivated Mothers of Jordan Downs, Jordan Downs Youth Action Squad, the Jordan Downs Community Advisory Committee and Watts Healthcare Corporation, this luncheon was the first of its kind and offered a way to highlight the positive things fathers do in the Watts community. A panel from various fatherfriendly organizations joined to discuss issues fathers face while offering key solutions in spite of everyday obstacles. Panel participants included Dr. Ronald Banks, Director of Project Fatherhood; Children’s Institute Inc.; Terrence Russell, Jordan Downs resident; Aaron Pineda, Jordan Downs resident; Roderick Elzy, Fatherhood Initiative; Gerald Thompson, Pathways To Your Future; and Marvin Espinoza, First 5 LA, Watts/Willowbrook. Drew Childcare Corporation provided childcare for the event, which also included a magician, face painting and a variety of arts and crafts to keep the children occupied.

Councilwoman Janice Hahn sent a representative and provided commendations to Pastor Mike Cummings and Andre Christian for their leadership with Project Fatherhood and their tireless efforts in recruiting Fathers for Project Fatherhood. The highlight of the event included fathers who were honored for their involvement with their children and the trophy gifts that were presented to the participants in Project Fatherhood.

Kids Progress Inc. received a grant to conduct Project Fatherhood, sponsored by Children’s Institute, Inc., which seeks to build stronger relationships between fathers and their children. Project Fatherhood meets every Wednesday at the Jordan Downs Community Center at 5 p.m.

Jordan Downs father and daughter.

PROPOSITION 65 WARNING

EXIDE Technologies operates a battery recycling plant at 2700 Indiana Street, Vernon California, 90058 which emits lead into the atmosphere.

Persons within the approximate area shown above are exposed to lead and cadmium at a level determined by the State of California to require a warning. Lead is a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm and cancer, and cadmium is known to the state of california to cause cancer. For more information you may contact EXIDE at (323) 262-1101 ext. 259.

HOLDER

Continued from page 6 al-Qaida in Iraq. Alwan is also charged with attacking American soldiers in Iraq. Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said after their arrests, the two waived their rights to remain silent and appear quickly before a judge and were interrogated for several days to gather intelligence.

Authorities say the weapons and money from Alwan and Hammadi didn’t make it to Iraq because of a tightly controlled undercover investigation. The FBI said Alwan spoke of setting roadside bombs near Bayji, Iraq, from 2003 through 2006. The FBI said investigators found his fingerprints on an unexploded bomb.

SITE LOCATION

EXIDE Technologies operates a lead oxide manufacturing plant at 5909 East Randolph Street, Commerce, California which emits lead into the atmosphere. Persons within the approximate area shown above are exposed to lead at a level determined by the State of California to require a warning. Lead is a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm and cancer

For more information, call EXIDE at (323) 262-1101, extension 259

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

By Joy Childs Assistant Editor With the recent spate of famous male politicians, athletes and celebrities who’ve been extensively covered by the media for their varying infidelities—the latest triumvirate being Arnold Schwarzenegger, Anthony Weiner and John Edwards—you might conclude that unfaithfulness is the exclusive domain of men.

And if you look at the plethora of movies depicting that topic, again, a stereotype emerges, i.e., that men are the primary unfaithful philanderers. Consider “Indecent Proposal” (1993) and “Unfaithful” (2002); others have titles not so obvious, like “Jungle Fever” (1991) and “The Dilemma” (2011). And then, of course, there’s the mother of all infidelity movies, 1987’s “Fatal Attraction.” The topic’s even been explored in the context of a gay relationship in “Brokeback Mountain.”

And when infidelity is depicted in a Black movie, as in, say, a Tyler Perry movie, like “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” (2005) and “Why Did I Get Married?”

(2007)—it’s Black men who have been unfaithful.

Now it’s hard to find accurate, reliable statistics on infidelity, and even harder to come by stats that break the occurrences down by gender and race; however, where numbers and surveys can be found, overwhelmingly it is believed that men cheat more than women.

How does unfaithfulness play out among, say, African American women? If the results of a very small and unscientific sample of Black women are any indication, it may be the case that infidelity may be as widespread among Black women as it across all other populations. In fact, some interviewed believe that infidelity among Black women is more rampant than in the general population, primarily because, much like homosexuality and AIDS, it’s an undercover topic— one not easily admitted to or discussed. It’s a topic fraught with feelings of hurt, resentment, revenge, betrayal, bitterness, hatred, regret, denial, betrayal— and, in many cases, forgiveness.

Have you ever “stepped out?” Here are the stories of Black women from a variety of lifestyles, walks of life and age groups, many of whom have been unfaithful, who’ve been cheated on—but who’ve ultimately learned a valuable lesson—or two.

[Editor’s note: Names have been changed.]

1. NAOMI, LATE 50S, DIVORCED Of fidelity, she says “Been there, done that, wouldn’t do it again … I dated someone who was married when I was 23 … I didn’t have enough sense

F E AT U R E

to know that it was wrong … It was [because he said] ‘My wife doesn’t understand me … It’s not working and I love you …’ and it just all seemed wonderful to me … I live by a diơerent moral standard now, and I just would not do that. [Back then], I didn’t have any religious or spiritual misgivings … I didn’t have a sense of what’s right. Now, it has a spiritual, universal basis to it. I now know what works in life.

2. EVELYN, EARLY 30S, SINGLE, NEVER MARRIED If you’re supposed to be with someone and you stray from that person, then that’s infidelity—whether married or dating. Sexual infidelity, emotionally— it’s all the same to me. You can do it on Twitter; you can do it in a motel room. Yeah, it’s happened to me … I was in my 20s and I was a lot feistier. I was ready to fight—not with the person who cheated on me but with the person that they cheated with. Today in my 30s, I look at things a lot diơerently. You know that typical—I hate to say it like this—Black women, instead of getting on the person who cheated on them, they wanna go and blame the other person. And 9 times out of 10, they didn’t even know you exist. And a lot times we put our feistiness and anger against the wrong person instead of blaming the person who cheated on us. And I was guilty of that ... I was young, not having that world experience. And I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we just don’t wanna face facts. Your man cheated! It took a lot of time to forgive—7 or 8 years … But today, if you feel you need to step out, you need to tell me … ’cause today you gotta wrap yourself in cellophane! … Most people cannot be faithful—it’s just not in their DNA. All the studies point to that. It’s almost become a norm.

3. EDWINA, LATE 30S, SINGLE, NEVER MARRIED Infidelity has to do with a dishonest person who’s piss poor morally … I think emotional infidelity is more damaging. People can have sex, and it means nothing. But when you get in here (points to her heart), you’re in there emotionally. It hasn’t happened to me but I did it to someone. I was in my 20s, in a 3-year relationship. I was young, and I wanted something diơerent. He was an older, married guy. He initiated it. I didn’t know he was married. After I found out, he was married, that was it. [I regret it because], the guy I was with, I still hear about it to this day. He’s forgiven, but not forgotten it. If something happens—like a show— that’ll trigger a comment. He’s still in my life because we have a child together … I learned from it.

I’ll never, ever, ever do it again because he still brings it up and it really hurt him. It hurts me that he can’t trust me like I want him to. Not 100%. He still loves me. You can’t put a price on piece of mind—like if I

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

go out with the girls, he’s always thinking I’m up to something. So now I’m older and wiser.

4. YOLANDA, 40S, SINGLE, NEVER MARRIED My definition is you’re with someone—outside the marriage having sexual relations. Infidelity is also emotional relations too but I’m mostly concerned about physical relations. [The term applies] if you’re in a committed relationship. There’s diơerent types: physical, emotional.

Financial infidelity applies only if you’re married.

Committed monogamous relationship. Unfaithfulness to me? All the time! In the dating circuit. Never caught them necessarily, but I just know by the signs—in one case, because there was a child involved. I forgave him but I didn’t forget. I’ve never been unfaithful— never!

5. YASMINE, 20S, SINGLE, NEVER MARRIED Infidelity between a couple is the ultimate betrayal. It’s a breach of trust, a commitment, and if you don’t feel you can fully commit yourself, you shouldn’t marry, you shouldn’t get into a strong committed relationship. It’s not just sexual—it’s the internet, sexting, though having sex is the worst. It’s never happened to me. I believe in karma. I don’t want it coming back to me. Yeah, because it’s wrong and I would never want it to happen to me.

6. SENORA, 50S, DIVORCED We were married for 25 years. Got married when I was 23. I never knew til later. It was a long-distance affair. He stayed in the house, was a homebody, stayed at home. He took care of the kids. The money always came to me. I never wanted for anything. I found a lot of evidence [of the aơair]: tickets, I-love-you cards.

[When I found out], I wanted to hate him. But then I couldn’t. I forgave him because he’s my kids’ father, and I have to keep in contact … and not forgiving a person is like cancer. The reason women have such a hard time is they keep messing with him.

7. YVETTE, 60S, DIVORCED Really, I think infidelity is higher [in Black women than White men] because African Americans have a tendency to keep it low-key. Infidelity applies to a committed relationship. It can be sexual, emotional. I’ve never done it but it was done to me during my marriage. I’d been married between 15-19 years.

It was with someone I knew. I found out through a dream but I also picked up on gut feelings, something’s not right. He was less reactive. I watched his reaction then I called him out on it. He immediately admitted it. He just got caught up in it. I was able to forgive him by talking, praying about it.

8. SANDRA, 50S, DIVORCED Infidelity is when you violate the commitment established between you two. It can be sexual, emotional, economic, e.g., financial transactions, without the knowledge or consent of your partner. 20s-30s.

She was married. He had an emotional relationship with a single co-worker. Then it became physical. We became emotionally separated, then later on physically. Financially, our goals were the same but once

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Infidelity Survey he achieved them, he was ready to move on. I stayed and lived a façade for years for the children. Through my faith I was able to forgive him. And I still care about him, his well-being, his health … To this day, he doesn’t know that I know about the aơair.

9. RHODA, 40S, CHILDREN WITH HER MALE PARTNER Infidelity is cheating on your spouse or exclusive partner. It applies to marriage or non-marriage. There are diơerent kinds: physical, emotional. For women, emotional was a bigger thing from what I’ve heard and experienced. The infidelity was discovered by seeing a phone number on her house phone bill. I was never able to prove there was any other type but I suspected there was. I confronted the female; there were some windshields bashed in (his); it was a lot of drama involved. We got through it but it was a rough patch. I forgave him. It took years, a long time to let go of the anger, betrayal. Now I don’t trust. It’s very awkward … the tables turned and I was caught by him. It was in my 30s. It made me look at the circumstances and not be as harsh of a judge on him because of what happened with me. I didn’t set out to cheat, it was a relationship that developed. It was physical but not sexual.

It took him longer to forgive me. He was very shocked. I lied about it over time until I finally had to break down and [admit it.] He threw our bed out, locked me out of the house … We were able to communicate about it truthfully.

10. LARISA, 50S, MARRIED I don’t even think about infidelity so I can’t really speak to this … [But] when I hear stuơ like that, it doesn’t surprise me.

I always hear that all men cheat: I wouldn’t say that’s true. If true, then all women cheat. People that I know of that do that, their marriage was boring, they wanted something exciting, and they cheated! For the men, they wanted attention and they didn’t get it at home. They’ll say, ‘I wasn’t really looking—it just happened.’

11. EULANDA, 40S, SINGLE, NEVER MARRIED Infidelity when an individual goes outside of a marriage only. Being unfaithful involves a lack of communication. I haven’t done it but it was done to me …I do believe there are factors that are evident before infidelity happens but people just don’t wanna pay attention to them. There are signs. It doesn’t just happen overnight.

Readers: If you’re so inclined, please respond to the brief survey asked of the sisters above and respond to wattsweekender@yahoo.com. Or, go to www.lawattstimes.com and submit your survey electronically.

1.

Briefly define “infidelity.”

2.

In your view, does that term apply only to marriage?

3.

Are there diơerent types of infidelity?

4.

Has it ever happened to you?

5.

How long you’d been in the relationship when it happened?

6.

Type of relationship—marriage? Nonmarriage?

7.

Briefly describe what happened.

8.

Were you able to forgive him/her?

9. How did that forgiveness come about?

10. Have you ever committed an act of infidelity by your definition?

11. Briefly describe what happened.

12. Were you forgiven?

13. How did that forgiveness come about?

14. Any other thoughts?

9

10

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Part Two: Who Killed M-Bone?

Cali Swag District founder Big Wy sets the record straight for naysayers

BY JASMYNE A. CANNICK SPECIAL TO THE L.A. WATTS TIMES INGLEWOOD — One month after the murder of Montae Talbert, better known as M-Bone — one-fourth of the hip hop group Cali Swag District — accusations and questions are still flying regarding the unsolved murder.

Last week, M-Bone’s family spoke publicly regarding the murder, including questions regarding CSD member Smoove’s possible involvement as well as the actions of CSD members after the 22-year-old’s murder.

This week, the group’s founder, Big Wy, owner of 319 Music Group, opened up the doors to his humble hitmaking Inglewood studio to set the record straight on his relationship with M-Bone, the group’s relationship, and what exactly happened the night of MBone’s murder.

Responding to public criticism that he and members of the CSD showed no remorse after the death of M-Bone, Big Wy explained, “Of course we’re hurt, but we still gotta keep mov-

award would be an opportunity to pay tribute to their fallen friend.

“We want to get up there and say, ‘this is for you, Montae,’ ” says Big Wy. The death of M-Bone has hit the 319 Music Group extremely hard. Big Wy rose to fame in the music business in the ’90s as a part of the rap group Bloods & Crips and was featured on the popular album “Bangin’ on Wax.” Originally signed to Death Row Records, Big Wy has been featured on a number of albums but with Cali Swag District it was different. This was a group that he built from the ground up.

Before all of the fame, he explains that it was just him, M-Bone, Yung, Jayare, Smoov, and a select group of close friends all working to make it big.

Big Wy says that before MTV and BET there was $5 pizzas, general relief, and a sense of brotherhood that kept those young men off of the street, out of gangs and in the studio making music and chasing a dream.

“I fed them boys,” he explains.

“We took all we had. $5 pizzas everyday from Little Caesar’s. We didn’t

ing on. We got little kids looking at Cali Swag District constantly. We can’t let them see them broke down all the time.

But when they’re in their own personal spaces — of course it hurts.”

And nothing could be truer, Big Wy says, after watching CSD perform for the first time with M-Bone.

“It was hard. I could barely even look at them, you know what I mean.

And it’s like when they was going through the motions of what they were doing they’re so programmed that when it was time for Yung to say, ‘MBone, show them cats how to do that’ and he looked to his right — and Montae is always right there to his right — you could see him turn his head and put his head down. It was weird to him.

And I asked them about that after the show and they were like it felt funny up there without M-Bone.”

As the group prepares for this week’s BET Music Awards show and their nomination for Best Group thanks to their hit single “Teach Me How to Dougie,” M-Bone is on everyone’s mind. The group feels that winning this

Big Wy have no money. We didn’t have nothing. Boxes of noodles. My homie Steve-O took MBone down to the GR building and got him in GR just so he could have some food stamps, income, and insurance about himself because he didn’t have nothing. What if they needed to go to the doctors or something?”

Big Wy says that he’s tired of the all the accusations that he and CSD members know more than they’ve told the police or that’s been reported regarding M-Bone’s brutal murder.

Big Wy says that because of CDS member’s humbleness that event though they are superstars in the music industry that they felt like they cold still go wherever they wanted in their hometown of Inglewood.

“Had that been anybody at that particular time at that store, they would have got shot. Because the dudes that was on that mission to kill that night they was on that mission to kill whoever they caught slippin’ and they caught Montae slippin’. Montae got caught slippin’. You got to look at what’s going around in Inglewood right now.”

He admits to being on the scene before even the police arrived thanks to a call from Black Jack, a friend of MBone’s who was with him during the time of the shooting but was unharmed.

But regarding CSD member CSmoove’s possible involvement after eyewitnesses placed him at the scene of the murder, Big Wy explained that it was just a coincidence given the studio’s proximity to the murder scene.

“Smoove just happened to be driving down La Brea. It’s coincidental. It don’t take no rocket scientist to try and figure out something to point the finger.

Yeah, it was a red car. It was Smoove driving down the street. Happened to be on his way to the studio, saw his homie’s car across the street. As he got a little further heard some shots. When he heard

the shots he jumped out to see if he was shot because it was so close. Turned back around and pulled up and saw Black Jack and them getting out the car.”

He continues, “It was a white car that pulled up on the side of them, they said he said f*ck something. You know what I mean. Whatever it may be.

Whether it could have been f*ck crabs, f*ck slobs, f*ck ni**as, f*ck whites, f*ck Mexicans, f*ck Asians, it could have been f*ck anything. But it was f*ck something and they shot. That area over there is gang-infested. It’s been damn near 20 murders in the last year over there in that whole area. It’s always somebody getting killed — whether it’s racial gang violence — these people that are making the accusations — the family you’re not in the streets and you don’t know what’s going on out here in this world because you don’t live in this life. We live this life and we in here every single day so we know what’s going on. The family and friends and all these other people that’s pointing the fingers at us — yeah, we know what’s going on. We know that Inglewood is f*cked up. You know what I am saying. This ain’t the first time people done got killed. This sh*t goes on all the time — all the time.”

Again this week calls to Inglewood homicide Detective Salmon were not returned.

Cali Swag District rose to fame with their 2010 single “Teach Me How to Dougie.”

The group plans to release a fulllength album entitled “The Kickback” July 12 on the independent Sphinx Music Group/319 Music label with distribution through Sony Music.

Anyone who was in the area and has information concerning the murder is asked to call the Inglewood Police Homicide Section at (310) 412-5246, or the 24-hour anonymous hotline number 888-41-CRIME (888-412-7463).

UNIVERSALPICTURES AND VENDÔMEPICTURES PRESENT A PLAYTONE PRODUCTION A TOM HANKS FILM TOMHANKS JULIA ROBERTSMUSIC “LEXECUTIVE ARRYCROWNE” BRYAN CRANSTON CEDRIC THEENTERTAINER TARAJI P.HENSON GUGU MBATHA-RAW WILMERVALDERRAMA PAMGRIWRITTEN ER BY JAMESNEWTONHOWARD PRODUCED PRODUCERS PHILIPPEROUSSELET STEVEN SHARESHIAN JEB BRODY FABRICE GIANFERMI DAVID COATSWORTH

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Springsteen eulogizes sax man Clemons at funeral

BY MATT SEDENSKY ASSOCIATED PRESS PALM BEACH, Fla. — Bruce Springsteen eloquently eulogized his friend of more than four decades and E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons Tuesday at a private funeral at a small Florida church.

The roughly two-hour service for the 69-year-old Clemons, known as the Big Man and Springsteen’s main foil onstage over their long careers, was at the Royal Poinciana Chapel on this manicured island of the rich and famous. Faint strains of music could be heard outside the small gray church.

Springsteen, among those delivering eulogies, spoke of his long kinship with Clemons, according to those leaving the church.

Singer Jackson Browne and members of the E Street Band, including guitarist Steven Van Zandt and Springsteen’s wife, Patti Scialfa, also were on hand. Miami Heat general manager Pat Riley was seen leaving the church, which is beside the historic estate of tycoon Henry Flagler and nearby the tony Breakers hotel.

The 6-foot-5 Clemons had suffered from numerous medical problems over the years. He needed spinal surgery to relieve back pain and had two knee replacements. In recent years, he often needed to rest on stools onstage to play sax and percussion. He died from stroke complications Saturday at his home in Singer Island, Fla. Clemons’ booming saxophone solos became a signature sound for the E Street Band on many key songs, especially on Springsteen’s breakthrough album in 1975, “Born to Run.” The saxophonist’s legacy and place in the band was captured in the song, “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.” It has the famous lyric, “When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band. From the coastline to the city, all the little pretties raised their hands.”

The anthem is often used to introduce E Street members during concerts.

Clemons, who was the oldest member of the E Street Band, also performed with the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, and Ringo Starr’s All Star Band. He recorded with a wide range of artists, including

Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison and Jackson Browne. He also had his own band called the Temple of Soul.

More recently, he was introduced to a whole new generation of fans when he performed his signature tenor sax on Lady Gaga’s video, “The Edge of Glory.”

In a statement posted on his Internet site, Springsteen said, “Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them want to love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every time he stepped on stage.”

Gail Reich Ampolsky came from Marlboro, NJ, for the funeral.

She said she was a lifelong fan of Clemons whom the musician had befriended. Springsteen and his bandmates, including Clemons, met and got their start in New Jersey.

“He touched everybody’s life in so many ways,” she said after the service. “He was just a big teddy bear.

He was just wonderful. He was a huge part of the band and he was a huge part of life.”

Gyorgy Lakatos, a musician who said Clemons performed on his

Fugitive hip hop mogul arrested on drug charges

BY TOM HAYS ASSOCIATED PRESS

under a false name. He was ordered held without bail during a brief appearance Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn.

NEW YORK — A fugitive hip hop mogul His attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, said his recently linked by a convicted killer to a shoot- client had been framed. ing that wounded Tupac Shakur was arrested The charges are “the result of witnesses who Tuesday in a drug case after he was discovered have been bribed and threatened by the governhiding out at a popular Manhattan hotel. ment to implicate Jimmy in the crimes charged,” Drug Enforcement Administration agents he said. “It’s been a long time coming, but the govand deputy U.S. Marshals arrested James ernment wants a fight so we’ll give them one.”

Rosemond on charges he ran a lucrative drugThe arrest follows accusations reported last trafficking ring. According to criminal com- week by AllHipHop.com that Rosemond — plaint, the ring smuggled large amounts of CEO of New York City-based Czar Entertaincocaine into the New York City area and the ment — orchestrated the mid-1990s ambush of proceeds back to Los Angeles in road cases nor- Shakur outside a Manhattan recording studio. mally used by musicians to transport their The allegations were attributed to Dexter instruments and other equipment.

Isaac, who is serving a life sentence in an unreAuthorities said Rosemond, 46, had been lated murder-for-hire plot. The website said he holed up at the W New York in Union Square claimed he was paid $2,500 to rob and shoot the legendary rapper.

The complaint unsealed Tuesday makes no reference to the Shakur shooting, and Rosemond’s lawyer has denied he had any involvement.

According to the complaint, a joint DEA-Internal Revenue Service probe of Rosemond relied on several cooperating witnesses. They include a Los Angeles dealer who pleaded guilty to charges he supplied more than 100 kilograms to the ring over a twoyear period.

The complaint says agents intercepted a phone call last year during which Rosemond fretted about being watched by law enforcement.

James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond See ROSEMOND, page 15

AP Photo

Clarence Clemons poses with his instrument during a 2003 interview at his Singer Island, FL, home. A spokeswoman for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band says saxophone player Clarence Clemons died in Florida at age 69 on Saturday, June 18. forthcoming album, said Springsteen’s eulogy was among the most moving parts of the service.

“Bruce was talking so beautiful,” he said.

Many of the mourners slipped away outside the view of a small group of media, riding off in a string of Bentleys, Mercedes and BMWs. A small group milled around in the distance on the church property hours after the service finished, as a large photo of a beaming Clemons was loaded into the back of a black SUV. “It was a great show, man,” one

man said after leaving the service.

As mourners converged in Florida, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lauded Clemons in an executive order as “a gifted musician, remarkable performer and iconic figure.” Christie also ordered flags lowered to half-staff in the musician's honor Thursday.

“Through his accomplishments and achievements in the entertainment industry and his contributions to the cultural identity of New Jersey, Clarence Clemons has made New Jersey a better place,” the order read.

www.lawattstimes.com

12

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Tracy Morgan Judge delays remorseful after remarks ruling on ‘This

Is It’ footage

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Comedian and actor Tracy Morgan hugs Kevin Rogers, left, in Nashville, Tenn., after Morgan apologized for anti-gay remarks he made during a performance in Nashville on June 3. Rogers attended the June 3 show and first reported the incident via Facebook.

BY CHRIS TALBOTT AP ENTERTAINMENT WRITER NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A stone-faced Tracy Morgan delivered a personal apology Tuesday to audience members in Tennessee who were offended by his anti-gay remarks during a stand-up routine earlier this month.

The comedian and actor returned to Nashville to meet with gay rights advocates and attendees of the show, including the man whose Facebook post to 1,500 friends first brought attention to the comedian’s comments. After the meeting, Morgan held a news conference at the Nashville Convention Center.

“I don’t have a hateful bone in my body,” Morgan told reporters. “I don’t believe that people should be bullied or just made to feel bad about who they are. I totally feel that in my heart.”

After about 5 minutes of prepared remarks, Morgan hugged the Facebook commenter, Kevin Rogers, before leaving the room.

The “30 Rock” star didn’t take questions.

It was Morgan’s second public apology since his June 3 show at The Ryman Auditorium. He met with homeless lesbian and gay youth Friday in New York City, and agreed to the Nashville meeting at the request of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation President Jarrett Barrios.

Rogers said he got the feeling Morgan was sincere in his apology.

“Our discussion was a lot of just his genuineness at being sorry for what he said,” said Rogers, a 36year-old photographer. “He never meant to hurt anybody. He never realized as a comedian that he had such reach as he did to people. He just thought he was just some guy up there speaking and he never meant to hurt anyone.”

The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member is known for an outrageous, unpredictable comedy style where few subjects are taboo.

He’s tackled homosexual themes and characters before with little outcry. But even Morgan admits he went too far during his show at the Ryman, a hallowed music venue that rarely hosts comedy.

See TRACY MORGAN, page 15

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LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The judge in the Dr. Conrad Murray trial delayed ruling today on a request by the defendant’s lawyers for about 100 hours of outtakes from “This is It,” the Michael Jackson concert documentary.

Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor set a hearing for June 24 to hear further arguments on the issue.

Murray’s legal team wants the raw rehearsal footage to illustrate its belief that Jackson was in poor health in the weeks prior to his death on June 25, 2009.

Attorneys for Sony Pictures, which owns the footage, are fighting the request to hand over the material. The movie company sought more time to fashion its arguments, and Pastor told lawyers to file something by Wednesday.

Pastor also asked defense attorneys to clarify exactly what footage they are requesting.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, have indicated they want to show a jury excerpts of Jackson’s rehearsal footage to show that the entertainer was in good health in the period leading up to his death.

Trial is expected to begin in September.

Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter stemming from Jackson’s death in Los Angeles from propofol intoxication while the pop star was preparing for a series of concerts in London. Propofol is an anesthetic that should be administered in a hospital setting but Jackson was taking it as a sleep aid when he died at the age of 50.

The doctor — who was ordered to stop practicing medicine in California while the criminal roceedings are under way — proclaimed himself “an innocent man” during a Jan. 25 court appearance.

AP Photo/Koji Sasahara

Conrad Murray’s defense team seeks to prove that Michael Jackson was in good health at the time of his death.

TROOPS

Continued from page 4 In recent speeches, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has criticized American forces, suggesting his ally is in danger of becoming an occupying force. He has even threatened action against international forces that conduct airstrikes and has accused allies of undermining and corrupting his government.

Yet there are concerns in his country about the withdrawals. Some of the areas slated to transition to Afghan control have been struck by attacks in recent weeks despite assertions by Karzai that peace talks have started between the U.S., his Afghan government and Taliban emissaries.

Publicly, the Taliban say there will be no negotiations until foreign troops leave Afghanistan.

The transition to full Afghan control will begin in earnest on July 20 in five provincial capital cities and two provinces.

The provincial capitals identified for transition are Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, plus capitals from provinces in the west, east and north and most of Kabul, the nation’s capital.

The largely peaceful northern provinces of Bamyan and Panjshir will also start to transition to Afghan control.

Some U.S. military commanders have favored a more gradual reduction in troops than Obama is expected to announce Wednesday night, arguing that too fast a withdrawal could undermine the fragile security gains.

But other advisers have backed a more significant withdrawal that starts in July and proceeds steadily through the following months. That camp believes the slow yet steady improvements in security, combined with the killing of Osama bin Laden and U.S. success in dismantling much of the al-Qaida network in the country, give the president an opportunity to make larger reductions this year.

Obama previously has said he favors a “significant” withdrawal beginning in July, his self-imposed deadline for starting to bring U.S. troops home. Aides, however, have never quantified that statement.

Pressure for a substantial withdrawal has been mounting

from the public and Congress. Even Gates, who has said he favored a “modest” withdrawal, said Tuesday that Obama’s decision needed to incorporate domestic concerns about the war.

“It goes without saying that there are a lot of reservations in the Congress about the war in Afghanistan and our level of commitment,” Gates said during a news conference at the State Department. “There are concerns among the American people who are tired of a decade of war.”

According to an Associated Press-GfK poll last month, 80 percent of Americans say they approve of Obama’s decision to begin withdrawal of combat troops in July and end U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014. Just 15 percent disapprove.

On Capitol Hill, even the more moderate or conservative members of his party, such as Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, are pressing for significant cuts and a shift in mission.

“The question the president faces — we all face — is quite simple: Will we choose to rebuild America or Afghanistan? In light of our nation’s fiscal peril, we cannot do both,” Manchin said Tuesday.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said improved conditions in Afghanistan would permit Obama to withdraw at least 15,000 troops by the end of the year.

Obama aides have sidestepped questions about what role the cost of the war in Afghanistan played in Obama’s decision, saying only that the president was focused on meeting the goal of transferring security by 2014.

Following the announcement on the drawdown, Obama will visit troops Thursday at Fort Drum, the upstate New York Army post that is home to the 10th Mountain Division, one of the most frequently deployed divisions to Afghanistan.

Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor, Matthew Lee and Donna Cassata in Washington and Solomon Moore in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.

www.lawattstimes.com 13

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Maternal depression: Helping mothers, helping children

BY MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST Ellie Zuehlke and her husband had expected the birth of their longawaited first child to be one of the happiest moments of their lives — until, somehow, it wasn’t.

Instead, Ellie experienced severe postpartum depression that left her unable to care for their newborn son. To thousands of mothers, Ellie Zuehlke’s story will sound sadly familiar.

Ellie, a health care industry professional, was ultimately lucky. Though some mothers lose health care coverage shortly after giving birth, Ellie had health insurance and access to a qualified mental health provider and was able to get help quickly. As she explains, “Because I received prompt, appropriate treatment after the birth of my first son, we were able to greatly reduce the negative impact of my depression on my son. In addition, I was able to get the care I needed to prevent depression after the birth of my second child.”

Today, Ellie is enjoying her family life and two sons, now seven and two years old, who are healthy and happy. Ellie shared her story with the Children’s Defense FundMinnesota (CDF-MN) staff, who were studying the effects of depression in families like hers for their new report “Maternal Depression in Early Childhood.” CDF-MN found that undiagnosed and untreated maternal depression is not only dangerous for a mother but can have long-term harmful effects on her children.

As the report explains, “Infants and toddlers are very vulnerable to the effects of parental depression because of their total reliance on their caregivers. A growing body of research is documenting that the foundation for future brain development is laid down during the earliest years of life. Adverse childhood experiences can disrupt that process with lifelong consequences if untreated. ‘Unaddressed depression can seriously impair a parent’s ability to respond to her newborn in a nurturing way,’ says Terrie Rose, founder and executive director of Baby’s Space, an early learning center in Minneapolis. This can harm a child’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development, beginning early in his or her life. ‘As a

Marian Wright Edelman

result, lower responsiveness, sleep problems, and more negative emotions can be seen in infants as young as six months.’ ” These risks continue to accumulate. By toddlerhood, children are at elevated risk of behavior and emotional problems and delayed language development; by early childhood they are at elevated risk of learning difficulties and conduct disorders and are already more vulnerable to depression themselves.

By adolescence they are at higher risk of depression, learning and anxiety disorders, and substance abuse.

CDF-MN cites a finding by the National Center for Children in Poverty that “maternal depression and anxiety is a stronger risk factor for child behavior problems than smoking, binge drinking, and emotional or physical domestic violence.” CDF-MN estimates that in Minnesota one in 10 babies is born to a mother experiencing serious depression during his or her first year of life — nearly 14,000 Minnesota mothers and infants in 2009 — and every untreated case of maternal depression in the state costs a minimum of $23,000 a year primarily from lost productivity and higher health care costs for mother and child.

The good news, as Ellie Zuehlke knows firsthand, is that maternal depression is treatable.

“Fortunately, we know a great deal about how to help mothers and families struggling with depression before or after a baby’s birth,” Helen Kim, a psychiatrist and director of a women’s mental health pro-

gram at a Minnesota medical center, told CDFMN. “We can also identify mothers who are at higher risk of experiencing depression than others and offer assistance before they get pregnant or give birth.” CDF-MN found that Minnesota has some good policies, effective programs and practices, and innovative providers that help prevent or reduce the incidence of depression and its negative effects. But many of the policies are not fully implemented and several programs operate on a small scale.

Too often the mothers most at risk — poor mothers, young mothers, and mothers of color — are the ones least likely to receive help. Much more must be done to raise awareness about maternal depression and the importance of addressing it.

In Minnesota, as in many other states, the difficult economic times are making maternal depression and depression in other caregivers worse.

“Unfortunately, some of the state’s budget-cutting actions have increased the risk factors associated with depression, especially for lowincome parents,” says Marcie Jefferys, CDF-MN’s Policy Development Director. Reduced access to postnatal health care, public assistance policies that push families with newborns deeper into poverty, lack of child care assistance for lowincome working parents, and cuts in county mental health programs are all among recent budget cuts that increase family stress, which is tied to higher rates of depression. I hope this important new report will sound the alarm for policymakers across the nation that cutting crucial programs and services has devastating impacts on our most vulnerable mothers and children and causes lifelong harm.

States should be investing today in effective programs that identify atrisk mothers and help them get the treatment they need. Everyone — mothers, children, and the state’s bottom line — will benefit tomorrow.

Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund, whose Leave No Child Behind mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

For more information, go to www.childrensdefense.org.

The danger of free trade agreements

BY BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST The Obama administration has been pushing major free trade agreements, including one with Korea and Colombia. Yet, for all of the discussion in the media, it is not always clear what a free trade agreement actually is and what it means for us.

Free trade is fundamentally about getting rid of tariffs or taxes on goods that are traded between countries. That may sound fair and equitable but concretely it can have a dramatic impact on a country's ability to develop an economy. Consider a country that has a very developed economy that decides to trade with a less developed country.

The developed country sells manufactured goods to the less developed country and the less developed country trades agricultural items, such as cotton. The less developed country may not have sufficient technology to produce the manufactured goods, either at all or cheaply. Well, this sounds all well and good, but let's say that the less developed country wants to develop their ability to manufacture goods. As long as the less developed country is importing cheap, manufactured goods from the more developed country, it will be nearly impossible to develop their own manufacturing sector.

Therefore, the less developed country may choose to impose tariffs or taxes on the imported manufactured goods so that they are more expensive and the manufacturing sector in the less developed country has a chance to grow and compete.

Sound familiar? It should: This was the basic scenario, which in addition to slavery, contributed to the U.S. Civil War. The South sold cotton to Britain and France and bought cheap manufactured goods.

The North was trying to build up its own industry but could not as long as they had to compete with the cheaper goods from Europe. It was in that context that taxes were imposed on manufactured goods coming into the USA. So one impact of free trade carried out by developed countries like the USA is that they often undermine the ability of underdeveloped countries to create healthy, balanced economies. Instead, the underdeveloped countries are often forced to rely on one or more exports, many times agricultural or mineral.

What does free trade mean in today’s USA? For us it represents a changing global economy in which the transnational corporations, seeking the cheapest labor costs, and the fewest restrictions, utilize free trade as a means to not only eliminate certain taxes, but also to eliminate various laws and regulations. The North American Free Trade Agreement, for instance, inhibits

Bill Fletcher, Jr. governmental bodies at the state/provincial, county, and municipal levels from implementing certain environmental standards that may be judged by those who oversee the terms of NAFTA as hurting the so-called free market and harming the sale of products of one country over another. Free trade can also mean that companies can quickly relocate to another country with relative ease, generally leaving an economic disaster in their wake.

Each time free trade agreements are passed, working people in the affected countries inevitably come up short. There are regular, rhetorical guarantees that the free trade agreement will benefit everyone, but as has been seen with NAFTA, hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost in BOTH the USA and Mexico, and in the case of Mexico, their agricultural sector has suffered catastrophically.

The next time you hear about free trade agreements, you might want to put your hand on your wallet ... and with the other hand, dial your elected representatives and ask them how this can possibly benefit the regular working man or woman.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies, the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum, and the co-author of “Solidarity Divided.”

He can be reached at papaq54@hotmail.com.

14

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, June 23, 2011

SPORTS BEAT

Dwane Casey is the new coach of the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors introduced the Dallas assistant at a news conference Tuesday, June 21, nine days after he helped the Mavericks win the NBA title.

BY BRAD PYE JR. WATTS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AP Photo by Ann Heisenfelt

Raptors hire Mavs Dwane Casey as coach TORONTO — Dwane Casey hopes to bring a rugged, NHL-style of defense to his newest job in the NBA. The Toronto Raptors hired Casey as their coach on Tuesday, nine days after the Dallas assistant helped the Mavericks win the championship.

Casey succeeds Jay Triano, a Canadian who became a consultant after the Raptors finished 22-60.

Casey was the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from June 2005 to January 2007, compiling a 43-59 record.

Casey said his No. 1 goal is to give the Raptors a “defensive identity.� He partially credited the Mavericks’ performance against LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA finals to the breaking down of hockey video. “Because we felt we were playing too soft against Miami to start the series,� he said. “And it really set the tone.� “I don’t know a lot about of hockey. I know I’ll learn about it. But we spliced in those guys checking players up into the window, into the boards and that type of thing and that’s the way we want to play,� he said. “We want to make sure people feel us when they cut through the lane. And that’s a mindset, and that’s having a disposition — a bad disposition — when people come through your paint.�

Poor on defense, Toronto missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Raptors have made it past the first round only once in their 16-year existence, doing it in 2000-01.

The Raptors want to start their improvement Thursday with the fifth pick in the NBA draft.

Casey won’t have much input on who the Raptors pick. “I’ve learned over the years to step back from the draft because you have to hire trusted people with your scouting department and trust their

knowledge,� Casey said. “You can give them your input into what you need and what you want, but the bottom line has to come from the scouting department.�

The 54-year-old Casey, who also was an assistant for 11 seasons in Seattle, is the eighth coach in Raptors’ history. Triano stood quietly at the back of the news conference announcing Casey’s hire. Casey said he intends to use Triano as a “resource� and build on what he sees as a core of young talent that includes guards DeMar DeRozan and Jerryd Bayless, center Andrea Bargnani and forward Amir Johnson. “Defensively, I’m going to be a hands-on control freak, so to speak,� he said. “Offensively, I’m going to trust and give them freedom.�

Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said he got a call from See CASEY, page 15

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

The L.A. Angels’ Vernon Wells and the L.A. Sparks as a team had some impressive weekends. Wells smacked his first three hits and threerun game of the season Sunday to pace the Anaheim bunch to a 7-3 victory over the New York Mets; Wells collected a pair of two runs, producing singles and a homerun.

The L.A. Sparks, who concluded their homestand with a 70-50 victory over Seattle at the Staples Center, now heads for 11 of 13 on the road after Tuesday’s night’s date with the New York Liberty. Coach Jennifer Gillom was pleased with the play of her starters and reserves.

Standouts in this victory march were Candace Parker, Ebony Hoffman, Janet Lavender, Kristi Toliver, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Tina Thompson, et. al. After the big win over Seattle, coach Gillom declared: “We’re 11 deep.�

Serena Williams entered Wimbledon ranked No. 15. The former No. 1 ranked player had been out of action for almost a year. Serena’s sister Venus is listed as No. 32 in the rankings. The William sisters dominated women tennis in 2001 and 2002. At No. 25 Serena is the highest ranking American woman player in the world. Venus is next at No. 32.

The Williams sisters lost tune-up matches on the way to the big show at Wimbledon. Going into action at Wimbledon, the Williams sisters had won nine Wimbledon titles, five by Venus and four by Serena.

And the beat continues‌ If the Miami Heat’s Big 3 — LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh get some added help — look for the Heat to come roaring back, all the way to the NBA Finals.

True, James was a failure, a personal failure as he admits; he didn’t

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

Los Angeles Angels’ Vernon Wells follows through on a home run during the seventh inning of an interleague baseball game against the New York Mets, Sunday, June 19, at Citi Field in New York. The Angels won 7-3. lose the Afghanistan War. Back off: Let the man rest in peace until the next term rolls around. Most critics laid off of the Lakers new coach Mike Brown long enough to weigh in on LeBron James unmercifully. By the way, Kobe Bryant has reportedly met with the Lakers new coach, Mike Brown, for the second time and they are reportedly on the same wave length.

Harry Johnson, the CEO of the $120 million Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, which sits between the Lincoln and Washington Memorial monuments, was $8-million short for the Aug. 28 Washington, D.C. dedication. Wouldn’t it be a nice gesture for the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and seven other athletes or entertainers to step up to the plate and shell out $1-

million a piece to end this fundraising and make the Memorial for Dr. King an immediate reality?

And the beat continues‌ See SPORTS BEAT, page 15

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Thursday, June 23, 2011 To place a classified ad call (323) 299-3800

SPORTS BEAT

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) NO. 1709

Continued from page 14

Is rookie Dee Gordon the Dodgers best shortstop since Maury Wills? In recent games Gordon has been playing like a future All-Star with his bat, his speedy feet and his glove.

For the second time in four NBA championship series, a former local prep star has played a major role for the title winning team. Three years ago it was Paul Pierce (Inglewood High), and this year it was the championship-winning Dallas Mavericks.

Tyson Chandler (Dominguez High, Compton). Tyson opted for the NBA after leading Dominquez High in Compton to the California State Championship. For the record, the Mavericks have won 50 or more games for eleven consecutive seasons.

Ray Horton, Arizona Cardinals’ newly named defensive coordinator, hopes to earn his pilot licenses in July.

The NBA is the only pro league to earn an “A” rating on racial and gender hiring practices, according to Richard Lapchick, chairman of the UCF’s DeVos Sport Business Management Program and director of the institute.

Jason Terry says if Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban doesn’t buy championship rings for his NBA Championship team, he will purchase them.

And the beat continues…

Will the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp join the 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 steals this season? As this is written Kemp has 20 home runs and 16 steals.

Since Davey Lopes joined the Dodgers coaching staff, Kemp has been living up to his potential.

Ex-Dodgers star Dusty Baker, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, on Matt Kemp: “This is one of the best starts I’ve seen, period. All aspects of the game.

He could be approaching a milestone — the MLB batting title.

And the beat continues.…

There will be a rush on for point

GOVERNMENT

and shooting guards in the June NBA draft. Included among this group are Duke’s Kyrie Irving, Connecticut’s Kemba Walker, BYU’s Jimmer Fredette, Kentucky’s Brandon Wright, Colorado’s Alec Burks, Washington’s Klay Thompson (son of Lakers broadcaster Michael Thompson), Hostra’s Charles Jenkins, Providence’s Marshon Brooks, Purdue’s Etwaun Moore and Georgia’s Travis Leslie.

Former Westchester High star Dwayne Poole, Jr., is on the move again. Poole left USC for St. John last year. And this week he’s transferring to San Diego State.

Poole committed to USC as a 14year old. His dad was an assistant at Troy at the time.

Despite all of his trials and tribulations, Tiger Woods was still the No. 1 earning USA athlete in the world in 2010, according to Sports Illustrated’s annual “Fortunate 50.”

Woods collected $62.3 million from the tour and endorsements. Right behind Woods is his challenger Phil Mickelson at $61.2 million.

Los Angeles Lakers assistant GM Ronnie Lester has put his Manhattan Beach home on the market for $1.65 million. Lester will be job shopping any day now, because his Lakers contract is expiring.

Home run king Barry Bonds could be sentenced at a hearing on June 24. However, Bonds’ lawyers are asking Judge Susan Ullston to throw out the charges.

And the beat continues…

The New York Yankees recently placed Derek Jeter, the Hall of Famebound shortstop, on the 15-day disabled list. Jeter’s bid for 3,000 hits is still three short.

They keep coming. Donald Rone was recently named president of Time Warner Cable — reportedly a first for a man of color.

And the beat ends.

Brad Pye Jr., can be reached at Switchreel@aol.com.

THE RE-ROOFING OF ONE HUNDRED FOUR (104) BUILDINGS AT RAMONA GARDENS 2830 LANCASTER AVE., LOS ANGELES, CA 90033 The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) invites vendors to submit bids for The Re-Roofing of One Hundred Four (104) Buildings at Ramona Gardens 2830 Lancaster Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033. Copies of the IFB may be downloaded from the internet at www.hacla.org under “Doing Business with HACLA”, then click on “Procurement Opportunities” and click “Construction Goods and Services”. Bids will be accepted at 2600 Wilshire Blvd, #3100, Los Angeles, CA 90057 until 2:00 p.m. (local time), July 1, 2011.

6/16, 6/23/11 CNS-2117323# WATTS TIMES

CASEY

Continued from page 14 Dallas coach Rick Carlisle in the wee hours after the Mavericks won the championship.

“Rick Carlisle said, ‘Bryan, I want to know what it’s going to take to get Dwane that job in Toronto. It’s right for him, it’s right for you, it’s right for the situation. You need to strongly consider it,’ ” Colangelo said.

“He comes with exceptional support from people in very high places,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that are rooting for Dwane to do well here. They think it’s the right time,” he said.

DeRozan was at the news conference and said he and his teammates welcome the new commitment to defense.

“I think everybody’s definitely going to buy into it because we’ve got a young team and we could cause a lot of havoc on the defensive end,” DeRozan said. “I want to improve as a person and as a team player.”

Casey promised a free-flowing approach with the ball.

“The last time I checked, the reason why you win games is scoring, so we’re going to put a high premium on that too,” he said. “We want to keep the pace up tempo with our young team because we have the athleticism.”

ROSEMOND Continued from page 11

“I can’t be online no more,” it quotes him as saying. “I don’t even have a phone with me. I’m going from phone booth to phone booth.”

To avoid detection, Rosemond devised a system that avoided using overnight delivery services, the complaint says.

Members of Rosemond’s crew instead stashed cocaine in road cases and sent them to New York music stu-

dios, the complaint says. The cases were then shipped back to Los Angeles packed with cash.

Last year, agents seized a road case containing $790,000 “packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic in $100,000 bundles,” the complaint says. The seizure prompted Rosemond to switch tactics, stashing drugs in hidden compartments in cars that were transported from coast to coast.

Rosemond is behind such hits as Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop” and also represents The Game and Sean Kingston, according his company’s website.

Shakur survived the 1994 shooting, but was killed two years later in Las Vegas. The slaying remains unsolved.

Associated Press Writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.

Before the news conference, Morgan told gay advocates and some people who had attended the show that he’d even had members of his own family rebuke him for his comments, said Herndon Graddick, senior director of programs for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Morgan told them that he often improvises his stand-up routine and was following a riff he thought would be funny, eventually crossing

over a line and going too far. He said he has an opportunity to change his message on stage and relayed a story about how Richard Pryor stopped his liberal use of a racial epithet after a trip to Africa.

“So now at this point in my life is an opportunity to make a difference,” said Morgan, who wore a purple striped shirt, droopy designer jeans and a silver medallion on a necklace. “I don’t really see gay or straight. I see human beings now.”

TRACY MORGAN Continued from page 12

The 42-year-old comic said during his set that if his son were gay, he would “pull out a knife and stab” him, among other anti-gay statements.

“A large majority of the audience did laugh and kind of cheer,” Rogers said. “I’m not sure how much of that was nervous laughter and how much was in genuine support of the words. I know at the time, to me and my partner, we felt that there was genuine support of those words.”

Trustee Sale # CA0941210-3 Loan# 70828108 Order # 55005586 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 09/19/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 07/08/2011 at 1 :00PM, MTC FINANCIAL INC., dba TRUSTEE CORPS as the duly appointed Substituted Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust Recorded on 10/12/2007 as Document No. 20072331976 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CALIFORNIA, executed by, VIOLET GRANT, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, as Trustor, FIRST NLC FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC, DBA THE LENDING CENTER, as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States, by cash a cashier's check drawn by a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state). AT: At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building, 350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State describing the land therein: APN # 5007-019-019 As more fully described on said Deed of Trust LOT 694 OF TRACT NO. 911 IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AS PER MAP RECORDED IN BOOK 16 PAGE 188 OF MAPS, IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY RECORDER OF SAID COUNTY. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 5454 WEST BOULEVARD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90043 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Trustee's Sale is: $479,130.28 (estimated amount). Accrued interest and additional advances, if any, will increase this figure prior to sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder's sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse.

The Beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell.

The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the County where the real property is located and more than three months have elapsed since such recordation. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2923.52: 1. Pursuant to California Civil Code 2923.54 the undersigned, on behalf of the beneficiary, loan servicer or authorized agent, declares as follows: X Servicer does hereby state that Servicer has obtained from the commissioner a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date of the notice of sale is filed. 2. Timeframe for giving notice of sale specified in subdivision (a) Section 2923.52 Does X Does not apply pursuant to section 2923.52 or 2923.55 Dated: 06/07/2011 MTC FINANCIAL INC., DBA TRUSTEE CORPS, as Successor Trustee By: PAUL GUTIERREZ, TRUSTEE SALES OFFICER TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 FOR SALE INFORMATION CONTACT: (714)786-5351, (949) 252-8300 FOR REINSTATEMENT / PAY OFF REQUESTS CONTACT: (949) 252-8300 RPRequests@trusteecorps.com Ad #13168 2011-06-16 2011-06-23 2011-06-30 Trustee Sale No. CA09000726-11-1 APN 5446-021-023 Title Order No. 5071760 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED March 25, 2008.

UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On July 11, 2011, at 01:00 PM, At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL INC. dba TRUSTEE CORPS, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on April 1, 2008, as Instrument No. 20080557527, of Official Records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CA, executed by JOSE MEDINA AND BELEN MEDINA, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS JOINT TENANTS, as Trustor(s), in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID DEED OF TRUST The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 3557 ARROYO SECO AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90065-2405 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein.

Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest Theron, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $331,545.12 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: June 08, 2011 TRUSTEE CORPS TS No. CA09000726-11-1 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Paul Gutierrez, Authorized Signatory SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #13189 2011-06-16 2011-06-23 2011-06-30

Trustee Sale # CA0955391-1 Loan# 166827525 Order # 955632 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 04/27/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 07/11/2011 at 1 :00PM, MTC FINANCIAL INC., dba TRUSTEE CORPS as the duly appointed Substituted Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust Recorded on 05/04/2007 as Document No. 20071085555 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CALIFORNIA, executed by, OSCAR MUNOZ, A MARRIED MAN AS HIS SOLE & SEPARATE PROPERTY, as Trustor, COUNTRYWIDE BANK, FSB., as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States, by cash a cashier's check drawn by a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state). AT: At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building, 350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State describing the land therein: APN # 6033-012-014 AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1207 WEST 84TH STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90044 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Trustee's Sale is: $408,015.94 (estimated amount). Accrued interest and additional advances, if any, will increase this figure prior to sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder's sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse.

The Beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell.

The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the County where the real property is located and more than three months have elapsed since such recordation. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2923.52: 1. Pursuant to California Civil Code 2923.54 the undersigned, on behalf of the beneficiary, loan servicer or authorized agent, declares as follows: X Servicer does hereby state that Servicer has obtained from the commissioner a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date of the notice of sale is filed. 2. Timeframe for giving notice of sale specified in subdivision (a) Section 2923.52 Does X Does not apply pursuant to section 2923.52 or 2923.55 Dated: 06/10/2011 MTC FINANCIAL INC., DBA TRUSTEE CORPS, as Successor Trustee By: ROWENA PAZ, TRUSTEE SALES OFFICER TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 FOR SALE INFORMATION CONTACT: (714)786-5351, (949) 252-8300 FOR REINSTATEMENT / PAY OFF REQUESTS CONTACT: (949) 252-8300 RPRequests@trusteecorps.com Ad #13271 2011-06-16 2011-06-23 2011-06-30 Trustee Sale No. CA09000928-11-1 APN 6067-010-042 Title Order No. 53000994 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED July 26, 2007.

UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On July 18, 2011, at 01:00 PM, At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL INC. dba TRUSTEE CORPS, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on August 8, 2007, as Instrument No. 20071864696, of Official Records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CA, executed by LEOPOLDO GUTIERREZ A SINGLE MAN, as Trustor(s), in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID DEED OF TRUST The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 2101 E 112TH ST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90059 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein.

Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest Theron, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $311,199.17 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: June 14, 2011 TRUSTEE CORPS TS No. CA09000928-11-1 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Paul Gutierrez, Authorized Signatory SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #13327 2011-06-23 2011-06-30 2011-07-07

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www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Hard lesson: Educators learn how not to teach children about slavery

BY TARICE L.S. GRAY SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THEDEFENDERSONLINE.COM Slavery as a topic needs no introduction to most Americans. But it does need an introduction to children; and how the facts of Negro slavery in America have been taught to school children has often been as fraught with tension and controversy.

The institution of slavery is considered in history as a form of man’s inhumanity to man, and its impact still lingers. Congress went so far as to apologize, in 2008, for the racism that was born out of slavery and its successor Jim Crow. But the subject that once divided a nation is an important part of our history. So it was not surprising that the lesson plan of a White Virginia elementary school teacher, introducing her fourth grade class last month to the issue of slavery, provoked a furious response.

What raised eyebrows was the six-year veteran’s approach. She conducted a mock slave auction in which she required and made her African-American students and mixed-race students play the role of the human property to be sold; her White students were the “buyers” of

their classmates of color.

The reaction from parents and educators was blistering, and the teacher faces disciplinary action.

Educator and historian Judith Bentley is the author of “Dear Friend: Thomas Garrett & William Still: Collaborators on the Underground Railroad.” Written for adolescents, it tells the story of two unlikely friends — Still, a free Black man, and Garrett, a White Quaker — joining together to help Blacks escape slavery. Her book has been used in classrooms as a teaching tool.

Bentley, who is White, sees the value in teaching through experience, but believes the incident in Virginia proves those teaching about slavery, especially those not from the Black community, should tread carefully.

She said, “I certainly understand the desire to teach through experience.

But I think it’s very hard to do.”

One educator who made it look easy is Jane Elliot. She is the author of the Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes experiment that has garnered praise over the course of four decades. In 1968 after Martin Luther King’s assassination, Elliot, then an elementary school teacher in Iowa, addressed her all-White class about the issue of race to help them understand what

King had died for. She asked for their participation, then segregated her young students according to eye color. Blue eyes were deemed to be superior and brown eyes inferior.

Unlike the Virginia re-enactment, the rules of division were arbitrary in Elliot’s case. According to Bentley, that’s why that lesson was successful. Elliot eliminated race as a factor. Bentley reiterated that separating children by race reinforces the racial problems that hide in the plain sight of society. In order to teach the valuable lessons of slavery, a teacher must know their audience and establish an appropriate plan of action along with sensitivity training.

Dr. Sharon Draper, a Milken National Teachers of the Year, an honor established by the Milken Family Foundation to reward outstanding educators, is the author of “Copper Sun,” a novel based on the slave experience. Draper believes proper planning and preparation are a must in confronting harsh lessons of the past. As an African American educator, she promotes educational building blocks as much-needed tools to help children absorb lessons that carry heavy baggage along with them. “I think the information (on

AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Jarrad Henderson

President of The Henry Ford, Patricia E. Mooradian, right, reads some of President Lincoln’s words to Judge Damon Keith, senior judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit while viewing the original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation on Monday, June 20, at The Henry Ford. slavery) should be given at grade four.” She explained, “It’s like you’re not ready for trigonometry in grade four but you are learning multiplication and division so that you’re ready for it when you get there.” Similarly, she said, children should “learn the building blocks in grade four about slavery, so that by the time (they’re) in eighth grade,

(they) you can (understand) the detailed intricacies.”

Moving forward, these controversies make a fundamental point: that when it comes to teaching children about slavery, proceed with caution—or simply don’t go there.

Tarice L.S. Gray is a freelance writer and blogger for GrayCurrent.com.