July 23, 2009
SERVING LOS ANGELES COUNTY WITH NEWS YOU CAN USE
Vol. XXX, No. 1137 FIRST COLUMN
President Obama: Civil Rights Leaders Paved Way for Him BY PHILIP ELLIOTT AP WRITER
NEW YORK (AP) — President Barack Obama on July 16 traced his historic rise to power to the vigor and valor of black civil rights leaders, telling a prominent black organization that their sacrifice “began the journey that has led me here.” America’s first black president bluntly warned, though, that racial barriers persist. “Make no mistake: The pain of discrimination is still felt in
America,” the president said in honoring the NAACP’s 100th convention. Rousing up his audience, Obama offered his most direct speech on race since winning the White House, a mix of personal reflection and policy promotion. He worked on it for about two weeks and revised it until shortly before he spoke, his aides said, underscoring the importance of his message and his audience. Implicit in his appearance: See OBAMA, page 12
AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari
PAYING RESPECTS — President Barack Obama speaks during the 100th anniversary convention of the NAACP, July 16, in New York.
Budget Stalemate Ends, While Dozens Protest Proposed Cuts BY INDIA ALLEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
California could finally see a new budget adopted soon. On July 21, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass announced in a teleconference that a bipartisan budget agreement — closing the state’s $26 billion deficit — had been reached, and could be voted on as early as this evening or Friday morning.
“I can’t promise you we won’t have to make additional cuts.” — Karen Bass, Assembly Speaker Though Bass spoke enthusiastically about finally ending the budget impasse, she said she it came at a cost. The price tag: $15.6 billion in cuts, including $660 million to education; $200 million to Cal Works; $54 million to the Healthy Families health insurance program and $21 million to in-home supportive services. Just one day before Bass’ announcement, more than 100 community members, students and teachers lined the sidewalks of the Santa Monica Airport entrance on Bundy and Airport drives, shouting slogans and holding signs in protest of the proposed cuts. Chants of “We’re fired up and won’t take it no more,” “The governor says he’s fine, working See BUDGET, page 11
Attorney General Holder Visits Watts BY PAT MUNSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
It’s not unusual to see cops driving around South Los Angeles with their lights flashing and crowds gathering around to see what’s happening. But, to some, it is strange to see this without ambulances in tow or officers with guns drawn. This was the scene, however, July 16 as Los Angeles police escorted Eric Holder, the U.S.
attorney general, into the recreation center at Nickerson Gardens in Watts. Holder joined L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Police Chief William Bratton, and city councilwoman Janice Hahn to get a firsthand look at what is being done to curb violence in the area. During the visit, Holder watched children play basketball inside the gym and observed an
Photo by PAT MUNSON
HOLDER HOLDS ATTENTION — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder talks with one of the participants in the Summer Night Lights program at Nickerson Gardens public housing project in Watts on July 16. Holder joined city officials to get a first-hand look at what is being done to curb violence in the area.
impromptu dance performance on an outside stage. He also took time to personally greet and pose for pictures with participants in the Summer Night Lights program, who were excited to have a prominent visitor on their turf, complete with Secret Service agents surrounding him. The housing project’s recreation center is part of Summer Night Lights, the city’s anti-gang program that has 16 sites in areas deemed Gang Reduction and Youth Development Zones, according to a city news release. Summer Night Lights — an effort in which Nike and LA84 teamed up with the city — provides park access at night to at-risk youth during the summer, a period when kids usually have idle time, according to the mayor’s office. The Watts Gang Task Force, started by Hahn in 2006, also aims to bring good change to Nickerson Gardens, which is known by many for its crimes. “I want to commend all of you who worked hard to form a relationship with the Los Angeles Police Department,” Holder said, sitting at a table with Bratton, Villaraigosa and See HOLDER, page 10
Photo by INDIA ALLEN
ACTIVISM STARTS YOUNG — A youth on July 20 joined more than 100 people of all ages and ethnicities at the “mourning” protest against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California budget cuts. Organized in part by the Community Coalition, the hour-long rally seemed to strike a chord with people driving by, who honked their horns and cheered in support of the protest. The governor travels by air and leaves from Santa Monica Airport, usually to go to Sacramento often, which is why protestors chose the site to hold the rally.
NEWS IN BRIEF THE SOUTHLAND Federal Judge Ends LAPD Consent Decree (AP) — A federal judge on July 17 released the Los Angeles Police Department from a decadelong consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice that was aimed at ensuring reforms after a corruption scandal. The city had been forced into the agreement under threat of being sued by the Justice Department’s civil rights division. City officials heralded the decision, which drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Gary Allen Feess also approved a proposed transition agreement requiring the department to report on its reform progress to the Los Angeles Police Commission. Feess said the court will keep jurisdiction over the agreement. The decree mandated more than 100 reforms, including improved training, a better system of monitoring officers’ performance, increased oversight of the antigang unit and a ban on racial profiling, and appointment of an outside monitor. Feess said in his decision that the circumstances confronting the court have “changed substantially,” and that when the decree was
issued the “LAPD was a troubled department whose reputation had been severely damaged by a series of crises.” Mary Grady, spokeswoman for Police Chief William Bratton, said the chief was pleased with the judge’s decision and thought it was overdue.
THE STATE L.A. County Will Sue State If It Takes Local Monies (AP) — Los Angeles County supervisors have voted to sue the state if California lawmakers pass a budget plan that would withhold more than $420 million in local funding. The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on July 21 to authorize a lawsuit if the Legislature approves a budget plan that “illegally” borrows local redevelopment and gas tax money. Lawmakers and the governor announced a tentative agreement on July 20 that would plug a $26 billion budget gap. Borrowing local tax funds is part of the proposed solution. L.A. County could lose $109 million in gas taxes and more than $313 million in redevelopment funding next year if the deal is approved.
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See BRIEFS, page 6
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L.A. WATTS TIMES
July 23, 2009
OPINION EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON
Blacks and Hispanics Biggest Losers if Real Health Care Reform Flops President Barack Obama’s drive for some form of universal health care could be in real trouble. If that’s the case, the biggest losers by far will be African Americans and Hispanics. A Washington Post/ABC News Poll found that public support for Obama’s plan is badly fraying. This is no surprise. The instant Obama announced that he would make health care reform his defining issue, the health care reform opponents kicked the attack into high gear. The two hit points are that it’s too costly and too intrusive; meaning that it would snatch from Americans the right to private choice and dump health care into the alleged slipshod, inefficient hands of government bureaucrats. The real fear, and this could never openly be voiced, is the horror of private insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and major medical practitioners of having to treat millions of uninsured, profit-losing, healthchallenged blacks and Hispanics. The huge racial disparity in the number of uninsured has been a sticking point for every Democratic president since Harry Truman proposed the first national health care plan in the late 1940s. The numbers of blacks and Hispanics without a prayer of obtaining health care at any price has always been wildly disproportionate to that of whites, even poor whites. And it has steadily gotten worse over the years. According to the Common-
wealth Fund, blacks and Hispanics make up nearly half of the estimated 50 million Americans who have no health care insurance. They are far more likely than the one in four uninsured whites to experience problems getting treatment at a hospital or clinic. This has devastating health and public-policy consequences. Another study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that they are far more likely than whites to suffer higher rates of catastrophic illness and disease, and are much less likely to obtain basic drugs, tests, preventive screenings and surgeries. They are more likely to recover slower from illness, and they die much younger. Studies have found that when blacks and Hispanics do receive treatment, the care they receive is more likely to be substandard than that of whites. Reports indicate that even when blacks and Hispanics are enrolled in high-quality health plans, the gap in the care and quality of medical treatment still remains. Private insurers routinely cherry pick the healthiest and most financially secure patients in order to bloat profits and hold down costs. American medical providers spend twice as much per patient than providers in countries with universal health care, and they provide lower quality for the grossly inflated dollars. Patients pay more in higher insurance premiums, co-payments,
fees and other hidden health costs. At the same time, government medical insurance programs shell out more than public insurers in other countries with universal health care. With much fanfare, three major hospital groups and those in the pharmaceutical industry a few weeks ago announced that they would plow in together more than $200 billion into health care reform. This appeared to be a major step toward breaking the age-old logjam on getting real health care reform. That’s hardly the case. Neither the pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, or private industry groups publicly pledged to fully drop their opposition to providing coverage and at-cost medicines to those considered “high risk” or, less charitably, “undesirables.” Those are the millions who suffer chronic and major diseases — cancer, diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Blacks and Hispanics have far greater incidences of these ailments than whites. Even when they have the means to pay, they can be excluded from coverage if afflicted with these medical maladies. The health care industry’s reform plan is vague, tentative, and subject to change at every step of the negotiating process. They still have a free hand to exclude high-risk cases from coverage. The much-debated “public option” is the only government check and balance to guarantee covSee HUTCHINSON, page 10
Same-Sex Marriage, Religiosity & Black Civil Rights Orthodoxies BY SIKIVU HUTCHINSON
Last year’s debate over California’s Proposition 8 exposed deep racial fault lines around the issue of same-sex marriage in African American communities across the state. After polls showed an overwhelming number of blacks supported the initiative, some liberal whites came out swinging, blaming blacks for the initiative’s defeat in racist diatribes against African American hypocrisy on civil rights. Black religiosity and social conservatism were deemed to be the “culprits” for the failure of same-sex marriage to galvanize mainstream black support. As marriage equality advocates of color gear up for another organizing offensive in the wake of the California Supreme Court’s decision upholding Proposition 8, it is abundantly clear that when it comes to gay rights, bucking the black religious establishment on civil rights “orthodoxy” continues to be a third-rail issue. Exhibit A in this quagmire is the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (or SCLC, the civil rights organization once headed by Martin Luther King Jr.), which recently threatened to fire Los Angeles chapter head the Rev. Eric Lee for his outspoken advocacy of same-sex marriage.
The SCLC’s rebuke of Lee reflects a recent L.A. Times poll that showed 54 percent of African Americans remain steadfastly opposed to same-sex marriage. In this regard, straight privilege and religious privilege have converged in a decidedly unholy alliance. The tiresome debate over whether gay and lesbian liberation struggle is a “civil rights” issue hinges on proprietary claims to the Civil Rights Movement legacy that supposedly only straight black folks are entitled to. According to this logic, equality for gays and lesbians isn’t a civil right because there were no state-sanctioned segregation laws barring gays and lesbians from employment, schools or housing — an argument which is just as absurd as asserting that gender equity is not a civil rights issue because there were no poll taxes, grandfather clauses, or literacy tests for white women at the voting booth before 1920. In this reductive universe, all women are white and all gays are white. And the notion that systematized oppression, as well as systematized privilege and entitlement, intersect via multiple identities is unheard of. Yet black gay and lesbian slaves worked in plantation houses and fields alongside
straights while h a v i n g their lives, identities and right to love tacitly, if not violently, suppressed by a regime that bruSikivu Hutchinson tally exploited black reproduction. Black gay and lesbian youth sit in classrooms where they are ritually called out of their names, dehumanized by harassment that passes for harmless jocularity, and rendered invisible by cultural norms that equate attractiveness, social acceptance and authentic masculinity and femininity with being heterosexual. And black gay and lesbian partners live in segregated neighborhoods, struggle with unequal access to health care and housing, while being denied the privilege of marital benefits to give them a leg up in society stratified by race, gender, sexual orientation and class. Conflating biblical literalism with morality, Christian partisans condemn same-sex marriage as blasphemy while conveniently rejecting the archaic racial hierarchies that the Bible espouses. See SIKIVU HUTCHINSON, page 11
When Identity Became the Enemy BY MAYA RUPERT CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The demand that Judge Sonia Sotomayor assure the Senate Judiciary Committee that personal experiences have no role in a judge’s decision-making process was odd for a number of reasons, not the least of which because no one seems to believe it’s true. Still, Sotomayor did an impressive job at walking back a number of comments she has made to the contrary, convincing senators who have been skeptical of her that she can somehow ignore everything she has previously learned in favor of fidelity to fact, law and absolutely nothing else. The idea that she can do that is ridiculous, but so is the idea that we would want her to. Judges’ perspectives give them insight that is not found in the factual background or legal analysis of a case. That perspective is informed by experience, background and, yes, identity. And the value of a diverse judiciary is that when we have a number of different perspectives represented, every case gets the benefit of multiple points of view, and we get closer to a just conclusion. We not only allow judges to draw from their personal experiences, we expect them to. Judges consistently acknowledge that a number of personal factors inform their decisions. Justice Samuel Alito admitted during his confirmation hearings that he would view discrimination cases that came before the court by considering discrimination he saw members of his family face.
It was an uncontroversial statement for a white man to make and was perceived as such. So while Sotomayor spent days pinky swearMaya Rupert ing to the junior senator from Alabama that she would ignore every experience she has ever had once she donned her robe in order to be impartial, Alito and others rely on their experiences with impunity. Such contradictions have prompted commentators to speculate that what we call objectivity is not objective at all, but is instead based on the biases of straight, white men. But this is only half the problem. Justice Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court’s sole black justice, wrote in his recent autobiography that after graduating from Yale, he felt his law degree was worthless because employers saw him only as a product of Affirmative Action. This theme — that Affirmative Action creates an inferiority complex within minorities and a perception that they are unqualified — is present in Thomas’ opinions in Affirmative Action cases. Thus, Thomas’ belief that Affirmative Action is damaging to people of color is clearly influenced by his own personal experiences, and indeed, by his race. But this fact has never created a problem for Thomas. On the other hand, Sotomayor’s admission that she got into Princeton and Yale with the aid of Affirmative Action immediately See RUPERT, page 3
FOR THE RECORD In a July 2 brief titled “QuickBooks Training to Take Place In July,” the L.A. Watts Times reported that the training will take place in Hawthorne. In fact, the training will take place in Gardena. In a July 9 photo, the L.A. Watts Times misidentified the First Lady of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles as Vanessa Hunter. In fact, the First Lady’s name is Denise Hunter.
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July 23, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
BIZSHORTS Black Chamber to Have Breakfast Reception The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce on July 24 will present “How to Really do Business,” 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., in the Community Conference Room, 5120 W. Goldleaf Circle, Suite 10AG, Los Angeles. (Enter on right side of building.) The program will feature Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Commissioner Forescee Hogan-Rowles. The breakfast reception will focus on how to do business with the LADWP, and the programs, products and services the department offers. This will also be an opportunity for business owners to learn about upcoming bid opportunities with the LADWP. Admission is free for chamber members. Admission for nonmembers is $10. RSVP information: (323) 2921297, info@glaaacc.org.
Provenzano Resources to Hold Open House at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Provenzano Resources Inc. will hold an open house at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza for retailers, wholesalers, crafters and related professionals. The event will take place Aug. 4, noon to 1:30 p.m., in the plaza’s Community Room. Learn about cart/RMU and temporary in-line opportunities. Meet with the PRI business development team. RSVP by e-mailing Allison@ ProResourcesInc.com. More information: Allison Szabo, (310) 990-2182.
Boston Offers Loan to Struggling Minority Paper BOSTON (AP) — Boston Mayor Tom Menino says the city is willing to offer a $200,000 loan to prevent the city’s financially struggling African American weekly newspaper from shutting down permanently.
The 44-year-old Bay State Banner suspended publication and laid off 12 employees this month, blaming a steep drop in advertising. Menino tells The Boston Globe that the loan will come from the Boston Local Development Corp., a private nonprofit administered by the Boston Redevelopment Authority that provides cash to struggling small businesses. The free paper has often been critical of Menino, but the mayor says the loan in not an attempt to curry favor, but to help a business that’s important to the minority community. The Banner’s executive editor had no comment on the loan.
Obama Chooses Harvard Law Grad to Head EEOC WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is choosing an NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund lawyer to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Jacqueline Berrien
The White House announced Obama’s decision to nominate Jacqueline Berrien on July 16. She has been the fund’s associate director-counsel since September 2004. The Harvard Law School graduate also has worked for the Ford Foundation’s Peace and Social Justice Program, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union. In a statement, Obama notes Berrien’s “passion and leadership” and says he’s confident she will make sure the EEOC lives up to its mission of eliminating discrimination in the workplace.
RUPERT Continued from page 2 prompted questions about her qualifications. The difference is that Sotomayor’s statements about race indicate a willingness to rely on identity to the systematic advantage of minorities instead of the systematic disadvantage. The strike against Sotomayor was not that we have a general discomfort with the fact that race can influence a judge’s decision-making process; it was the way race would influence her decision-making process. Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings have revealed a frightening trend: To the extent that it reinforces the dominant power structure, identity is seen as just another part of a judge’s perspective. However, to the extent that it challenges that structure, an appeal to identity is seen as a betrayal of a judge’s goal of impartiality and evidence of bigotry. Identity politics is being coopted as a tool against minority groups. Previously, there has been a critique that straight, white men were excluded from discussions about identity. In an ironic role reversal,
this now seems to be the critique that will be made in minority communities. At some point, minorities stopped being able to freely discuss identity without fear of being labeled prejudiced in some way. It seems identity politics has become the province of the majority and minorities may appeal to it only insofar as it justifies the status quo. If identity matters to a judge, then it should be allowed to matter for all judges, regardless of which way it will sway their decisions. And watching the Senate trip all over that point last week terrifies me to my very core for the way we have started to view identity in this country. While Sotomayor has almost certainly survived her confirmation hearings, sadly, I don’t think identity politics fared as well. Maya Rupert is an attorney in downtown Los Angeles. She has previously contributed to the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as other publications. Her column explores issues of race, gender and politics and appears in the L.A. Watts Times regularly. She can be reached at maya.rupert@gmail.com.
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BUSINESS Facing Foreclosure? Save Your Home The housing crisis took a breather for a bit. President Barack Obama had asked for a suspension on foreclosures. And, he got it — from November till April. But now, foreclosures are on the rise, again. A total of 1,905,723 foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on about 1.5 million U.S. properties in the first six months of 2009, a 9 percent increase in total properties from the previous six months and a nearly 15 percent increase in total properties from the first six months of 2008, according to RealtyTrac’s Midyear 2009 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. That report also showed that 1.19 percent of all U.S. housing units (one in 84) received at least one foreclosure filing in the first half of the year. “In spite of the industry-wide moratorium earlier this year, along with local, state and national legislative action and increased levels of loan modification activity, foreclosure activity continues to increase to record levels,” James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac said in a statement. “Unemployment-related foreclosures account for much of this increased activity, and the high number of borrowers who find themselves owing more on their mortgages than their homes represent a potentially significant future risk.” If you are among those affected by the current economic crisis — perhaps you’ve lost your job and you’re having trouble paying your bills and mortgage, or perhaps you may owe more on your mortgage than your house is worth — these are anxious times. No doubt your mind is filled with questions: Can you refinance? Should you walk away from your home or should you dip into your rainy day and retirement accounts to help make ends meet? According to financial planning and mortgage experts, the first two steps are these: Stay calm and seek qualified help. Drew Sygit, of The Lending Edge Team, says that in advance to consulting with a financial planner, you might consider the following options: Refinance If your home is worth less than what you owe on the mortgage, “underwater” or “upside down” as experts describe it, and you want to stay in your home, you might be eligible to refinance your loan, according to Sygit. Under Obama’s “Making Home Affordable” program, there are two options: a 125 percent refinance program (recently upped from 105 percent) and a loan modification program. With the 125 percent option, Sygit says banks will — if certain conditions are met — refinance up to 125 percent of the current appraised value of your home. This option, which is part of the Homeowner Affordability & Stabilization Program (HASP) announced Feb. 18 requires that you have good credit, income and assets. In addition, Sygit said your mortgage must be a “conforming” loan; it must be owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
Sygit also noted that this option also applies to second homes and investment properties. However, no second mortgages or other debts can be rolled into this refinance program. In addition, as of May 1, lenders must abide by the Home Valuation Code of Conduct. That code is designed to enhance the independence and accuracy of the appraisal process, and provide added protections for homebuyers, mortgage investors, and the housing market, according to Freddie Mac. Loan Modification Instead of refinancing under Obama’s Making Home Affordable program, you could modify your loan, Sygit said. But be forewarned, it’s not always easy to do. Under this option, which is also part of HASP, the loan must have closed prior to Jan. 1, 2009. Only your primary residence is eligible, and you must demonstrate financial hardship. However, you don’t have to be behind on your mortgage payments, he said. In addition, Sygit said your property’s loan-to-value ratio doesn’t matter, neither does your credit rating. The goal of a modification is to get your housing expenses — mortgage principal and interest, property taxes and property insurance (PITI) — down to 31 percent of your gross monthly income. Lenders will seek to lower your mortgage payment by reducing your interest rate in 1/8 percent increments, to a floor of 2 percent, then by extending the term of your mortgage by up to 40 years, and then by deferring part of your principal and corresponding payments for five years. This only applies to conforming loans, those owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Federal Housing Authority and the Veteran’s Administration have their own requirements. Avoid Scams Sadly, there are plenty of firms taking advantage of Americans desperate to save their homes. So, before applying to refinance or modify your loan, Sygit recommends that you visit FinCEN.gov, Freddie
✁
Mac.com and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Web sites. Those sites can help you avoid falling victim to mortgage fraud. Tap Your Emergency Funds and Retirement Accounts No doubt, in your efforts to “save your home,” you’ll likely consider whether to tap your rainy day fund and other accounts, including your individual retirement account (IRA) and 401(k) plans. According to Sygit, before you tap such funds, be sure to determine your “burn rate” — how much more you’re spending each month than taking in. If it appears that you would exhaust all your rainy day funds within a short period of time, it might make more sense to let your home go to foreclosure. If, however, it appears that you have enough funds to cover several months of expenses comfortably, you could justify liquidating your assets to save your home. The biggest challenge in this decision process is rationally evaluating your chances of increasing your income or reducing your expenses so that your burn-rate goes to zero. Of course, you should crunch these numbers with the help of a team of financial professionals. Financial planners can help you determine the most tax-efficient way to tap your assets to create income. This column is produced by the Financial Planning Association, the membership organization for the financial planning community, and is provided by Percy E. Bolton, CFP, a local member of FPA. Bolton can be reached at office@percybolton.com.
Facts July 23, 1967 Forty-three persons are killed in a rebellion in Detroit. Federal troops are called out for the first time since the Detroit riot of 1943 to quell the largest racial rebellion in a U.S. city in the 20th century. More than 2,000 people are injured; some 5,000 are arrested; more than 1,400 fires are reported. Source: blackfacts.org
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L.A. WATTS TIMES
July 23, 2009
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MEETINGS, FORUMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ACLU Seeking to Postpone Closure of Los Angeles Jail
Photo by LAUREN MICHELLE
A DAUGHTER’S LOVE — Twelve-year-old Milan Wicks, left, is joined by her sister, Jailyn Lewis, 8, and her mother, Shawn Brown, at the unmarked grave site of her father Kevin Wicks, July 20, in Los Angeles. Milan created the Web site www.kevinewicks.com as an outlet to help her mourn the death of her father, who was killed by Inglewood police one year ago, and hopes to raise money through the site in order to purchase a head stone for Wicks’ grave.
(AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking a court order to stop the closing of a northern Los Angeles County jail until more studies are conducted. In a federal court filing July 13, the ACLU asked for a preliminary injunction requiring the sheriff’s department to study how shutting down the 1,600-bed jail would affect conditions in the county’s other jails. The ACLU claims the department’s failure to adequately plan for closures in the past has led to riots and caused severe overcrowding at the downtown Men’s Central Jail. Sheriff Lee Baca’s spokesman, Steve Whitmore, said the sheriff faces $25 million in budget cuts and has no choice.
to an immigration court for further review. Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matthew Chandler said on July 15 that the agency “continues to view domestic violence as a possible basis for asylum in the United States.” The woman’s bid for asylum
was turned down by an immigration judge in San Francisco a few years ago, and she appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals in Arlington, Va. The department urged that the case get further review, saying that in some cases, foreign domestic violence victims could be granted asylum.
Domestic Violence Victims May Get Asylum (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security has opened the door to the possibility that immigrants who have been victims of domestic violence could qualify for asylum. The move came to light when the government asked that the case of a Mexican woman who claims she was severely beaten by her common-law husband be sent back
Photo by MARTY COTWRIGHT
MARCH FOR THE CONGO — Scores of people joined with Mothers for Africa on July 18 in a march to raise awareness of the violence currently taking place in the Congo, in central Africa. Marchers traveled east on Sunset Boulevard from La Brea Avenue to the offices of CNN at Cahuenga Boulevard, where they held a protest rally.
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July 23, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
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FRIDAY, JULY 24TH, 7:10PM A Tribute to Elvis Night Friday Night Fireworks
SATURDAY, JULY 25TH, 7:10PM Hollywood Stars Softball Game
SUNDAY, JULY 26TH, 1:10PM Kids Appreciation Sunday Webkinz Giveaway
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L.A. WATTS TIMES
July 23, 2009
COMMUNITY
WHAT’S GOING ON? Deadline for receipt of What’s Going On listings is Friday, 12 p.m., at least two weeks prior to activity. Fax to: (213) 251-5720, e-mail us at lawattsnus@aol.com or mail to: L.A. Watts Times, 3540 Wilshire Blvd., PH3, Los Angeles, CA 90010. JAZZ BENEFIT — The ASHÉ Foundation will present “An Evening of Jazz,” a wine tasting, jazz benefit and auction, Aug. 2, 5 to 8 p.m., at the RedWhite+Bluezz Jazz Club, 101 E. Green St., Pasadena. The event will feature Los Angeles Police Department Captain Ann E. Young, former NBA player-turned NASCAR racer Derek Strong and more. Proceeds will benefit the successful distribution of shoes, soccer equipment, clothing and medical supplies to 3,000 children in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, who have been orphaned by the devastating effects caused by HIV/AIDS and the destructive second civil war in Liberia. Tickets are being pre-sold and are on sale for $75 per person. Valet parking is included in the price of the ticket. Tickets purchasing information: (323) 850-6964, info@theashefoundation.org, www.theashefoundation.org. Semi-formal attire is requested. ROUNDTABLE — The Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable meets Saturdays, 10 to 11:30 a.m., in Leimert Park at the Lucy Florence Coffeehouse, 3351 W. 43rd St., Los Angeles. The roundtable features expert speakers on hot-button local and national issues, followed by an open discussion. It is free and open to the public. Information: (323) 383-6145. WHALE WATCH — The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium invites the public to join them to search for the great whales that visit the West Coast during the summer. Researchers believe there are only about 10,000 blue whales in the
BRIEFS Continued from page 1
Governor Appoints African Americans to Judgeships SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced the appointment of Stephanie M. Bowick, to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Bowick, 46, of Pasadena, has worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District, where she has served as an assistant general counsel since 2001. She fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Joe W. Hilberman.
Stephanie M. Bostwick
Debrah Harris
The governor has also announced the appointment of Debra Harris to a judgeship in the San Bernardino County Superior Court.
world and about 2,000 of them congregate each summer off the California coast to feed in nutrientrich waters. Guests will board a 90foot yacht Aug. 8, 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $30 and reservations are required. The museum is located at 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro. Information: (310) 5487562, www.cabrilloaq.com. GANG TALK — Longtime community activist Lita Herron hosts “Gang Talk with Sister Herron,” Thursdays, 6 to 6:30 p.m., on KTYM-AM 1460. The show will address the impact of gangs and violence on families and communities. SEASHORE MORNINGS — The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium invites first and second graders to discover the wonders of slime — and much more — during the weeklong Science at the Seashore program, “Galloping Snails and Other Fishy Tales.” Participants will get close-up views of sea snails “galloping” and other seashore animals in the laboratory, aquarium and along the surrounding shoreline. Children will create their own storybooks, go crab fishing, and make records of their daily discoveries. The program takes place Aug. 3 through Aug. 7, 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $85 and includes a Science at the Seashore T-shirt. The museum is at 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro. Information: (310) 5487562, www.cabrilloaq.com. W.I.T.N.E.S.S. BOOK CLUB — Women Inspired Through Networking Elements Sister to Sister is a literary ministry that reaches beyond the boundaries of an ordinary book club. Women from all backgrounds come together to fellowship, network and challenge each other to move higher in God. The club meets the fourth Friday of every month. This month’s meeting will be July 24, 7 p.m., at 400
Corporate Pointe, Suite 595, Culver City. Information: (310) 686-1860, www.witnessbookclub.com. WORKSHOP — KRST Unity Center is sponsoring a free workshop for senior homeowners (ages 62 and older) to increase their cash flow for life and eliminate mortgage payments. The workshop will provide information from this federally regulated program on how to increase monthly cash flow to pay for medical expenses, receive home care, home improvements, and pay for long-term care insurance. The workshop will be held every Thursday, 10 to 11:30 a.m., in the Hall of Maat, 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles. Participants should register because seating is limited. Speakers will be the Rev. E. Jay Pierce and “Mr. Happy” Howard Eley. Information: (310) 770-7104. JAZZ VESPERS — The Grant African Methodist Episcopal Lay Organization will present its final installment of its Jazz Vespers services July 26, 3:50 p.m., at Grant AME Church, 10435 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles. A reception will take place after the service. Jazz Vespers is a contemporary afternoon worship service to fulfill the organization’s objective of evangelism. The music of jazz is incorporated into the service to reach a new group of worshippers and to provide our regular congregants a different worship experience. Elaine M. Fletcher-Thompson will be the speaker and trumpeter Leslie Drayton and Fun will perform. Admission is free and open to all. Information: (323) 564-1151. STORYTELLING HOUR — Leimert Park’s Eso Won Bookstore presents this program every third Saturday of the month, 2 to 3 p.m. Children of all ages are welcomed. The bookstore is at 4331 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 290-1048.
Harris, 56, of Victorville, has worked for the San Bernardino Public Defender’s Office where she has served as a chief deputy public defender since 2009 and previously as a supervising deputy and deputy public defender from 1994 until 2009. Information from: governor’s press office.
Black Scholar’s Arrest Raises Profiling Questions
THE NATION Riot Police Separate Protesters in Texas Town PARIS, Texas (AP) — Texas state riot police swarmed into the streets of an eastern Texas town and broken up a tense standoff between screaming black separatists and white supremacists. About 100 people protesting the state’s handling of a black man’s dragging death case July 21 avoided a designated protest zone near the courthouse in the Texas town of Paris and marched through downtown streets. They were met by about a dozen white supremacist protesters. One skinhead and one shirtless man, both of them white, were arrested by Lamar County deputies after exchanging words with a deputy.
BOSTON (AP) — Charges have been dropped against Henry Louis Gates Jr., the nation’s pre-eminent black scholar, who was arrested at his home near Harvard University after forcing his way through his front Henry Louis door because it was Gates Jr. jammed. Gates was initially arrested on a disorderly conduct charge last July 16 after police said he “exhibited loud and tumultuous behavior.” He was released later that day on his own recognizance. A neighbor called police to say that a man appeared to be breaking into the home that Gates rents from Harvard. Police refused to comment on the arrest. Gates’ lawyer, Charles Ogletree, said he gave an officer who responded to reports of a break-in his driver’s license and Harvard identification, but became upset when the officer continued to question him. He disputed claims that Gates was yelling at the officer. Gates is the director of Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research.
Judi Ann Mason Succumbs BY PAT MUNSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Family, friends and associates bid farewell July 17 to one of the first black female writers in Hollywood who died suddenly, reportedly of a ruptured aorta, July 8. Judi Ann Mason, also referred to by close friends as “JAM,” was a playwright, screenwriter and television producer. During a memorial service held at The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, industry insiders who worked with Mason over the years paid homage to the writer who paved the way for others to follow in her footsteps. Mason wrote the scripts for many television shows, including “Good Times,” “A Different World,” “Beverly Hill 90210” and “I’ll Fly Away.” She was also a co-writer on “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” starring Whoopi Goldberg. Born in Shreveport, La., to the late Rev. Walter Mason Sr. and Zeola Stewart Mason, Judi Mason came to Hollywood to pursue her writing career after graduating summa cum laude from Grambling State University in 1977, where she also pledged Delta Sigma Theta. Practically a lone black female writer when she started, Mason had to deal with racial overtones and white writers whose writing seemed to portray black characters with all the negative stereotypes of that era. Mason strived to give black characters more realistic dialogue that portrayed the diversity in black life. According to friends, Mason stood up to the powers that be and demanded more black writers. When black writers did come along, Mason was more than generous in her support and encouragement, helping many along the way during her 25plus years in the industry. “She did that for so many people,” said Tina Andrews, an awardwinning writer and former actress who portrayed a love interest in the first interracial relationship on daytime television. While playing a nurse studying to be a doctor on “Guiding Light,” Andrews was not happy with the dialogue written for her character by white writers. During this period, she met Mason. They both agreed that more blacks were needed to write dialogue that didn’t perpetuate the negative stereotypes of black people. Mason encouraged Andrews to start writing her own scripts instead of waiting for white writers to get it right. Andrews took Mason’s advice and eventually authored a bestseller “Sally Hemings, An American Scandal: The Struggle To Tell The Controversial True Story,” about President Thomas Jefferson and his black lover, Sally Hemings. In 2000, the book was turned into an acclaimed CBS mini series, with Andrews as the scriptwriter. “There was such a sisterhood. She wasn’t angry about helping other writers,” said Andrews, who spoke by phone from New York where she is working on a new stage play. “Judi was like the godmother to African American female writers. We called her the woman with the broken foot because she kicked in so many doors for us. “People have to know this woman. She’s not just a footnote. She was very giving of her time.” Olivia Brown, who played
Judi Ann Mason
Trudy on “Miami Vice” in the 1980s, attended the service with her stepmother, Ja’Net DuBois, of “Good Times” fame. DuBois said: “I am heartbroken. I’ve lost a sister, a friend and I can’t say anymore.” Raeven Larrymore Kelly, at three years old, worked with Mason on “I’ll Fly Away.” “My mother taught me how to read reading her lines,” said Kelly, who also played the young Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” “Her words gave black women a voice on screen. As a former child actress I am honored to have known her.”
Photo by PAT MUNSON
GOOD TIMES — Ja’Net Dubois (right) of “Good Times” fame and Olivia Brown, who played Trudy on “Miami Vice,” stand in the church where their friend and Hollywood writer Judi Ann Mason was eulogized July 17. Mason died suddenly July 8.
Mason not only had an impact on black women writers and actresses, but black men also found strength in her experience and sage advice. Actor T.K. Carter, who spoke during the service, talked about all the laughs they shared and the encouragement Mason gave to him when he felt discouraged. “She told me I couldn’t stop; I had to keep going,” she said. Stage actor Charles Reese called Mason, “A woman warrior for our cultural arts village, and especially spirit warrior for African American women here and abroad.” At the time of her death, Mason was in pre-production for her first independent film, “Motherland,” about a college history instructor taking middle-class African American students to Africa. “I was so engrossed with her. She was so down to earth … You rarely hear people in this industry talk openly about God,” said Ken Smart, by phone from London. Smart, a Nigeria-born actor said Mason had selected him to play the African prime minister in “Motherland.” “She was so confident about what she was saying. On a daily basis she said things that inspire me, encourage me. My life has changed. When I talk to this woman she gives my life purpose and direction.” Actor Louis Gossett Jr. said Mason always reminded him that the measure of his success was determined by his faith in God. “It is easy to trust God when everything is going well, but we have to trust God when things appear bad,” he said. Mason is survived by a daughter, son, one brother, two sisters, and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.
July 23, 2009
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COMMUNITY
Son of Slain Panther Leader to Visit Los Angeles BY THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA ASSISTANT EDITOR
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the murders of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, members of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Chicago. The two men were killed in a hail of bullets in the morning hours of Dec. 4, 1969, during a pre-dawn raid that was the product of collusion between the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois State Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to documentaries and books with recorded testimonies of the incident. Fred Hampton, chairman of the chapter, was the target of the raid. A charismatic organizer who had brokered a truce between Chicago’s largest street gangs, Hampton was incapacitated when the raid began, due to a sedative being placed in his drink earlier in the evening by an FBI informant. Hampton was shot twice in the head as he lay next to his wife, Deborah Johnson, who was roughly 81/2 months pregnant at the time. Their son, “Chairman” Fred Hampton Jr., who would be born Dec. 29, has carried on the tradition of his father, and will be in Los Angeles July 25 at Leimert Park’s Kaos Network, hosting a screening
of the documentary “The Murder of Fred Hampton.” The film showing is part of a tour by Hampton’s organization, the Prisoners of Conscience Committee, leading up to the 40th anniversary on Dec. 4 in Chicago. “We’ll be showing the footage, have a Q-and-A, an update on the campaigns we have taken on,” Hampton said. “We call December 4 ‘International Revolutionary Day,’ which we do every year in Chicago. We have a remembrance in front of the site (where Hampton was murdered), one of our communities’ ‘ground zeros,’ one of the most brutal acts of U.S. terrorism to occur on U.S. soil, also referred to as the ‘Massacre on Monroe.’ ” Hampton said that on Dec. 4 there will be films, “panel discussions and culture, all geared toward explaining the importance of revolutionaries past and present, the current state of political prisoners, and what our communities are subjected to.” The work Hampton and other members of the committee will do in Los Angeles includes the “triple S” — Straight Street Sessions — which is designed to take the type of meeting the group will have at the Kaos Network to the streets if community members are unable to come to the meeting.
Additionally, Hampton says he would be remiss if he did not visit with some of his father’s comrades — members of the Los Angeles chapter of the Black Panther Party, like Roland Freeman. Freeman, who currently works with at-risk youth, was a 24-year-old party member in 1969 when the L.A. chapter was attacked in a predawn raid similar to that of the Panthers in Chicago. The Los Angeles Police Department’s SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team surrounded Panther headquarters at 41st Street and Central Avenue about 5 a.m. Dec. 8. A standoff ensued that would last five hours. Eleven Panthers, four of whom were wounded by police gunfire, were arrested on a variety of charges including conspiracy to murder police. Freeman was one of those wounded. As in the case of the Panthers in Chicago, an informant had provided information to police about the party’s activities. Although Freeman never had the chance to meet Fred Hampton Sr., he says he “respected him and the work of the Chicago chapter.” The Minister of Information for the POCC, known as JR, will also speak on July 25. JR is an associate editor of the San Francisco BayView
Photo courtesy of THE POCC
THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES — JR, left, and “Chairman” Fred Hampton Jr., right, visiting a favela (a settlement) in Brazil in November of 2007. Both JR and Hampton will be in Los Angeles July 25, showing the film “The Murder of Fred Hampton.” The film is about the political assassination of the leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party by Chicago police.
newspaper and the anchor for Block Report Radio. JR will update attendees on the current state of the campaign to win what he calls justice for Oscar Grant and the Oakland 100. Grant was the 22-year-old who was shot in the back on an Oakland subway station platform on New Year’s Day by Johannes Mehserle. Mehserle has been ordered to stand trial for Grant’s murder, but his attorney has sought for a change of venue. The Oakland 100 are protestors who were charged with a variety of crimes in the wake of a protest march for Grant that turned into a
mini-rebellion. Several cars and storefronts were damaged during the protest. “The Murder of Fred Hampton” will be shown at the Kaos Network, 4343 Leimert Blvd., Los Angeles, at 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.blockreportradio.com.
Facts July 23, 1900 The Pan-African Congress meets in London. Some of the attendees of the Congress are Henry Sylvester Williams, W.E.B. DuBois, Anna Julia Cooper and Bishop Alexander Walters. Source: blackfacts.org
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L.A. WATTS TIMES
July 23, 2009
ARTS & CULTURE SHORT TAKES CONCERTS • The 22nd Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival will take place Aug. 7 to 9 at Rainbow Lagoon Park, on Shoreline Drive at Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. This year’s performers include Summer Storm featuring Norman Brown, Patti Austin and others; Jazz Attack featuring Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler and Richard Elliot; and the Al Williams Jazz Society featuring Barbara Morrison and several musicians. Tickets for general admission/lawn seating are $45 in advance and $50 at the gate. VIP seating and reserved box seats are also available. The gates open at 5 p.m. with a 7 p.m. showtime on Aug. 7, and the gates open at 11 a.m. with a noon showtime on Aug. 8 and 9. Information: www.longbeachjazz festival.com, (562) 424-0013. • Billy Mitchell Productions will present a “Tribute To World Music” as part of the Levitt Pavilion Summer Concert Series July 26, 7 p.m., at 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. The tribute will combine performances of traditional music from various countries with contemporary sounds to create a multicultural event with offerings from The Billy Mitchell Group, Mexico, Brazil and many other countries. Information: www.billymitchell.com. • Local artist Janique will perform July 24, 10 p.m., at Leimert
Park’s Kaos Network, 4343 Leimert Blvd., Los Angeles. Janique will perform songs from her new compact disc “Trial By Fire.” The CD, which will be available at the concert, is also available at www. cdbaby.com, and the title track, “Trial by Fire,” can be downloaded at iTunes.com. Information: (310) 990-5442. • The Wild Magnolias will present a taste of Mardi Gras in the summer time at the Skirball Cultural Center Aug. 6, 8 p.m., at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. The Wild Magnolias are well known
for their on-stage flamboyance and their funky roots music, which celebrates the life and culture of Mardi Gras Indians, originally a secret society of African Americans that
battled segregation in the late 1800s, and whose name pays homage to the Native Americans, who assisted runaway slaves before emancipation. Information: (310) 440-4500, www. skirball.org.
ANNIVERSARY • The California Black Women’s Health Project will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a breakfast gala entitled “Women Who Dared: Our Legacy & Our Future,” honoring actress and HIV/AIDS activist Sheryl Lee Ralph; Octavia Miles, a community activist; and Joyce Jones Guinyard, administrative director of the UCLA Center to Eliminate Health Disparities. There will be tributes in dance, music and spoken word. This event will be held Aug. 3, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., at The City Club on Bunker Hill, on
Sheryl Lee Ralph
the 54th floor of the Wells Fargo Center, 333 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Individual tickets are $100 and sponsorship opportunities are available. Information: (310) 412-1828, www.cabwhp.org.
DVDS • “Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jump-off,” which is billed as “a provocatively frank look at the rap music video industry,” premiered on DVD July 14. Director Thomas Gibson presents some of hip-hop’s bestselling recording artists such as Akon, Ja Rule, TPain and several others, speaking on the phenomenon of hip-hop groupies and the underside of the rap industry. Known as the “video vixen culture” made famous by fellow interviewee Karrine Steffans, the 93-minute film is narrated by talk radio personality Wendy Williams. Cost: $14.98. • The UniverSoul Circus recently released “Feel Like a Kid Again,” a DVD designed to bring the feel of the live spectacle into the homes of millions of fans around the world. “Feel Like a Kid Again” takes the viewer on a journey around the world filled with a combination of funky urban-pop renditions of traditional Circus, theater arts and music. The DVD features many fascinating performances including the astounding flying trapeze performers from Shanghai, China; seven Colombian motorcyclists riding at
high speeds in the Globe of Death; and a French female animal trainer in a cage with furious man-eating lions. The 60-minute DVD retails for $19.99. Information: www.universoulcircus.com. • “Fast & Furious” is the newest film in the “Fast and the Furious” franchise. The film reunites the original cast members including Vin Diesel and Paul Walker and is available July 28 on a two-disc Blu-
ray Hi-Def and a two-disc special edition DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Both the Blu-ray and special edition DVD sets are packed with bonus features and contain a digital copy of the film that can be enjoyed on an array of electronic devices. “Fast & Furious” See SHORT TAKES, page 10
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ARTS & CULTURE The Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly — ESPY Awards — are presented each year by ESPN. The 17th Annual awards ceremony took place July 15 at Nokia Theatre LA Live and were telecast July 19. Professional tennis’ “Dynamic Duo,” Serena and Venus Williams
Candace and Derek Fisher
Lisa Leslie and husband Michael Lockwood
The 2009 Arthur Ashe Courage Award, given to Nelson Mandela, was accepted by his daughter Zindzi and grandson Zondwa
Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson and Monica Turner
World Welterweight Boxing Champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley
Julius “DR. J” Erving
Vanessa and Kobe Bryant
Olympic Gold Medal winners Angelo Taylor (L) and Usain Bolt (R)
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L.A. WATTS TIMES
July 23, 2009
ARTS & CULTURE HUTCHINSON Obama sent a mild signal that the public option is anything but sacred. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel went further and privately told opposing Republican Senators and doubting conservative Democrats that Obama will consider “alternatives” to the tepid government option. Emanuel
Continued from page 2 erage and treatment for those labeled as high risk. The massive effort by industry groups to kill or water down the public plan to where it is meaningless will continue unabated. In a press conference in June,
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didn’t say what the alternative is other than a nod toward an even vaguer and unproven system of loosely regulated, nonprofit health care co-operatives. For decades, the health care industry has gutted every proposal for expanded health care. It has couched its attack by posing as the noble public-spirited guardian of the nation’s health and pocketbook, arguing that a public plan is too costly, inefficient and too much heavyhanded government control and interference. The Post/ABC Poll shows more Americans are buying their spin. This is catastrophic news for the millions of black and Hispanic uninsured people who will be the biggest losers if real health care reform flops. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, “The Hutchinson Report,” can be heard in Los Angeles, Fridays on KTYM Radio 1460 AM and streamed live nationally on ktym.com.
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Facts July 23, 1968 A race riot occurs in Cleveland, allegedly sparked by the ambush of police by black radicals. Eleven persons including three policemen are killed and the National Guard is mobilized. Source: blackfacts.org
“A BRILLIANT GEM!” - Laurence Vittes, The Hollywood Reporter
Photo by PAT MUNSON
TOP BRASS — Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton listens as U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder explains why he visited the Watts area July 16. Holder joined city officials to get a first-hand look at what is being done to curb violence in the area.
HOLDER Continued from page 1 Hahn, to hear from the task force, Summer Night Lights participants and other community members. Holder praised the “innovative leaders who are willing to reach out” to the community to find answers. “Maybe I’ll learn some things here that I can replicate,” Holder added, stating that he was impressed by what was being done at Nickerson Gardens. Noreen McClendon, task force director, explained to Holder that high unemployment and no recreation for children in Watts is one reason for a high rate of gang activity. There has t o b e a l t e r n a t i v e s, McClendon said. She said the task force will apply for federal stimulus money to produce jobs and services in the area.
SHORT TAKES Continued from page 8
“A ROUSING EVENING IN THE THEATER!” - Jonas Schwartz, Theater Mania
“CONTAGIOUS IN ITS DYNAMISM!” From the Original Painting “CROWNS” ©2009 Synthia SAINT JAMES
"These well-adorned women know how to excite our imagination!" - Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
CroVVns Regina Taylor
by Adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry directed by
is priced at $39.98 on 2-Disc Blu-ray Hi-Def; $34.98 on two-disc DVD; and $29.98 as a single-disc DVD. Information: www.universalstudios. com.
FILMS • “The Murder of Fred Hampton” was made in 1971 and looks at the life of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, who was killed by Chicago police
Israel Hicks
A co-production with Ebony Repertory Theatre in Association with Regina Taylor
NOW THROUGH AUG 16
McClendon also stressed to Holder that putting more young people in jail is not the answer to improving the community. She proposed reaching out to gang members instead of locking them up only to return to their communities with no job prospects or other opportunities. The task force consists of residents, clergy, police and ex-gang members. Since its inception, crime in the area has been reduced by 50 percent, according to McClendon and Hahn, whose district includes the Nickerson Gardens housing project. “I’m here on a learning mission to see the techniques and innovations being used … and how we (can) take that and use it in other places,” Holder said. “There are some basic things here that I think will work in other places. If it works I will take it and use it.” • The Skirball Cultural Center will screen “Return to Goree,” an award-winning documentary that chronicles African singer Youssou N’Dour’s epic journey to follow the musical trail left by slaves and the jazz music they invented. As part of the center’s Passport Screenings program, the 108-minute film will screen July 25 at 2:30 p.m. This event is free to the public and no reservations are required. The center is at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. On Aug. 5, at 7:30 p.m., the center will screen “Tootie’s Last Suit,” which is a documentary about New Orleans’ vibrant Mardi Gras Indian culture. The film profiles the late Allison “Tootie” Montana, who is credited with turning Mardi Gras Indian life away from gang-style violence and towards artistic achievement. This 97-minute film is free to members of the center and $5 for nonmembers. Reservations are required. Information: www.skirball.org, (310) 440-4500.
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during a raid in 1969. Through archival footage of Hampton and interviews with members of the Black Panther Party and others, the viewer gets a glimpse of Hampton’s work to build bridges between various races and defend the poor of Chicago. Also shown are the inconsistencies of the Chicago Police Department’s rationale for the raid. The film will be shown July 25, 3 p.m., at the Kaos Network, 4343 Leimert Blvd., Los Angeles. Information: www.blockreportradio.com.
• Active Arts at the Music Center is calling all with two left feet. No experience is necessary to dance and sway the night away with beginner lessons and DJ/live music under the stars. Complimentary beginner dance lessons begin at 6:30 p.m., July 24, and continue to 10 p.m. This night will feature New York Hustle/Disco Night. This event will take place at the Music Center Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. This event is free to the public, but parking costs $8 underneath the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Information: (213) 972-3660, www.musiccenter.org.
July 23, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
Page 11
EDUCATION O’Keeffe Museum Has No Right to School Art BY TRAVIS LOLLER AP WRITER
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum may represent the painter’s estate but has no right to an art collection she donated to Fisk University, Tennessee’s Court of Appeals has ruled. In the ruling filed July 14, the court said any right O’Keeffe had to most of the 101 works of art ended with her death. The financially struggling university had asked a lower court for permission to sell two of the works
— O’Keeffe’s 1927 oil painting “Radiator Building — Night, New York,” and Marsden Hartley’s “Painting No. 3.” The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum objected to the plan, arguing that Fisk was violating the terms of the bequest, which required the works be displayed together, and asking for the artwork to be turned over to the estate. The Davidson County Chancery Court blocked the sale as well as a proposed $30 million arrangement to share the collection with the Crystal Bridges Museum in
Bentonville, Ark. Nashville Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ordered last year that the university had to take the collection out of storage and put it back on display or forfeit it to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. But the state appeals court overturned that decision, ruling the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum has no right to the work and no standing in court. Representatives of the museum could not immediately be reached for comment. They will have 60 days to appeal the decision.
Photo by MARTY COTWRIGHT
GOOD FORM — Local youngsters participated in various tennis drills during the Venus and Serena Williams Tennis Academy July 18 at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Courts at Rancho Cienega Park in Los Angeles. The youngsters also shared in a celebration of the Williams sisters’ recent victory at Wimbledon on July 4.
BUDGET
NOTEBOOK
Continued from page 1
Civil Rights Photos on Display at Ga. State University
families left behind,” and “Education’s burning down, Schwarzenegger’s failing now, smoking cigars, he pretends to work real hard,” inspired passersby to cheer and drivers to honk horns. Organized by the Community Coalition and other public organizations, the protest was just one of many rallies taking place across the state. This is just the beginning, said Community Coalition Executive Director Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “For low-income communities and families … our nightmare is far from over,” he said. Though a budget is expected to pass by the end of the week, many public and community assistance programs that depend on state funding, which would have already received funds if a budget was passed on time, have begun to turn people away. Though the Assembly approved a three-bill package that would have temporarily remedied the states cashflow troubles and consequently alleviated the need for the state controller to issue IOUs, it failed in the state Senate in June. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also vetoed another similar package that received a majority vote around the same time. Since then, public programs either have been issued IOUs by the state controller, John Chiang, or their funding streams from the state have been all together frozen. The Healthy Families Program is just one of the many programs being affected.
Photo by INDIA ALLEN
TAKING A STANCE — More than 100 community members, teachers and students lined the sidewalks at Bundy and Airport drives in Santa Monica to protest budget cuts to education and public programs by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor travels by air and leaves the Santa Monica Airport, usually to go to Sacramento often, which is why protestors chose the site to hold the rally.
It released a statement July 16, saying it was forced to limit its enrollment because it did not have enough funding to cover estimated costs of taking on new clients. Therefore, families applying for assistance would be placed on a waiting list with their approval contingent on available funds. On July 17, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved and implemented Healthy Families’ waiting list. The Healthy Families program is a low-cost health insurance program that provides health insurance coverage to children who do not have insurance and do not qualify for Medi-Cal. Eun Jin Jang, a community member who spoke at the July 20 rally is worried her 18-month-old baby will be left without health care as a consequence of programs being forced to shut their doors. “I am a mother of an 18-monthold son and I can’t imagine if I cannot pay the insurmountable hospital bills every time he receives medical services,” she said. “But that is the reality of uninsured children … the
SIKIVU HUTCHINSON Continued from page 2 Black preachers sanctimoniously opine about the “hijacking” of the Civil Rights Movement legacy while effectively turning a blind eye to the disenfranchisement of their young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered congregants, who suffer disproportionate rates of suicide and depression simply because of the dominant culture’s denial of their fundamental personhood. For far too long, the more conservative segments of the black church have been allowed to function as the unquestioned moral arbiters of marriage, sexuality, child-rearing and cultural mores. Rather than representing one and only one world view within African American communities, the conservative religious civil rights orthodoxy has been enshrined as
the prism for black perspectives. Admittedly, Lee and his counterparts are in the minority of those within the black Christian community principled enough to go on record against the anti-gay rhetoric of the pro-Proposition 8 coalition. Yet this leadership is crucial to a civil rights movement based on intersectionality, a consciousness of the complexity of African American identity, and community in repudiation of the bigoted flat-earth ethos that has made silence around black homophobia morally and socially acceptable. Sikivu Hutchinson is editor of blackfemlens.org and an advisory board member of the Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign’s Welcoming Schools curriculum guide on family diversity, gender stereotyping, and anti-LGBT bullying.
governor is attacking families and people who use services … these are vital services that vulnerable families depend on.” The protest included a two-act skit in which youth leaders and students from various organizations acted out a scenario of how the cuts were affecting the classroom. “This was not just a play; this happens everyday,” said Carlos Cazares, a teacher at El Serrano High School who received a pink slip. “They say our youth of color don’t care about school, but that’s not what I see on an everyday basis.” Taylor Griffon, a junior at Dorsey High School in South Los Angeles, said she expects the situation to get a lot worse before it gets better. “Since the governor sends his kids to private schools, he acts like he doesn’t care about the public schools,” she said. To date, 23 teachers have been fired at Dorsey, she said. Dorsey only has four counselors; that’s one for every group of 100 students, and the class sizes are expected to increase next year, she added. “It’s going to be harder to concentrate in class,” Griffon said. “It will also be harder for me to get in and see a counselor.” Jamesha Rucker, who attended the protest, said her 10-year-old daughter loves school and is sad and bored since she doesn’t have the option to attend summer school as a consequence of budget cuts. S tudents attending grade school and high school are not the only ones feeling the crunch. Many parents and adults who were hoping to continue their education this year are feeling the aftershocks of the state’s budget woes too. “I wanted to go to college this summer but I can’t, so I’m here today,” Rucker said. “If I had a chance to talk to (the governor) today, I would ask him if he believes in God and to have mercy on us.” In a statement issued July 9, the California State University system announced it would not be accepting any student applications for the
Black Students in South Performing Better on Tests
ATLANTA (AP) — A collection of photographs from the 1960s Civil Rights Movement taken by a Georgia State University administrator will be on display at the campus through September. The exhibit — called “Photo Griots” — focuses on women in the movement, including author Alice Walker and Charlayne HunterGault, one of the first black students at the University of Georgia. Many of the photos were taken by Doris Derby, director of African American student services and programs at the downtown Atlanta campus. Others were taken by Sue Ross, a photographer for the City of Atlanta mayor’s office. The exhibit opened July 19 and will be in the Hammonds House Museum until Sept. 13. On the Net: Hammonds House Museum: http://hammondshouse. org/exhibitions.html.
ATLANTA (AP) — A new government study shows black students in many Southern states are improving test scores in math and reading, but not enough to narrow an achievement gap with their white classmates. The study was released July 14 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. It shows improvement in nearly every Southern state in performance by black fourth- and eighth-grade students from the early 1990s until 2007. In a region where vestiges of slavery and segregation have been especially damaging in terms of education, educators say the results are encouraging despite the gap between blacks and whites. The report uses the National Assessment of Education Progress exam given to students in every state periodically under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
2010 spring term in an effort to reduce the budget by an unprecedented $584 million. In addition, quarter campuses that have been accepting admission applications for the 2010 winter term ceased accepting applications as of July 6. Also, the California Community College Conference Committee recommended increasing tuition by 30 percent, from $20 to $26 per unit. The fee increase is already included in the proposed state budget. If the Legislature doesn’t exclude the measure, fees will increase, said Paige Marlatt Dorr, communications director for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
But legislators, community organizations and the public seem to be in agreement about one thing: Even if a budget is passed by July 24, it assures nothing. In a press conference July 21, Bass said the worst could be yet to come with the uncertainty of the country’s recession. “I can’t promise you we won’t have to make additional cuts,” she said. “If the recession has hit rock bottom, we did plan for the deficit for next year and the year after, but if it hasn’t … we don’t know what’s going to happen.” As of presstime, calls to Schwarzenegger’s office were not returned.
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Page 12
L.A. WATTS TIMES
July 23, 2009
HEALTH THE PULSE Report: Blacks Among Nation’s Fattest ATLANTA (AP) — New statistics show that nearly 36 percent of black Americans are obese — much more than other major racial or ethnic groups. And that gap exists in most states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 29 percent of Hispanics and 24 percents of whites are obese. The data comes from national telephone surveys of hundreds of thousands of Americans. These are the CDC’s first stateby-state obesity rates broken down by race. CDC officials think economic and social differences help drive up rates in some groups. On the Net: CDC: http://www. cdc.gov.
Kaiser Presents Group Appointment on Fibroids “Fibroids and You: A Group Appointment for Kaiser Permanente Patients” will take place Aug. 6, 1 to 5 p.m., at Kaiser Permanente Playa Vista Clinic, 5620 Mesmer Ave., Culver City. Join OB/GYN physicians for a
discussion of causes, symptoms, and individualized treatment options for women with uterine fibroids. Women who suffer from heavy menstrual flow, pelvic pain, frequent urination, constipation and bloating may have uterine fibroids. Refreshments will be served, and free parking will be provided. Only half of regular co-pay applies for the appointment. Registration information: (310) 737-4872, www.ask4UFE.com.
Free Medical Clinic to Take Place at Forum The Reach Across America Program free medical care clinic will take place Aug. 11 through 18, beginning at 5:30 a.m., at The Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. Faithful Central Bible Church will facilitate the program to provide free medical, dental and vision care for one week to anyone in need (uninsured, underinsured, unemployed, underemployed persons). Depending on specific health conditions, most attendees could have their dental, vision and medical needs met right on the spot. Be sure to arrive early if you
Testosterone Dose Response in Surgically Menopausal Women Principal Investigator: Matthew H. Ho, Ph.D., M.D. “Thank you for your interest in our research program. The purpose of this particular study is to find out the effects of testosterone, in women. Women who are post-menopause often have low testosterone levels in their blood. Some doctors recommend giving testosterone to women after menopause, but it is not clear whether this helps women health. This study may find out whether it is beneficial to replace testosterone in women who are post-menopause and therefore have low testosterone in their blood. This research study may also find out the most appropriate dose of testosterone that shows beneficial effects on women’s sex life, muscle and fat mass, physical function, and ability to solve some types of problems with the least amount of side effects. “We will measure the effects of testosterone on fat and muscle size, muscle strength, sexual desire and activity, and higher functions of the brain. Approximately 140 women will take part in this study that is approved and funded by the National Institutes of Health. The protocol of this study has also been reviewed and approved by our Institutional Review Board. “For this study, we are looking for women between the ages of 21 to 60, who are post-menopausal (either menopause occurred naturally with their ovaries intact or occurred surgically with their ovaries removed) and have had their uterus removed by surgery, and who do not have breast or uterine cancer. Do you meet these criteria?”
For information call (323) 357-3697 “If you are interested in obtaining more information about this study or taking part in this study, I can set up an appointment for you to come to our Clinical Study Center at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. During this visit, I will explain all the procedures in great detail, describe the risks and benefits involved, and answer any questions that you might have about this research study.”
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need to be seen. There is also a need for more volunteers and licensed medical professionals. Sign up to volunteer by Aug. 1. Volunteers should contact Jean Jolly, volunteer coordinator, at jeanjolly@ramusa. org or (865) 579-1530. Information: http://ramclinic.info.
OBAMA Continued from page 1 He is seeking the backing of the powerful National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and its members for his ambitious domestic agenda. Painting himself as the beneficiary of the NAACP’s work, Obama cited historical black figures from W.E.B. DuBois to Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr. to Emmet Till, to explain how the path to the presidency was cleared by visionaries. Despite the racial progress exemplified by his own election, Obama said African Americans must overcome a disproportionate share of struggles, including being more likely to suffer from many diseases and having a higher proportion of children end up in jail. “These are some of the barriers of our time,” Obama said. “They’re very different from the barriers faced by earlier generations. They’re very different from the ones faced when fire hoses and dogs were being turned on young marchers,” Obama said. “But what’s required to overcome today’s barriers is the same as what was needed then. The same commitment. The same sense of urgency.” Obama’s remarks, steeped in his personal biography as the son of a white mother from Kansas and black father from Kenya, challenged the audience — those in the room and those beyond — to take greater responsibility for their own future. He told parents to take a more active role, students to aspire beyond basketball stars and rappers, and residents to pay better attention to their schools. Throughout his comments, Obama sought a balance, contending that the government must foster equality but individuals must take charge of their own lives. The key to success, Obama said, is improving education for all. Citing school segregation and the fight that was waged both on school steps and in courthouses, he said the condition of schools is an American problem, not an African American one. “There’s a reason Thurgood Marshall took up the cause of Linda Brown. There’s a reason the Little Rock Nine defied a governor and a mob,” Obama said. “It’s because there is no stronger weapon against inequality and no better path to opportunity than an education that can unlock a child’s God-given potential.” Unlocking that potential, though, means both acknowledging the challenges facing black youth and then finding a solution to problems that are the legacy of decades of institutionalized discrimination. “We have to say to our children, ‘Yes, if you’re African American, the odds of growing up
Medicare Took One Year; Overhaul to Take Nearly 10 BY RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR AP WRITER
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare law on July 30, 1965, and 11 months later seniors were receiving coverage. But if President Barack Obama gets to sign a health care overhaul this fall, the uninsured won’t be covered until 2013 — after the next presidential election. In fact, a timeline of the 1,000page health care bill crafted by House Democrats shows it would take the better part of a decade — from 2010-2018 — to get all the components of the far-reaching proposal up and running. The moving parts include a national insurance marketplace overseen by a brand new federal bureaucracy — the Health Choices Administration. Medicare was big. This could be bigger. If a bill passes, Americans probably will be discovering — and debating — its effects for years. “It touches every part of the health care system,” said Dan Mendelson, a health care consultant who served in Bill Clinton’s administration during the second term. “We are only just beginning to explore and understand what the effects would be on premiums, providers and the evolution of health care technology.” The plan is “at least as farreaching” as what former President Clinton and former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton attempted in the 1990s, says Mendelson, now president of Avalere Health. Did anybody think it was amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that somebody in a wealthy suburb does not have to face,’ ” Obama said, returning to his tough-love message familiar from his two-year presidential campaign. “But that’s not a reason to get bad grades. That’s not a reason to cut class. That’s not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school,” he said. “No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands.” NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous described Obama’s speech as “pitch-perfect,” praising him for talking about the racial disparities that still exist in areas like education and in incarceration. “This evening is an affirmation of all the work that we’ve done for a century,” Jealous said. “It’s also an affirmation of all the work that we’re doing right now.” Obama expanded his message of equal rights beyond the black communities. He said many Americans still face discrimination and suggested that the NAACP — in search of a mission for its second century — might embrace a broader mandate in coming years. Today, Obama said, it is not prejudice or discrimination that presents the greatest obstacles for blacks, but rather structural inequities — in areas such as education and health care. Still, though,
going to be simple? The House bill isn’t close to becoming law. The Senate has its own ideas. But the House proposal represents the most comprehensive effort by lawmakers to meet Obama’s twin goals of guaranteeing coverage to all Americans and slowing the pace of rising medical costs. It advances the first goal slowly, and independent analysts doubt it will meet the second. First comes the pain. In 2011, the government would start collecting higher taxes on upper-income people to pay for the overhaul. The uninsured would have to wait until 2013 before they started receiving the benefits — after the 2010 and 2012 elections. Collecting the taxes up front — and paying for the benefits later — would help to keep costs manageable over the 10-year window Congress uses for budget estimates. Still, it’s not yet adding up. The Congressional Budget Office says the plan would increase the government’s deficit by about $240 billion over that period. Long-range forecasts could turn out worse. One thing isn’t in dispute — the role of the federal government would increase each year. “Having accepted a government bailout of the financial system, and with the government having a big part in running GM, it is just a very different attitude now in terms of the government,” said Gail Wilensky, who ran Medicare for President George H.W. Bush. “We’re seeing that in this package.” he said discrimination persists — and not just for blacks — and he chided those who may contend otherwise. Obama also pressed for NAACP members to encourage their young people to find new role models beyond sports or music. “I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers,” Obama said. “I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court justice. I want them aspiring to be president of the United States.” With that line, Obama drove the hotel ballroom audience to its feet. To bolster his arguments, Obama cited his own biography, growing up with a single mother. “I know what can happen to a child who doesn’t have that chance,” Obama said. “But I also know what can happen to a child who does. I was raised by a single mom. I don’t come from a lot of wealth. I got into my share of trouble as a child. My life could easily have taken a turn for the worse. When I drive through Harlem or I drive through the South Side of Chicago, when I see young men on the corners, I say, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ ” Associated Press writers Deepti Hajela in New York and Ben Feller in Washington contributed to this report.
July 23, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
Page 13
SPORTS BRAD PYE JR.
Cardinals Hall of Famer, Ozzie Smith, has a restaurant bar on Westport Plaza. The Cardinals’ current star, Albert Pujols, has a bar
designated hitter. At the break, Prince was batting .315 with 22 HRs and 78 RBIs. And the beat continues Let the record show the Baltimore Ravens’ Terrell Suggs is the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history. He recently signed a six-year contract for $63 million. And the beat ends Brad Pye Jr. can be reached at switchreel@aol.com.
Albert Pujols
CAREERS
SPORTS BEAT Win, lose or miss the cut for the second time in 49 tournaments — like he did in the British Open over the weekend with rounds of 71 and 74 — Tiger Woods still made the
Lisa Leslie Blake Griffin Tiger Woods
biggest headlines. That’s what happens when you are the world’s No. 1 golfer. The golf world had predicted Woods would win the British Open for the fourth time. Instead, Stewart Cink triumphed. Venus Williams was in town over the weekend to accompany her sister Serena at the ESPY awards at the Nokia Theatre. Venus is set to play at Stanford on July 27, Cincinnati on Aug. 10, and Toronto on Aug. 17. Then it’s on to the U.S. Open in New York. The 100-meters dash of the year will feature Tyson Gay of the United States and Jamaica’s Asafa Powell in the DN Gala meet in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 24. And the beat continues Only 19 percent in a USA Today poll says the L.A. Clippers will make the playoffs, even with Blake Griffin as the overall No.1 pick. Griffin scored 27 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in his Summer League debut against the L.A. Lakers Summer League squad. The Clippers are also negotiating to
bring Allen Iverson to town. This columnist isn’t excited about the addition of Ron Artest, nor the exit of Trevor Ariza to the Houston Rockets. Will Artest chan-
Trevor Ariza
ge his stripes and realize this is Kobe Bryant’s team? I don’t think Artest will be a perfect fit. The L.A. Sparks’ Lisa Leslie will be a starter in the WNBA AllStar Game on July 25 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. She’s a member of the West
squad and the Sparks’ only member on the West All-Stars squad, not to mention a three-time MVP winner in this event. And the beat continues The Cleveland Indians’Satchel Paige made the 1952 All-Star game, four years after his debut at the age of 46. Paige is the oldest player ever to make the All-Star Classic. Boston Red Sox’s Tim Wakefield became the second oldest at 42 in the 2009 Classic. Is it too early to start talking about a Freeway World Series between the Dodgers and the Angels? The Dodgers are running along with the best record in MLB and the Angels have less than a twogame lead in the AL West. This is the 49th year local fans have been waiting for a Freeway World Series. If the Dodgers should make it to the World Series, the Dodgers would undoubtedly have to get by the second-place San Francisco Giants. A Dodgers-Giants playoff series would be as good as any Angels-Dodgers Freeway World Series. One of the sights at the St. Louis All-Star Game was “Cool Papa” Bell Street, named in honor of the great St. Louis Stars player of the Negro Leagues. Another St. Louis
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that is within walking distance of Smith’s 21-year-old establishment. Most scouts at the All-Star Game had high praise for the Tampa Bay Rays’ outfielder Carl Crawford. Crawford was one of the biggest stars of the night. His gamesaving home run robbery catch of Brad Hawpe’s drive to left field ranks right up there with Willie Mays’ celebrated over-the-head catch. It earned the AL All-Stars a 43 victory and Crawford the game’s MVP award. The Dodgers’ Orlando Hudson displayed his All-Star talents with a single and a stolen base in the eighth, but the NL lost for the seventh straight time as the AL captured home field advantage in the World Series. Scouts say Baltimore Orioles’ Adams Jones is a lot like the Angels’ Torii Hunter. Injuries kept Hunter out of the All-Star game. The Milwaukee Brewers’ Prince Fielder, the son of major leaguer Cecil Fielder, was a runaway winner in the All-Star Game Homerun Derby. He smacked a double as a
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City of Gardena BUS OPERATOR Class “B” DL w/ Passenger & Air Break Endorsement Current H-6 DMV Print Out EQUIPMENT MECHANIC 3 YRS Journeyman Exp. Class “B” DL Current H-6 DMV Print Out Recruitment will close after 50 qualified Apps have been recv’d or 8/24/09 5:00 PM PLEASE READ JOB BULLETIN CAREFULLY BEFORE APPLYING How to apply: Please visit our website at www.ci.gardena.ca.us Or the 24-Hr Job Hotline (310) 217-9515
PUBLIC NOTICE LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (Metro) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Metro will receive proposals for RFP# E0117 Advanced Conceptual/Preliminary Engineering Crenshaw Transit Corridor per specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (12th Floor). All proposals must be received on or before 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) August 25, 2009 at the address listed above, sent to the attention of Valerie Dean. Proposals received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the proposer unopened You may obtain a copy of the RFP, or further information, by calling Valerie Dean at (213) 922-1032.
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NOTICE INVITING PROPOSALS FOR VENDED MEALS 1. Notice: Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of Wisdom Academy for Young Scientists (hereinafter referred to as WAYS, is requesting proposals for vended meals for the food service program. No offer of intent should be construed from this legal notice that WAYS intends to enter into a contract with the interested company for vended meals unless, in the sole opinion of WAYS, it is in the best interest of the WAYS to do so. WAYS reserves the right to negotiate final contractual terms with the successful company. 2. Submittal: Written proposals must be sealed and filed with WAYS at the address shown above no later than 5:00p.m., Monday, August 10, 2009 and will be opened in public at 10:00 a.m., August 12, 2009. 3. Withdrawal: Companies may not withdraw proposals for a period of sixty (60) days after the date set for opening of proposals.
REAL ESTATE/OUT OF STATE
4. Rejection: The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularity therein. Proposals will be studied and a recommendation will be made to the Board of Trustees at its regular meeting.
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5. Questions: Interested companies should direct questions to Loretta McDonald at the address shown above or by phone at 310-902-5293 or lbmbs.inc@gmail.com.
Page 14
L.A. WATTS TIMES
July 23, 2009
PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20090950091 The following person is doing business as: Louche Living 660 S. Figueroa St. 24th Fl. Los Angeles, CA 90017 Louche Designs 660 S. Figueroa St. 24th Fl. Los Angeles, CA 90017 Solomon Mansoor 660 S. Figueroa St. 24th Fl. Los Angeles, CA 90017 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Solomon Mansoor. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on June 24, 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Published: 7/2/09, 7/9/09, 7/16/09, 7/23/09 LAWT376
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. MS006808 Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of Los Angeles. In the Matter of the Application of Karymah Elizabeth Shaw-Howell, Zoyah Leanni ShawWhittaker, Jeovan Andrew Shaw-Young and Jeovanie Roy Shaw-Young for changes of names. The application of Karymah Elizabeth ShawHowell, Zoyah Leanni Shaw-Whittaker, Jeovan Andrew Shaw-Young and Jeovanie Roy ShawYoung for changes of names having been filed in Court and it appearing from said application that has Karymah Elizabeth Shaw-Howell, Zoyah Leanni Shaw-Whittaker, Jeovan Andrew ShawYoung and Jeovanie Roy Shaw-Young filed an application proposing that their names be changed to Karymah Elizabeth Howell, Zoyah Leanni Howell, Jeovan Andrew Howell and Jeovanie Roy Howell. Now, therefore, it is hereby ordered and directed, that all persons interested in said matter did appear before this court located at 42011 4th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534, on the 20th day of May, 2009, of said day to show cause why such application for changes of names should not be granted. It is further ordered that a copy of this Order to Show Cause be published in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in said county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the day of said hearing at 8:30 am, Dept A10 on July 22, 2009. Thomas R. White Judge of the Superior Court. Published Runs 7/16/09, 7/23/09, 7/30/09, 8/7/09 NC-LAWT-10R
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. BS121188-AMENDED Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of Los Angeles. In the Matter of the Application of Steven Chan for change of name. The application of Steven Chan for change of names having been filed in Court and it appearing from said application that has Steven Chan filed an application proposing that his name be changed to Lauren Nixon Majors. Now, therefore, it is hereby ordered and directed, that all persons interested in said matter did appear before this court located at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA, on the 18th day of June, 2009 at 9:00 AM of said day to show cause why such application for change of names should not be granted. It is further ordered that a copy of this Order to Show Cause be published in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in said county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the day of said hearing at 9:00 am, Dept 1A, Rm 548 on August 7, 2009. Murray Gross Judge/Commissioner of the Superior Court. Published Runs 7/2/09, 7/9/09, 7/16/09, 7/23/09 NC-LAWT13
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. BS121188 Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of Los Angeles. In the Matter of the Application of Christopher Dana Majors for change of name. The application of Christopher Dana Majors for change of name having been filed in Court and it appearing from said application that has Christopher Dana Majors filed an application proposing that his name be changed to Lauren Nixon Majors. Now, therefore, it is hereby ordered and directed, that all persons interested in said matter did appear before this court located at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA, on the 18th day of June, 2009 at 9:00 AM of said day to show cause why such application for change of names should not be granted. It is further ordered that a copy of this Order to Show Cause be published in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in said county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the day of said hearing at 9:00 am, Dept 1A, Rm 548 on August 7, 2009. Murray Gross Judge/Commissioner of the Superior Court. Published Runs 7/2/09, 7/9/09, 7/16/09, 7/23/09 NC-LAWT12
NOTICE INVITING BIDS FURNISHING ELEVATOR MAINTENANCE SERVICES TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HARBOR DEPARTMENT AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S2358 Bids will be publicly opened in the Conference Room (or as directed the day of bid opening) of the Harbor Department Maintenance Yard, 1400 W. Broadway, Long Beach, California, 90802 at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 11, 2009. Bids shall be sealed in an envelope and the outside of the envelope should clearly state the specification number, title of the project and the bid opening date. Bids received before Tuesday, August 11, 2009 shall be sent to the attention of the Director of Maintenance, 1400 W. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802, where the bid envelope will be date stamped. If bids are hand-carried or received the day of bid opening, prior to 10:00 a.m., the bids will be clocked in at the Main Office of the Harbor Department Maintenance Yard, 1400 W. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802, and taken to the Conference Room by the Port Contract Administrator. It is anticipated that the Board of Harbor Commissioners will consider a conditional award on August 31, 2009 with Staff given the authority to execute a Contract provided the lowest responsive bidder submits the required completed insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within fifteen (15) days after conditional award by the Board. Copies of said specification may be obtained at the office of the Director of Maintenance without deposit. Pre-Bid Meeting Pursuant to the requirements of Division 2.04 of the General Conditions, all bidders are requested to visit the job site to acquaint themselves with the nature and scope of the specified work before submitting their bids. A mandatory Bidders Conference for the purpose of answering questions that may arise and to answer questions regarding this Invitation to Bid process will be held. Due to the nature of the facilities to be maintained and the specific standards required by the City, no bid will be accepted from a bidder who fails to attend the Bidder's Conference as scheduled as follows: Bidders Conference: Date: Time: Location:
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 10:00 a.m. Port of Long Beach Administration Building Lobby 925 Harbor Plaza Drive Long Beach, California 90802
The submission of a bid shall constitute an acknowledgment that the Bidder has familiarized himself with all conditions which might affect the contemplated project. If a bidder is awarded a contract, no allowance will be made for his failure to correctly estimate the quantities and difficulties, which might be encountered, and performing all work specified herein. Scope of Work The work, in general, will consist of but not be limited to the following: • The Contractor shall furnish all labor, labor supervision, supplies, lubricants, materials, power, equipment, tools, transportation, quality assurance, and services necessary to provide an all-inclusive full service and repair program for the complete vertical transportation/elevator systems located at the Port of Long Beach Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza Drive, Long Beach and the Joint Command and Control Center Building at 1249 Pier F Avenue, Long Beach as specified. The Administration Building is an eight story steel structured office building incorporating three (3) electric overhead cable traction elevators and one (1) dumbwaiter all manufactured by Haughton Elevator Company. The Joint Command and Control Center is a four story steel structured office building incorporating one (1) roped hydraulic elevator manufactured by Mitsubishi. • The Contract term shall commence on a date specified in a written "Notice to Proceed" issued by the City and terminates either upon the expiration of time ending three (3) years from the "Notice to Proceed" date or by spending the full contract amount, unless terminated sooner pursuant to S.P. 21 Contract Termination For Convenience, whichever occurs first. It is anticipated that a "Notice to Proceed" will be issued to the successful bidder on or about September 1, 2009. • Bidders shall complete the entire Proposal and Bid form. The quantities of materials and services specified are approximate only. The bid prices shall include any and all delivery charges and taxes legally chargeable in connection with furnishing the materials and services as herein specified. The contract will be awarded to the responsive bidder with the lowest total price for the extension of all bid items specified according to Division 2.01 and applicable Special Provisions Sections. The contract will not be split between bidders, and bidders must bid “All or None”, conditional bids will not be accepted and will be considered non-responsive. Bidders shall meet the following minimum qualifications: • Have been regularly engaged in providing similar services within the South Bay area (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties) for a period of not less than five (5) years directly preceding this “Notice Inviting Bids”. Records confirming such work shall be supplied to the Director of Maintenance of the Harbor Department upon request. Bidders shall be licensed, at the time of submitting their bids, by the State Contractor’s License Board as an Elevator Contractor with a “Class C-11” license, in conformance with the provisions of Section 7028.15 of the California Business and Professions Code. All bidders shall complete the license statement included on the signature page of the Proposal and Bid. Also, at the time of submitting their bids, if the bidder is in partnership or joint venture, the name under which the bid is submitted, shall have a “Class C-11” license.
All bids shall be submitted upon forms provided by the City accompanied by a satisfactory "Bidder's Bond" or other acceptable security deposit in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of such bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if conditionally awarded a Contract by the Board, within fifteen (15) days thereafter, execute and deliver such Contract to the office of the Director of Maintenance along with all required insurance forms and a "Labor and Material Bond" for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price, and a "Bond for Faithful Performance" for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price. The "Bidder's Bond" shall be submitted on the form provided by the City, signed by the bidder and the surety and both signatures shall be notarized. For work performed in the State of California, it shall be mandatory for the Contractor and its Subcontractors, to pay not less than the prevailing rate of wages to all workers employed by the Contractor or said subcontractors in the execution of the contract. A copy of the general prevailing rate of per diem wages and the general prevailing rate of holiday and overtime work for each craft, classification or type of work is available on the Internet at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR/PWD. In accordance with Section 7106 of the California Public Contract Code, all bidders will be required to complete the "Non-collusion Affidavit" (signatures must be notarized) attached and made a part of the Proposal and Bid. Whenever any material, product, thing, or service identified in the specifications is described by one or more brand or trade names and is followed by the words "or equal", the apparent low bidder shall submit data substantiating a request for the substitution of equivalent item(s) within forty-eight (48) hours following bid opening. The Board of Harbor Commissioners, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time prior to the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject all bids and to return all deposits accompanying said bids. If the lowest responsive bidder fails to submit the required insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within fifteen (15) days after conditional award, the Board reserves the right to rescind the conditional award and conditionally award the Contract to the next lowest responsive bidder. All bids and bid bonds shall be guaranteed for a period of ninety (90) days following the bid opening or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. The Board also reserves the right at any time to terminate the Contract for its convenience. Small Business Enterprises (SBE)/Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program Procedures & Goals The Port has established a Small Business Enterprises (SBE)/Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program to encourage small business participation on construction contracts. Although SBE/VSBE participation goals were not assigned to this contract, the Port strongly encourages all bidders to include such participation wherever possible, by utilizing small business subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers. The Port also strongly encourages SBE/VSBE firms to respond to this solicitation as prime contractors. If a bidder is an SBE/VSBE or contracts with an SBE/VSBE subcontractor(s), vendor(s), or supplier(s), please submit an SBE/VSBE Commitment Plan (POLB Form SBE-2C) with the bid. POLB Form SBE2C can be downloaded from the Port’s website at: www.polb.com/economics/contractors/forms_permits/smallbusiness/default.asp. All small businesses (primes and subs) listed on POLB Form SBE-2C must be registered and SBE certified on the Port's online database (The Network) to receive SBE credit. Eligible small businesses may apply for SBE certification through The Network. A link to The Network is available by clicking on the “Vendor Login/Registration” icon from the SBE/VSBE Program page of the Port’s website: www.polb.com/sbe/. Registration on The Network is free to all businesses. The Port encourages non-SBEs to register as well. One of the many benefits of registration is the ability to utilize The Network’s small business search tool to locate SBEs and VSBEs for Port projects. SBE eligibility is determined utilizing federal U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards, based on North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes. To access the current table of small business size standards, log on to the NAICS website at www.naics.com and click on the “Small Business Size Standards” link at the top of the page. Examples of maximum gross annual revenue averaged over the past three years to qualify as an SBE: general contractor $33.5 million; specialty trade contractor $14.0 million. VSBE eligibility is determined utilizing criteria consistent with the State of California’s Department of General Services’ “micro-business” designation: contractors, consultants, and vendors with gross annual receipts, averaged over the past three tax years, of $2.75 million or less, or small business manufacturers with 25 or fewer employees. Prime contractors utilizing SBEs/VSBEs will be asked to report the dollar value of payments to small businesses by submitting a SBE/VSBE Monthly Utilization Report (POLB Form SBE-3C) marked “Final” at project-closeout. The form can be downloaded at: www.polb.com/economics/contractors/forms_permits/smallbusiness/default.asp. Questions concerning the Port’s SBE/VSBE Program should be directed to the SBE Program at SBEProgram@polb.com or 562-590-4146, ext. 3212. Dated at Long Beach, California, this 20th day of July, 2009 Richard D. Steinke, Executive Director City of Long Beach Harbor Department NOTE: The Port of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This specification is available in an alternative format by request. If a special accommodation is desired, please call (562) 590-4192, 48 hours prior to the bid opening or any pre-bid meetings. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00p.m.
D B A’s a n d L e g a l N o t i c e s , C a l l ( 2 1 3 ) 2 5 1 - 5 7 0 0
July 23, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
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BUSINESS CARD BULLETIN BOARD A VOLUNTARY RESEARCH STUDY Join hundreds of other Black men in Los Angeles, who are part of a program to promote self-acceptance, healthy lifestyle choices and reduce HIV infection in the Black community. To get more details about the program and find out if you are eligible, call 310-825-5474. Both HIV-ve and HIV +ve men may participate. Cash compensation and refreshments provided. All calls are confidential.
MAALES Project (310) 825-5474 Sessions held at a discreet location near you. www.cdrewu.edu/maales Charles Drew University IRB Committee Approved May 20 ’09 TO May 19 ‘10 CDU IRB# 06-05-970-04
HAVE YOU BEEN DENIED YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS? Let me assist you. There is NO Fee if we don’t win. Jacquelyn Brown, Disability Representative
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You may be eligible to participate in a research study that examines the psychological and physical stress of men who experienced forced sexual contact as a child or adolescent.
If you agree to participate, you will be asked to: • Participate in an interview that lasts 2 to 3 hours • Give 3 saliva samples • Provide a urine sample
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Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
DID YOU EXPERIENCE UNWANTED OR FORCED SEXUAL CONTACT BEFORE YOU WERE 18 YEARS OLD?
This study is conducted by Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science and UCLA. We are interested in interviewing: • African American, Latino and White men • Over 18 years of age and under 40 years
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L.A. WATTS TIMES
July 23, 2009
How have we helped 5.8 million Americans in need?
By never stopping. 50 states. 2,500 cities. 300,000 miles. The PPA bus is traveling throughout the country with one clear message: no one who needs medicine should go without. And in just over 4 years, we’ve helped more than 6 million people who are uninsured and struggling. Since the program began, the PPA bus—sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research companies—has spent more time in California than any other state. We’ve been from Redding to Riverside and Salinas to Santa Ana helping more than 345,000 Californians in need. If you or someone you know needs help paying for medicine, call 1-888-4PPA-NOW or visit www.pparx.org. Watch for the Bus Monday, July 27, 2009 9:00am-11:00am St. Joseph Center 204 Hampton Dr. Venice
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 1:00pm-3:00pm Assistance League of Southern California 1360-1370 North St. Andrews Place Hollywood