W E E K E N D E R
L.A. Watts Times Vol. XXX, No. 1244
Thursday, August 11, 2011
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
HOROSCOPES A
RIES ~ The link that you’ve established with your spiritual self will be strengthened by the people who come into your life this week. This week is a week for seriousness about a relationship. Discuss your deepest thoughts with others. They’ll understand and thank you for sharing intimate parts of yourself. AURUS ~ You’ve done some of your own love homework. Hopefully you’ve had an opportunity to learn a new way of seeing the world and in that way you’ve found a way of loving that is more natural for you. The combination of sexiness and joyful focus can create you a wonderful love experience. EMINI ~ Share in the glory of your friend who has been recognized for outstanding work. Plan a small get-together to celebrate the occasion. Your time will come, and you will be placed on the pedestal. Your intimacy radar is sensitive. Watch out for a new romance that might come along. Expect the unexpected! You will be pleasantly surprised! ANCER ~ You’ve done a lot of things in life that no one has agreed with at the beginning. Finding agreement this week will be difficult, but it should not deter you from moving forward. Feeling sorry for your loneliness will discolor what you are doing. Be happy that you are alone. EO ~ Eternal optimist, eternity is now. Get in touch with your hopefulness and be a beacon to others. Try not to be taken in by promises made by others or promises you’ve made to yourself. Concerning your own affairs, avoid contemplating lofty subjects and seeking long ranged solutions. IRGO ~ Some say optimism is fantasy. Suppose the good thing you’re optimistic about never comes. This week you’ll know that the joy of anticipating it is joy enough. Just the certainty of coming goodness is present good-
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AUG. 11 - 19 ness. The joy of tomorrow is available this week. IBRA ~ You might be looking into the buying or selling of a piece of property, and this week seems to be a favorable week for this type of negotiation. Be careful with the intricacies of the matter. Pay attention to details or it could cost you a great deal later. CORPIO ~ What a blessed week this will be. Spend it meditating on all that God has given you. This week think hard about some form of worship. Curtis Mayfield wrote a song called “Who Do You Love?” Someone should write one called “How Do You Love?” For your love lesson, the second song would be the one you should sing. AGITTARIUS ~ Your self-discipline helps you to do more this week. People will be watching as you zip around with style and grace! Broaden your cultural horizons by trying new foods and meeting new people. You’ll be pleasantly surprised! APRICORN ~ The urge to chase off on a tangent may be strong this week. Take a few minutes to study the big picture and make sure any whims serve the bigger purpose. It’s a good week to do what needs to be done. QUARIUS ~ You’ll be full of good ideas this week, so make sure you write down the ones you don’t have time to put into action. You’ll want to share your thoughts on a grand scale, and your mind will seem truly universal to you. Try to be patient with those who are staggered by your brilliance. ISCES ~ This week let your gentle spirit shine through. Your rough and tumble side is not appropriate for the relationships that you’ll encounter. Someone will need your understanding and sympathy. Give it with sensitivity.
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Meda Chamberlain: A warrior passes on Dr. Meda H. Chamberlain, former executive director of the National Council of Negro Women
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Dr. Meda H. Chamberlain first food co-op out of the NCNW Council House and spearheaded the Education 2000 National Program with math, reading and science programs. In 1986 she became the executive director of the Black Family Reunion. The annual event was held each year until 1995. Another one of Dr. Chamberlain’s major accomplishments was coordinating the purchase of the Southern California NCNW building, which is located at 3720 W. 54th Street in Los Angeles. See CHAMBERLAIN, page 15
Does today's Black Cinema portray
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Inc. (NCNW) passed away on August 5, 2011. She was 95. Born on July 11, 1916, Dr. Chamberlain was one of the founding members of the NCNW’s Los Angeles View Park section. A native of Marshall, Texas, she received her undergraduate degree in education from Bishop College in Texas, and a graduate degree in psychology from USC. She was retired from the Whittier Unified School System, having specialized in educational counseling and teacher formation training. Dr. Dorothy I. Height (recently deceased NCNW chair and president emeritus) saw great potential in Meda Chamberlain when she joined NCNW in l962. Chamberlain was a Legacy Life member and served as a national officer and executive director of the NCNW Black Family Reunion in Southern California. Dr. Chamberlain organized the first federally funded project for NCNW’s CETA program, which trained and employed hundreds of men and women in Los Angeles County. In 1981, she organized the
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Alleged Strauss-Kahn rape victim tells her story SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE FINAL CALL NEW YORK — The hotel housekeeper accusing Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexually assaulting her is telling her story publicly, she says, because she wants the former International Monetary Fund (IMF) leader behind bars. But it’s hard to say whether her striking move will help or hobble her goal. Nafissatou Diallo’s decision to speak out in media interviews is an unusual and risky move for an accuser at this point in a criminal case, legal experts said. It gives her an empowering chance to tell her side of the story as prosecutors weigh whether to press ahead with the case amid their concerns about her credibility. But it also enshrines a version of events that defense lawyers could mine for discrepancies with her grand jury testimony or use as fodder to argue she was seeking money or public attention. After staying silent for nearly two months about an alleged attack that Mr. Strauss-Kahn vehemently denies, Diallo gave her account to Newsweek and ABC News. Adding details and her own voice to the basics that authorities have given, Diallo said the former IMF leader grabbed and attacked her “like a crazy man” in his $3,000-a-night Manhattan hotel suite on May 14 as she implored him to stop and feared for her job. “I push him. I get up. I wanted to scare him. I said, ‘Look, there is my supervisor right there,’ ” she told Newsweek in an interview in her lawyer’s office. But Mr. StraussKahn said no one was there to hear, she said, and he went on to yank up her uniform dress, tear down her panty hose, forcefully grab her crotch and then grip her head and force her to perform oral sex.
Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers called the interviews “an unseemly circus” designed to inflame public opinion. The interviews come with the case against Strauss-Kahn being in limbo after Manhattan prosecutors raised doubts about the housekeeper’s overall credibility. They said on July 1 that she had lied about her life story and gave inconsistent descriptions about what she did right after the alleged attack. The disclosures prompted her lawyer, Kenneth Thompson, to criticize the district attorney, press prosecutors to keep going with the case, and even call for a special prosecutor to take over. Diallo told her interviewers she wants Strauss-Kahn held accountable, and she was going public to tell a story she said had never wavered, to counter misleading portrayals of her and to address doubts about her trustworthiness. “I want him to go to jail. I want him to know there are some places you cannot use your power, you cannot use your money,” she told Newsweek. Diallo told ABC she didn’t know Strauss-Kahn was a high-profile French politician until later. “I was watching the news and they said he’s going to be the next president of France,” she said. “I said, ‘Oh, my God.’ I was crying. ‘They’re going to kill me. I’m going to die.’ ” Before July 24, the 32-year-old Guinean immigrant’s name had been reported by some French media outlets but not by major U.S. media, which generally protect the identities of people who say they’ve been sexually assaulted. “I never want to be in public, but I have no choice,” she said, according to ABC News. “God is my witness—I’m telling the truth.” But against the backdrop of uncertainty about her believability
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and motives, the interviews may raise as many questions as they answer, legal observers said. “On the one hand, there’s an up side that perhaps it will encourage the prosecutors to move forward with their case. On the other hand, there’s the risk that whatever she says can be used against her in a civil or criminal case, especially with respect to any inconsistencies,” said Sanford Rubenstein, a New York lawyer who has represented victims in noted cases—and advised them not to give interviews while the case was ongoing, he said. His clients have included Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant who was tortured in a New York City police station bathroom in 1997. Prosecutors generally discourage potential witnesses in criminal cases from speaking outside court while a case is pending, partly to avoid creating multiple accounts that could diverge, even slightly. In a trial, such gaps can become thin edges of a wedge for adversaries to drive doubts about an accuser’s veracity into jurors’ minds. “The more that’s out there, the more you’re susceptible on crossexamination,” said Elizabeth Crotty, a defense lawyer and former Manhattan assistant district attorney. The housekeeper’s interviews also could provide an avenue for Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers to suggest she was out for publicity or cash, a notion that already has shadowed the case. A day after the StraussKahn arrest, she was recorded alluding to his wealth on a phone call with an incarcerated friend, a law enforcement official has said. Newsweek said she had not
ruled out trying to make some money from her situation, a suggestion that a civil lawsuit could be forthcoming, though she told the magazine, “I don’t think about money.” The interviews nonetheless could tempt prosecutors to bow out rather than go forward with the case because “she’s already trying it in the court of public opinion,” Gershman said. T h e D A’s office has said its investigation, not external factors, will determine the outcome. Communications chief Erin Duggan said July 24 the investigation was continuing and declined to discuss AP Photo/Mary Altaffer the case further. Nafissatou Diallo, who accused former IMF Head In the inter- Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexually attacking her, has views, Diallo ad- been speaking publicly of her alleged ideal—to her dresses some of detriment, some pundits say. the inconsistencies that already have rocked the she actually had gone on cleaning rooms before consulting her boss. case. She testified to a grand jury Diallo told Newsweek she was disthat after the alleged attack, she oriented and went into the rooms cowered in a hallway and watched briefly before a supervisor appeared Strauss-Kahn leave, then told a and asked why she was upset, but supervisor. Prosecutors said earlier the maid denied changing her this month that she later told them account.
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National Medical Association (NMA) meets in Washington D.C.; tackle obesity in Black women BY CHRIS LEVISTER SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM BLACKVOICENEWS.COM
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Obesity is a nationwide epidemic across the racial spectrum and it’s a big problem for African-American women. The causes and consequences surrounding obesity were the focus of intense discussion, debate and concern during the National Medical Association’s (NMA) 2011 Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly. The prevalence is clear: 77 percent of African American women are overweight. Fifty percent of Black women are obese. Several Inland Empire doctors were among the more than 5,000 physicians and students who recently converged on Washington D.C. for the con-
vention. Marilyn Hughes Gaston, M.D., and Gayle K. Porter, Psy.D., founders of the Gaston & Porter Health Improvement Center in Potomac, Md., told a standing-room-only audience that the root causes, misconceptions, paradoxes and consequences are as clear as mud. Recently 351 Black women, ages 40-75, signed up for a 12-week intervention called Prime Time Sister Circles. Less than 10 percent of the women in the program reported being of normal weight by prevailing standards; the rest were overweight, obese or extremely obese. More than half of participants reported health concerns such as diabetes and heart disease. Nearly 70 percent reported high blood pressure.
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Gaston said the survey “exploded with misconceptions” about the root causes of obesity in the Black community. “This is not a diagnosis of poor people with poor eating habits,” she explained. The survey found a tsunami of contributing factors, including depression, yoyo dieting, cravings, poor selfesteem, sexual abuse, emotional eating as well as a perception, reinforced by celebrities such as Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique, that African American women are satisfied with their weights. The survey also found that only 10 percent of obese women expressed satisfaction with their weight, which might play a role in the high rates of depression, stress and morbidity seen in Black women. Denia Tapscott, M.D., program director of the Center for Wellness and Weight Loss Surgery at Howard University in Washington D.C., told the audience sexual abuse in young Black women is an important factor contributing to the obesity epidemic. Research shows about one in four young women have experienced physical or verbal abuse in dating situations, with Black and other minority women showing the highest risk. “If you look at recurring patterns in teenagers, many girls have been sexually or physically abused and have never talked about it. Instead they eat,” explained Janet Taylor, M.D., a psychiatrist at Harlem Hospital in New York City. “ ‘Internalized racism’ is thought to be responsible for increased psychosocial stress and blood pressure in Blacks said,” said Richard Kotomori, M.D., a Riverside, Calif., adolescent
and adult psychiatrist. He explained measures of chronic stress (e.g., anger, hostility, depression and anxiety) are also associated with increased hypertension, high levels of diabetes, elevated cholesterol, low infant birth weight and weight gain. Other physicians lamented the perception that many Black women are overweight because brothers like it that way. “That is to say that the culture rewards women for a little extra padding,” said a member of the audience. “I think there’s probably some class issues there,” said a physician from AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato Atlanta. “As kids, Rare success story: Terrie Turmeer, an employee of the many of us were state of Ohio, uses a state employee fitness program to told that brothers get in shape during her lunch break. ‘Living large’ poses prefer women major health risks for Black women. who have ‘junk in film starring Eddie Murphy and the trunk’—put plainly, big butts.” Others pointed to media-influ- Thandie Newton, obese Black women enced perceptions. For example, in are held up as objects of ridicule. “Norbit,” the 2007 romantic comedy See OBESITY, page 15
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
‘Freedom’s Sisters’ honors legacy of African American women BY DARLENE DONLOE A traveling exhibit celebrating the contributions of 20 African American women who fought for freedom and changed the course of history, “Freedom’s Sisters” is scheduled to open at the Museum of Tolerance (MOT) in Los Angeles, from Sept. 14, 2011 through Jan. 8, 2012. The women featured in the exhibit include key 19th-century historical figures and contemporary leaders who helped shape the spirit and substance of the civil rights movement in America. Honorees include Ella Jo Baker, Mary McLeod Bethune, Shirley Chisholm, Septima Poinsette Clark, Kathleen Cleaver, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Fannie Lou Hamer, Frances Watkins Harper, Dorothy Irene Height, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Barbara Charline Jordan, Coretta Scott King, Constance Baker Motley, Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, Sonia Sanchez, Betty Shabazz, Mary Church Terrell, Harriet Ross Greene Tubman, C. Delores Tucker and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Organized around the themes of “Dare to Dream,” “Inspire Lives,” “Serve the Public,” and “Look to the Future,” interactive stations and images will bring the women’s stories to life. The multimedia retrospective is a collaboration effort between the Cincinnati Museum Center, Ford Motor Company and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The announcement was made by NBC news reporter Toni Guinyard, who was the mistress of ceremony at a luncheon and presentation held recently at the MOT for Los Angeles community leaders and local Committee of Honor members that comprise a number of Los Angeles notables, including Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Kevin Frazier, anchor of the entertainment television program “The Insider.” Guinyard called the upcoming exhibit “historic and groundbreaking.” There is no shortage of information on the men of the civil rights movement who were prominently visible and dominated the media’s coverage of civil rights activities like boycotts and demonstrations in the ’50s and ’60s. The exhibit does not diminish the efforts and accomplishments made by male leaders, but rather highlights the contributions of African American women. “We haven’t done all that we can to honor the sisters,” said Pamela Alexander, director of Community Development and Fund Operations Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “ ‘Freedom’s Sisters’ tells the story of women that have previously been untold. I don’t mean to understate their actions by saying that. But the reality is that the contributions of these 20 women and so many other ‘Freedom’s
Sisters’, who maybe aren’t listed in the exhibit, were literally the backbone of the Civil Rights Movement. And in so many ways, they didn’t receive the recognition that they deserve. So this is about educating young people about their actions, but also inspiring people to move on because a lot of these women have made their transitions.” Alexander said honoring the women’s legacies takes more than just learning about them. “That’s step one,” she said. “Step two, which is what this exhibit does, is asking you, yourself and your children, ‘What are you doing to continue their legacy?’ ” Liebe Geft, director of the Museum of Tolerance, called ‘Freedom’s Sisters’ a “remarkable exhibition” that already has a growing “palpable” interest. “This is a wonderful opportunity,” said Geft. “Special stories are better told in special places. This is the ideal place to bring these stories to life.” Alexander said MOT was awarded the exhibit because of its immediate response and interest in hosting. She added that the exhibit was initially supposed to have a three-year run, but that it was so popular, it was completely booked well in advance of its opening. “The venues it went to included some African American Museums like the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit but it also went to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum in Atlanta, GA, and the Dallas Women’s Museum, to name a few,” said Alexander. “It goes back to the question of appealing to people of all ages and races and cultures. When we extended the tour for a year, The Museum of Tolerance, which initially approached us way back in the early stages of that three-year tour, said, ‘We want this.’ So essentially the one-year extension was grabbed.” Alexander said they did talk to the California African American Museum several years ago and that they expressed interest. “However, when the extension came up, the Museum of Tolerance was able to make a proposal and got to it first,” she explained. “It’s a good problem to have—multiple people wanting your exhibit.” The 20 women were chosen, according to Alexander, by a committee of academics throughout the country that specialize in the field of African American history and women’s history. “We wanted an exhibit that would be interactive and appealing to children,” said Alexander. “We didn’t want posters or portraits on a wall. We wanted it to be all-embracing. So you have a Dr. Sanchez, who is part of the Black arts movement, and a Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who helped integrate but is now an international journalist. But, you also have those who are more traditionally thought of like Mrs. King and Myrlie Evers. “And then you have people like Septima Clark. People may not know
about Ella Baker or Septima Clark. We wanted a wide range of women covering different fields so people understand there are many ways you can make your contribution to society. You can march or teach.” Ella Jo Baker was one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and Septima Poinsette Clark is known as the “Grandmother of the Civil Rights Movement” Photo by Darlene Donloe because of her work for equal access to education and civil Taking their place in history: The role of 20 women in the civil rights movement rights for African Americans is spotlighted in a new exhibit. L. to R.: Toni Guinyard, Liebe Geft and Pamela several decades before the rise Alexander. of national awareness of racial inequality. Rock Nine, was in attendance and eighth-grade students. “Freedom’s Sisters,” conceived Some of the “Freedom’s Sisters” called it “a learning opportunity for by the Ford Motor Company Fund national committee members include all of us.” (the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Sheila For more information about Company), opened on March 15, Johnson, Patti Labelle, Quincy Jones, “Freedom’s Sisters”: The Museum 2008, at the Cincinnati Museum Cathy L. Hughes, Alexis M. Herman, of Tolerance at the Simon Center and has toured nine locations Marc Morial, Julian Bond, former Wiesenthal Plaza, located at 9786 across the U.S. over a three-year peri- Congresswoman Diane Watson, West Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles. od. Colin Powell and Terrence J. Roberts, From Sept. 14, 2011 through Jan. 8, In addition to the exhibit, Ph.D. 2012. Days and hours of operation: “Freedom’s Sisters,” which has eduLocal committee members were Mon. through Fri., 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; cational and community outreach ini- chosen for their continued dedication closed Saturday; Sun., 11 a.m.–5 tiatives, includes an essay contest for and commitment to serve and enlight- p.m. Costs: $11-$15. Contact: 310which Ford will award $10,000 in en the Los Angeles community. 553-8403, or www.museumoftolerscholarships to local fourth- and Dr. Roberts, one of the Little ance.com.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Current, former New Orleans officers convicted in shootings BY MARY FOSTER AND MICHAEL KUNZELMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Dark chapter in police history ends: Supporters of victims shot by N.O. cops after Hurricane Katrina celebrate after five police officers are convicted of various crimes.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted five current or former New Orleans police officers of civil rights violations in one of the lowest moments for city police in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: the shooting deaths of a teenager and a mentally disabled man as they crossed a bridge in search of food and help. The case was a high-stakes test of the Justice Department’s effort to rid the police department of corruption and brutality. A total of 20 current or former New Orleans police officers were charged last year in a series of federal probes. Most of the cases center on actions during the aftermath of the Aug. 29, 2005, storm, which plunged the flooded city into a state of lawlessness and desperation. Sgts. Robert Gisevius and Kenneth Bowen, Officer Anthony Villavaso and former
officer Robert Faulcon were convicted of civil rights violations in the shootings that killed two people and wounded four others on the Danziger Bridge less than a week after the storm. They face possible life prison sentences. Retired Sgt. Arthur “Archie” Kaufman and the other four men also were convicted of engaging in a brazen cover-up that included a planted gun, fabricated witnesses and falsified reports. The five men were convicted of all 25 counts they faced. Shaun Clarke, a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor who moved from New Orleans to Houston after Katrina, said the verdicts are “critically important” to the Justice Department’s reform efforts. “It’s a huge verdict for the government,” he said. “Of all the cases concerning alleged misconduct by police officers after Katrina, this was the one that had the highest national profile.” U.S. Attorney Jim Letten echoed that, See N.O. SHOOTINGS, page 15
Let ’s keep moving. The more active they are now, the less chance they’ll develop serious health problems, like obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Civil rights leaders mourn SCLC leader’s death life here, right now, saying goodbye and farewell and honoring a guy who touched many, many people,” said the SCLC’s Maynard Eaton, speaking with WSB-TV on Saturday. Following the Rev. Creecy’s death, Isaac Newton Farris Jr., a nephew of King Jr. and the son of his only surviving sibling, Christine King Farris, was named interim president, the SCLC said. The SCLC under King advo-
AP Photo/John Amis
Last respects: SCLC president Howard Creecy is laid to rest, as his wife, Yolanda Creecy, looks on. The Rev. Creecy was already SCLC interim president when he took over permanently on Jan. 30 as the group’s seventh president, moving to put behind a period of deep
AP Photo/John Amis
Former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young speaks at the funeral of SCLC President Howard Creecy, as wife Yolanda Creecy pays her last respects.
infighting in the group. Creecy died at his Atlanta home July 28 of what his family reported as an apparent heart attack. He had taken the leadership mantle at the SCLC after King’s youngest daughter, Bernice King, declined the top post. Following months of internal upheaval over leadership and finances, the Rev. Creecy was seen as a stabilizing force who could put the 54-year-old organization on sounder footing. Damien Conners, who is in charge of programming for the organization, said the Rev. Creecy also settled on priorities of education, voting rights and HIV/AIDS awareness—while moving to make the group relevant to young people. For 26 years, the Rev. Creecy was senior pastor at St. Peter’s Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. In 2002, he joined his father, Howard W. Creecy Sr., at Olivet Baptist Church in 2002, where he took over upon his father’s death six years later. “You see folks from all walks of
First Black Secret Service agent dies at age 82
AP Photo
First to serve: This undated photo from a U.S. Department of Justice identification card shows Charles L. Gittens.
cated nonviolent protest as it worked to bring equality to blacks, particularly in the South. The group played a major role in the March on Washington and civil rights campaigns in the South. The group’s efforts helped lead to the end of segregation and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The SCLC also spoke out against poverty, racism and war.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Charles L. Gittens, who in 1956 became the first Black Secret Service agent, has died. He was 82. The McGuire Funeral Home in Washington confirmed that Gittens died July 27 in Maryland. A spokesman for the Secret Service confirmed that Gittens was the first Black agent but said no further details would be immediately available. According to an obituary in The Herald-Sun of Durham, N.C., Gittens joined the agency in 1956 and was assigned to the Charlotte, N.C., office. He also worked in the New York City office, investigating counterfeiting and bank fraud. Fluent in Spanish, Gittens also worked in the San Juan, Puerto Rico
bureau and was assigned to the D.C. office in 1969. He retired in 1979. He then worked for the Department of Justice, where he investigated war criminals who were living in the U.S. Danny Spriggs, vice president of global security for The Associated Press, who had been a Secret Service agent, called Gittens “just an outstanding guy … He went out of his way to mentor and give counsel and advice to young African Americans who were coming up, especially those like myself who were coming up through the ranks. “The guy was always physically fit. He looked like he came out of the gym. His whole persona was one of professionalism: no-nonsense guy.”
MetroBriefs Just $5 For A Metro Day Pass If you’ve noticed that gas prices are still awfully high, Metro’s got great news for you: we’ve lowered the price of our Day Pass. That means you can travel all over the county all day long for just $5. Find out more at metro.net.
Buy Your Metro Pass Anytime! We won’t tie you down, because Metro’s Weekly Pass is now a flexible 7-Day Pass, good for 7 consecutive days starting the first day it is used. Similarly, Metro’s Monthly Pass has become a 30-Day Pass, good for 30 consecutive days starting the first day it is used. Look for details at metro.net.
Metro’s Lost And Found Now Online Lost something aboard a Metro bus or train? Now you can go online to tell Metro what kind of an item you lost, along with where and when you lost it. The information is logged into Metro’s database to speed its recovery if it was turned in. Go to metro.net for more information.
Show Us Why You Like Transit – Win A Free Pass Lights…camera…you! Create a brief video about what you like best about riding buses and trains for the “Transit Flicks” video contest and you might win a free pass for a year. Top contenders will be posted on the web so everyone can help select the winner. The deadline to enter is September 2. Find out more at metro.net.
K-12 Student Passes Now On TAP All Metro reduced-fare student paper passes are being converted to TAP, the electronic fare card that is now in use by all other Metro reduced-fare groups. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade need TAP cards by September to be eligible for reduced fares. Look for instructions and applications aboard Metro buses and trains or go to metro.net for details.
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ATLANTA (AP) — Civil rights leaders gathered at the weekend funeral of the late president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, lauding the Rev. Howard Creecy Jr. for ending a time of turmoil in the organization made famous by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hundreds turned out Saturday for the Atlanta funeral of the Rev. Creecy, a third-generation Baptist preacher, who took command last January of the group, which was founded in Atlanta in 1957 by King and other African American ministers at the dawning of the civil rights movement. Andrew Young, the former mayor of Atlanta and activist, told mourners at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church in Atlanta that mourners could celebrate “the wonderful spirit of this spiritual giant that we all love.” “Howard Creecy is not gone,” said Young, also a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, quoted in The Atlanta JournalConstitution. “He will be with you when you need him. You will hear his voice.”
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F E AT U R E
L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER
California Redistricting Black Representatives feel the squeeze of new district lines by Brandon I. Brooks | Co-Managing Editor
The African American community has been paying close attention to the California redistricting process over the past few months and there has been mixed emotions throughout the process as numerous maps have been produced and reworked. The concern from day one was that Black representatives would be squeezed out. Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA33) was quoted in a May 12, 2011 article published in the Los Angeles Sentinel titled, “Looking at California Redistricting”, where she stated, “There is a delusion that African Americans no longer live in the greater Los Angeles area. But in fact, if you compare the African American population in the state of California ten years ago to now, there has not been a dramatic reduction in their numbers. We might live in different places now but there’s not a dramatic reduction. So I think it’s critical we maintain African American representation”. Assemblyman Mike Davis has been vocal concerning the approval of AB 420. “Currently, inmates are counted for redistricting purposes wherever they are found rather than it being based on their last known residences. Under this system, inmates from Los Angeles who are incarcerated in San Quentin are counted along with Marin County, rather than L.A. County residents. This has an effect of disenfranchising California’s African American and Latino communities by diluting their voting strength”. It is important to note that for the first time in the history of California’s redistricting process an independent commission consisting of 14 members called the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC), was selected to set new boundaries for California’s congressional and legislative districts.
The commission started meeting in January and for months have worked on creating new maps for 80 state assembly districts, 40 Senate districts, four Board of Equalization distr icts, and
53 cong re s sional districts. Using 2010 Census data as a basis, the commission aimed to have certain amounts of people in the districts. Community organizations such as the American Redistricting Collaborative (AARC) are positive examples of amplified public interest and debate. AARC has worked
with community leaders and local residents to effectively voice community concerns. These concerted efforts really made a difference; it could not have happened without the leadership of Marqueece Harris Dawson from the Community Coalition, Blair Taylor from the Urban League, Leon Jenkins from the NAACP, Bobbie Jean Anderson and her crew from New Frontier Democrats and the yeoman’s work from the African American press – the print and radio media beat the drum on this issue until the people finally got it. Thanks to the coalition partners, our electoral prospects for political representation in the African American community at every level are looking much better than they were when the process began. When the redistricting process began months ago, the conventional wisdom within political circles was that the African American Community in Southern California would end up with: two Congressional seats, one state senate seat, two assembly seats and a good bye kiss to the Board of Equalization. As the last public review and the final process come t o an
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
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There is a delusion that African Americans no longer live in the greater Los Angeles area.
end on Aug. 15, minor and technical changes will be proposed. But after 34 hearings statewide and roughly 20,000 public comments taken by the CRCC, in a July press conference held at the state Capital, the commission felt they have “exhausted” the process to the fullest extent and would defend their plan against potential legal challenges. “In complying with the law, the commission is confident that these maps will prevail against any and all legal challenges, “said Chairwoman Connie Galambos Malloy. “For the first time ever, Californians will know exactly who drew the maps, how they were drawn and for what reason, and they know their voices were heard,” Helen Hutchinson, vice president of the League of Women Voters of California, told the commission during its meeting. Commissioners were required to create districts of equal population and adhere to the federal voting Rights Act of 1965, which protects minorities’ opportunities to elect representatives of their choosing, as well as to try and keep ‘communities of interest’ together, among other criteria. If the final released maps remain as they are, it’s a significant political victory for the African American community especially when you consider the demographic shifts that have occurred in Southern California during the past 10 years. At the conclusion of this process, the African American community would have to take a hard look at its traditional“safe”seats:three in Congress,
two in the State Senate, three in the Assembly seats and a good chance to hold onto the Board of Equalization seat. There is no doubt that there will be challenges made in court to contest the legality of the new district lines. According to the article in the mainstream media relative to the final redistricting maps, this will not be the final chapter of the 2011 redistricting saga; it’s not over yet. The war isn’t over for Democrats, but a battle was won for sure because they are now within reach of obtaining a coveted two-thirds majority in the state Senate. They also anticipate picking up a handful of seats in Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus came out winners as they would probably hold onto three Los Angeles County districts where African Americans represent the largest voting bloc. As the fastest-growing segment of the population, Latinos did well. They would represent a voting majority in 10 or more legislative congressional districts where they command a majority. The interesting battle on the horizon is the race for the proposed new congressional district in South Los Angeles. Rep. Laura Richardson (D37) and newly-elected Rep. Janice Hahn(D-36)
will have to deal with the new district lines reality. In addition, Assembly-members Isadore Hall (a definite) and Steve Bradford (a possibility) may also be vying for the new seat. It portends to be a race among four Democrats on one side of the aisle. In the Black community, Rep. Maxine Waters and Rep. Bass do not appear to be threatened by the proposed final district line. In Waters’ Congressional district, her strength, popularity and relationship with her constituents have, for years, placed her in enviable position always winning re-election with an overwhelming majority. However, some have stated that, as an elder ‘stateswoman,’ when she retires, the newly configured district may not be voter friendly to a progressive African American candidate. A Republican member from Anaheim was the only commissioner to oppose all the maps. When asked to comment further on why he voted the way he did, he would not give more details at a recent state capitol press conference. One other commissioner, a Republican from Norco, voted against just the proposed Congressional districts. The 14-member commission is made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and four members unaffiliated with any political party. There were two African American commissioners on the 14 member commission. Commissioner Andre Parvenu visited the Sentinel and Watts Times offices and when asked what he thought about the California redistricting process, he said, “This is history...We have an opportunity to create a process that the rest of the nation may want to copy or duplicate at some point.”
C OV E R A RT B Y: DAV I D G. B ROW N & B J S A M U E L S
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Police: K-9 sniffed The Pan African Film Festival drugs on rapper Big Boi announces call for submissions MIAMI (AP) — Police say a K-9 dog smelled drugs on Grammy-winning OutKast rapper Big Boi as he was getting off a cruise ship in Miami. A warrant from Sunday’s arrest released Monday says customs agents patted down the 36-year-old rapper, whose real name is Antwan Patton, and found Ecstasy and Viagra pills and a cigarette roller with marijuana residue. Patton was also accused of carrying MDMA, which is the main ingredient in Ecstasy. Big Boi was charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count AP Photo/Miami-Dade County Corrections and of possession of drug Rehabilitation Department paraphernalia. The rapper Antwan Patton, also known as Big Boi of the was released on $16,000 rap group OutKast, has been arrested on bond. alleged drug possession charges. Phone and email messages left with his publicists were not immediately returned. The Atlanta-based group OutKast won six Grammys and churned out six platinum-plus albums, including “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.”
Film festival set to celebrate 20 years of cinematic journeys around the world LOS ANGELES — The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is proud to announce its 20th anniversary of taking moviegoers on a cinematic journey with international film screenings from around the globe. PAFF will be held on February 920, 2012, in Los Angeles. The film festival is the nation’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Over the years, it has showcased films from all parts of the world, representing Angola, Austria, England, Bermuda, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, South African, Nigeria and, of course, the United States. With its pulse on the international film market, PAFF has opened the minds of its audiences, and transported them to lands far away and back home again. “Over the years, the filmmakers from around the world have become more sophisticated in telling their stories,” says Asantewa Olatunji, the director of programming for PAFF. Eligibility: The PAFF is currently accepting applications for films and videos made by and/or about people of African descent. [Please note: the filmmaker(s) need not be of African descent.] Films
should preferably depict positive and realistic images and can be of any genre—drama, comedy, horror, adventure, animation, romance, science fiction, experimental, etc. PAFF accepts features and shorts, both narrative and documentary. The film festival will accept submissions of works in progress; however, films and videos must be completed no later than December 31, 2011. Competition: The PAFF competition categories are Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary (short or feature length), Best Narrative Short, Jury Award, Director-First Feature, Festival Award and Audience Favorite. Films in competition must be copyrighted no earlier than 2011. With the exception of Audience Favorite and Festival Award all films are judged by industry professionals, who are selected by PAFF. Submission: For information about the festival, submission procedures, fees and registration, visit www.paff.org or call 310-337-4737. Submission will be accepted from July 1, 2011 through October 31, 2011. Late submissions will be accepted until December 1, 2011. Official selection announcements will be made beginning December 15, 2011.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
‘Wire’ actress pleads guilty in drug case BY SARAH BRUMFIELD ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sister, sister: Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer score powerful performances in "The Help."
Movie Review: ‘The Help’ TORI BAILEY,MSLM – WATTS TIMES GUEST WRITER BIKO N. POINDEXTER-HODGE (WATTS TIMES INTERN) “The Help” was a phenomenal, heartwarming and emotional movie that made you laugh and cry, get angry and happy, and filled you with several other emotions that words are inadequate to explain. The screenplay was written by Tate Taylor based on the #1 New York Times bestselling book written by Kathryn Stockett. Stockett’s book was one of the most talked-about and must-read books of the year. The cast includes Academy Award-nominated Viola Davis as Aibileen; Octavia Spencer as Minny; and Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly. Sissy Spacek was also a phenomenal actor in the film. The movie is about three different extraordinary women in Jackson, Miss., during the 1960s who are encouraged to work on a secret writing project, which results in an outof-the-ordinary friendship. They risk breaking societal rules that could cause them great harm during this era merely because they are women as well as the fact that they are involved in a project that has anything to do with literary creation and literacy— especially a book of all the household secrets! This movie deals with a big part of African American history—specifically about Black household helpers and the things that they witnessed, heard and were told while working in White households. The dialogue has to do with how the help did all the cooking, cleaning and taking care of others’ children, all the while taking care of their own families. These African American helpers were the backbone and, oftentimes, even the glue of the White family household. The African American helpers also heard White folks and many
White families talk about things that were going on in the world, such as politics, religion and civil rights. You may also learn some African American history from “The Help.” But one historical fact that blew my mind was that the help worked from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and earned only 95 cents an hour! That means the help worked eight hours a day and earned a total of $7.60 a day. The movie also has some very moving, powerful and touching lines, such as, “If you love your enemy, you already have the victory.” It is important for you to know of the collaboration that went into the writing of this review—and the fact that the collaborators are from two different generations. For example, I’m in my 20s so I was shocked by the help’s meager salaries. But overall, I was in awe of the film because of what I learned about the reverence that some of the White families had for their Black help. I actually met a member of one of these White families yesterday— we will call her “S. Bell.” She loved her “Momma Ann,” as she endearingly called her. She shocked me by stating that she actually spent Saturday nights with the help at their house in Tennessee. Momma Ann was hired into this family when S. Bell was one year old and helped this White family until 1984 when she went to glory. S. Bell said that Momma Ann ran their entire household and that she would listen to Momma Ann even before she would listen to her own mother. We were able to view the film at the Regal Cinema L.A. Live downtown. It was an awesome and entertaining film. It’s mandatory that every teenager, young adult, adult, elderly and family go out and see this movie! “The Help” opened on Weds., August 10.
BALTIMORE (AP) — An actress who played a Baltimore drug gang assassin in HBO’s “The Wire” pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to distribute heroin, caught by a wiretap in a joint federal-state drug probe of an alleged drug gang. Felicia “Snoop” Pearson, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, a day before her trial was set to begin. Judge Lawrence Fletcher-Hill accepted the plea, suspending a sevenyear sentence with credit for time served and ordering three years of supervised probation with provisions for out-ofstate travel for work. The plea allows Pearson to move on with her acting career instead of spending more than a year with charges hanging over her, attorney Benjamin C. Sutley said outside the courthouse. “I can’t say she would have been found not guilty,” Sutley said. But Pearson interrupted, saying “I would have been found not guilty.” Pearson was one of 64 people charged in March in “Operation Usual Suspects.” The federal indictment states that since 2008, members of the conspiracy bought heroin from New York and marijuana from California and sold
AP Photo/Sarah Brumfield
Felicia “Snoop” Pearson, who played a Baltimore drug gang assassin on HBO’s “The Wire” and her attorney Benjamin C. Sutley, was caught by a wiretap in a joint federal-state drug probe of an alleged drug gang. the drugs on the streets of Baltimore. As part of the conspiracy, the indictment alleges, members discussed how those who failed to perform required tasks were dealt with violently. Pearson was caught on a wiretap conspiring with Shawn Johnson and Jeff Gibbs, who bought heroin in bulk from New York and distributed the drugs in Baltimore, according to a statement of charges read aloud in court by prosecutor Rebecca Finn. Johnson paid Pearson to store drugs and money, including drug proceeds, at her apartment in the city, Finn said.
See PEARSON, page 14
IN A SUMMER OF R-RATED COMEDIES ONLY ONE CAN BE “
THE FUNNIEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR.” Robert Fure, FILM SCHOOL REJECTS
FULLY WORTHY OF ITS R-RATING. OUTRAGEOUS AND FUNNY.”
“
Stephen Rebello, PLAYBOY
UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS INASSOCIATIONWITH RELATIVITYMEDIA AN ORIGINALFILM/BIGKIDPICTURES PRODUCTION A DAVID DOBKIN FILM RYANREYNOLDS JASON BATEMAN “THECHANGE-UP” LESLIEMANN OLIVIA WILDE AND ALANARKIN MUSICBY JOHN DEBNEY EXECUTIVE PRODUCED PRODUCERS JOE CARACCIOLO, JR. ORI MARMUR JEFF KLEEMAN JONATHON KOMACK MARTIN BY DAVID DOBKIN NEALH.MORITZ WRITTEN DIRECTED BY JONLUCAS & SCOTT MOORE BY DAVID DOBKIN A UNIVERSAL PICTURE © 2011 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes - Text CHANGEUP with your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)!
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Sanders, Sharpe, Faulk, Dent enter Hall of Fame
SPORTS BEAT BY BRAD PYE JR. WATTS TIMES SPORTS WRITER Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond. I’m all for paying college athletes. Everybody else gets paid. The coaches, athletic directors and their staffs, referees, stadium sweepers, lavatory cleaners, peanut and popcorn sellers—you name it. They all get paid (except the major sports athletes who put people in the seats and put a whole lot of those pretty little green ones in the universities’ tills). The athletes, especially the football and basketball players, should get paid. Tiger Woods returned to the PGA tour over the weekend with a first- round 68, but he finished tied for 37th place in the Bridgestone Invitational. Check this: Tiger’s former caddie Steve Smith tooting the bag for winner Adam Scott with rounds of 62, 70, 66 and 65 collected $1,400,000. His caddie Steve Williams earned $140,500. Tiger’s take home pay was only $58,500. Who has the last laugh now, Tiger? Tiger’s next start is scheduled for Thursday, August 11, at the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. In the Oregon-LSU opener on Sept. 3, both teams will feature Black quarterbacks. The Oregon Ducks will be led by sophomore Darron Thomas, who quarterbacked the
AP Photo/Mark Duncan
Tiger Woods hits his tee shot on the eighth hole during the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Ducks against Cam Newton and his national champion Auburn 11. Calling the shots for LSU for the second straight year is Jordan Jefferson. The victor in this clash will emerge as the No. 1 team in the nation. Going into the openers, Oklahoma is rated No.1 in most polls. USC opens against Minnesota, without last season’s tailback starter, Marc Tyler, who is suspended and will sit this one out—and maybe even more games. UCLA opens on the road against Houston. The Bruins, sparked by all-American nominee and captain Johnathan Franklin, open at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 10 against San Jose State. The Bruins’ success or failure will be on the shoulders of Franklin, safety Tony Dye, linebackers Patrick Larimore, Sean Westgate, defensive end Datone Jones, cornerback Aaron Nester, defensive tackle Nate Chandler and cornerback Shelton Price. USC’s troops will be led by Matt Barkley, left tackle Kaill Khaled Holmes, Devon Kennard, Christian Tupou, Kevin Graf, Martin Coleman, George Farmer and Robert Woods. And beat continues. Newcomer Sloane Stephens looks like Serena Williams, but can she play tennis like Serena? The 18year-old Los Angeles resident posted
her first victory over a top 20 player. Julia Goerges, 6-3, 7-5, at the Mercury Insurance Open at La Costa Resort and Spa, Aug. 3. However, she lost in the quarter-finals to 23-year Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 6-1. The Philadelphia Eagles have the best two running quarterbacks in the NFL in Michael Vick and exTennessee Titans starter Vince Young. Former UCLA all-American Mercedes Lewis went into camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars and with a five year $35 million contract, of which $17-million is guaranteed. All-pro and Super Bowl star, Bubba Smith, who died Aug. 3 at the age of 66, comes from a family of former NFL stars. Family members include his brother Toddy Smith, the USC all-American; his cousins, UCLA all-American Mel Farr (Detroit’s Lions) and Miller Farr (St. Louis Cardinals); and Clarence Williams (L.A. Rams). The Smiths and the Farrs all played for the Smith’s father at a high school in Beaumont, Texas. Carl Lewis, the record-setting nine Olympic Games gold medals winner, says track and field has lost its momentum to other sports like the NFL, MLB and even poker. Lewis told USA Today: “You’re going to tell me that track and field can catch poker
See SPORTS BEAT, page 15
AP Photo/Tony Dejak
A sharper image: Deion Sanders poses with a bust of himself during the induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. BY BARRY WILNER AP PRO FOOTBALL WRITER CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Prime Time has come to Canton—with an extra touch of gold. And a black do-rag. Deion Sanders strutted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night sporting a pair of gold shoes to go with the gold jacket emblematic of the special company he has become a part of. At the end of his riveting acceptance speech, he placed his ubiquitous do-rag on his hall bust. Neon Deion, indeed. “This game,” Sanders repeated dozens of times, “this game taught me how to be a man. This game taught me if I get knocked down, I got to get my butt back up. “I always had a rule in life that I would never love anything that couldn’t love me back. It taught me how to be a man, how to get up, how to live in pain. Taught me so much about people, timing, focus, dedication, submitting oneself, sacrificing. “If your dream ain’t bigger than you, there’s a problem with your dream.”
Sanders joined Marshall Faulk in entering the hall in their first year of eligibility. Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Chris Hanburger, Les Richter and Ed Sabol also were enshrined before an enthusiastic crowd of 13,300 —much lower than the usual turnout. With Sunday’s Hall of Fame game a victim of the 41/2-month NFL lockout, Fawcett Stadium was half full. Not that Sanders needs a big audience. The dynamic cornerback and kick returner ran off a list of people who influenced him as smoothly as he ran past opponents, whether running back kicks or interceptions—or even catching passes when he appeared as a wide receiver, or dashing around the bases in the major leagues, including one World Series appearance. He spoke of promising his mother she could stop working in a hospital when he became a success, and of how he created the Prime Time image at Florida State—then turned it into a persona. A Hall of Fame persona. “What separates us is that we expect to be great,” he said. “I expect to be great, I expect to do what had to be done. I expect to make change.” Just as Sharpe expected to change his life as a kid who went to college with two brown grocery bags filled with his belongings. When Sharpe headed to Savannah State, all he heard was how he was destined to fail. “When people told me I’d never make it, I listened to the one person who said I could: Me,” Sharpe said. Failure? Sharpe went from a seventh-round draft pick to the most prolific tight end of his time. He won two Super Bowls with Denver and one with Baltimore, and at the time of his retirement in 2003, his 815 career receptions, 10,060 yards and 62 TDs were all NFL records for a tight end. Three times he went over 1,000 yards receiving in a season—almost unheard of for that position. In a 1993 playoff game, Sharpe had 13 catches against Oakland, tying a record. Sharpe patted his bust on the head Saturday before saying, “All these years later, it makes me proud when
See HALL OF FAME, page 13
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
LA council approves framework deal for NFL venue The City Council approved a framework deal Tuesday that would grant a private developer access to tax-free financing to help it build a 72,000-seat NFL stadium on the city’s convention center campus. The council’s 12-0 vote set the stage for city leaders to later consider binding agreements with developer Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) on the project’s financing, leasing arrangements and other details. “This is not the beginning of the end but perhaps the end of the beginning,” Councilman Eric Garcetti said before the vote was taken. The agreement anticipates the issuance of $275 million in taxexempt bonds for the relocation of a
convention center hall to accommodate the proposed $1.2 billion football venue. It would require AEG to extend a series of financial guarantees over the course of the project as a safeguard against shortfalls and other risks. The council vote gives AEG officials the solid demonstration of city support that they said they needed in order to ramp up their efforts to secure a team at the planned stadium known as Farmers Field. AEG spokesman Michael Roth and NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the vote. The firm’s stadium plan is one of two competing proposals to bring
professional football back to Los Angeles some 16 years after the
HALL OF FAME Continued from page 12
people call me a self-made man.” In a captivating acceptance speech, Sharpe passionately made a pitch to get his brother, Sterling, who played seven years with the Packers, considered for election to the shrine. Sterling, who introduced his younger brother for induction, wept as Shannon praised him. “I am the only player who has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and am the second-best player in my family,” Sharpe said. “I am so honored. You don’t know what this means for me. This is the fraternity of all fraternities.” Faulk was the running back of running backs for much of his 12-season career. As versatile and dangerous a backfield threat as the NFL has seen, Faulk was voted the NFL’s top offensive player in 1999, 2000 and 2001, and was the NFL’s MVP in 2000. He was the league’s scoring leader in 2000 and ‘01, made seven Pro Bowls, and was the first player to gain 2,000 yards from scrimmage in four consecutive years. The second overall draft pick in 1994, when Faulk was offensive rookie of the year, he played five seasons in Indianapolis, then his final seven for St. Louis, helping the Rams to their only Super Bowl victory in 1999. Through tears, Faulk said, “Boy this is pretty special ... I am glad to be a part of it. This is football heaven. “I am a football fan just like all of you,” Faulk told the crowd. “I have always, always been a fan and had an abiding passion and love and respect for this game of football, even when I was a kid selling popcorn in the Superdome because I couldn’t afford a ticket. “It’s tough going from the projects to the penthouse.” Dent was a dynamic pass rusher on one of the NFL’s greatest defenses, the 1985 NFL champions. He was the MVP of that Super Bowl and finished with 1371/2 career sacks, third all-time when he left the sport. He epitomized the Monsters of the Midway: fast, fierce and intimidating. “Richard was like a guided missile,” Joe Gilliam, Dent’s college coach, said during his introduction. “You must dream and you must be dedicated to something in your life,”
added Dent, who asked everyone in the audience to rise in applause for Gilliam, then thanked dozens of people, including many from the ‘85 Bears who also were in the stadium. He saved his highest praise for the late Walter Payton. “When you have dreams, it is very tough to say you can do everything by yourself,” Dent said. “It’s all about other people.” Sabol made a life out of telling other people’s stories. An aspiring filmmaker, Sabol approached Commissioner Pete Rozelle, offering to double the rights fee for filming the 1962 NFL championship game between the Packers and Giants. Rozelle accepted the $3,000 and a wildly successful marriage was formed. Seated in a wheelchair, the 94year-old Sabol said he “dreamt the impossible dream, and I’m living it right at this minute.” “This honor tonight really goes to NFL Films, I just happen to be accepting all the accolades,” Sabol added. Sabol’s son, Steve, who replaced him as president of the company, introduced his father, about whom he said, “My sisters used to say my dad was two stooges short of a good routine. He loved to entertain.” Hanburger called his induction “one of the greatest moments in my life and I mean that from my heart. I am just overwhelmed by this.” Hanburger never let his job with the Redskins overwhelm him. He was the signalcaller for George Allen’s intricate defenses in Washington, which included dozens of formations. He also was a physical player. Nicknamed “The Hangman,” Hanburger stood out for one violent move he practically patented in 14 seasons with the Redskins: the clothesline tackle, which eventually was outlawed. A senior committee nominee, Hanburger made nine Pro Bowls in his 14 seasons, although he never won a championship. The linebacker’s knack for finding the ball helped him to 19 interceptions and three fumble returns for TDs, a league mark when he retired after the 1978 season. Hanburger stared into the face of his bust before saying induction is “something that I never gave a thought to.” Richter, who died last year, also
was a senior nominee. He played nine seasons for the Los Angeles Rams, who acquired him in 1954 for 11 players after he was the second overall draft pick. Richter served two years in the military, then became one of the most rugged defenders in the NFL. He made eight straight Pro Bowls while also seeing time at center and as a placekicker for part of his career. He retired in 1962 and went on to a successful career in motor sports.
Rams and Raiders left the nation’s second-largest market. Warehouse magnate Ed Roski’s Majestic Realty Co., which also has not yet secured a team, has permits in place to build a separate 75,000seat stadium about 15 miles east of Los Angeles, in the city of Industry. John Semcken, a Majestic vice president, said in a statement after the vote that its proposal would generate more money and jobs and be a better choice for the NFL. “We are more active than ever and are currently working with the league, owners and teams to bring a franchise back to Los Angeles,” he said. The Los Angeles council mem-
bers are set to take up the additional binding votes over the next nine months, with groundbreaking on the new venue possible as early as June. Council members would still have a chance to ask AEG to help fund stadium infrastructure, such as its transit connections, and to establish job training programs as the binding agreements are considered, said Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller, who led the city team that negotiated the framework deal. “Until those final terms are accepted, you can change them,” he said.
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NOTICE INVITING BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Long Beach, California, acting by and through the City’s Board of Harbor Commissioners (“City”) will receive, before the Bid Deadline established below, sealed Bids for the following Work: SHORE TO SHIP POWER AT PIER A BERTHS A88-A96 LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S2342 Bid Deadline:
Prior to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 Bid packages will be time/date stamped on the 4th floor or in the Lobby and shall be submitted prior to 10 a.m.
Place for Submission of Bids: 1. By Delivery Any Calendar Day Before the Bid Deadline Harbor Department Administration Building 4th Floor, Plans and Specifications/Program Management Office 925 Harbor Plaza Long Beach, CA 90802 2. By Delivery on the Same Calendar Day as the Bid Deadline Harbor Department Administration Building First Floor Lobby 925 Harbor Plaza Long Beach, CA 90802 Bid Opening:
As soon as practical after the Bid Deadline Harbor Department Administration Building 6th Floor Board Room 925 Harbor Plaza Long Beach, CA 90802
Contract Documents Available: Date/Time: Beginning Thursday, August 11, 2011 Monday –Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Location: Harbor Department Administration Building 4th Floor, Plans and Specifications 925 Harbor Plaza Long Beach, CA 90802 Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting:
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. This meeting is mandatory. Location: 6th Floor Board Room, Harbor Department Administration Building
Project Contact Person: Victor Sagredo, Project Manager Fax: 562-901-1763 Email: sagredo@polb.com NIB -1 Contract Documents. Copies of Contract Documents in DVD format may be obtained, at no cost, at the Plans and Specifications Office, 4th floor, Harbor Department Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza, Long Beach, CA 90802 during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To arrange to receive a DVD of the Contract Documents by courier at the expense of the Bidder, call (562) 590-4146. For information on this Project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/out _for_bid.asp. Copies of all Port insurance endorsement forms, SBE/VSBE Program forms, Harbor Development Permit Applications and other Port forms are available at http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/forms_permits/default.asp. NIB -2 Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting. The engineering staff of the City’s Harbor department will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 2011 in the Board Room, 6th floor, of the Harbor Department Administration Building. Attendance is mandatory. Note that attendance at the pre-bid meeting can be used to satisfy a portion of a Bidder’s good faith efforts to meet the SBE/VSBE participation goals listed below. EACH BIDDER MUST ATTEND THE MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETING. FAILURE TO ATTEND THE MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETING SHALL DISQUALIFY YOUR BID. NIB -3 Summary Description of the Work. The Work required by this Contract includes, but is not limited to, the following: furnishing all labor, materials, power, equipment, tools, transportation and supervision necessary to install electrical substations, shore to ship power outlets and vaults, utilities, paving, striping and fencing for shore to ship power at Pier A Berths A88 – A96. NIB -4 Contract Time and Liquidated Damages. The Work shall be completed within six-hundred and fifty (650) days as provided in Paragraph SC - 6.1 of the Special Conditions, from a date specified in a written “Notice to Proceed” issued by the City and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Conditions. FAILURE OF THE CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE WORK WITHIN THE CONTRACT TIME AND
Thursday, August 11, 2011 OTHER MILESTONES WILL RESULT IN ASSESSMENT OF LIQUIDATED DAMAGES IN THE AMOUNTS ESTABLISHED IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS. NIB -5 Contractor’s License. Each Bidder shall hold a current and valid Class” A” California Contractor’s License to bid this Project. NIB -6 Contractor Performed Work. The Contractor shall perform, with its own employees, Contract Work amounting to at least 50% of the Contract Price, except that any designated “Specialty Items” may be performed by subcontract and the amount of any such “Specialty Items” so performed may be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. “Specialty Items” will be identified by the City in the Schedule of Bid Items. NIB -7 SBE/VSBE. This Project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE)/Very Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) Program. The combined SBE/VSBE participation goal for this project is thirty (30%) percent, of which a minimum of five (5%) percent must be allocated to VSBE’s. POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal. Award of the Contract will be conditioned on the Bidder submitting an SBE-2C Commitment Plan demonstrating the Bidder’s intent to meet the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal. If the Bidder’s Commitment Plan does not demonstrate intent to meet the combined goal, the Bidder shall demonstrate that it made an adequate good faith effort to do so, as specified in the Instructions to Bidders (ITB 18). The Port’s SBE Program staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the SBE Office at (562) 499-3472 or sbeprogram@polb.com. You may also view the Port’s SBE Program requirements at www.polb.com/sbe. NIB -8 Prevailing Wage Rates and Employment of Apprentices. This Project is a public work as defined in Labor Code section 1720. The Contractor receiving award of the Contract and Subcontractors of any tier shall pay not less than the prevailing wage rates to all workers employed in execution of the Contract. The Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California has determined the general prevailing rates of wages in the locality in which the Work is to be performed. The rate schedules are available on the internet at http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlsr/DPreWageDetermination.htm. Bidders are directed to Article 15 of the General Conditions for requirements concerning payment of prevailing wages, payroll records, hours of work and employment of apprentices. NIB -9 Trade Names and Substitution of Equals. With the exception of any sole source determination that may be identified in this paragraph, Bidders wishing to obtain City’s authorization for substitution of equivalent material, product, or equipment, are required to submit a written request for an Or Equal Substitution using the form included in Appendix A together with data substantiating Bidder’s representation that the non-specified item is of equal quality to the item specified, thirty five (35) calendar days after Bid Opening. Authorization of a substitution is solely within the discretion of the City. NIB -10
NOT USED.
NIB -11 Bid Security, Signed Contract, Insurance and Bonds. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a satisfactory Bidder’s Bond or other acceptable Bid Security in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if Conditionally Awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract is conditionally awarded to the Contractor by the City, execute and deliver such Contract to the Chief Harbor Engineer together with all required documents including insurance forms, a Payment Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. All Bonds shall be on forms provided by the City. NIB -12 Conditional Award of Contract and Reservation of Rights. The Board, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time before the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informality or irregularity. The Conditional Award of the Contract, if any, will be to the responsible Bidder submitting the lowest responsive and responsible Bid. If the lowest responsive responsible Bidder fails to submit the required documents including insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) calendar days after Conditional Award of Contract, the Board reserves the right to rescind the Conditional Award and Conditionally Award the Contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible Bidder. NIB -13 Period of Bid Irrevocability. Bids shall remain open and valid and Bidder’s Bonds shall be guaranteed for ninety (90) calendar days after the Bid Deadline or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. NIB -14 Substitution of Securities. Substitution of Securities for retainage is permitted in accordance with Section 22300 of the Public Contract Code. Issued at Long Beach, California, this 1st day of August, 2011. Richard D. Steinke Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California
Trustee Sale No. CA09000270-10-1 APN 5116-020-023 Title Order No. 100073634-CA-GTI NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED January 15, 2009. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On August 15, 2011, at 01:00 PM, at the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL INC. dba TRUSTEE CORPS, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on January 27, 2009, as Instrument No. 20090106200, of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, executed by OLGA M. RODRIGUEZ, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, as Trustor(s), in favor of HSBC MORTGAGE CORPORATION (USA) as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID DEED OF TRUST The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 4311 HONDURAS STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90011 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $397,731.83 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: July 14, 2011 TRUSTEE CORPS TS No. CA09000270-10-1 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Rowena Paz, Authorized Signatory SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #14089 2011-07-21 2011-07-28 2011-08-04
PEARSON
Continued from page 11 When another member of the alleged conspiracy was kidnapped by rival dealers, Johnson told him to go to Pearson’s apartment to get money pay a ransom, Finn said. Police interrupted the abduction outside Pearson’s apartment and found heroin in the abducted man’s car, she said. Informants also told investigators that Pearson occasionally sold heroin for Johnson, Finn said. Some of the people involved in the wider case helped take care of Pearson when she was a teen, but she has now “learned a valuable lesson about how some loyalties you keep and others drag you down,” Sutley said. Pearson said she knows everyone in Baltimore. Asked how she’ll avoid falling into the same situation in the future, Pearson said, “I’m moving to L.A.” Pearson, who wore retro-style glasses with a black-and-white checked shirt and a red paisley bow tie to court, said she is working on two movies. She later updated her followers on Twitter, “I’m FREE.” “The Wire,” which ran from 2002 to 2008, was filmed in Baltimore and put a spotlight on the city’s struggle with poverty and drug violence through the stories of the city’s police, drug organizations, schools, politicians and media. Pearson’s character, which shares the nickname “Snoop,” knocks off several people for the fictitious Stanfield drug gang. This was not Pearson’s first brush with the law. She was convicted of second-degree murder in a slaying committed when she was 14. She served five years of an eight-year sentence and was released in 2000. Pearson was arrested on a minor drug charge in 2008 when police went to her home to pick her up for refusing to cooperate as a witness in a murder trial. She was found not guilty.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011 To place a classified ad call (323) 299-3800
N.O. SHOOTINGS
Requesting Sub Bids from Qualified MBE/WBE Subcontractors for:
Continued from page 6
saying the verdicts send a message that “public officials, and especially law enforcement officers, will be held accountable and that any abuse of power will have serious consequences.” Jurors found Faulcon guilty in the fatal shooting of Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old mentally disabled man, but the jury decided his killing didn’t constitute murder. Faulcon, Gisevius, Bowen and Villavaso were convicted in the death of 17-year-old James Brissette, but in that case, jurors didn’t have to decide whether Brissette was murdered because they didn’t hold any of the defendants individually responsible for causing his death. Kaufman, who was assigned to investigate the deadly encounter on the bridge, wasn’t charged in the shootings. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who invited the Justice Department last year to conduct a thorough review of the police department, said the verdicts “provide significant closure to a dark chapter in our city’s history.” In March, the Justice Department issued a blistering report that said New Orleans police officers have often used deadly force without justification, repeatedly made unconstitutional arrests and engaged in racial profiling. Landrieu has said he expects the federal review to bring about courtordered reforms. Five former officers pleaded guilty to participating in cover-up of the bridge shootings and testified during the trial. Another former officer, retired Sgt. Gerard Dugue, has a separate trial scheduled to start in September. Brissette’s mother, Sherrel Johnson, said she was relieved by the verdict after “a long, hard six years” and would now try to move on. But she lamented what her son has lost. “For him there will be no
prom, no baby, no nothing. My child will never have nothing,” she said. Madison’s relatives said in a statement the family had waited six years to “find out what really happened on that bridge.” Madison’s sister Jackie Madison Brown read the statement, which also said that after an event like Katrina, “all citizens, no matter what color or what class, deserve protection.” After the verdict was read, Justice Department prosecutor Bobbi Bernstein became emotional, hugging the families of Madison and Brissette and holding hands with two of Madison’s sisters. Defense attorney Roger Kitchens, who represented Villavaso, said he believed negative media coverage of the case tainted jurors. “At this point, I don’t think it’s possible for a New Orleans police officer to get a fair trial in the city of New Orleans. And I don’t think they got one today,” he said. Prosecutors said police had no justification for shooting unarmed, defenseless people trying to cross the bridge in search of food and help mere days after Katrina struck. Defense attorneys argued, however, that police were shot at on the bridge before they returned fire. Faulcon, the only defendant to testify, said he was “paralyzed with fear” when he shot and killed Madison, as he chased him and his brother, Lance Madison. Faulcon didn’t dispute that he shot an unarmed man in the back, but he testified that he had believed Ronald Madison was armed and posed a threat. Prosecutors contended that Kaufman retrieved a gun from his home weeks after the shootings and turned it in as evidence, trying to pass it off as a gun belonging to Lance Madison. Police arrested Lance Madison on attempted murder charges, but a grand jury later cleared him.
SPORTS BEAT Continued from page 12
in popularity? It’s just not going to happen.” UCLA’s hopes for a Black starting QB have been put on hold. Brett Hundley, the candidate slated to fill this role, was injured in a pickup basketball game. Hundley tore the meniscus in his right knee, so his return is unknown. The Pac-10, -12 will open with two freshman Black head coaches at Stanford (David Shaw) and Colorado (Jon Embree).
Black Facts August 14, 1862 President Lincoln received first group of Blacks to confer with a U.S. president on a matter of public policy. He urged Blacks to emigrate to Africa or Central America and was bitterly criticized by Northern Blacks. Source: blackfacts.com
From an L.A. Dodgers farm club to the Seattle Mariners, Trayvon Robinson (Crenshaw High) smacked a home run in his second big league game and it gave Seattle a 5-0 lead over the L.A. Angels. And the 6-1 Robinson will try to match the play of Darryl Strawberry, Crenshaw High’s World Series (New York Mets) and New York Yankees great. The L.A. Sparks put on a solid soulful gospel concert Sunday night at the Staples Center, and the fans were in it from start to finish. However, the Sparks (7-13) team wasn’t as successful, as it lost 84-78 to the 16-4 Minnesota Lynx. The Sparks’ DeLisha Milton Jones (18), Tina Thompson (17) and Ticha Penicheiro (16) were the Sparks top point- makers. The Lynx’s Lindsay Whalen led all scorers with a game high 24 points. And the beat ends. Brad Pye Jr. can be reached at Switchreel@aol.com
CITY OF LOS ANGELES, NEW CONSTRUCTION OF 98 SENIOR AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS RESEDA, CA BIDS DUE DATE: AUGUST 19TH, 2011 AT 4:00PM Areas of work: All Trades, Division 2-16 All work must be bid in accordance with the plans, specifications, and fall within the requirements of the PLA Agreement. Plans, Specifications and the PLA Agreements can be obtained by contacting Jon Stoa or Kyle Cederlind at jstoa@hill1.biz or kcederlind@hill1.biz respectively. Hill Contracting Group/ICON Builder, a California Joint Venture 3271 Airflite Way Long Beach, CA 90807 Phone: (562) 988-5777 Fax: (562) 264-3288 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (METRO) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Metro will receive proposals for RFP No. PS24122802 for a Metro Transit Court Online Tutorial per specifications on file at the LACMTA Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (9th Floor). All proposals must be received on or before 3:00 p.m. on 09/07/11 Pacific Timeat the address listed above, sent to the attention of Robert Vasquez .Proposals received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the proposer unopened. A Pre-Proposal conference will be held on 08/18/11 at 1:00 p.m. in the William Mulholland Conference Room, 15th floor, located at the address above. You may obtain a copy of the RFP, or further information, by calling Robert Vasquez at 213-922-1044 or via e-mail at vasquezr@metro.net. 8/11/11 CNS-2153929# WATTS TIMES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP #7555) 2011 CONTINUUM OF CARE HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites proposals from qualified organizations interested in providing supportive services with assisted housing through the Section 8 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs. Copy of the RFP may be obtained beginning August 1, 2011 via http: //www.hacla.org/ps/ or call (213) 252-5405 or 2521832. Proposals will be accepted at 2600 Wilshire Blvd., #3100, Los Angeles, CA 90057, until 2:00 P.M. August 26, 2011. 8/4, 8/11/11 CNS-2147370# WATTS TIMES INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) 7790 RANGES The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites your firm to submit a bid to sell ranges to the Authority.
OBESITY
Continued from page 4 Members of the panel agreed movies aimed at Black audiences, music videos and a slew of new urban magazines that feature women with humongous rear ends are finding increasing success—particularly with Black males. “Add to the obesity mix poor nutrition reinforced by a lack of healthy choices in underserved communities,” said Dr. Tapscott. “It’s not unusual to walk into Black and Brown communities and find that there is not one single healthy restaurant. There’s only one sitdown restaurant. Everything else is fast food.” “How many times have we gone to grandmother’s house and sat at a table full of fried chicken, mac and cheese, and greens smothered in fatback,” added Porter. “We are led to believe as Black folks that somehow that food is good for us because that’s the food that we were raised on.” The panel noted in this era, led by a “bootstrap mentality” in which Black women are collectively carving a place in the society that enslaved them, exercise over constant work is not an option. “Bally Fitness and 24-Hour Fitness aren’t in our communities. Then there’s the other issue of Black women unwilling to take the time to exercise and sweat for fear of messing up their hair,” said a physician in the audience. “As Black women in particular, we take care of everybody and nobody takes care of us and we don’t take care of ourselves,” said Dr. Taylor. “The numbers speak for themselves in terms of diabetes and hypertension and how much sooner we die than other people. When we get those conditions, we get them much more severely.” Gaston explained some physicians are reluctant to address obesity in the
GOVERNMENT
Black community because they don’t want to offend Black women. “We have to come face-to-face with the facts on how we ourselves play a role in this epidemic as well.” “We’re on dangerous territory here, but we’ve got to take the veil off this issue,” said Porter. She said African American doctors are in a pivotal position to lead the charge with individual education, healthcare education and community education. “Obesity is a significant health threat. Obesity should be viewed as a chronic condition. Effective treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach. We have to help people change the way they think! … Most doctors ask patients, ‘Are you having unprotected sex?’ ” said Porter. “It’s now time to ask, ‘What’s on your plate?’—literally and figuratively.” The NMA represents more than 30,000 African American physicians. Founded in 1895, it is the largest organization representing African-American physicians and the patients they service.
Copies of the IFB may be downloaded at www.hacla.org/ncg. Bids will be accepted at 2600 Wilshire Blvd., #3100 Los Angeles, CA 90057 until 1:30 P.M., local time August 26, 2011. INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) 7792 REFRIGERATORS The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites your firm to submit a bid to sell refrigerators to the Authority. Copies of the IFB may be downloaded at www.hacla.org/ncg. Bids will be accepted at 2600 Wilshire Blvd., #3100 Los Angeles, CA 90057 until 2:30 P.M., local time August 26, 2011. 8/4, 8/11/11 CNS-2147104# WATTS TIMES INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) No. 1711 THE RE-ROOFING OF SIXTY (60) BUILDINGS AT RANCHO SAN PEDRO HOUSING DEVELOPMENT LOCATED AT 275 W. 1ST STREET, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites vendors to submit firm fixed price bids for the re-roofing of sixty (60) buildings for Rancho San Pedro housing development located at 275 W. 1st Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. Copies of the IFB may be downloaded from the internet at www.hacla.org/cgs. Bids will be accepted at 2600 Wilshire Blvd., #3100, Los Angeles, CA 90057 until 2:00 p.m. (local time), August 24, 2011. 8/4, 8/11/11 CNS-2147050# WATTS TIMES
CHAMBERLAIN Continued from page 2
Although NCNW was close to Dr. Chamberlain’s heart, she was a longtime member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, the California Teacher’s Union and St. Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles. As recently as 2009, Dr. Chamberlain was appointed to serve on President Obama’s “Kitchen Cabinet,” and she continued until her health began to fail. Dr. Chamberlain remained an active member and intricate part of the National Council of Negro Women until her death. She was God-fearing, God-following and God-believing, and she will be
loved, respected and remembered forever. Her husband, William Chamberlain ( an engineer and a veteran ) preceded her in death. Funeral arrangements will be handled by Spalding Mortuary, 3045 South La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90016-3903; the phone number is 323-934-1181. To contact Dr. Chamberlain’s sister, Mary Bush, please call 310-885-5990 or call the NCNW Los Angeles View Park section at 323-301-4697. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 13, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul Baptist Church, 100 W. 49th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90037.
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