LAWT 08-09-2012 by LA WATTSTIMES

W E E K E N D E R

Vol. XXX, No. 1296

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, August 9, 2012

L.A. Watts Times

SEE PAGES 8-9

Thursday, August 9, 2012

HOROSCOPES Aug. 9 - 15 A

ries ~ You feel so great on Monday that you might just find yourself taking on an entirely new project of some kind. It may be time for you to leave an old part of your life behind. Slow down midweek, because you’ve got a bit more going on than you understand yet. It’s a good idea to check in with parents or other older relatives. After this phase, life really takes off, almost like a roller coaster! You might not be totally sure of where you’re going until you end up there, but the ride sure is fun. Take it easy on Sunday. aurus ~ The week might just breeze by before you can really make sense of it, but don’t let that bug you! On Monday, expect to feel pressure from outside to get something big done — it might take a lot of work. Midweek, your social energy takes over in a big way and you find it easier than ever to relate to folks you might not even know that well. It’s a great day for making new connections and maybe for getting a date! By Thursday, you’re on a roll and neglecting some of the basics — but that’s a calculated risk, and one that ought to pay off pretty well in the long run. emini ~ Think through your long-range goals as the week begins, as you should be more in touch with your hopes, dreams and ambitions. It’s a good time for you to check in with family, too. Try to really focus on what people are saying midweek, though it may be all too easy for you to feel distracted by the smallest things. Your energy swings upward in a big way on Thursday and you’ve got several days of great mental power and persuasiveness. You ought to be able to convince people of almost anything this weekend! ancer ~ You start off the week in a fight with your boss or mate and need to resolve it pretty quickly — things could get out of control if you let them! You spin around completely by Tuesday, and should be able to pour on the charm effortlessly, even with people you detest. It’s a great time to handle customers, in-laws and others who need to see you at your best. No matter how shy or gregarious you believe yourself to be, you surprise yourself later in the week by breaking down the last bit of awkwardness and making a real connection with someone new. eo ~ You’re not terribly set in your ways, so it’s no big surprise when your positive energy opens you up to a fairly big change on Monday. One person in particular is quite influential and you should keep them in your life for sure. You may find a work situation to be rather difficult midweek, but once you let go of your preconceptions, it should all dissolve to nothingness. Your social instincts are strong as the weekend envelopes you, and it’s a really good idea for you to surround yourself with people. irgo ~ Watch out for dealings with coworkers or neighbors on Monday — there could be friction if you all aren’t paying close attention. Once that's behind you, it’s a good idea to think big and try to focus on travel. If you are actually on the road, you should have a great time midweek; if not, it’s a great time to make solid plans. From Thursday on, your energy is making life more interesting for everyone around you. It may be that things are going quite well, but if not, you need to make a serious contribution ASAP.

ibra ~ Things are up in the air for you on Monday, but if they seem to turn bad, look at them again from a fresh perspective. The odds are good that you end up doing well. After that, things really start to take off for you, and the middle part of the week sees you renewing your interest in an artist or musician that may have once been a favorite. Intimacy is important for you during the latter half of the week, so see if you can find a good way to spend time with your sweetie or a close family member. corpio ~ You see someone in need on Monday and can’t help but jump in. It may not be a huge crisis, but it’s a good opportunity to rack up some positive karma. Conflicts aren’t so good for you midweek, and you may want to walk away from them even if it leaves you at a temporary disadvantage. You should have a better hand later. Don’t sign anything Thursday or Friday (or this weekend, really) until you and your mate and your lawyer and your lawyer’s lawyer have gone over it with a fine-toothed comb — the details really matter! agittarius ~ Your romantic side is out in force on Monday, whether or not you are partnered. If you want to get a date, now is the time to ask someone out. Your brainy energy peaks midweek, and it’s a good time to get to the bottom of any big questions that have been bothering you lately, or even in the distant past. By the time the weekend rolls in, you may have already had one or two dust-ups with coworkers or family members. People are just harder to deal with, so do try to go easy on them! You may need to act quickly on Sunday. apricorn ~ Your genetic heritage comes into play on Monday somehow. It could be anything from height to blood type to a predisposition to enjoy chocolate, but it is pronounced. Your romantic energy comes out in a big way after that, and you’re in a good position to get a date or to move things further along with your current sweetheart. You may get annoyed with your friends later in the week, as they just can’t stay focused on any given topic and you don't want to keep switching around! Sunday brings a new idea that seems perfect for you. quarius ~ It’s a roller-coaster week for you! Something new piques your curiosity Monday and keeps you thinking about bigger and crazier ideas, amazing your friends and coworkers. Midweek is much slower and even kind of boring, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening — it just means that your mind is running at a faster rate than the socalled real world. Your creative energy peaks late in the week, and it’s a great time to dream up new plans and projects for any aspect of your life. Stick to the program on Sunday, no matter what. isces ~ You may be extra-confused on Monday, thanks to someone who seems much more confident than they have any right to be. Let them think whatever they need to think. An illusion starts to dissolve on Tuesday, though it may take far longer than it should. Let go as best as you can, even if it’s a pleasant illusion. Take somewhat more care than usual as you make it through the second half of the week. People are looking for a little more from you, and you can certainly deliver as long as you’re paying attention.

Lacey for D.A. She is the D.A.’s top assistant with a myriad of across-the-board supporters. She would make history as the first Black female D.A. BY YUSSUF J. SIMMONDS CO-MANAGING EDITOR

8 11

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

Last Tuesday evening, the top two vote-getters in the recent primary for the next district attorney of Los Angeles County, squared off to a packed auditorium in downtown L.A. Jackie Lacey (who got 32 percent) and Alan Jackson (who got 24 percent) spent most of the two hours trading barbs at each other’s records, and why – as each one put it – he/she would be the better D.A. for the county. The D.A.’s office of Los Angeles County is probably the largest county prosecutor’s office in the nation and in addition, it maintains a high profile, notwithstanding its actual closeness to the entertainment capital. Therefore, the next person to head the office has to be carefully vetted in every possible way. Presently, both candidates work for D.A., Steve Cooley, who has endorsed Lacey. She has a good background as an administrator and years of courtroom experience. Jackson may have courtroom experience, but his administrative skills – something that is mandatory for the D.A.’s job – is an unknown factor at this point. Lacey zoomed in on that during their exchange by describing him as being “naïve and ignorant of the politics of the D.A.’s office.” She also said that she resented his attitude: “To say that I am not familiar or that I am out of touch is ridiculous.” Two of the most contentious issues that will be facing the next D.A. are the death penalty and the governor’s order sending state prisoners to an already overcrowded jail

system throughout the state. In a previous interview, Lacey explained her position on the death penalty thus: “I think the biggest fear, morally, of the death penalty is that we do not want to execute the wrong person. I think we need checks and balances in place. Under my administration, (the DA’s) office would make absolutely sure the evidence points to the right person. One of the reforms we have to do is streamline the appeals process. It suffers from a lack of training for lawyers to handle those appeals. Although I’m a prosecutor who has been on the side of seeking justice by seeking the death penalty, I believe everybody has the right to a fair trial.” And about the governor sending See LACEY FOR D.A., page 3

Published Weekly – Updates

LA bans skateboard ‘bombing’ after 2 deaths

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Inside This Edition

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles officials on Tuesday banned skateboard “bombing” — in which skaters zoom down steep hills at up to 40 mph — in response to two teen deaths. The measure will go to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for approval, and would take effect 30 days later if he signs it, according to the Daily Breeze. Councilman Joe Buscaino introduced the measure after two deaths in his district. In November, Michael Borojevich, 14, died 11 days after a sustaining a skateboarding injury and in January, Caleb Daniel Simpson, 15, was killed while skating down a hill.

“I don’t want to go to any more funerals of someone who died because of this,” Buscaino said in the newspaper. The law would require skateboarders to stop at stop signs and obey posted speed limits. It would also ban bicyclists or drivers from towing skateboarders. Violators could face penalties of up to $250. Buscaino said the laws were necessary because police told him the traffic laws were outdated and allowed some to skate past their reach. The council plans to develop written material to hand out to skateboarders to warn them of the new law.

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Chairman Jerome E. Horton speaks out against employee pay cut

BlackFacts.com August 12, 1990 August Wilson’s play “The Piano Lesson” wins the Pulitzer Prize for drama. It is the second Pulitzer Prize for Wilson who also won one for “Fences” in 1981 and was award the New York Drama Critics Award for “Fences,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.”

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Jerome E. Horton Jerome E. Horton, Chairman of the Board of Equalization and Member of the Franchise Tax Board, made the following statement regarding the impact the 2012 Personal Leave Program has on the Board of Equalization (BOE), Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and state budget: We will continue to do our part during these tough economic times to minimize the negative impact of the reduction of hours. However, we are not magicians. Hobbling the BOE and FTB with the Personal Leave Program is like sending farmers home in the middle of harvest season. As a result of the reduction of work hours, California will experience an estimated annual revenue loss/delay of $88 million generated by the BOE. It is estimated that although cutting employee pay is projected to save the BOE $13.5 million, it will cost the state $6 to $7 for every dollar saved, not to mention the negative morale it creates. State employees are regular people who have chosen to serve the public. They hurt like the rest of California. This is not in the best interest of the state and decreases the efficiency of our efforts to collect revenue. The FTB has stated that it loses its ability

to maximize revenue production which results in lost opportunity revenue. While a figure has not been quantified, according to an economic projection based on the 2010 California Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes report FTB loses $7.15 for every dollar it saves. The BOE and FTB administer numerous tax and fee programs that annually produce approximately $54 billion and $50 billion respectively. More than one million businesses in nearly every field of commercial activity are registered with the BOE. Every year, the FTB processes more than 16 million personal income tax returns and more than 1 million business entity tax returns. The BOE is a leader in efficient tax administration. We spend less than one percent of each dollar collected – that's only 81 cents for every $100 of revenue collected. Even though we have been forced to decrease our time spent on tax administration, we remain committed to providing the best customer service possible to our taxpayers. We know how important the BOE is to the state and how the revenue we collect goes back into our communities to support essential services such as schools, roads, hospitals, and public safety.

JACKIE LACEY Continued from page 2 prisoners to the jail system, she said, “I believe at one point the prisons were at 230 percent their capacity, which is inhumane. What I disagree with is how quickly he thrust this responsibility onto the county. [AB 109] was passed in less than a day; I think it only took four or five hours. When we got the law, it took a team of lawyers a month to figure out what it was about. I also think if the governor was going to shift all of these people over here, where is the money? You can’t just give us the problems of the state without giving

us the money. And the money has not arrived. The Governor is counting on you guys voting for the tax increase in November.” The forum was hosted by Los Angeles County Organization of Police and Sheriffs (LACOPS), a decade-old coalition of city and county law enforcement organizations, and it was the first debate since the primary. It was moderated by Warren Olney of KCRW Radio. In addition, the public was invited, and allowed to ask questions of the candidates at the end of the debate.

To enter for a chance to win w a pass for two, tw wo, please go to www.lawattsti www.lawattstimes.com/clicktowin imes.com/clicktow win SPARKLE HAS BEEN RATED PG-13 BY THE MPAA FOR FO OR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: MATURE THEMATIC CONTENT CONTEN NT INVOLVING DOMESTIC ABUSE AND DRUG MATERIAL, MATERIIAL, AND FOR SOME VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE AND SMOKING. SMOKING.

No purchase necessary. While supplies s last. All winners will be drawn at random from all all eligible entries. TriStar, L.A. Watts Times and the their eir affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection connectio on with any loss or injury incurred in connection with witth use of a prize. Five winners will receive a run of engagement pass through pre-specified good for two admissions Monday throu ugh Thursday only, excluding holidays, at pre-spec ified theatre(s) and will be valid through the film’s run r of engagement will be valid beginning on or after Monday,, August 20, 2012. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis and is at that theatre(s). Run of engagement passes p not guaranteed. Not responsible for lost, los st, delayed or misdirected entries. All federal and local lo ocal taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Void d where prohibited limitations by law. No phone calls please. Seating g is on a first come, first serve basis and is not guaranteed. gua aranteed. Specific terms, conditions, and limitation ns may apply.

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Person Of The Week | Deborah Holt Holt Spreads ‘Love & Respect’ Throughout the Community For over 15 years, Ms. Deborah Holt and the Love & Respect Youth Foundation have blessed the community with love and respect. BY ASHLEY NASH LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER Greeting me with a bright smile, Ms. Deborah Bell Holt welcomed me into the Love & Respect Youth Foundation. Filled with toys of every kid’s dream, we walked in and over to her desk, nestling the corner of a wall filled with accolades. When asked how it all started she responded, “Growing up our house was always the house that everyone came to...and it still is! I guess that’s where my inspiration came from...” About 22 years ago, Ms. Deborah was living down the street from her alma mater, Crenshaw High School. According to her description, students would stumble across her lawn, high and drunk, on their way to school. “It was so frustrating,” she stated. Fed up with their behavior, she would lovingly invite them into her home, sober them up, and hit them...with a good ol’ lecture. Sending them on their way, “those kids knew that I cared,” she explained. As a result, she became known as ‘mom’ to many of the students frequenting her neighborhood. She noticed over

Deborah Holt time that less and less of the students passing her residence were intoxicated. Two of the kids, she remembered distinctly; always coming by to visit before and after their mischief. With a loving heart and respectful tone, she always gave her best advice. Soon after, she and her family moved to Inglewood.

One hot summer’s day, she was surprised by two responsible men she once knew to be extremely, lost boys. “I figured if I can save two, then I could get some more.” The impressions exchanged between Ms. Holt and the lost boys-turned-marines sparked what she detailed as ‘a mad rush’, initiating different efforts of assistance for surrounding youth. It was when an old friend shared with her that she had ‘a ministry of helps’ that she was most certain the purpose of her mission. From leaving Crenshaw High School completing almost four majors, gaining skills and culminating from Bryman — all within the very same day — to taking classes at Trade Tech, UCLA and working with esteemed physicians, Ms. Holt took all the steps necessary to guarantee that her community would be respected and loved. Formed in 1997, the Love & Respect Youth Foundation has continued to 'assist and aid infants, children, youth and their families in all aspects of their life, in accordance with the summary included in their pamphlet. Over See DEBORAH HOLT, page 14

The CATALYST: The Inaugural Awards Ceremony of Black Los Angeles Young Democrats (BLAYD)

Photo credit: Chris Hickey L. Hickey Sr.

Congresswoman Karen Bass BY MALEENA LAWRENCE LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER Over 100 members of The Black Los Angeles Young Democrats (BLAYD) supported the community launch of The CATALYST Awards. This inaugural event honored trailblazers, Congresswoman Karen Bass and Nii-Quartelai Quartey, CEO of The Sankofa Group for Civic Engagement for catapulting significant progress within Los Angeles communities, and for inspiring the next generation of democratic leadership. “The CATALYST event is about Service; we are honoring individuals who put others before themselves and support those who want to serve. This time allows BLAYD to work together, bridge the gaps and make short to the long strides in our community,” says BLAYD Founder,

Ebony Lewis. The resounding messages from the honorees, attendees as well as the guest host, Alonzo Bodden and “Hollywood’s Champion of New Sound,” DJ B Hen was to encourage attendees be active in the 2012 Election cycle by getting involved in local and national politics, voting, moving messages through social media and public policy initiatives that directly impacts the African-American community. BLAYD’s president, Darryn Harris reminds the community, “We are all capable of being a catalyst for creating the communities we deserve. This event was about igniting our greatest resource, which is you.” BLAYD is dedicated to building a membership movement overflowing with catalyst in all areas of government and professional netSee CATALYST, page 6

Photo credit: Chris Hickey L. Hickey Sr.

(Bottom Center) The CATALYST Honorees: Congresswoman Karen Bass (CD-37) and Nii-Quartelai Quartey, CEO of Sankofa Group for Civic Engagement. (Back Left to Right) BLAYD Executive Board Members: John Roberson III, VP of Administration; Lenee Richards, VP of Fundraising; Sean Fleming Jr., Boardmember; Ebony Lewis, Founder & Event Chair; Jeffery Wallace, Vice President; Maleena Lawrence, VP of Communications; Brent Page, Boardmember; and Darryn Harris, President.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Ray Charles Foundation awards $1 million grant to Educating Young Minds Provocative Public Issues Talk! with Earl Ofari Hutchinson

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learning environment designed to address the comprehensive needs of underserved Los Angeles-area K-12 students. The non-profit learning center founded by Angeles Echols-Brown twenty-five years ago provides tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and college scholarships, among other vital services for families in need. At their facilities on Wilshire Boulevard near Vermont, EYM offers home-school instruction during the day, after-school tutorial, Saturday test prep and basic skills classes, a six-week summer school program and on-line educational and vocational services. Started in Ms. Echols-Brown’s one room apartment (where students placed pillows in the bathtub for extra study space), EYM has nurtured nearly 4,000 young people, lifting their intellectual, emotional and academic abilities. Eighty-seven percent of EYM graduates have gone on to four-year colleges and beyond. Several are now instructors, counselors or mentors at the Wilshire location. The Ray Charles Foundation grant will allow EYM to both increase its outreach and ensure its sustainability for years to come, according to Ms. EcholsBrown. Data revealing improved reading or math levels, improved study habits and social skills as well as academic and/or emotional maturity, is measured and documented. Some of the children they serve do not do well in a

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The Ray Charles Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to Educating Young Minds (EYM), a supplemental

2012 Educating Young Minds (EYM) College Scholarship recipients and presenters (from left to right}: Leroi De Souza, Ashley Canty, Themba Nelson (EYM Graduate 2004, Thomas Cooley Law School 2011, presenter), Shelley Bruce (EYM Graduate 2006,Cal Poly Pomona 2011 B.A. Fine Art, B.A. Gender Ethnic and Multicultural Studies, Dean’s Award, presenter), Samy Ibrahim, Sandra Alonzo, Yoseph Alemayu, Betelihem Fekadu, Joseph McGee and Maalik McClain (not shown). conventional classroom setting and a number have dropped out of their assigned community schools. Others have problems at home and often have to deal with the daily realities of drugs and gangs up close. It takes working closely with parents and caregivers, and addressing not just academics, but also

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the emotional, physical and spiritual health issues they face. The Ray Charles grant will allow EYM to greatly increase the reach and scope of its work. “Educating Young Minds’ holistic approach speaks to the very core of Mr. Charles’ vision for his foundation, specifically his concern for our youth and the tremendous importance of education,” stated Valerie Ervin, president of the Ray Charles Foundation. “The success of these young people, plus the fact that so many graduates of the program return to EYM to help their younger peers would have delighted Mr. Charles to no end.” EYM has come a long way from the early days when Ms. Echols-Brown foraged through dumpsters to recycle dis-

carded furniture and schoolbooks. Today, the program is bringing its services online to reach more children and planning for the opening of satellite centers in the near future throughout the region. “I want to win with these kids, I want these kids to win,” concluded Ms. Echols-Brown. “I want each child to be happy, successful, well rounded and eager to reach back to teach, mentor, encourage and guide others as they were guided. Whether it’s in the field of education, health-care, politics, science, sports, arts or technology, they can compete! They can achieve! They just need to believe in themselves and their abilities. We know this to be true. We have the graduates to prove it.”

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Valerie Ervin, Ray Charles Foundation president, and Angeles EcholsBrown, executive director and founder of Educating Young Minds attend the EYM Scholarship Ceremony.

CATALYST Continued from page 4 works. The Catalyst also plays a significant role in placing a spotlight on community organizations serving solutions to people in need and the next generation of power players. In solidarity with a national celebration for President Barack Obama’s birth-

day, the event was concluded with celebratory cupcakes. For more information on BLAYD, The CATALYS Award Honorees and 2012 Endorsements go to: www.blayd.weebly.com; blacklayoungdems@gmail.com.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

The adverse health effects on children White House: Obama opposes Boy of the Los Angeles and Pasadena areas Scouts’ ban on gays BY XAVIER HIGGS LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

President Barack Obama greets supporters at a campaign event. BY DAVID CRARY ASSOCIATED PRESS When it comes to gays and the Boy Scouts, President Barack Obama and the youth organization he serves as honorary president have agreed to disagree. The White House said Obama opposes the youth organization's recently reaffirmed policy of excluding gays as members and adult leaders. He has no plans to resign as honorary president, White House spokesman Shin Inouye said. The Scouts said in a statement that they respect Obama’s opinion and believe that “good people” can disagree on the subject and still work together to “accomplish the common good.” American presidents have been honorary presidents of the Boy Scouts for a century. Obama became the Scouts' honorary president in March 2009, shortly after taking office. Last month, after a confidential two-year review, the Scouts reaffirmed their longstanding policy, which has been the target of numerous protest campaigns. For three weeks, the White House didn’t comment on the Scouts’ decision. On Wednesday the press office issued an email to The Associated Press on the subject. “The president believes the Boy Scouts is a valuable organization that has helped educate and build character in American boys for more than a century,” the White House statement said. “He also opposes discrimination in all forms, and as such opposes this policy that discriminates on

basis of sexual orientation.” The Boy Scouts responded with a brief statement from their national headquarters in Irving, Texas. “The Boy Scouts of America respects the opinions of President Obama and appreciates his recognition that Scouting is a valuable organization,” it said. “We believe that good people can personally disagree on this topic and still work together to accomplish the common good.” Obama is a staunch supporter of gay-rights, even coming out in support of same-sex marriage earlier this year. Various liberal organizations have called on him to distance the White House from the Boy Scouts because of its exclusionary membership policy. Two years ago, the Boy Scouts invited Obama to appear at its 100th anniversary jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. The president sent a videotaped message, but the White House said he was unable to attend because of out-of-town commitments to tape a TV appearance and attend Democratic fundraisers. Obama’s Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, has not spoken publicly about the Boy Scouts’ policy in recent days. A campaign spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, told the AP that he still stands by his support of the Scouts as he noted in a 1994 political debate in Massachusetts. “I support the right of the Boy Scouts of America to decide what it wants to do on that issue,” Romney said then. “I feel that all people should be able to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation.”

BlackFacts.com August 15, 1843 National Black convention met at Buffalo, New York, with some seventy delegates from twelve states. The highlight of the convention was a stirring address by Henry Highland Garnet, a twenty-seven-year-oldPresbyterian pastor who called for a slave revolt and a general slave strike. Amos G. Beman of New Heaven, Conn., was elected president of the convention.

Dr. Eric Walsh, Director of the Pasadena Department of Public Health, explained to an early morning audience that social determinants do contribute to health disparages in Pasadena and Los Angeles. That also includes public policy. “Our policies should bring resources and protections into that neighborhood to overcome the negative impact of the policy,” said Walsh. Walsh’s comments came during the most recent Urban Issues Breakfast Forum of Los Angeles. He reminded those in attendance that studies continue to show the gap becomes noticeable when health experts examine conditions of highdensity communities. As a result children are most affected. Most experts agree an ability to earn a livable wage, equal access to healthcare, affordable housing, clean air and water contributes to a healthier person. But researchers also warn not to forget the affects that poor environmental conditions have on mental health. “The affluent in our area are healthier, have easier access to medical care, and better diets, which contributes better health and work and school performance,” Walsh said.

Last year the City of Pasadena and Altadena released their Quality of Life Index report that examines the health and wellbeing of these communities. According to this study the Black and Latino communities are most affected by the poor quality of life issues. The data further showed a need to address the needs of the city’s poorest children. As a result low school performance, violence, and psy- Dr. Eric Walsh, Director of the Pasadena Department of chological illness- Public Health es are often resolve this dire community issue prevalent among these children. “Most of the people here today were Walsh cautioned that public policy is not aware of these problems because also major contributor. “Our policies should bring they are off the radar. Part of getting to a solution is discussing the problem,” said resources and protections so these neighborhoods can overcome the negAnthony A. Samad, Ph.D. “Most of our people are suffering ative impact of the policy.” He added, “I don’t look at what from being over polluted and toxic.” As policymakers struggle to we did right. I look at what’s next.

Fossils hint at distant cousins to our ancestors daughter-in-law of famed scientist Louis Leakey, found facial bones from one creature and jawbones from two others Our family tree may have sprouted in Kenya. That led the researchers to some long-lost branches going back conclude that man's early ancestor had nearly 2 million years. A famous paleon- plenty of human-like company from tology family has found fossils that they other species. think confirm their theory that there are These wouldn’t be Homo erectus, two additional pre-human species believed to be our direct ancestor. They besides the one that eventually led to would be more like very distant cousins, modern humans. who when you go back even longer in A team led by Meave Leakey, time, shared an ancient common ancestor, one scientist said. But other experts in human evolution aren’t convinced by what they say is a leap to large conclusions based on limited evidence. It’s the continuation of a long-running squabble in anthropology about the earliest members of our own genus, or class, called Homo — an increasingly messy family history. And much of it stems from a controversial discovery that the Leakeys made 40 years ago. AP Photo/Fred Spoor/National Geographic, Nature In their new findA famous family of paleontologists says newly found ings, the Leakey team fossils confirm their controversial theory that the says that none of their human family tree may have sprouted some long-lost newest fossil discoveries match erectus, branches going back nearly 2 million years. BY SETH BORENSTEIN ASSOCIATED PRESS

so they had to be from another flat-faced relatively large species with big teeth. The new specimens have “a really distinct profile” and thus they are “something very different,” said Meave Leakey, describing the study published online August 8 in Nature. What these new bones did match was an old fossil that Meave and her husband Richard helped find in 1972 that was baffling. That skull, called 1470, just didn't fit with Homo erectus, the Leakeys contended. They said it was too flat-faced with a non-jutting jaw. They initially said it was well more than 2.5 million years old in a dating mistake that was later seized upon by creationists as evidence against evolution because it indicated how scientists can make dating mistakes. It turned out to be 2 million years old. For the past 40 years, the scientific question has been whether 1470 was a freak mutation of erectus or something new. For many years, the Leakeys have maintained that the male skull known as 1470 showed that there were more than one species of ancient hominids, but other scientists said it wasn’t enough proof. The Leakeys’ new discoveries are more evidence that this earlier “enigmatic face” was a separate species, said study co-author Fred Spoor of the Max Planck Institute in Germany. The new bones were found between 2007 and 2009 about six miles away from the old site near the fossil-rich Lake Turkana See FOSSILS, page 15

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Southern California Represents in London

F E AT U R E

Tyson Chandler

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

Jessica Crosby

Allyson Felix

James Harden

by Kenneth Miller LAWT Correspondent

The 7â&#x20AC;&#x2122;1 starting center on the United States gold medal seeking Olympics basketball team was born in Hanford, California but grew up in Compton starring for the Dominguez High School where he was named USA Today California Player of the Year.

A graduate of Reseda Cleveland High School and UCLA, she competed in the Hammer Throw and finished 7th representing African Americans and the United States of America.

Local Olympians are So Cali

Swag

The Southern California native through and through captured Olympic gold in the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 meters clocking 21.88. She prepped at Los Angeles Baptist High School and redeemed herself for a fifth place showing in the 100 meters.

www.lawattstimes.com

Carmelita Jeter

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Russell Westbrook

A pivotal reserve performer with the powerhouse Olympics men basketball team. He is a Los Angeles native who attended Artesia High School before starring at Arizona State and now Oklahoma City Thunder. His mother Mona attended Jefferson High School and is the most influential person in his life.

Venus & Serena Williams

SERENA: The colorful of the two tennis star Williams sisters captured Olympic gold on the heels of winning Wimbledon defeating Maria Sharapova in dominating fashion 6-0,6-1. She celebrated her victory performing the C-Walk reminding many of he roots in Compton where she grew up and learn how to play tennis. She also joined with her sister Venus to become the first players to win four consecutive Olympic gold medals in tennis.

A rising superstar and among the elite players on the favored United States Olympics basketball team. Attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale and played for Reggie Morris Jr. before attending UCLA where he became an NBA player after just two seasons. Captured Olympic Silver in the 100 meters and crossing the finish in 10.78 and then earned a bronze in the 200 meters. A graduate of Bishop Montgomery in Torrance and resident of Gardena. She also attended Cal State Dominguez Hills and is the sister of professional basketball player Pooh Jeter who played in the NBA with Sacramento.

VENUS: Sister Act I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fare well in singles competition, but redeemed herself when joined by Serena to make history winning doubles for the fourth straight Olympics. Born in Lynwood and raised in Compton she is as close to hood as one can get.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

TJ Jackson emerges as Katherine’s co-guardian

Tyson says he’s used to putting life on stage

BY LINDA DEUTSCH | ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES (AP) — TJ Jackson was one of Michael Jackson’s favorite nephews. An heir to the family’s musical talent and striking good looks, he is the son of Tito, one of the original Jackson Five. Largely unknown to the American public until now, he has been anointed as coguardian of Michael’s most prized treasures — his three children. Suddenly, TJ is the chosen Jackson, the one designated to work beside Michael’s mother to look after the welfare of his three cousins Prince, 15, Paris, 14 and Blanket,10, who will inherit the King of Pop's fortune. He’s stepping into a sensitive situation just days after a family feud went viral. But he appears to have only one interest at heart — the children. “He has been very dedicated to these kids since Michael Jackson’s death and he was involved with them before that,” TJ’s lawyer, Charles A. Schultz, said at a Thursday court hearing. Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff, who appointed TJ to work with Katherine Jackson, said there is a strong bond between the 34-year-old T.J. and the children.

AP Photo/Starpix, Amanda Schwab Eric Fougere/VIP Images/Corbis via AP

This Nov. 13, 2003, photo shows TJ Jackson, son of Tito Jackson, one of the original Jackson Five. Suddenly, TJ is the chosen Jackson, the one designated to work beside Michael's mother to look after the welfare of his three cousins Prince, 15, Paris, 14, and Blanket, 10, who will inherit the King of Pop’s fortune. “They have a very significant relationship with TJ Jackson and they love him very much,” said the judge. “There are things about his past that the kids can relate to.”

Schultz agreed, saying outside court: “He had a loss early in his life of a close personal relative and they can identify with that.” See TJ JACKSON, page 11

This image released by Starpix shows, former boxer Mike Tyson, right, holds hands with his wife Kiki Tyson at the curtain call for the opening night of “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth,” Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012 at the Longacre Theatre in New York. The one man show starring Tyson was directed by Spike Lee, and written by Kiki Tyson. BY JOHN CARUCCI | ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — Pounding out the details of his personal life on a Broadway stage doesn’t seem to faze Mike Tyson. The former heavyweight champ says that’s what’s used to doing, “and at least now I don’t have to go to hospital every time.” The 46-year old Tyson is appearing in the one-man show, “Mike Tyson Undisputed Truth.” Directed by Spike Lee, the nearly two-hour show chronicles Tyson’s life from childhood and his early boxing career to his public divorce from Robin Givens and his time spent in prison. He even talks about an incident with Brad Pitt. “I’m just joking and stuff. I’m not mad at anyone. I hope he gives me a damn job,” Tyson said when asked about the incident. The boxer spoke to The Associated Press Thursday, the

same day as the show’s opening. Lee chimed in: “He asked for a job.” Lee, famous for chronicling stories about Brooklyn in such films as “Crooklyn,” “She’s Gotta Have It,” and the upcoming “Red Hook Summer,” feels this work adds nicely to collection. “You can’t get more Brooklyn than Mike Tyson. And if you remember the film, ‘Do the Right Thing,’ the great Robin Harris (playing Sweet Dick Willie) had many references to Mike. And the side of Sal’s Famous Pizzeria we painted a mural, Brooklyn’s Finest: Mike Tyson, so this is history,” Lee said. While Tyson’s life has been tumultuous at times, the boxer says he can deal with telling intimate details to a room full of strangers simply because “it’s a job to be done.” “Even though it’s real, it’s not real. It’s an illusion,” Tyson says.

Actor Michael Clarke Duncan remains hospitalized

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Green Mile” star Michael Clarke Duncan remains hospitalized in Los Angeles more than three weeks after suffering a heart attack. Publicist Joy Fehily said in a brief email statement Monday that the 54-year-old actor “was just moved from the intensive care unit, but remains hospitalized” following his July 13 heart attack. “His family are firm believers in the power of prayer and have asked that you keep him in yours during this time,” the statement said. No further information was available on Duncan’s condition. Besides “The Green Mile,” the actor’s film credits include “The Scorpion King,”

“Armageddon,” “Breakfast of Champions,” “The Whole Nine Yards” and “Sin City.”

Michael Clark Duncan

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Comedian Kevin Hart to host MTV Video Music Awards

TJ JACKSON Continued from page 10 In 1994, six years after his parents divorced, TJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, Dolores, died in a drowning at her home swimming pool. Her boyfriend was later convicted of causing her drowning and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. When Michael Jackson died in 2009, Dr. Conrad Murray was accused of causing his death and was convicted of manslaughter. He is currently serving a four-year prison term. Now, three years after his death, Michael's children are at the center of a

familial battle and TJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role has become even more important. Recently, Katherine Jackson was reported missing and Beckloff replaced her with TJ as the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guardian. Now sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back, telling a story of having been held virtually incommunicado at a resort in Tucson, Ariz., unaware that she was the subject of a missing personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report. In the court hearing Thursday, with neither of the parties present, the judge ruled that TJ and Katherine will share

guardianship on a temporary basis. The arrangement could be made permanent later. Beckloff had appointed an investigator to look into the domestic situation at the suburban Calabasas mansion where the young Jacksons have been living with their 82-year-old grandmother. The result was a glowing report: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It appears from the report that Katherine Jackson has done a wonderful job and See TJ JACKSON, page 15

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File

It was announced on Wed., Aug. 8, 2012, that Hart will host the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 6 at the Staples Center. LOS ANGELES (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Kevin Hart isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just the host of next monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MTV Video Music Awards, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also part of Hollywood's hottest new couple. The comedian stars alongside Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in a video posted Wednesday on MTVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. Hart tells the pair heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hosting the VMA show and that paparazzi

are trying to get a look at â&#x20AC;&#x153;the new â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; couple,â&#x20AC;? adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking about Kev-Ye-Kim.â&#x20AC;? The video shows a casually clad Kardashian and West, who is up for two Video Music Awards, lounging on the end of a bed. The MTV Video Music Awards will be presented Sept. 6 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

The mother behind Reese wins the Olympian Olympic long jump reveals the spirit gold for America that was Flo Jo The mother behind the Olympian reveals the spirit that was Flo Jo. BY JOY CHILDS SENTINEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER “… I’ve raised an Olympian …Wow! …” —Statement by Natalie Douglas, mother of gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas, to the Huffington Post upon her win Delores Griffith knows that feeling. As the mother of Florence GriffithJoyner, that’s much like how she felt when her daughter won Olympic gold in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. Griffith-Joyner would no doubt be See FLO JO, page 14

The late Florence Griffith-Joyner was the greatest female sprinter of all time.

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

United States’ Brittney Reese competes in the women’s long jump final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012. BY JOHN PYE | ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON (AP) — After leaving the most important decision of her career up to her persuasive mother, Brittney Reese knew there was only one place to start looking when it was time to celebrate her Olympic gold medal in the long jump. Reese claimed one of the three gold medals the U.S. track and field team won Wednesday night at the London Games, becoming the first American woman to win the Olympic long jump title since Jackie JoynerKersee in 1988. “It’s a surreal moment,” she said. “I got very emotional — you do when you’re representing your country. “My mom and aunt are here, so this is a great moment for me and my family.” Within the space of a half hour at the packed, 80,000-seat Olympic stadium, Allyson Felix finally won the 200-meter title that had eluded her at Athens and Beijing, Aries Merritt won the 110-meter hurdles gold medal and Reese won the long jump. The two-time world champion went into the competition with the best jump of the season and put down the best mark in the final with 23 feet, 4 1-2 inches (7.12 meters) on her sec-

ond attempt. Russia’s Elena Sokolova took the silver medal at 23-2 1-2 (7.07) and Janay Deloach earned the bronze for the United States at 22-7 14 (6.89). It was a major achievement for Reese, who could easily have been lost to track and field. She was considering offers for basketball scholarships when her mother, Carla Young, made a fateful decision for her: Stick with track and field, at the University of Mississippi. “My mom fell in love with Ole Miss and they were still in contact with me while I was in my community college,” Reese said. “I sat down with her and she told me track is what I needed to do — and Mamma knows best, so that’s what i did.” Now that she’s the reigning Olympic and world champion indoors and out — and is third all-time in the U.S. behind Joyner-Kersee and Marion Jones in terms of longest jumps — she could be excused for thinking about another career change. But that’s not likely before the 2016 Games in Rio. “I feel like this is just the beginning,” the 25-year-old Reese said. “I am going to train four more years and come back and hopefully defend my title.” See BRITTNEY REESE, page 14

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Felix takes Olympic gold in 200 BY EDDIE PELLS | ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON (AP) — No more heartbreak for Allyson Felix. No more silver, either. Denied twice on the world’s biggest stage, Felix won the Olympic gold medal she’s been yearning for, taking the 200 meters Wednesday night to fill the last, and biggest, hole in her otherwise stellar resume. Felix won the race in 21.88 seconds, topping Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won the 100 four nights earlier, by .21 seconds. American Carmelita Jeter added bronze to go with her silver in the 100 meters. “I think it was all for a reason,” Felix said. “It kept me motivated and it made this moment very special. It was a big weight being lifted.” She won easily, leaving nothing to chance — or a coin flip that caused such a flap at Olympic trials — as she hugged the line around the curve, then burst ahead of Fraser-Pryce with 40 meters to go and gave coach Bobby Kersee another gold medal to celebrate. Finishing fourth was Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, who defeated Felix in the Athens and Beijing Games and was trying to become the first woman to win the same individual track and field event in three consecutive Olympics. Instead, the Americans were the ones celebrating three straight, their own 15 minutes of fame: Felix, fol-

lowed quickly by Aries Merritt in the 110 hurdles and Brittney Reese in the long jump. “We are always aware of what the medal count is,” said Jason Richardson, who finished second to Merritt in the hurdles as part of a seven-medal day at the track for the United States. “I know track and field can ... let the world know the Americans are the best track and field country.” Reese, a two-time world champion, became only the second American woman to win the long jump at the Olympics, leaping 23 feet, 4½ inches (7.12 meters) on her second attempt. Jackie Joyner-Kersee gave the U.S. its other gold in 1988. Janay Deloach added a bronze and now the Americans head into the last four days of the Olympics with 20 medals at the track — 10 away from fulfilling their “Project 30” aspirations for the London Games. Felix certainly did her part. “She’s been trying very hard for this moment,” said Jeter, who became the first U.S. woman to medal in both sprints since Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988. “When I gave her a hug, that’s exactly what I told her: ‘You’ve waited for this moment.’ ” In 2011, Felix and her coach, Bobby Kersee — Joyner-Kersee’s husband — harbored visions of an Olympic double in the 200 and 400 meters. That turned out to be misguided, and at the world championships, Felix settled for silver in the 400 and See ALLYSON FELIX, page 14

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

United States’ Allyson Felix, second from right, crosses the finish line to win gold ahead of Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, right, in the women’s 200-meter final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012.

AP Photo/Martin Meissner

United States’ Allyson Felix celebrates her win in the women’s 200-meter final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

ALLYSON FELIX

FLO JO

Continued from page 13

Continued from page 12

an uncharacteristic bronze in the 200. So they decided on a different double — the 100 and 200 — and it wound up causing them an unexpected dose of trouble. It was the third-place tie in 100meter qualifying at U.S. trials earlier this summer that hovered over Felix’s run-up to these Olympics — forcing her to defend herself off the track for the first time in an otherwise-pristine career. Her tie with Jeneba Tarmoh for the third and final spot in the 100 forced USA Track and Field officials to scramble for a solution. One possibility was a coin flip; instead, they settled on a run-off. But Tarmoh begged off. Felix, admittedly not a serious medal contender for the 100, had to defend her decision not to give up the spot, and she went on to finish fifth. The three heats in the Olympic 100, she said, were the perfect tuneup for the race she really wanted to win. “Everyone just expected me to give up this spot, because I think lots of people ... know me and they know that I’m seen as this very nice girl,” Felix said with a chuckle a few days before the start of track and field in London. “But it’s not just about me.” On this night, though, it was. Twice before, Felix came into the Olympics on even footing, or even a slight favorite, against CampbellBrown. Both times, the American ended up disappointed — and the last time in Beijing, choking back tears, she called it “deja vu, and not in a good way.”

This time, there would be no regrets, and nobody can say Felix didn't earn it. Also in the race were the Olympic champions at 100 (Fraser-Pryce) and 400 (Sanya Richards-Ross), the twotime defending Olympic champion at 200 (Campbell-Brown) and the reigning world champion at 100 meters (Jeter). “I don’t think you could ever put eight ladies like that again in a race,” Fraser-Pryce said. “I would never run.” Had this race been only 140 meters, Fraser-Pryce would have another gold. But Felix has another gear in the 200, and she quickly made up her deficit and then pulled away. When she crossed the line, her reaction was calm. A big smile. Arms raised. Not much else. “Bobby told me just to go out and get it,” Felix said. “I knew if I ran my race, it would come together.” Felix adds this gold to the two individual silvers and one 4x400 relay gold from the 2008 Olympics. She is, according to USATF, the most decorated woman in 200-meter history. At 26, she now has seven Olympic and world championship medals at the distance — four of them gold. Maybe just as importantly, she's the athlete who has consistently stood out as a smiling, trustworthy exception in a sport that has nearly buried itself under the weight of doping scandals and performances that seem too good to be true. Richards-Ross, who finished fifth,

said Felix “definitely deserves this moment. ... She’s wanted this for a very long time.” With the victory, Felix put at least a brief stop to Jamaica’s relentlessness in Olympic sprints. Before she won, Jamaica had won seven of the last eight Olympic sprints, including relays. Next up, Usain Bolt. The 100-meter champion made it easily through his 200-meter semifinal — grabbing a big lead, letting it slip away, then pulling away again — to set up a chance to become the first man to win both sprints in successive Olympics. His training partner, Yohan Blake, will be there, as will American Wallace Spearmon, who finished third in 2008, but had the medal taken away after officials ruled he ran outside his lane. Are Bolt and Blake beatable? “Yeah, man,” Spearmon said. “That’s why we’re racing. If they weren’t beatable, they would just hand them medals and we’d race for third.” Felix will receive her first-place prize Thursday at a ceremony shortly before the men's 200, and then she’ll prepare for the relays, where she could have a spot in both the long and short races. Yes, there could be more medals in her future. But none as precious as the 200 gold. “It’s crazy,” she said. “I remember just coming over here in tears in Beijing. Gosh, just completely opposite tonight. For all of it to come together is just extremely special and I’m overjoyed.”

community. Awards of which she is most proud are from Sherriff Lee Baca, the Los Angeles Business Journal and more. However, her success does not stop here. Ms. Deborah Holt is the oldest of three siblings, happily married with 17 kids and 38 grandchildren. While six of her children are adopted, she reminds them that although she may not be their mother from the womb, she’s their mother from the heart. Her goals of spreading love and respect are also demonstrated in her burning desire to better service the community by understanding the dynamic...and learning Spanish. “Our community is multicul-

tural and I want to communicate with and help everyone.” The list of impactful goals don’t stop here. With an infectious chuckle, she began naming off all of the things she aspires to do and very soon. “Just as I think I have reached my goal, another door opens up and shows me something else to tackle,” she professed. Hoping to relocate soon in efforts to provide more services, Ms. Holt wants to establish a boot camp that encourages productivity amongst youth instead of punishment. In addition, she wants to remind parents that while they should not have friendly relationships with their children, listening does need to occur...on both ends. Congruently, she asks that community comes to visit, share ideas, and help in making a difference. “This is just as much their center as it is mine. They have so much talent as storytellers and artists...my door is open.” With much appreciation, Ms. Holt also acknowledged the help of Bernard Parks as well as Mike Davis, sources among others from which she hopes to continue receiving funding/donations so that she can remain of help to the people around her. “I’ve made a promise to be a miracle worker.” And Ms. Holt’s accomplishments are plenty proof of just that! Having the pleasure to share time with such a beautiful spirit, and on her birthday, I saw firsthand the love and respect she has for her community, all of her children, family, assistants, you name it! What a blessing! The Love & Respect Youth Foundation is located at 4728 S. Western Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90062. For more information visit www.lryouth.com or call 323-7313437.

DEBORAH HOLT Continued from page 4 the years, the Love & Respect Youth Foundation has joined the toy loan program serving as the oldest toy loan center of those developed by the probation department, offered classes for parents (by the book but with elements of reality, she added) as well as provided 1000+ kids with Christmas gifts annually. With the help of Diane Watson, Church of Venice, stuffed animal shipments from Anchorage, Alaska, and most immediately, from her cherished assistants Mr. Franklin and Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Holt and the Love & Respect Youth Foundation have created endless positive memories and examples for the youth and parents of her

BRITTNEY REESE Continued from page 12 She dedicated the London Olympic title to the people of Mississippi and others who are still rebuilding in the wake of the deadly and devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She does what she can — during the 2011 Thanksgiving season, Reese purchased 100 turkeys to be given away to help the homeless near her hometown of Gulfport, Miss — but the gold medal is special. Reese lived through the disaster that damaged her house, but was conscious that she got off lightly and wanted to do something significant at the Beijing Olympics four years ago to give her friends and neighbors a boost. “In ‘08 my goal was to come out there and get a medal. And when I placed fifth, I was devastated and cried the whole way back to the (athletes) village,” she said. “I had the whole Gulf

coast behind me. I got a lot of emails, a lot of Facebook and Twitter about my Gulf coast family representing me, being there for me, and I wanted to come out here and do that for them.” Reese and her family had to sandbag their home to avoid flood inundation during the disaster, but the ceiling of the house collapsed and forced them out. “We were out of the house for like two months because we had mold and we were living out of mobile homes and trailers,” she said. “It was a tough time and (makes) you realize how blessed you are to have necessities. “It was a real true eye-opener and my city is now rebuilt and we have most of the stuff back. But we don’t have a lot of the homes back. This was a great way for me to bring something home to them to show that we can all do this together.”

in London for the Olympics right now. She would have gotten a kick out of Sanya Richards-Ross and Dee Dee Trotter’s performances there. “Flo Jo,” who still holds the world records for the 100 meters and 200 meters — and who was dubbed the “fastest woman alive” — might have even been their coach. Though she passed away in 1998, Griffith-Joyner is still a huge presence in track, her feats, her aura, her spirit still mentioned at the recent Olympics track and field events. But it takes her mother to give us her truth about her famous Olympian daughter, called Dee Dee by family and friends. Hailing from Henderson, N.C., Griffith came to California to be with a sister, who was working on her Ph.D. at UCLA, and to go to school but ended up getting married to a man from Nashville, Tenn., and having 11 children. Asked their names in order, she consults a clock that bears their names on the wall and ticks them off: Bobby, Weldon, Vivian, Kathleen (a successful real estate agent), Robert (a successful businessman), Elizabeth aka “Cissy,” Florence, Joseph, Lemuel, Gale and Eugene. Were Griffith-Joyner’s talents genetic? Even in her 80s, Mrs. Griffith, whose slender build and beautiful brown skin bear the visage of someone who may have been yesteryear’s track star, explains — “Yes — but we didn’t call it ‘track’ back then … We ‘ran’ at gym time … And my mother ran a beauty shop, and she would give me one minute to get from home to that beauty shop … and I would run all through town …” She laughs at the memory. Though she and her husband and children lived in Littlerock, CA (which is 11 miles southeast of Palmdale) for a bit, Griffith and her children eventually moved to the Jordan Downs projects in Watts to a five-bedroom residence. Asked how she managed as a single woman to instill values in 11 kids in a Watts housing project, she recalled fondly the “family pow-wows.” They were held every Thursday and each week a different child was tasked to pick a Bible verse to speak on. Also, each child got a chance to confess their wrongdoing that week as well as what Griffith had done wrong. Now some mothers could have easily focused their attention and resources on Griffith-Joyner — something Griffith had seen other mothers do, which she loathed. She says she promised God that if she had children she would be a mother to each of them and never compare them. There’s one funny story about Griffith’s earliest memories of her track star daughter’s talents as only a mother could remember: “When she was in the walker, we called her “Lightening” because when she started to walk, she did not walk — she ran all through the house! … And then — oh — and when they were young and we lived in the desert, in the backyard, I would play racing with them …I would line them up … I was the starter and they would run to me …” The following is an excerpt from a recent interview Griffith had with the Los Angeles Sentinel: LAS: So you knew way back then she could run fast. [Both laugh.] … And so when did she get serious about track? DG: When she was about 7, she started running at 102nd Street School … And Mrs. Annie Hall asked if the

kids could join the Sugar Ray Robinson Organization. And I let them join. And every weekend she’d come and pick them up and take them to their track meets, and as they grew, they just enjoyed it so much … They couldn’t go if they didn’t get their work done on Friday. So on Saturday mornings, they got up to be ready to go with Ms. Hall … All her years at Jordan High School, she did very well. And then she went to [California State University at] Northridge because she was working at a bank. And that’s where Bob Kersee confronted her [about running track] … And she came home and told me about it and she asked me what I thought about it … and I told her that I believe that at 18, it’s the first day of the rest of your life …You have to make your own decision ... and Bob talked to her, and she transferred from Northridge to UCLA. LAS: Did she ever say straight out that she wanted to go to the Olympics? DG: My cousin was out here from New York, and he talked to her a lot … And he told me she told him she was going to the Olympics when she was 12 or 13. Her greatest achievement LAS: To you, what was her greatest achievement? DG: I still think 1980 — the year she went to Eugene, Oregon. That was her first tryout for the Olympics and, though she came in fourth place, I expressed to her, ‘You’re still a winner because to think that you went out there — you went to Eugene Oregon! Think about how many people are trying to do things now and they don’t succeed.’ But she didn’t give up. It was still her dream to go to the Olympics. LAS: And she qualified to go to the Olympics in 1984? … That wasn’t her greatest achievement to you? DG: To be truthful with you, I never thought of the Olympics as thee Olympics. I never thought of it being as big as it was. It wasn’t until she really got into it and she talked to me and told me different things that I realized what she was doing .. At this point Mrs. Griffith brought out one of Griffith’s many bibles, explaining: “I told her when she started traveling overseas and everything, I told her, ‘Baby, you have to take your Bible with you and take God with you.’ I said, ‘Momma cannot be with you always.’ I said, ‘The only thing you can do is pray.’ Moving on to the allegations of steroid/drug use, Griffith, responding to the question of how all that affected her, sighed and said: “It made me very, very angry and hurt ’cause you would have to have known her to know that this was not true … And as much time as we spent together, as a mother, you would know if your child is taking drugs. Every drug test she took, she had a little something they gave her that was legal so … “I was cleaning up her house one time and I found all these little things on a hook [film], and I was gonna throw them away but she said, ‘Momma, no — don’t do that. That’s the result of my drug test …’ so she kept all of them so after she told me that and I saw them for myself, it just really unnerved me ... LAS: Would you ever allow for [the possibility of] there being another side of her that you as a mother just couldn’t have seen? A hidden side of her? DS: Like I say …having talked to her and all, if there was a hidden side of her, it was really a hidden side … but she always respected me and gave me the honor [of the truth] as a parent.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

BIDDERS WANTED

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

SPECIFICATION NO. 2746 BERTH 228 AND BERTHS 401-406 ALTERNATIVE MARITIME POWER (AMP) Concrete Cutter, Electrical ENG. EST.: $48,000,000 - $50,000,000

Metro will receive bids for 13-0007 High Strength Railper specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (12th Floor).

PRE-BID DATE: AUGUST 20, 2012, 9:00 A.M.

You may obtain bid specifications, or further information, by faxing JUELENE CLOSE at (213) 922-1006. 8/9/12 CNS-2356671# WATTS TIMES

BID DATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 , 2:45 P.M. FEE: $0.00

All Bids must be submitted on forms furnished by Metro, and must be filed at the reception desk of the Office of Materiel on or before 2:00 P.M., August 28, 2012, at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. Bids received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the bidder unopened. Each bid must be sealed and marked Bid No. 13-0007.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 2012 CONTINUUM OF CARE HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Class A OR C-10 California Contractor’s License for work is required at time of award. CITY OF LOS ANGELES HARBOR DEPARTMENT (310) 732-3522 FAX: (310) 831-5389

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) in partnership with 4 Housing Authorities, including the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, invites proposals for the Continuum of Care’s 2012 application to HUD for the Shelter Plus Care and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy programs. A copy of the RFP may be obtained by the end of the day on July 27, 2012 at http://www.lahsa.org/fundingopportunities.asp or by calling (213) 225-6573. The proposal submittal deadline is August 24, 2012 at 3 pm. 8/2, 8/9/12 CNS-2353991# WATTS TIMES

CNS#2359020

GOVERNMENT COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY AND SENIOR SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

TJ JACKSON Continued from page 11 cares about the children very much,” the judge said. “I think the kids are in terrific hands.” No mention was made of the Jackson siblings who were at the center of a family dispute last week that broke into a public shouting match on the driveway of Katherine’s home. What one lawyer called “the chaos” ended with Jermaine Jackson calling for a truce. TJ, who is movie star-handsome and has a band with his brothers called 3T, is named Tito Joseph for his father and grandfather. Always known as TJ, he appears to have emerged as a welcome stable force in the family. When Paris began tweeting messages of distress over the temporary disappearance of her grandmother and the battles among Michael’s siblings, TJ tweeted to her: “I know it’s completely unfair for them to do this to you and your brothers. We will keep trying. I love you.” Added a second tweet: “Make your life an act of love.” Thomas Mesereau Jr., the former attorney for Michael who knows the family, had high praise for TJ. “I met him some time ago and he was a very nice young man, very mature and very sincere,” said Mesereau. “It appeared to me that Katherine thought very highly of him.” But Mesereau said the current situation was unthinkable before Michael’s death. “Three years ago, these children had a father who loved them and gave them a wonderful upbringing,” the attorney said. “He wanted them to be highly educated, to learn about the world and the wonders of nature. It’s very tragic.” TJ’s devotion to his uncle, Michael, has been evident. At his funeral, members of the family provided loving tributes in a glossy program. TJ’s entry read: “You taught me how to smile.

You taught me how to dream. You taught me how to live. Uncle Michael, I will always cherish all of our special moments and blissful time together. I love you so much.” Michael’s ties to TJ and his two brothers was confirmed by his will, which named them among “contingent remainder” beneficiaries, who usually gain if the main beneficiaries pass away. Like most of the Jacksons, TJ has lived among celebrities. The Internet was ablaze this week with reports that he was the first lover of Kim Kardashian when both were in high school. There was no comment from TJ but he has acknowledged that they were close and she consoled him when his mother died. “We became extra close when my mom passed away,” TJ told People magazine in 1995 of Kardashian. “She dropped everything to be with me.” TJ married his wife, Frances, in 2007 and has three children. When he and his brothers, Taj and Taryll, formed 3T, they were encouraged by their uncle, Michael, who sang with them on their first records, The 3T group had significant success in Europe with three songs that reached No. 2 on British charts. Two of them, “Why” and “I Need You,” released in 1996, featured Michael Jackson’s voice. In 2010, the 3T group reprised Jackson’s “We Are the World” with various famous voices to benefit Haiti relief efforts. The brothers also have appeared on reality TV shows with other members of the Jackson clan and have toured overseas. Last October, the family staged a tribute concert to Michael in Cardiff, Wales. But typically, the Jacksons were divided over whether it was appropriate to hold such a tribute during the Murray trial in Los Angeles. Janet, Jermaine and Randy stayed away. Jackie, Marlon, La Toya and Tito performed. So did TJ and his brothers.

The County of Los Angeles is accepting proposals for an Area Agency on Aging information technology support system for data collection, storage and reporting operations beginning July 30, 2012. The system must be an existing COTS, WEB based solution that will include all hosting, data storage, and maintenance operations. The full RFP with supporting documents can be downloaded from the Internet at: http:// css.lacounty.gov/contracts-rfp-rfi-rfq.aspx Proposals must be received in compliance with the RFP instructions at 3175 West Sixth Street, Los Angeles CA 90020 no later than 5:00 PM PST August 30, 2012. E-mail AAASolutionRFP@css.lac ounty.gov Attention: Frank Ditto, Contract Manager, if you have any questions or problems with downloading the RFP documents. 8/9, 8/16, 8/23/12 CNS-2358666# WATTS TIMES INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) NO. 7796-A WINDOW SHADES The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles seeks competitive bids from qualified firms interested in providing window shades to the Authority. Copies of the IFB may be downloaded from the internet at www.hacla.org/ncg Bids will be accepted

by the General Services Dept at 2600 Wilshire Blvd, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90057, until 2:00 P.M., Pacific Daylight Saving Time, September 14, 2012. 8/9, 8/16/12 CNS-2357671# WATTS TIMES INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) NO. 1721-A GENERAL CONSTRUCTION FOR ALL HACLA PROPERTIES AND FACILITIES The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites vendors to submit firm fixed bids from qualified firms to perform general construction for all HACLA properties and facilities. Copies of the IFB may be downloaded from the internet at www.hacla.org/cgs Bids will be accepted by the General Services Department at 2600 Wilshire Boulevard, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90057, until 2:00 P.M., Pacific Daylight Saving Time, September 7, 2012. 8/9, 8/16/12 CNS-2357418# WATTS TIMES INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) No. 1720-A HARDWOOD FLOOR REPAIRS AT VARIOUS PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites vendors to submit firm fixed price bids for Hardwood Floor Repairs at various public Housing Developments. Copies of the IFB may be downloaded from the internet at www.hacla.org/cgs Bids will be accepted by the General Services Department at 2600 Wilshire Boulevard, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90057, until 2:00 P.M., Pacific Daylight Saving Time, August 31, 2012. 8/9, 8/16/12 CNS-2357372# WATTS TIMES

LEGAL NOTICES ORDER OF PUBLICATION Case No. LC094427 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES LORI BERRY, a.k.a LORI TROMBLER, Plaintiff v. CRISP CANYON LAND TRUST, ALVIN E, WALTON, as Trustee, Defendant UPON READING the within Affidavit of Due Diligence and upon consideration of the same, and it being made to appear to my satisfaction that Crisp Canyon Land Trust Alvin E. Walton, as Trustee named in said Affidavit of Due Diligence, cannot, with reasonable diligence, be located nor his address or whereabouts ascertained, it is therefore ORDERED THAT the Notice of Hearing in the within case be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in, a newspaper general circulation in Los Angeles County, California. This pubication would likely give the Defendant proper notice of the Final Hearing of this action. AND IT IS SO ORDERED. MARIA E. STRATTON PRESIDING JUDGE, SUPERIOR COURT LOS ANGELES COUNTY Van Nuys, CA This 10 day of May 2012 NATURE OF PROCEEDINGS: STATUS CONFERENCE Status Conference is called for hearing. Order of publication was filed on May 10, 2012 and proof of publication has not been filed. Order to Show Cause re: Service by publication is set for August 21, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. in this Department. Plaintiff to give notice, if possible. 7/26, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16/12 CNS-2353877# WATTS TIMES

FOSSILS Continued from page 7 region, Leakey said. So that would make two species — erectus and the one represented by 1470. But it’s not that simple. The Leakey scientific team contends that other fossils of old hominids — not those cited in their new study — don't seem to match either erectus or 1470. They argue that the other fossils seem to have smaller heads and not just because they are female. For that reason, the Leakeys believe there were three living Homo species between 1.8 million and 2 million years ago. They would be Homo erectus, the 1470 species, and a third branch. “Anyway you cut it there are three species,” study co-author Susan Anton, an anthropologist at New York University. “One of them is named erectus and that ultimately in our opinion is going to lead to us.” Both of the species that Meave Leakey said existed back then went extinct more than a million years ago in

evolutionary dead-ends. “Human evolution is clearly not the straight line that it once was,” Spoor said. The three different species could have been living at the same time at the same place, but probably didn't interact much, he said. Still, he said, East Africa nearly 2 million years ago “was quite a crowded place.” And making matters somewhat more confusing, the Leakeys and Spoor refused to give names to the two nonerectus species or attach them to some of the other Homo species names that are in scientific literature but still disputed. That’s because of confusion about what species belongs where, Anton said. Two likely possibilities are Homo rudolfensis —which is where 1470 and its kin seem to belong — and Homo habilis, where the other non-erectus belong, Anton said. The team said the new fossils mean scientists can reclassify those categorized as non-erectus

species and confirm the earlier but disputed Leakey claim. But Tim White, a prominent evolutionary biologist at the University of California Berkeley, just isn’t buying this new species idea, nor is Milford Wolpoff, a longtime professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan. They said the Leakeys are making too big a jump from too little evidence. White said it’s similar to someone looking at the jaw of a female gymnast in the Olympics, the jaw of a male shotputter, ignoring the faces in the crowd and deciding the shot-putter and gymnast have to be a different species. Eric Delson, a paleoanthropology professor at Lehman College in New York, said he buys the Leakeys’ study, but added: “There’s no question that it's not definite.” He said it won’t convince doubters until fossils of both sexes of both non- erectus species are found. “It’s a messy time period,” Delson said.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

e v e n t LISTINGS

8 / 2012

L.A. Watts Times Calendar, Compiled by Brandon I. Brooks, Co-Managing Editor 8/9 The Colored Museum presents “ A Black Comedy” : WHEN: August 9-11, 7 p.m. WHERE: Chuco’s Justice Center1137 E. Redondo Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90302. $5 Pre Sale / $7 At The Door. Message from Director: “I want everyone to come out and be a witness to a spectacular show; The Colored Museum!” The flyer says it all, the most fun you watch in a play may be directed by yours truly Justin C. Rauls. The tickets are ONLY $5 ($7 at the door). We will have a 50/50 raffle (you buy a $1 raffle ticket, if you pull your number you win half of whatever is in the bowl), and much, much more. Come on out and bring everybody you know with you, and 10 people you don’t! Can’t wait to see your face in the place! For more information call (323) 235-4243.

8/10 25th Long Beach Jazz Festival: Some of today’s most celebrated Jazz and R&B artists will perform at the 25th Long Beach Jazz Jonathan Festival. Butler This year's incredible performance line-up includesThe Dream Tour featuring David Sanborn and Brian Culbertson, Jonathan Butler, Poncho Sanchez, Rick Braun, Dianne Kirk Reeves, The Whalum Isley Brothers featuring Ronald and Ernie Isley, Keith Sweat,Kirk Whalum, Larry Graham and Graham Central Station, Chrisette Michele, Leela James, The Blackbyrds, Al Williams and Friends and more. WHEN: August 10-12. WHERE: The three day anniversary musical celebration will take place at the Rainbow Lagoon Park in Long Beach, California.

8/11 Shorts at CAAM: The California African American Museum (CAAM) presents Shorts at CAAM, a free, two-day screening of independent short films. WHEN: Saturday, August 11th and Sunday, August 12th. The screenings will begin at noon until 4 p.m. Shorts at CAAM is a non-competitive shortfilm screening featuring independent filmmakers followed by a “talk back” session with the independent filmmakers, producers and actors whose work will be shown. This event is free and open to the public. WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, 90037. Parking in the adjacent lot is $10.00 all day at Figueroa and 39th Streets. For more information on CAAM, visit www.caamuseum.org. RSVP for Shorts at CAAM by calling (213) 744-2024.

Nick Cannon 2nd Annual Back-To-School Event: Comedian, actor, TV/radio host, executive and multimedia mogul Nick Cannon and his friends will be using their star power to give back to the community with his 2nd Annual back-toschool meet & Nick Canon

New Boyz greet and concert event. Produced by Cannon’s NCredible Entertainment, the event features live performances by musical acts, including Warner Bros. Records stars New Boyz, Wonder Broz, Rangers, 4Count, Gabi Wilson and Forever (formerly known as School Gyrls). In addition to providing entertainment, Cannon and the performers will be handing out school supplies, generously donated by Office Depot, Monster, Mead Five Star, Project Canvas and the latest issue of Celebrity High magazine, to students. Snacks provided by popchips. School supply packages will be given away on a first come, first serve basis and be limited to one package per child, while supplies last. WHEN: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Live Performances: 12:30 – 2 p.m. WHERE: Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90008.

8/14 Free Resource Seminar for Non-Profit and Faith-Based Organizations: State Controller John Chiang is hosting a free resource and information seminar in Los Angeles to assist non-profit and faith-based organizations with financial management. The Controller will be in attendance to welcome guest speakers from the Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, Board of Equalization, University of Southern California, and California Society of Certified Public Accountants. WHEN: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. WHERE: University of Southern California Salvatori Computer Science Building, Room 101 Los Angeles, CA 90089 WHO: State Controller John Chiang, USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement and USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. For more information contact (916) 752-9029 or email apbarrios@sco.ca.gov.

“ City, State, and Federal Gun Laws: Where are we now and where are we headed?” : Please join Assemblymember Mike Feuer (DLos Angeles) and other local public officials for a town hall on current gun laws at the city, state, and federal levels. This FREE event will include a panel discussion and Q&A session with attendees. No RSVP required. WHEN: 5:30-7:00 p.m. WHO: Assemblymember Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles), L.A. County Sherriff Lee Baca, L.A. City Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Tom LaBonge and LAPD Assistant Chief Michel Moore. WHERE: LACMA West Terrace Room 5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036. Parking is FREE in the

Pritzker Parking Garage. Location: 6th Street just east of Fairfax Avenue. For more information contact Alexander Ponder, District Director for Assemblymember Mike Feuer (310) 285-5490 or (818) 902-0521.

On Going Free Meals for Children:

Free meals for children 18 years of age and younger, will be provided thru August 17, by the FNCF Community Development Corporation. WHEN: The meals will be served weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: First New Christian Fellowship Baptist Church (FNCFBC), 1555 West 108th Street , Los Angeles (across the street from Washington Preparatory High School ). The meals are a component of the Summer Food Service Program, sponsored by the California Department of Education’s Nutrition Services Division. For further information, please call (323) 756-2541.

FREE Mentoring and Tutoring: HOPE For Life Foundation presents free mentoring and tutoring classes to students 12 - 20 and Military Personnel 20 -25 in Substance Abuse, Home Work Assistance, Job Search Assistance, Job Retention, Financial Literacy, Interviewing Skills, Writing Skills, Job Application Assistance, Job Coaching,

Job Retention Tips, Life Skills, Resume Writing, Reunification & Parenting, and more. WHEN: Classes take place on Mondays and Fridays 2 p.m. during the summer, and Wednesday evenings 6 P.M. and Saturdays 1 P.M. during the school season. Classes are presently open through 2013. WHERE: 1426 W. Manchester Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90047. For more information contact Jessica Smith 323-753-4673.

FREE Summer Day Program: Free breakfast and lunch served daily for all children up to age 18. Parents may drop-in any time to register for the summer program. WHEN: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. WHERE: People Who Care Youth Center, 1500 W. Slauson Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90047. No appointment is needed and no registration is needed for the meals only program.

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