September 24, 2009
SERVING LOS ANGELES COUNTY WITH NEWS YOU CAN USE
Vol. XXX, No. 1146
Angelinos Embark On a Congressional Mission
FIRST COLUMN
Atlanta Lawsuit Spotlights Obscure Black Community BY ERRIN HAINES AP WRITER
ATLANTA (AP) — Ed Daugherty remembers passing the graveled streets, modest homes, and painted white church in Macedonia Park as a teenager on his way to school.
Now 82, Daugherty is among the dwindling number of Atlantans who still remember the black enclave once nestled in the city’s affluent Buckhead neighborhood. The community embodied a bygone but common custom here, See LAWSUIT, page 4
AP Photo/John Amis
NOT FORGOTTEN — Elon Butts Osby, 59, looks over grave sites at Mount Olive Cemetery where her grandparents are buried, located at the entrance of Frankie Allen Park, pictured Sept. 18, in Atlanta. Osby is suing to save the cemetery from a developer seeking to move the gravesites to turn a profit.
BY THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA ASSISTANT EDITOR
A delegation of 20 African American business and community leaders will be heading to Washington, D.C., this week as part of a mission to increase the visibility of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We want to bring awareness to our black politicians that are gathering that we are concerned about the mass murders, and why it hasn’t been labeled a genocide, and why more hasn’t been done to stop it, and to bring attention to these multinational corporations that are profiting from the atrocities,” said Nehanda Sankofa-Ra, a founding member of the Los Angeles-based United Congo Support Group. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Congressional Black Caucus, holds an annual legislative conference known as “CBC Weekend” each September. This year’s event, scheduled for Sept. 23 to 26, will have elected officials, constituents and others, and there will be significant opportunities for networking and dialogue. According to the foundation’s Web site, members of the CBC “need and want all constituents to seize this opportunity to speak freely and often about their concerns, to network and build relationships.” Members of the support group planned on doing that. The International Rescue Committee estimates that 5.4 million people have been killed since 1996 due to war in the Congo, and 45,000 people die each month from hunger and disease. Additionally, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of women and girls have been raped as part of a calculated tactic of the wars. Despite these numbers, the
New Life Coming to Old Crenshaw Ford Site BY THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA ASSISTANT EDITOR
Tesco, The United Kingdombased owner of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Inc., has begun work on its latest South Los Angeles location at South Crenshaw Boulevard and West 52nd Street. A permit to demolish the site — the former home of Crenshaw Motors Ford — was obtained on July 14.
The Ford dealership, which had been a Crenshaw Boulevard fixture for nearly 70 years, shut its doors in January 2007. Its departure created a cultural void as much as an economic one. At that time, columnist Erin Aubry Kaplan wrote in the L.A. Times, “ … for blacks historically used to second- or third-rate treatment at the hands of the retail establishment, the whole service
culture of car lots was significant — shiny floors, up-to-the-minute merchandise, upbeat salespeople catering to every customer whim.” The appearance of the Fresh & Easy chain in South L.A., whose Web site says it believes “in making fresh and high-quality food accessible in every neighborhood,” could signal a new era for South See CRENSHAW, page 3
Photo by MARTY COTWRIGHT
MISSION FOR CONGO — Scores of people marched to raise awareness of the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 18 in Hollywood. Protestors marched along Sunset Boulevard to the offices of CNN at Cahuenga Boulevard, in part, because of the lack of comprehensive media coverage on the conflict. This week, African American business and community leaders will be in Washington, D.C., as part of a mission to increase the visibility of the situation in the Congo.
group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, in a recent report, says that U.S. media coverage of the conflict can be summed up as follows: “Congo is not a forgotten country; it’s an ignored country.” One hypothesis for what some say is the lack of media exposure is that such coverage would call attention to what many say is the real reason for the conflict: control of the Congo’s abundant natural resources by multinational corporations. Diamonds, gold, coltan, urani-
NEWS IN BRIEF THE SOUTHLAND Sheriff Says Violent Crime Down in L.A. County (AP) — Violent crime in Los Angeles County has dropped in areas patrolled by the sheriff’s office, despite the sour economy. Sheriff Lee Baca released figures Sept. 21. He says violent crime was down 10 percent through Sept. 18, compared with the same period last year. The biggest drop came in homicides. There have been 153 this year, a 23.5-percent drop from the 2008 period. However, the number of deputy-involved deadly shootings has risen to 13, compared to five all of last year. Three occurred this weekend. More than a year ago, Baca predicted that the poor economy would cause a crime increase. Instead, property crimes have declined by 11 percent.
L.A. County Deputies Shoot Three in Bloody Weekend
Photos by JERICL CAT / THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA
A NEW CHAPTER — Crenshaw Motors Ford, left, was a fixture along Crenshaw Boulevard for close to 70 years. The site at West 52nd Street and South Crenshaw Boulevard has been demolished, right, to make way for a Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market.
um, tin, cobalt, copper, silver, niobium, timber, hydropower magnesium and petroleum are some of the Congo’s more sought-after resources, according to the “Tom Joyner Morning Show’s” Jeff Johnson, who gave a commentary on the Congo. Such resources barely elicit a mention in some media discussions of the Congo. An example is the topic of rape in the Congo. Lisa Jackson’s celebrated film, “The Greatest Silence: See MISSION, page 7
(AP) — Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot three gunmen over the weekend — bringing the total of deadly shootings this year to 13. That compares with only five fatal deputy-involved shootings for all of 2008. Authorities say a 24-yearold man was killed Sept. 20 in
Norwalk when he pulled a gun from his waistband, while a 27year-old suspected of robbing a taco truck was killed early Sept. 20 in a Compton gun battle that wounded a deputy. And authorities say a 17year-old boy died the night on Sept. 19 in Lynwood when he pointed a gun at deputies. The shootings come only days after Sheriff Lee Baca said he will have experts look into deputy-involved shootings following the Sept. 14 death of an unarmed man in the Athens area.
THE STATE Lawyer Seeks New Venue in Train Station Shooting OAKLAND (AP) — The lawyer for a white former transit officer charged with murder in the shooting of an unarmed black man at an Oakland train station says the case should be moved out of the area because of racial divisions. Michael Rains argued in documents filed in Alameda County Superior Court recently that more than 96 percent of 400 residents surveyed said they knew details about the case, while 46 percent said they thought that Johannes Mehserle is guilty.
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L.A. WATTS TIMES
September 24, 2009
OPINION EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON
Obama Can’t Talk About Race Even If He Wants to The bitter truth is that President Barack Obama can’t talk about race even if he wants to. This has absolutely nothing to do with his mixed racial upbringing, or his straddle of many worlds. It has everything to do with politics. If Obama spoke out on race, he’d confirm the deep suspicions of the right that he’s a closet racial panderer, ala Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. He’d also get creamed as a Democrat who tilts to minorities. Democrats Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John Kerry in four presidential elections avoided that tag like the plague. It was deemed a political kiss of death. Obama followed the same script to the letter during the presidential campaign. He talked race only when he was shoved to the wall and forced to denounce his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. That was the price to save his campaign. Obama knows well that the GOP lost an election, but it still packs a wallop. It can disrupt, obstruct and create chaos for his administration, his political agenda, and him personally. And it does it not only because that’s the warfare that Republicans wage against Democrats anyway, but because the GOP has masterfully reignited its populist base against Obama. The base is rock-solid conservative, lower-income white male loyalists, with a heavy mix of hard-
line Christian fundamentalists. Despite the GOP’s wailing that racism has nothing to do with the white fury at Obama, the final presidential vote gave ample warning that many white voters do not and will not accept a black president. Contrary to popular belief, John McCain (not Obama) won a slim majority of the vote of white independents in the final tally. Obama bombed badly among Southern and Heartland America white voters. They gave McCain nearly 60 percent of the overall white vote. The percentage he got was even higher among white males. McCain would not have been competitive in the presidential campaign without their vote. The flip side is that Obama would not have been competitive if African American voters had not turned his election into a virtual holy crusade and gave him a record percentage and record number of their votes. Hispanic, Asian, young voters and a significant percentage of independents and progressives also gave Obama overwhelming support. It’s true that blue-collar white voters have shrunk from more than half of the nation’s voters in the past decade to less than 40 percent in national elections. This hardly means that the GOP’s white vote strategy is doomed to fail. Elections are usually won by candidates with a solid and impas-
sioned core of bloc voters. White males, particularly older white males, vote consistently and faithfully. And they have voted in a far greater percentage than Hispanics and blacks have in most elections. Blue-collar white male voters can be easily aroused to vote on the emotional-wedge issues: abortion, family values, anti-gay marriage and rights, and tax cuts. Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr. and George W. Bush, and McCain and legions of GOP governors, senators and congresspersons banked on these voters for victory and to seize and maintain regional and national political dominance. It didn’t work for the GOP in 2008 only because of Bush. His mangle of the war and the economy, and the terrible stench of GOP corruption and sex scandals, was too much even for legions of traditional GOP voters to stomach. Their vote for Obama, or more likely their decision not to vote at all, was more a personal and visceral reaction to their horror of the mess Bush and the GOP made of things. The GOP may well be an insular party of Deep South and narrow Heartland, rural and non-college educated blue-collar whites. But this isn’t a demographic to sneer at. Their numbers are still huge. The recent straw poll among religious conservatives which put See HUTCHINSON, page 3
Undocumented Haitians Deserve to Stay Here BY GERALD LENOIR NEW AMERICA MEDIA
Why doesn’t President Barack Obama grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the estimated 30,000 undocumented Haitians residing in the United States? It’s been about a year since Haiti was pummeled by four successive hurricanes and tropical storms — Faye, Gustav, Hanna and Ike. The United Nations called this “the worst disaster to hit Haiti in 100 years.” More than 800 Haitians died, 600,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, and more than 3 million people were affected. Floods and mudslides wiped out food crops, and livestock were killed, condemning hundreds of thousands of people to acute hunger and malnutrition. Inadequate sanitation and water has meant that preventable diseases like malaria, hepatitis and cholera run rampant through the tiny island nation. The World Bank assessed the monetary costs at $1 billion, about 15 percent of Haiti’s Gross Domestic Product. Even before the storms, Haitians were living a precarious existence, with 2.3 million people who had “fallen into food insecurity,” according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. In the face of this humanitarian crisis, the Obama administration has continued the policy of the Bush administration — the depor-
tation of Haitians who are without legal status in the United States. To continue this policy would mean condemning them to poverty, despair and, in some cases, death. And it means that the already devastated country will be further overburdened. What should the U.S. government do? The obvious thing that comes to mind is immediately halt all deportations and grant TPS to Haitians in the United States for 18 months. Those who are currently in detention should be released, and all legal and administrative proceedings against them should be dropped. All Haitians granted TPS should also be authorized to work in the United States. Working here has allowed Haitians to send money to family members in Haiti. In 2006, they sent $1.6 billion home. These remittances are critical to the survival of thousands of Haitian families. TPS was granted to Hondurans and Nicaraguans after Hurricane Mitch in 1998, and to Salvadorans after an earthquake in 2001 — about 250,000 people. The protected status of undocumented people from these countries was renewed in September 2008. TPS has also been granted to nationals of Sudan, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia, Burundi, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other countries, due to political unrest.
What about Haitians? It seems that Obama is waiting to deal with the plight of Haitian immigrants as part of a comprehensive immigraGerald Lenoir tion reform bill, but Haitians can’t wait. The Black Alliance for Just Immigration has joined with Haiti Action Committee; the Haitian Women of Miami; the Florida Immigration Coalition; the American Friends Service Committee; the Latin American and Caribbean Community Center; and other organizations across the country to press the Obama administration to grant TPS to undocumented Haitians. After decades of supporting repressive regimes in Haiti, and participating in the toppling of the Aristide government in 2004, the U.S. government has the opportunity to do the right thing. Canada has had a moratorium on Haitian deportations for quite a while. It is time for the Obama administration to recognize that Haitians deserve to stay here. The call-in line to the White House is (202) 456-1111. Gerald Lenoir is director of Black Alliance for Just Immigration. He can be reached at (510) 849-9940 or gerald@blackallaince.org.
The Circle of Sameness BY MUMIA ABU-JAMAL
Imagine being Van Jones. A young black man, a graduate of one of the best law schools in America (Yale), who, from a poor family, uses his gifts and energies not to make a buck for Wall Street or Dow Jones, but to make a difference in his neighborhood of Oakland by community organizing around social problems: jobs, the environment, clean energy, police violence and education. Imagine what such a man must’ve felt to see an unprecedented presidential campaign by another young black man, who, from modest economic means, also graduates from one of the best law schools in America (Harvard), and spurns lucrative offers from rich law firms, to become a low-paid community organizer on Chicago’s West side, the city’s poorest, blackest neighborhood. Why, he must’ve felt that this was a man after his own heart. A man who came from the poor, and returned to the poor, to serve and organize among them. He must’ve thought that this was the coming of a New Age — a new era of profound social change in America. So, Van Jones, activist, joins the Barack Obama administration, as the green energy czar, a field he’s passionate about, to provide jobs in black communities, and conserve natural resources as part of a larger change in America’s addiction to oil. But, almost immediately, Jones comes under attack from forces in America that really don’t want change. Egged on by “conservative” shout show hosts, Jones was being labeled “racist,” and that old Cold War charge that should’ve died with the fall of the Soviet Union “communist.” This should’ve had little impact on a president who has been called “racist” and “socialist” by the same people. These are, if not the
very same people, certainly the ideological descendants of those who spat on black children trying to go to schools during the Civil Rights MoveMumia ment, who called Abu-Jamal Martin Luther King Jr. a “communist” so loudly that he was under FBI electronic surveillance to the day he died, and those at the forefront of the so-called “debate” around health care. For them, change means fear. In their dark imaginations, the only people who want change are communists. It shouldn’t have had an effect, but it did. Jones resigned to protect a president who wouldn’t protect him. It reminded me of Lani Guinier, another brilliant Yale-trained black lawyer, who got left hanging when racists dubbed her “quota queen” when she was nominated for a post in the Clinton administration’s Justice Department. The more things change ... if racists can ostensibly lose an election, and still dictate policy, then, have they really lost? It seems to me that the loudest voices screaming “racist” are the most racist, and stand for a status quo that has never served anyone but themselves. Mumia Abu-Jamal, an awardwinning journalist, is on death row in Pennsylvania and has been since 1982. He was involved in a controversial 1981 shooting in Philadelphia, a case still debated today. To find out more about Abu-Jamal, visit www.freemumia.org.
Facts Sept. 25, 1861 The Secretary of the Navy authorizes the enlistment of African Americans in the Union Navy. The enlistees can achieve no rank higher than “boys” and receive pay of one ration per day and $10 per month. Source: blackfacts.com
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Page 3
BUSINESS Calif. Panel Set to Recommend Major Tax Overhaul
BIZSHORTS Career Day to Take Place An aviation career day and air show will take place Sept. 26 at Compton Woodley Airport in Compton. The California Black Aviation Association is sponsoring the event. Information: (888) 682-2322, bfaoa@aol.com, www.BlackFlight Attendants.com.
California Unemployment Rate Hits 12.2 Percent SACRAMENTO (AP) — California’s unemployment rate jumped three-tenths of a percentage point to set a modern record of 12.2 percent in August, but there were signs the state might be emerging from recession as the rate of job losses slowed. The state Employment Development Department said Sept. 18 that there were 2.2 million unemployed people in California last month. Trade, transportation and utilities posted the largest declines, along with manufacturing, financial activities, business services, leisure and other parts of the service sector. Even as the overall jobless rate grew, the number of jobs lost from July to August was just 12,000, down from about 35,000 in the previous month. From November 2008 until last June, the state lost 65,000 or more jobs each month, said Jerry Nickelsburg, a senior economist with the Anderson Forecast at the University of California’s Los Angeles campus.
In February alone, the state lost more than 110,000 jobs. California was one of 42 states to lose jobs last month, when the national jobless rate hit 9.7 percent. The state is tied with Oregon for the fourth-highest unemployment rate nationally, behind Michigan, Nevada and Rhode Island.
BY JUDY LIN AP WRITER
(AP) — California and the rest of the nation will emerge from the recession this quarter, according to an economic forecast released Sept. 16. The report cites several economic factors: More people are snapping up homes in California thanks to lower prices and affordable mortgage rates, and Silicon Valley is seeing worldwide demand for its exports. The state’s overall economy will begin to pick up in 2010 and grow at normal levels by the beginning of 2011, the forecast said, while employment will grow twotenths of a percent in early 2010, tamping down any robust recovery. Keys to California’s recovery will involve a boost in construction and investments in technology, the report said. The state could still be susceptible to risks, however, such as a swine flu pandemic or trade wars between the United States and other countries.
SACRAMENTO (AP) — A special commission this week was scheduled to recommend a sweeping overhaul of California’s antiquated tax system, a move designed to bring fiscal sanity to a budgeting process plagued by wide revenue swings and perpetual deficits. State fiscal experts agree generally that California’s revenue structure relies too heavily on the wealthy and the whims of the stock market while failing to capture taxes from the now-dominant service sector. The commission, established by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature’s Democratic leaders, was charged with finding ways to end years of topsy-turvy budgeting that have left the state a financial wreck. Over the past two years, the state has been forced to make deep cuts in education, health care, parks and other core services while furloughing state employees. The proposal, laid out by the panel in a series of public meetings, would change dramatically how California’s government raises money. The primary changes would reduce taxes on the wealthy and broaden the business tax to capture growing sectors of the economy. Despite high expectations, the proposal by the Commission on the 21st Century Economy already is being met with skepticism before it
CRA has provided grants and/or low-income loans to businesses in the area for commercial façade improvement, including the purchasing of equipment and reducing land costs. “This reduces blight, and public funding attracts private enterprise,” Hull said. The idea of providing foods in South L.A. that are fresh is, well, not easy. The Alliance for Healthy and Responsible Grocery Stores — a coalition organized to ensure access to healthy foods in all communities — has been a vocal critic of Fresh & Easy. A spokesperson for the group said that Tesco has been unwilling to discuss the formation of a community benefits agreement (CBA) that would give the community an opportunity to be a partner with Tesco. “When Tesco came to L.A., they made promises in a very public way that they were going to operate differently from the (grocery) industry — chief being they
would open in areas that other stores would not; be a good neighbor; be environmental leaders in the industry; and provide for good jobs,” said Elliott Petty, a spokesman for the alliance. “That’s why we offered them (the opportunity) to put those promises in writing; in a very public way.” Petty said the discussion of a CBA with Tesco would be held “with a broad community of stakeholders regarding good jobs, good benefits on the job, more on their environmental plans, sustainable lifestyle, and keeping neighborhoods clean.” Repeated calls to Tesco’s El Segundo-based headquarters for comment were not returned by presstime. Residents of the area where the new store will set up shop are optimistic. “I think it’s a great idea for the community,” said Judith Dorsey, a 31-year resident of West 52nd Street. “I’d rather have that than a liquor store or a strip mall.”
UCLA Forecast: Recession Ending in California
CRENSHAW Continued from page 1 L.A. that many have been hoping and working for. Carolyn Hull, the Community Redevelopment Agency’s administrator for the South L.A. region, said that Tesco was one of several retailers the agency took on a “tour” of South L.A. “Oftentimes, the retailers don’t understand the purchasing power in our communities, so by bringing them in, by doing tours, we kind of get over the perception (of South L.A.), and they see the reality that there is ample opportunity to be in this community and to make their retail stores viable,” Hull said. As part of the CRA’s strategy to attract business to South L.A., one of the “key sectors” it targeted was grocery stores. The site at West 52nd Street and South Crenshaw Boulevard is close to the Crenshaw-Slauson Redevelopment Project Area which, according to Hull, is another reason Tesco had expressed interest in the property. In order to attract and retain businesses in the project area, the
Facts Sept. 24, 1965 Executive Order 11246 enforces Affirmative Action for the first time. Issued by President Lyndon Johnson, the executive order requires government contractors to “take affirmative action” toward prospective minority employees in all aspects of hiring and employment. Contractors must take specific measures to ensure equality in hiring and must document these efforts. Source: blackfacts.com
HUTCHINSON Continued from page 2 Deep South, religious fundamentalist former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at the top of their vote heap as their presidential pick in 2012 should not be laughed off or ridiculed. Huckabee’s base will be the same conservative white voters who turned out in record numbers to put Bush over the top twice in 2000 and 2004. They haven’t gone away. And race always lurks just underneath the surface to add an ugly but potent color to their vote
and national politics. If Obama ran around and talked candidly about race or tried to spark a dialogue on race as some clamor, it would turn his administration into a referendum on race. This would set the GOP counterinsurgency on fire. Obama can’t talk about race even if he wants to. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, “The Hutchinson Report,” can be heard in Los Angeles, Fridays on KTYM Radio 1460 AM and streamed live nationally on ktym.com.
has even been delivered to Schwarzenegger’s office. The hand-off was expected Sept. 20 but the panel, which has been meeting since January, said it would not turn in its report until later in the week. Union leaders worry the policies might drive down wages, while businesses fear being saddled with larger tax burdens. Economists say more study is needed to determine what effect the overhaul will have on the world’s eighth-largest economy. “It’s a phenomenally brief period of incubation for something as significant as what they’re suggesting,” said Kirk Stark, a law professor at the University of California’s Los Angeles campus who is not on the commission. He noted the problem has been studied for decades. Even some members of the 14member panel have expressed unease with the latest version of the proposal. One legislative leader has indicated he will take his time and likely make changes to the commission’s recommendations during an upcoming special legislative session. “The idea that we were going to vote up or down, that’s not going to happen,” said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. “What we need to do with an issue of this magnitude is take our time.” According to a draft of the plan, the state’s personal income tax structure would be flattened and taxes on the wealthy would be reduced. The state sales and corporate taxes would be replaced with a new business levy that taxes net receipts. The commission is recommending a simpler income tax to replace California’s more progressive struc-
ture, in which people who make more, pay more — up to 10.55 percent for millionaires. The commission is recommending just two rates: 2.75 percent for individuals making up to $28,000 a year and couples making $56,000, and 6.5 percent for those making more. Personal income taxes would account for about 31 percent of state revenue under the new tax structure, rather than the current 44 percent. Critics worry the new business tax will hinder startup companies that rely on research credits in their first years when they aren’t profitable and hurt all businesses by eliminating traditional deductions for wages and benefits. The tax might be subject to a legal challenge on constitutional grounds because all firms that do business in the state would be subject to the tax even if they are not headquartered in California. “I am especially troubled by eliminating the corporate income tax, in existence for more than 70 years and used by 90 percent of the states, and replacing it with a totally new, regressive tax, never seen before in either California or the world,” wrote Richard Pomp, a commissioner appointed by Democrats. Michigan, which relies on auto manufacturing, is the only state with a form of the business tax being proposed. A group of tax policy experts wrote a letter urging the commission to look for alternatives, such as expanding the state sales tax to the service sector. A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said administration officials would reserve comment until they had reviewed the recommendations.
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L.A. WATTS TIMES
September 24, 2009
COMMUNITY
WHAT’S GOING ON? Deadline for receipt of What’s Going On listings is Friday, 12 p.m., at least two weeks prior to activity. Fax to: (213) 251-5720, e-mail us at lawattsnus@aol.com or mail to: L.A. Watts Times, 3540 Wilshire Blvd., PH3, Los Angeles, CA 90010. SATURDAY HIGH — A project of the Art Center College of Design, this is a program that offers a curriculum to help students in grades nine through 12 become better artists, designers, and thinkers. The courses range in subject matter from painting to video game design. Registration for available classes runs through Sept. 26 and will be accepted until the first day of class. The college is at 950 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Information: (626) 396-2319, www. artcenter.edu/sat. MARKET STREET FESTIVAL — The City of Inglewood will celebrate the arts Oct. 3, noon to 6 p.m. The 12th annual “Market Street Festival” activities will take place along historic downtown Market Street, from Florence Avenue to Manchester Boulevard. This event is free, and individuals, families and children of all ages are welcomed to attend. Information: (310) 412-8700. MAR VISTA GOES GREEN — Mar Vista Recreation Center will hold its 2009 Community Fall Festival Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This
is a free event aimed at increasing awareness of and participation in protecting the environment — and have some fun. There will be music, a dance troupe, a morning puppet show for children and a Kidz Go Green Zone with nine inflatable slides, bouncers, arts and crafts and more. The center is at 11430 Woodbine Ave., Los Angeles. Information: (310) 398-5982. JUJU — A Soul Children Experience will present its monthly offering Oct. 3, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., at The Gallery, 122 N. Market St., Inglewood. This event costs $15 and is for ages 21 and up. All-white attire is strongly encouraged. There will be visual art by T. Black and resident DJs will spin soul, jazz, funk and rare grooves. Information: (323) 517-3222. LUNCH AND LEARN — The Jenesse Center invites the community to learn about opportunities to partner with them in moving families from crisis to self-sufficiency. Some opportunities include beautifying the facilities where families live; raising money for family-oriented programs and services, and spreading the word about ending domestic violence in our homes and communities. The lunch will take place Oct. 3, noon, at 3761 Stocker St., suite 100, Los Angeles. RSVP information: (323) 299-9496, ext. 103, srobertson@ jenesse.org. PROTEST — There will be a
demonstration in front of Manual Arts High School, 4131 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, Oct. 8, 3:30 p.m., to protest the amount of money allocated to prison spending. Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes and other organizations and individuals argue that this only results in cuts to education, health care and social services budgets in place, putting thousands more at risk for future incarceration. Information: (213) 746-4844, www.facts1.net. CONFERENCE — Sisters With Abundant Goals and Gifts is sponsoring a young women’s conference Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 2800 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles. Young girls and women of all ages are invited to attend this conference. They will have the opportunity to learn positive techniques that will assist in generating self-awareness and selfesteem. This event is free and lunch will be served. Information: gots wagg1@gmail.com, (323) 683-2652, (562) 415-3915. EMPOWERMENT SESSIONS — KRST Unity Center of Afrikan Spirituality will sponsor Afrikan-centered activities and programs, including empowerment sessions on Sundays at 10:30 a.m., black gnostic studies, the Black Matrix Theater and more. The center is at 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 759-7567.
The City of Los Angeles From Conception to College...
Moving to Zero Waste Not content with the highest diversion rate amongst the ten largest cities in the USA at
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City of Los Angeles • Department of Public Works • Bureau of Sanitation
Photo by MARTY COTWRIGHT
AT THE BEACH — Surfing instructors Rick Blocker and Dedon Kamathi, standing, give Keisha Harris some final instructions for surfing before she heads out into the water. Members of the Black Surfers Association and others came together at Dockweiler Beach Sept. 20 for a “Pan-Afrikan Beach Day” to enjoy the sun, sand and surf.
LAWSUIT Continued from page 1 typical of many clusters of convenience in the South where black workers lived close to the white families for whom they worked. Macedonia Park was both a product and a casualty of its time. When nearby white residents decided to build a park, they forced their black neighbors out and razed the subdivision, leveling the homes and the church of Daugherty’s boyhood. Today, all that remains is Mt. Olive Cemetery, the last vestige of a community many Atlantans have never heard of. A woman whose grandparents are buried there is suing to save the cemetery from a developer seeking to move the graves to turn a profit. In a city where black history usually calls to mind the lives of civil rights leaders, the lawsuit is bringing attention to a less known facet of that history: the quiet struggles that everyday people endured during segregation. “Atlanta and Buckhead have been shaped by lots of different hands,” said Christine McCauley, executive director of the Buckhead Heritage Society. “Nobody’s role in it is more important than the other. This really is the very last remnant of that community.” Former slaves settled Macedonia Park as tenant farmers. A white developer built a subdivision of modest homes there in the 1920s. Its residents likely worked in the homes of their white neighbors, a fairly typical development pattern in Atlanta, said Larry Keating, author of “Atlanta: Race, Class and Urban Expansion.” The relationship was a mutually convenient one in a burgeoning residential area, Daugherty said. “Back then, your servants lived nearby if they could,” he said. “It was an efficient and hopefully, a happy relationship for everyone involved.” The neighborhood had dozens of homes, as well as two grocery stores, restaurants and a blacksmith. There were also three churches, including Mt. Olive Methodist Episcopal and its adjacent cemetery. By the mid 1940s, Macedonia Park’s white neighbors wanted to build a public park on the land. The residents were bought out, using threats, eminent domain and other means to get them off the property, Keating said. And by the early ’50s, Macedonia Park was no more. In its place, the county built Bagley Park, named for a well-respected black businessman and resident of Buckhead,
William Bagley. The park became home to a neighborhood baseball program and in 1980 was renamed for Frankie Allen, a popular, white, baseball umpire in the league. Over the years, the memory of the community was also figuratively buried at Mt. Olive. “How many people are aware of the fact that Buckhead was dotted with small African American enclaves?” Keating said. “Preserving the cemetery speaks to the fact that people lived and died there and lost their community.” More than 100 people are thought to be buried there. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Elon Butts Osby — Bagley’s granddaughter — against developer Brandon Marshall is pending in Fulton County Superior Court. Osby’s attorneys argue that the site is a public cemetery that should never have been sold. Marshall told a judge the site is a private cemetery and that moving the remains to a “more proper” cemetery would show the appropriate respect for the deceased. Cemeteries are tax-exempt under Georgia law, but Mt. Olive was improperly classified by the county as a vacant lot and sold to Marshall at a public auction after the taxes went unpaid. A city ordinance says public cemeteries cannot be moved, although private ones can be. Marshall declined to comment for this story. Wright Mitchell, who is Osby’s attorney and also serves as Buckhead Heritage Society president, said Marshall is in the process of trying to get a permit to move the cemetery and has submitted an application to the city’s urban design commission for approval. The commission makes a recommendation to the city council, which votes to grant or deny the permit. It was not immediately clear how Marshall plans to develop the property. Osby testified at an injunction hearing that she doesn’t want her grandparents, uncle, or the others buried at Mt. Olive relocated. “It hurts to even think about your family members being dug up and moved somewhere,” Osby said. “It interrupts the legacy.” It also buries an important part of Atlanta’s legacy, said Sam Massell, former mayor of Atlanta and president of the Buckhead Coalition. “It’s part of our heritage, and it’s up to us to defend it,” Massell said. “You don’t have to be black to protect black history.” On the Net: Buckhead Heritage Society: www.buckheadheritage.com.
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COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MEETINGS, FORUMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS L.A. City Council Approves Tentative Budget Package (AP) — The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously approved a tentative budget package that eliminates mandatory furloughs for thousands of employees, but officials say an unspecified number of workers will still face layoffs. The budget package passed Sept. 18 also includes an early retirement incentive program that is expected to take about 2,400 employees off the city payroll. The Coalition of Los Angeles City Unions worked with officials to help reduce the city’s deficit by at least $105 million, agreeing to defer or forego certain cash bonuses and holiday pay. Los Angeles is looking for ways to close a $405 million budget gap.
L.A. Sheriff Baca Orders Examination of Foot Pursuits (AP) — Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca wants a task force to look into ways to improve the handling of foot pursuits following the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by a deputy. Baca told the Los Angeles Times Sept. 16 that he has directed Assistant Sheriff Paul Tanaka to put together a “think tank” of the department’s top shooting experts to examine how foot pursuits are handled, particularly when deputies believe a suspect is armed.
The announcement came after the fatal Sept. 14 shooting of Darrick Collins. Sheriff’s officials say deputies thought Collins and a friend matched the description of armed robbery suspects. When they approached, Collins ran toward a relative’s backyard and was shot at the gate. Investigators later determined Collins was not the suspect they were looking for and no weapon was found.
Arts Foundation to Present Gala The William H. Johnson Foundation for the Arts will present the eighth annual Auction & Gala Gemini G.E.L. Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m., at 8365 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. The foundation aims to support young African American artists. Information: Steve Turner, (323) 931-3744, www.whjohnsongrant. org.
Women’s Symposium to Empower and Encourage The Beauty of a Woman Symposium will take place Sept. 26, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Church of the Word South Bay, 1135 Janis Ave., Carson. The symposium addresses women’s concerns often not answered by the world or church. The presentations provide information on topics that affect women with Biblical and practical principles.
The goal of the event is to encourage and empower women, letting them know that giving up during challenging times is not an option. The symposium aims to help women make positive changes in their lives. Information: Pastor Shiela Harris, (562) 436-9409, anointedlady1@msn.com.
Young Women of LADWP The City of Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women, in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, is calling the young women of Los Angeles, ages 16 to 18, to join the Young Women of LADWP. This program seeks to expose young women to career opportunities at DWP and ignite an overall interest in nontraditional careers through various field trips, job shadow days, and internship opportunities. Information: (213) 978-0300.
Facts Sept. 24, 1957 Nine black students start at Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. President Dwight D. Eisenhower orders federal troops, soldiers of 101st Airborne Division, to escort the students to prevent interference from segregationists. Later that day, the president makes a nationwide TV and radio address to explain why troops were sent to Little Rock. Source: blackfacts.com
Photos by IAN FOXX
NICE FACILITY — Jackie Robinson Stadium at the Rancho Cienega Sports Complex was reopened with celebration Sept. 18. The stadium, an important community fixture for years, is now renovated. It had gradually deteriorated since it was built about 35 years ago. L.A. Councilmember Herb Wesson, who helped get $2 million for renovations, joined patrons in the celebration. Pictured: (top) Dorsey High principal George E. Bartleson, left, and former football player Keyshawn Johnson; (below) Dorsey’s football team huddles.
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COMMUNITY
Swami Kriyananda Set to Visit Los Angeles BY DARLENE DONLOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Swami Kriyananda is an interesting man. When he speaks, people listen. When he writes, people read. When he visits, people come. He’s intelligent, perceptive, insightful and surprisingly down to earth and witty. Through the nonprofit Ananda Los Angeles, Kriyananda will make a one-night-only appearance at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood on Sept. 25 to share his life stories and launch his latest book, an intimate autobiography called “The New Path: My Life with Paramhansa Yogananda.” Kriyananda’s writings are compelling and illuminating. When he spouts his various philosophies on life, he’s frank, thought-provoking, and even poetic. But there’s also a lighthearted side to him, one that is accompanied by an infectious, wellearned laugh. He makes his home in Northern California when he’s in the states, but he spends a great deal of time in Italy and India. He was born in Romania and raised with two brothers, but is an American citizen. He has never had a bank account and relies solely on the donations of others for survival. He doesn’t pay taxes and says he has no idea how much people donate to him on a monthly basis. He says he gives much of the money away. When he was in his 20s, the yoga master wanted to be a playwright or poet. He was a like many young men, drinking and hanging out with his friends. But he says there was always something else lurking in the background. He wanted more out of life. So at the behest of a friend, he picked up the book “Autobiography of a Yogi,” by Yogananda, and his world changed, he says, instantly. He never looked back. At 83, Kriyananda is one of the last living direct disciples of Yogananda, who is revered by many as a spiritual master and a saint. In his book, Kriyananda reveals his private conversations with Yogananda, why he followed his teachings, how he made the life-altering decision and the path he took on his own inspirational journey. His book, which goes into one man’s search for
Swami Kriyananda
God through the path of yoga, is highly anticipated because it’s the only account ever written by someone who lived with Yogananda. During a recent interview, Kriyananda, whose given name is J. Donald Walters, talked about what he says is his relationship with God, how he tried to live without Him, the world in crisis, living in bliss and loving mankind unconditionally. LAWT: Tell me something about your latest book. SK: It’s the only book available that tells what it was like to live with Paramhansa Yogananda. It’s an intimate account. I want to help the reader feel what it was like. LAWT: So, what was it like? SK: Only those that are willing to give up an attachment to ego and the world could live with him. He was deeply loving. He loved our souls. His purpose was to bring us out of the confusion of the world. It’s about knowing that God, when he created everything, created it out of his consciousness. The center of our being is his consciousness in us. That was his main job — to help us understand everything we do is God working through us. Never met anyone like him. Never call yourself a sinner. He would say, ‘A saint is a sinner who never gave up.’ LAWT: For the uninitiated, what is your definition of a swami? SK: Somebody who has dedicated himself to seeking God. One who is one with himself. LAWT: This is your 61st year of discipleship to Yogananda. What is the most important thing you learned from him?
Photo by SHERI MANDEL/CITY OF L.A., CITY COUNCIL
ON THE JOB — Keisha Whitaker, far right, signs in as a newly appointed commissioner to the Children Youth and Families Commission Sept. 22 at Los Angeles City Hall as City Councilmembers Herb J. Wesson Jr. and Eric Garcetti, and California Attorney General Jerry Brown look on. Whitaker, a former television personality, is married to Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker.
SK: I learned a lot. Not to be ruffled by anything. The spiritual path has room for humor and jokes. To be kind to people. Everyone is looking for bliss. LAWT: You’ve said society faces severe problems. You have also said there are solutions to these problems. What are they? SK: The issues have gotten away from God. Man is living too much for himself. Too much greed, hatred, intolerance or others point of view. People have to learn that they don’t need that much money or cars. Live more simply so they can give more time to higher values. LAWT: What about the royalties from your books? SK: I don’t accept royalties on my books. I refuse to have a salary. I live on what people give me. LAWT: You are considered a master of yoga. Why is yoga important to you? SK: I don’t think of myself as a master of anything (chuckle). I teach and I practice. Yoga offers you techniques of concentration and directing energy. You can control the energy. That helps you. LAWT: Can disciples and swamis be married? SK: I’m now trying to start a new order called Renunciate in which swamis can be married, but at an age when they can’t have children. If you have children, it takes you in a different direction. You can’t think of other people’s needs because you have to focus on your children.
LAWT: So what age are you thinking? SK: Over 50. LAWT: Swami’s are spiritual. What’s the difference between spiritual and religious? SK: Religious is a lot of outward form. Go to church and listen to a sermon is religious. Religious is belief. Spiritual is when you want God with your heart. Spiritual is experience. LAWT: For someone just starting out, what are some simple spiritual principles they can apply to their daily life? SK: Meditate in the morning and evening. Offer themselves up. Prayer is talking to God. Mediation is listening for His answer. LAWT: In the time you’ve been a swami, have you noticed any kind of spiritual change in mankind? SK: I have and it’s positive. I see that men are becoming more seeking. LAWT: Is perfection attainable by man? SK: Yes, you have to accept that what Jesus said in the Bible is literally true. To become perfect and to realize everything is God and anything you do is the manifestation of Him. LAWT: Does a spiritual quest ever end? SK: It ends in endlessness. You become infinite. Your consciousness is everywhere. LAWT: I’m not being facetious when I ask, what is the meaning of life?
SK: All of us are seeking bliss. That is the meaning of life. Anything taking you to that bliss is going in the right direction. LAWT: Are you still in search of the truth? SK: I found these truths. I don’t have to search for it. I have to live it more. LAWT: Swamis are thought to be reverential, quiet and peaceful. What do you do for fun? SK: I never watch TV. I watch videos. Modern movies are too violent. I like movies from the ’30s and ’40s. LAWT: What’s your favorite movie? SK: ‘Bambi.’ LAWT: How many times have you seen it? SK: About 10 (to) 12 times. LAWT: So, what else do you do? SK: I go to restaurants, have friends over for dinner. At my age I don’t run around much. LAWT: You have a message for people? SK: My message is love everybody because they are all looking for the same thing you’re looking for. The Ford Amphitheatre is at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Los Angeles. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. General admission is free (advanced registration required); VIP package, $100; deluxe VIP package with Kriyananda, $500 to $1,000 (sliding scale). Information: (323) 461-3673, www.anandala.org/swami kriyananda.php.
PASSING... Zakes Mokae, Champion of Fugard Plays, Succumbs BY KEN RITTER AP WRITER
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Zakes Mokae, the Tony-winning South African actor best known for his work with playwright Athol Fugard in such apartheid dramas as “The Blood Knot” and “Master Harold ... and the boys,” has died at the age of 75. Mokae died Sept. 11 at home after suffering a stroke in May, the actor’s wife, Madelyn, said Sept. 15. She said Mokae also battled Parkinson’s in recent years and returned to the United States for treatment after initially retiring to South Africa. In addition to his stage work, Mokae appeared in such films as “The Comedians,” “Darling” and “Cry Freedom” as well as television series such as “The X-Files” and “Oz.” But it was his work with fellow countryman Fugard that brought Mokae his greatest artistic success, including a Tony Award in 1982 for his portrayal of a servant and surrogate father for a young white man in “Master Harold.” The friendship between Mokae, a black saxophone player who wanted to be an actor, and Fugard, a white journalist who wanted to be a playwright, was forged in the black ghettos of Johannesburg in 1958. The men first met at places like Dorkay House, a club for black artists and a meeting ground for people of both races.
Zakes Mokae
“The club was pretty close to the wind. It was under police surveillance,” Fugard said in a 1985 interview with The Associated Press. “The authorities busted in on occasion to find out what was going on. All they found were a lot of musicians and would-be actors hanging out, talking and trying to do some work.” That work included “The Blood Knot,” which tells the story of two men, both black but one light enough to pass for white. The play created a sensation when it was first performed at Dorkay House in September 1961. It was the first time a white man and a black man appeared together on a South African stage. Audiences jammed the tiny theater, and a onenight stand became a six-month run. The play’s success cemented a bond between the two men that withstood the brutality of apartheid in those early years. “I didn’t know it then but Zakes had the word ‘survivor’ written all over him. Not just ‘survivor’ but ‘magnificent survivor,’ ” Fugard
said in the AP interview. “I saw Zakes at the receiving end of a terrible system, and we shared some pretty dark moments.” It was Mokae who was harassed and arrested by authorities for refusing to carry a passbook, an identification necessity for South African blacks. When “Blood Knot” went on tour across South Africa, Fugard rode first-class on the trains. Mokae traveled behind in thirdclass. Born Aug. 5, 1934, in Johannesburg, Mokae had no formal stage training. “You don’t have that in South Africa; it’s for white folks, not black folks,” he said in an AP interview. Mokae left South Africa in 1962, going to England — the place where he first considered himself an actor — and then to United States, working on and off-Broadway, in regional theater and in films and television. In 1970, he starred off-Broadway with Ruby Dee and James Earl Jones in the American premiere of Fugard’s “Boesman and Lena” and in 1985 in a revival of “The Blood Knot,” sharing the stage with the playwright. Mokae received a Tony nomination in 1993 for his work in the Broadway production of “The Song of Jacob Zulu” by Tug Yourgrau. In addition to his wife, Mokae is survived by a daughter, Santlo Chontay Mokae, and three grandchildren. AP Drama Writer Michael Kuchwara contributed to this report.
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COMMUNITY BRIEFS Continued from page 1 The survey also found that nearly 80 percent of blacks believe Mehserle is guilty, compared to 33 percent for whites. Mehserle has pleaded not guilty to murder in the shooting of
Haitian Novelist, L.A. Artist Receive ‘Genius’ Awards CHICAGO (AP) — Scientists, artists and journalists are among this year’s recipients of the MacArthur Foundation’s $500,000 “Genius Grants.” The winners were a nnounc e d Se pt. 22 by the Chicago-based foundation that has been awarding the grants for nearly 30 years.
Johannes Mehserle
Oscar Grant on New Year’s Day. Rains says Mehserle meant to use his Taser, not his handgun.
THE NATION White Philly Officer Told to Get Rid of Cornrows PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Police in Philadelphia say a white officer who came to work with cornrows was ordered by a black superior to get a haircut because the braids violated department standards. The Philadelphia Daily News reported Sept. 21 that Officer Thomas Strain was put on desk duty this month because of the braids, even though the paper reported dozens of black officers wear cornrows. Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore says Strain’s boss told the officer to cut his hair to look more “professional.” Vanore says officers’ hats must fit “in a military manner” over their hair, and that Strain’s hat did not. Strain got a haircut; he declined comment to the paper. Vanore recalled only one black officer with braids in the past several years. He says that officer also was told to get a haircut.
Ga. Deputy Accused in 2 Slayings Caught in Belize DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — A former DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy who fled after he was charged with killing his wife and a day laborer has been caught in Central America. Special agents from the U.S. State Department located Derrick Yancey in Punta Gorda, Belize, on Sept. 19. Yancey was arrested by Belize law enforcement and is awaiting return to the United States. Authorities say Yancey was under a $150,000 bond when he boarded a westbound Greyhound bus April 4 and disappeared somewhere between Phoenix and Los Angeles. He is accused in the 2008 shootings of Linda Yancey, 44, and Marcial Cax Puluc, a 20-year-old Guatemalan immigrant he had hired to work at his home in the suburban Atlanta community of Stone Mountain. Yancey told investigators that Puluc had killed his wife and he killed Puluc in selfdefense. He resigned from his job with the sheriff’s department shortly before he was indicted on murder charges in August.
Edwidge Danticat
Edwidge Danticat, 40, of Miami. Danticat is a novelist whose depictions of lives of Haitian immigrants chronicle the power of human resistance and endurance.
Mark Bradford
Locally, Mark Bradford, 47, of Los Angeles. Bradford is a mixed media artist who incorporates every day items from urban environments into abstract art. Also among the winners is a Mississippi newspaper reporter named Jerry Mitchell whose work over the last 20 years has been instrumental in bringing to justice people involved in slayings during the Civil Rights era. The winners can use the money however they please, but many say they plan on using it to help them continue their work. Source: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
N.Y. Governor Ignores Pressure to End Election Quest ALBANY, New York (AP) — Gov. David Paterson is not scrapping his plans to run for the office he inherited 18 months ago, despite growing pressure from senior Democrats in Washington. “My plans for 2010 are to run for governor of the state of New York,” Paterson said Sept. 20 after serving as grand marshal to the African-American Day Parade in Manhattan. “I am running for office.” Paterson’s remarks come amid mounting pressure from Washington and within New York to drop out because of his low poll numbers and concerns from other
Democrats that he might hurt their chances in 2010. Asked if he was concerned about losing some Democratic support because of his low poll numbers, Paterson said: “No, I feel like in this very difficult economic time, just about all the governors are facing the same types of problems.”
Confederate Flag Banned From Veterans Day Parade HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Organizers for an upcoming South Florida parade have decided that a Confederate battle flag can not be flown. Jeffrey Wander, with the Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce, said last week that members voted against allowing the Sons of Confederate Veterans to fly the flag in this year’s Veterans Day parade, despite announcing two weeks ago that the group could. The parade drew criticism when the flag was flown last year. Brad Brown, with the Miami-Dade NAACP, says he’s happy with the chamber’s decision. Greg Kalof, with the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Miami, says he’s disappointed the members of his group won’t be able to carry a flag that represents their heritage. At one point, the chamber had considered canceling this year’s parade completely. Information from: The Miami Herald, www.herald.com.
Cheryle Jackson Announces Senate Run CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Urban League president Cheryle Jackson says she’s running for President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat because she’s the kind of problem-solver Illinois needs.
Cheryle Jackson
The former aide to ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich formally announced Sept. 16 at an event on Chicago’s South Side. Jackson said working as a problem-solver is what she does at the civil rights organization she leads, pointing to efforts to help small businesses weather the financial meltdown. Jackson wants the seat now held by incumbent Sen. Roland Burris, who isn’t seeking a full term after having been appointed by Blagojevich. Jackson will be part of a February Democratic primary that includes first-term Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (jeh-NOO’lee-ehs), former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman, and Chicago attorney Jacob Meister.
Newspaper Publisher W. Horace Carter Dies
Gov. David Paterson
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — W. Horace Carter, a North Carolina newspaper publisher and editor whose crusades against the Ku Klux Klan in the 1950s earned
W. Horace Carter
him a Pulitzer Prize, died Sept. 16. He was 88. Mitchell Ward, director of Inman Funeral Home in Tabor City, confirmed that Carter died at New Hanover Regional Medical Center after suffering a heart attack one week ago. Carter’s paper, The Tabor City Tribune, and the nearby Whiteville News Reporter shared the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service “for their successful
MISSION Continued from page 1 Rape in the Congo,” is credited with bringing the muted voices of female rape victims to a worldwide audience. In the film she also interviews male members of Congolese militias who say they rape women due to their need for sex after being “in the bush” for so long. Although rape is not about sex, this rationale does not fully explain the horrific accounts of torture that often accompanies the acts of rape in the Congo. And it doesn’t explain the growing incidences of male rape, as detailed in an Aug. 5 New York Times article. Activists say that it is the leadership of the various armed groups that negotiate with corporations for extraction of and payment for the Congo’s mineral wealth that maintains the conflict; as opposed to negotiating with a stable government that could use the country’s wealth for the betterment of its citizens. Sankofa-Ra says, “We want them (the CBC) to talk to the corporations … we voted them into office, the black representatives and the White House. “We want them to know that we’re supporting them if they stand
campaign against the Ku Klux Klan, waged on their own doorstep at the risk of economic loss and personal danger, culminating in the conviction of over one hundred Klansmen and an end to terrorism in their communities,” according to the Pulitzers’ Web site. Carter’s campaign against the Klan began in 1950 when klansmen rode through Tabor City’s black neighborhoods before reaching downtown, where they handed out recruiting information. During his two-year campaign, Carter’s reporting on Klan rallies exposed him to death threats, as well as threats to his family, his pets and his business. The grand dragon of the Klan told Carter that he would order members to stop reading the newspaper and businesses to stop advertising with him. up for us on this issue. We will support them in any way that they need if they go against these corporations, because they’re going to need that.” The delegation plans on holding a press conference and roundtable discussion during this weekend’s activities, said Zyra McCloud, president of the International Black Chambers of Commerce, headquartered on La Brea Avenue in Inglewood. The purpose of this weekend’s panel “is to encourage African Americans to travel to the Congo to fact-find for themselves, and for African American business people to see what they can do to promote economic development, international trade and investment, commerce,” McCloud said. Ken Johnson, main organizer of the roundtable, said the scheduled participants include Serge Mombouli, ambassador from the DRC; George Alula, author of “Congo: The Ignored Economic Genocide;” and Inglewood Councilman Danny Tabor. Johnson, a committee member of the California delegation to CBC and a principal in the international development firm Devconia, will also sit on the panel. For more information, interested persons can contact the United Congo Support group at assistanceforcongo@yahoo.com.
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COMMUNITY
Photo by KELVIN DEAN
Photo by SARDONYZ JADE
IN REMEMBRANCE — Darrick Collins Sr. was shot and killed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy on Sept. 14. The Sheriff’s office states that Collins fled from deputies and appeared to be reaching into his waistband for a weapon; it’s been reported that Collins was unarmed and shot in the back of the neck and in the side. Pictured (top): Girlfriend Kendra Dean (left) mother of Darrick Collins Jr. (center) and Darrick Collins Sr., celebrate Dean’s graduation as a dental assistant Sept. 11. (Bottom): a candlelight vigil to remember Collins and call for justice was held Sept. 18 at the place where Collins was shot.
‘A DIRECT ORDER’ — The City of Compton’s 6th Annual “Homeless Veterans Stand Down” was held Sept. 19 to 21 as part of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ efforts to provide services to homeless veterans. Veterans received various services, including hair cuts. Pictured (top): Kenneth Williams and Melvin Worthy, seated, share advice with Viet Nam-era veterans. Bottom: Barber Howard Allen provides a free haircut to veteran Pierre Beker. Photos by MARTY COTWRIGHT
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September 24, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
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ARTS & CULTURE The 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival was held Sept. 18 to 20. More than 500 artists performed at the popular festival. Photos by MAXIE FLOYD
88-year-old jazz pianist Dave Brubeck
Wynton Marsalis and the Next Generation High School Orchestra
Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Russell Malone
Folk legend Pete Seeger (with banjo) and family members
George Duke, with vocalist Shannon Pearson and Jef Lee Johnson
Jason Moran and Tarus Mateen
COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WIEXECUTITHVTHEE MICHAEL JACKSON COMPANY PRODUCERS JOHN BRANCA JOHN MCCLAIN Bassist Esperanza Spaulding
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater
AND AEG LIVE A FILM BY KENNY ORTEGA “MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT” PRODUCED BY
RANDY PHILLIPS KENNY ORTEGA PAUL GONGAWARE DIRECTED BY KENNY ORTEGA
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September 24, 2009
ARTS & CULTURE Donloe’s September Movie Roundup
SHORT TAKES CONCERTS • Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will perform at UCLALive! at Royce Hall Oct. 2, 8 p.m., on the University of Califonia at Los Angeles
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (Alpha Gamma Omega chapter) will present “Jazz in The Villageâ€? Oct. 4, 3:30 p.m., at Veterans Memorial Park, 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City. Dwight Trible, Talita Long and Samantha Nicole are scheduled to perform, and the event will be hosted by actress Kim Coles. Information: (323) 737-8902, jazzinthevillage@ hotmail.com.
BENEFITS
Wynton Marsalis
campus, 340 Royce Drive, Los Angeles. Ticket prices range from $38 to $85. Information: (310) 825-2101, www.uclalive. org. • The Jackie Robinson Foundation’s fourth annual “Jazz on the Grassâ€? benefit concert will take place Oct. 3, 2 to 6 p.m. This event will be held at a private residence in Sherman Oaks, and will feature James Ingram, Patrice Rushen, Brenda Russell and many others. Information: (323) 936-5052, (213) 330-7726, www.jackierobinson.org. • Brazilian keyboardist and bandleader Sergio Mendes will bring his jazz-funk fusion of Bossa
Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph will present the 19th annual “Divas Simply Singing� Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m., at the Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. All
Nova to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts Oct. 2, 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $39 to $65 and can be purchased at the center’s ticket office. The center is at 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. Information: (562) 467-8818 www.cerritoscenter.com.
BY DARLENE DONLOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
This month’s movie selection includes a biographical look at a fashion icon, sci-fi, comedy and family dramas. There is something for everyone. Following are the Donloe picks for this month. “The Informant� — Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh join forces again in this comedy drama based on a true story about a global food conglomerate and the highestranking corporate whistle-blower in U.S. history.
Matt Damon
proceeds raised from the concert will go to help men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. This year’s divas include Yolanda Adams, Brenda Russell and Barbara Morrison. Ticket prices range from $25 to $250. Information: www.divassimplysinging.com.
Sergio Mendes
Won is at 4331 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 2901048. • Artist and author Samella Lewis will introduce her latest book, “BarthĂŠ: His Life In Art,â€? on the life and works of Harlem Renaissance-era sculptor Richmond BarthĂŠ. This event will be held Sept. 26, 6 to 9 p.m., in the Sanctuary of Cultural Interiors, 5372 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 292-1500. • UCLA Library’s Center for Oral History and Research and several on-campus departments will present Robin D.G. Kelley in a lecture entitled “North of the Sunset: Thelonious Monk’s L.A. Stories,â€? Oct. 15, 3 to 5 p.m., in the presentation room of the Charles E. Young Research Library (Room 11348). Kelley is the author of “Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original.â€? This event is free and open
BOOK / CD SIGNINGS • “Jayne Cortez,â€? author of 12 books of poetry, will read and sign from her works at Leimert Park’s Eso Won Books Sept. 26, 7 p.m. Raised in Los Angeles and living in New York, Cortez is the recipient of several awards. Eso
CRITIC’S PICK â€œâ€Śironically funny exchanges alternating with heart-wrenching moments.â€? —Les Spindle, Back Stage
By Danai Gurira Directed by Robert O’Hara
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to the public, but parking in structure three on campus costs $10. Information: (310) 825-4932, (310) 825-4601. â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pink Elephant,â&#x20AC;? the newest CD from R&B artist Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;dambi, is scheduled to be released on Oct. 6, and the artist will sign copies and perform at Amoeba Records, 6400 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, on Oct. 9, 7 p.m. Information: (323) 245-6400.
FUNDRAISERS â&#x20AC;˘ The Tavis Smiley Foundation will hold its â&#x20AC;&#x153;Salute to Youth Leadershipâ&#x20AC;? benefit and auction, featuring 100 young leaders of the decade, Oct. 3, 6 to 10 p.m., at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets for individuals are $200 and $325 for couples. All proceeds will benefit the 2010 Leadership Institute. Information: (323) 2901888, youthtoleaders@tavistalks. com. â&#x20AC;˘ Save Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Children will hold its fourth annual Charity Golf Tournament Oct. 2, 9 a.m., at the Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms, One Industry Hills Parkway, Industry Hills. Proceeds will benefit education, clean water, nutrition and shelter programs for orphaned and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS, poverty and war throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Information: (323) 733-1048, www. saveafricaschildren.org.
Facts Sept. 26, 1962 James Meredith is barred from entering the University of Mississippi for the third time. Lt. Gov. Paul Johnson and a blockade of Mississippi State patrolmen stop Meredith and federal marshals sent to escort him about 400 hundred yards from the gate of the school. Source: blackfacts.com
Damon fills the screen as the whistle-blower whose efforts to help the FBI sometimes puts them behind the eight ball. He is hilarious! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth the price of admission. The movie also stars Joel McHale and Scott Bakula. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Informant,â&#x20AC;? currently in theaters, gets an O (OK). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Capitalism: A Love Storyâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Michael Moore is back and this time heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going after corporations who received bail-out money from the government. He wants it back
Charlize Theron
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Burning Plainâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sylviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past is mysterious. Played by Charlize Theron, Sylvia, a restaurant manager, is on the brink of nymphomania. Along for the ride is Kim Basinger, who also finds some bumps in the road, especially when it comes to her unhappy marriage. This romantic mystery starts out slow, but once you recognize where writer/director Guillermo Arriaga has the audience going, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll appreciate the ride. Definitely worth seeing. The movie also stars John Corbett, Robin Tunney, Danny Pino, Tessa Ia, Jennifer Lawrence and JD Pardo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Burning Plain,â&#x20AC;? currently in theaters, gets an O (OK). â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Boys Are Backâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Clive Owen stars in this sappy story about a husband whose wife dies after a brief illness â&#x20AC;&#x201D; leaving him to
Clive Owen
Michael Moore
and he brought a sack to put the money in. Moore, a brilliant documentary filmmaker, highlights the influence of corporate dominance on the nation. This move is a mustsee. An eye-opener. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Capitalism,â&#x20AC;? currently in theaters, gets an E (excellent). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Disgraceâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any better than John Malkovich. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brilliant in this adaptation of the J.M. Coetzee novel about what
care for their small child. Ill equipped to do so, the new widower, who also is a sports columnist, fights through the pain to gain a relationship with his son from the wife who recently passed and another son from his first marriage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Boys Are Back,â&#x20AC;? in theaters Sept. 25, gets an L (likeable). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coco Before Chanelâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Audrey Tautou is brilliant as Gabrielle â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cocoâ&#x20AC;? Chanel in this drama highlighting the early years
Audrey Tautou
John Malkovich
happens to a professor of literature in South Africa after he is banished to live in the country with his daughter because he had an affair with a mixed-race student. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Disgraceâ&#x20AC;? is brilliant, powerful and thought-provoking! Set for release Sept. 25, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Disgraceâ&#x20AC;? gets an E (excellent).
of the fashionista. The movie takes a more intimate view of Coco from her sexual exploits, her various jobs and her life lessons. The movie also stars Alessandro Nivola, Benoit Poelvoorde, Emmanuelle Devos and Marie Gillain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coco Before Chanel,â&#x20AC;? in theater Sept. 25, gets an O (OK). The DONLOE Scale, D (donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (OK) and E (excellent).
September 24, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
Page 11
HEALTH Celebrities Bowl for Sickle Cell Awareness
THE PULSE Obama: Health Care Anger Not Motivated by His Race WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says he does not think race is the main factor driving the angry criticisms of his health care agenda. The president told CNN he assumes some people don’t like him because of his race but said that wasn’t the “overriding issue.” Obama, the nation’s first black president, said the intense public reaction reflects a longstanding debate about the role of government. He said it’s more fierce “when presidents are trying to bring about big changes.” Public outbursts of anger about Obama’s proposed health care overhaul has raised questions about whether they are racially motivated, as suggested by former President Jimmy Carter.
Celebrity Concert to Benefit Cancer Institute The Seventh Annual Celebrity Concert to Benefit the John Wayne Cancer Institute will take place Sept. 26, 7 p.m., at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Sharon Lawrence, Vicki Lewis, Samantha Harris and several other stars are expected to perform. Tickets are available at www.whatapair.org. Information: info@whatapair.com, (310) 499-4888.
State Prescription Database Unveiled to Curb Abuse (AP) — California doctors and law enforcement have a new tool to stem the flow of prescription pills to addicts and drug peddlers. A new secure Web site unveiled Sept. 15 in Los Angeles allows doctors to log on and see what other drugs their patients are taking. The state Department of Justice will also track the site’s information to spot trends in drug
abuse and cut down on doctor shopping. The Web site is an upgrade to the previous system, which required doctors and pharmacists to request information by fax, mail or phone and wait days for a response. The attorney general’s office receives more than 60,000 requests annually for such information.
CDC: First Swine Flu Vaccines May be Nasal Spray ATLANTA (AP) — The first doses of swine flu vaccine may all be the nasal spray version, government health officials said Sept. 18. The government has said a trickle of vaccine will be available in early October, but on Sept. 18 they defined the size of that trickle — an estimated 3.4 million doses. Currently it looks like all of them will be a nasal spray vaccine that is approved only for healthy people ages 2 to 49, said Dr. Jay Butler, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The nasal spray, called FluMist, is not recommended for some of the people most in danger of severe swine flu complications. That includes pregnant women, children younger than 2, and people with asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases. Flu shots are made of killed influenza virus, while FluMist is a live but weakened strain. The nasal spray is only approved in the United States, and is made by the Maryland-based MedImmune, an AstraZeneca PLC subsidiary. The initial vaccine doses will go to up to 90,000 sites, including schools and clinics, across the United States. State health departments will determine which offices and clinics get the shots. Information: CDC: www.cdc. gov/h1n1flu/.
Census: Uninsured Rises to 46.3 Million BY HOPE YEN AP WRITER
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans without health insurance rose to 46.3 million last year as people began losing jobs and coverage in the current recession. The poverty rate hit 13.2 percent, an 11-year high. The Census Bureau’s annual report, released Sept. 10, offers a snapshot of the economic wellbeing of American households for 2008, the first full year of the recession. It comes as Congress engages in its high-stakes debate over a health care overhaul, following a renewed plea Sept. 9 by President Barack Obama to pass sweeping legislation. Analysts cautioned the numbers for 2008 could significantly understate today’s reality since they do not capture the economic impact in the first half of 2009,
when unemployment was steadily rising. The census also asked people whether they had health coverage anytime during 2008, and thus may not include those who lost jobs and their insurance after the financial meltdown last fall. The jump in poverty could add a new dimension to the health care debate, since eligibility for government aid programs such as Medicaid and children’s insurance is tied to the federal poverty level. That means more people will qualify, potentially adding strain to states already struggling to balance budgets due to the recession. Speaking at the White House, Obama acknowledged that the number of those without coverage may be higher than the Census figures. “The situation’s grown worse over the last 12 months,” he said. See UNINSURED, page 15
BY DARLENE DONLOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Hundreds came out in support of Kiki Shepard’s sixth annual Celebrity Bowling Challenge, held recently at PINZ Entertainment Center in Studio City. The event was held to raise awareness of sickle cell disease and to benefit the programs of The K.I.S. Foundation Inc., and the Dorothy H. Shepard Scholarship Fund. There were strikes, spares and gutter balls, coupled with loads of laughs as celebrity bowlers teamed up with the general public in a three-game bowling tournament. While everyone was there to have a good time, no one lost sight of the real reason for the affair. “This event is held annually to educate the community and bring attention to sickle cell disease,” said Shepard, who carries the sickle cell trait and is best known for her stint on “It’s Showtime At The Apollo.” “This disease is no joke. It’s actually killing people and we have to bring awareness to it and educate people so we can stop it in its tracks. This is a disease that can be arrested and can be stopped. We need a cure right now.” On hand for the event was Kristyl Smith, 18, a freshman at San Diego State and a K.I.S. Foundation educational scholarship recipient. Smith, who has sickle cell disease, said she is a frequent patient at Childrens Hospital and has learned how to manage her condition. “I deal with it,” said Smith, who is studying journalism. “I only take 13 credits so I don’t over exert myself. I take pain medication, drink lots of water and stay out of the sun. I’m dealing with it one day at a time.” Other scholarship recipients include Jenay Stephens and Dominique Elston, who is a senior at Alabama State. The K.I.S. Foundation gave away $10,000 in scholarships to Smith, Stephens and Elston. The scholarships were underwritten by Hennessey and the NBA Wives Association. September is Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month, a time set aside to highlight a disease that some say gets little media attention and also primarily affects people of African descent. “In my opinion the reason it’s not getting any media attention is because it’s not the flavor of the month,” said Roger Brown, director of Development and Public Affairs at the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California, reportedly the first sickle cell organization in the country. “There are no big names that have thrown their support behind it. There is very little money out there for sickle cell disease. That’s the reality we live in. It’s tough.” “The reason it doesn’t get a lot of media attention is multi-factoral,” said Allan Platt an Emory physician assistant program faculty member at Emory University in Georgia, who previously worked at the Georgia Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Grady Health Care for 20 years. “Yes, there is no major U.S. spokesperson. There is also very little funding. Many other diseases get the spotlight. But, it’s
Photo by DARLENE DONLOE
FIGHTING SICKLE CELL — (Left to right) Kristoff St. John, his 6-year-old daughter, Lola, Kiki Shepard and Dawnn Lewis pose for a photo. The celebrities came out with dozens of others to support Shepard’s sixth annual Celebrity Bowling Challenge, held recently at PINZ Entertainment Center in Studio City. The event was held, in part, to raise awareness of sickle cell disease.
also because it affects minorities that don’t really have a voice.” Platt added that a relatively new drug called Hydroxurea is prolonging the life of some sickle cell patients. “At one time the lifespan of someone with the disease was their teens, now it’s the 50s,” Platt said. “That’s a significant improvement.” Sickle cell disease is an inherited, noncontagious blood disease.
It occurs when red blood cells turn in a sickle shape, due to hemoglobin clumps that carries oxygen. The results can cause pain, infections and eventually life-threatening organ damage. Although people of African descent seem to be more susceptible to the disease, it can be found in several other ethic groups including Greeks, Italians, Middle Easterners, See SICKLE CELL, page 13
Testosterone Dose Response in Surgically Menopausal Women Principal Investigator: Matthew H. Ho, Ph.D., M.D. “Thank you for your interest in our research program. The purpose of this particular study is to find out the effects of testosterone, in women. Women who are post-menopause often have low testosterone levels in their blood. Some doctors recommend giving testosterone to women after menopause, but it is not clear whether this helps women health. This study may find out whether it is beneficial to replace testosterone in women who are post-menopause and therefore have low testosterone in their blood. This research study may also find out the most appropriate dose of testosterone that shows beneficial effects on women’s sex life, muscle and fat mass, physical function, and ability to solve some types of problems with the least amount of side effects. “We will measure the effects of testosterone on fat and muscle size, muscle strength, sexual desire and activity, and higher functions of the brain. Approximately 140 women will take part in this study that is approved and funded by the National Institutes of Health. The protocol of this study has also been reviewed and approved by our Institutional Review Board. “For this study, we are looking for women between the ages of 21 to 60, who are post-menopausal (either menopause occurred naturally with their ovaries intact or occurred surgically with their ovaries removed) and have had their uterus removed by surgery, and who do not have breast or uterine cancer. Do you meet these criteria?”
For information call (323) 357-3697 “If you are interested in obtaining more information about this study or taking part in this study, I can set up an appointment for you to come to our Clinical Study Center at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. During this visit, I will explain all the procedures in great detail, describe the risks and benefits involved, and answer any questions that you might have about this research study.”
You are not alone living with Bipolar Depression. Let us help. Participants needed for a research study on
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If so, we want to hear from you. You may be Qualified participants will receive free compensated up to investigational medication, doctor visits and financial compensation. $375. To learn more, please call Ana at: Principal Investigator: Lori Altshuler, M.D. UCLA IRB #: 06 04 023 04 Expires: 12/17/2009
(310) 794 6663 Visit our website at: www.uclamood.org
Page 12
L.A. WATTS TIMES
September 24, 2009
EDUCATION NOTEBOOK Ex-School Official Gets Prison for Molestation (AP) — A former assistant principal has been sentenced to eight years in prison for molesting four girls at two Los Angeles schools. A Superior Court judge on Sept. 15 also ordered 40-year-old Steve Thomas Rooney to pay $5,000 in fines and restitution. Rooney pleaded no contest in August to four counts, including a lewd act on a child under 14. Prosecutors say two Markham Middle School students were molested between January and March 2008, and two others were students at Foshay Learning Center when the molestations began. Rooney worked as a teacher and later dean of students at Foshay, and as an assistant principal at Markham. He was fired by the school district after an investigation. His attorney Dmitry Gorin says Rooney is remorseful.
Compton School Police Investigate Basketball Coach (AP) — Compton Unified School District police are investigating whether a former Dominguez High School basketball coach submitted fraudulent receipts to obtain $5,100 in travel reimbursement from the district. The investigation was launched following an article in the Sept. 19 edition of the Los Angeles Times that said 47-yearold Russell Otis submitted invoices bearing the letterhead of a property management firm called Emory G Group. The company says it is not involved in the travel business and did not generate the invoices. Otis was fired in May after being charged with offering to pay one of his players for sex and with stealing $15,000 in sponsorship money intended for his team.
Photos by IAN FOXX
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rev. Jesse Jackson (left) visited Dorsey High School last week. The governor (right) also spoke at Dorsey to challenge youth to be more active in “building a strong future for California,” a news release said.
Pupils Don’t Aim High Enough for College BY JUSTIN POPE AP EDUCATION WRITER
Four years ago, two of the most influential researchers in higher education dove into a huge pool of data hoping to answer a bedeviling question: Why do so many students who start college fail to graduate? They report their findings in a book released recently, and perhaps the biggest is this: Students aren’t aiming high enough, settling for less
selective schools they imagine will be easier, but where in fact they’re more likely to drop out before earning a degree. In “Crossing the Finish Line,” William Bowen and Michael McPherson, former presidents of Princeton University and Macalester College, along with researcher Matthew Chingos, chime in on what many experts consider American higher education’s greatest weakness:
On the Money: Rachel Ray’s Tips for School Lunches BY CANDICE CHOI AP WRITER
NEW YORK (AP) — Television cooking guru Rachael Ray knows the secret to making cheap, healthy lunches your kids will like. “Give them ownership by involving them in the process,” Ray said. “It’s an opportunity to let the kids be the boss.” When grocery shopping, for example, ask them to pick out the fruits, vegetables or whole grain breads they like best. Let them pick a treat, too, so it doesn’t seem like a chore. Or ask them to choose and make a recipe for a pasta or tuna salad they’d like to try. By soliciting their help, any changes will feel like empowered choices, rather than sacrifices. Once you’ve got the kids on board, Ray and Melissa d’Arabian, winner of this season’s The Next Food Network Star, say it should be easy making lunch nutritious, affordable and appealing. That’s the Holy Grail many parents are shooting for this school year, as the recession pushes them to save wherever they can. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, American families on average spend 12.5 percent of their budgets on groceries. In separate interviews with The Associated Press, Ray and d’Arabian offer ways to make that slice of your spending go farther. The Essential Elements: Proteins Peanut butter — cheap, nutritious and a kid favorite — is now banned in some schools because of the prevalence of allergies. But
plenty of other protein sources are ideal for brown bagging. Canned tuna in water and hummus, the Middle Eastern staple dish made of garbanzo beans, are healthy, versatile and have long shelf lives. “You can make them have an Italian, Asian or Middle Eastern flavor,” Ray said. The same is true for beans, although certain varieties work better for school lunches than others, said d’Arabian, who hosts “Ten Dollar Dinners” on The Food Network. For instance, canned white beans can get mushy quickly, while some dry beans need to be soaked and are time-consuming to prepare. Lentils are a good “beginner” bean since they don’t need to be soaked, d’Arabian said. They’re also small and can be mixed into recipes more easily if your kids are fussy. That doesn’t mean you need to banish deli meats and cheeses from your child’s diet altogether. But stock up whenever there's a sale, since meats and cheeses can be frozen for a few months. Remember to mark the date you bought them so you’re not guessing whether they’re still OK to eat later on. Grains Kids love to eat white bread, but it's not the healthiest choice. To wean them off slowly, Ray suggested making sandwiches with the top slice white and the bottom slice wheat. Whole grain breads and pastas are so ubiquitous that it shouldn’t
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put a dent in your budget to make the switch. Most kids “simply won’t know the difference,” Ray said. Another way to keep lunch interesting without too much effort is taking a base recipe, and then changing it up throughout the week. For example, d’Arabian sometimes makes a big batch of couscous on the weekend. Then as the week progresses, she stirs in different beans, vegetables, raisins or spices. Proteins When buying fruits and vegetables, let the produce department be your guide. If something is on sale, it’s usually because it’s in season, d’Arabian said. Bring the kids along when you go grocery shopping, too. It’s a chance to expose them to different options. Engage them by letting them pick the ones they want to try. With younger children, make it a game by having them pick something that’s red, green or yellow. If your kids don’t like the taste of raw vegetables, try blanching or steaming them. You can do this in a microwave to speed up prep time in the morning. Of course, pairing sliced vegetables with dips such as Ranch dressing doesn't hurt either. If your kids are resistant, try pureeing them and incorporating them into favorites like quesadillas or macaroni and cheese. “You can make a version of any food a kid loves and make it healthier,” Ray said. Snacks Packaged snacks and convenience foods are one of the fastest ways to break your grocery budget. Parents find them convenient, and often think kids will revolt if they're taken away. But if you can shake the habit, you might find kids aren't as attached to them as you think. To cut costs even further, buy cheap reusable plastic containers rather than going through baggies. They offer the added benefit of preventing chips or cookies from being crushed. You’ll also be able to control
portions, instead of relying on 100calorie packs that can get pricey. Another way to make snacks more nutritious is heading to the bulk section, where you scoop however much of something you want. This is where you’ll find healthier versions of kid favorites, such as yogurt-covered pretzels, fig bars or carob-covered raisins. Just don’t go overboard buying in bulk — make sure your family can finish whatever tub of goodies you get. Certain snacks, like pretzels, can get stale. A little something extra Giving some thought into how you present food can help keep your kids interested in eating better. This can be as easy as cutting up a spinach wrap filled with turkey and cheese to look like a California roll. Or you can use granola, dried fruit and fruit roll ups to make “candy sushi.” “There are a lot of little things you can do to make things fun,” Ray said. Lastly, consider including a note with your kids lunch. “It costs me nothing and it makes them feel loved,” d’Arabian said. The gesture can boost kids’ spirits, especially if they’re younger and not yet comfortable being away from home. D’Arabian’s notes to her children are short and sweet — that she loves them, or to have fun at ballet. “It’s certainly the cheapest thing I put into my kids’ lunch box,” said d’Arabian, who has four daughters.
Facts Sept. 24, 1825 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, abolitionist and writer, is born to free black parents in Baltimore. In 1859, she became the first black American to publish a short story, “The Two Officers,” and her novel, “Iola Leroy or Shadows Uplifted,” which was published in 1892, made her the second black woman to have a novel published in the United States. Source: blackfacts.com
college completion rates. By some measures, fewer than six in 10 entering college students complete a bachelor’s degree, among the worst rates in the developed world. The latest findings may surprise those caught up in the well-publicized admissions frenzy at high-end colleges who assume all students push for the most selective school they can find. But the authors focus on the phenomenon called “undermatching” — the surprisingly large number of wellqualified high school seniors with credentials to attend strong four-year colleges, but who chose other options instead, less selective schools, twoyear colleges, or no college at all. They may have had their reasons, such as staying close to home or lack of money (though more selective schools aren’t always pricier). But the authors argue bigger factors are “inertia, lack of information, lack of forward planning for college, and lack of encouragement.” The data suggest low-income and minority students, and especially those whose parents don’t complete college, are especially susceptible. For instance, examining 1999 North Carolina high school graduates who could have attended the flagship University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill or North Carolina State — but instead went to less selective schools — they conclude barely one-third even applied to the state’s leading universities. Most of those that applied got in but went elsewhere, or nowhere. Those students who “undermatched” may have figured they would be in for an easier time; they did in fact get higher grades, but overall paid “a high price,” taking longer to move through school and eventually graduating at a rate 15 points lower than comparably prepared students who went to more selective schools. “We do not mean to suggest that every student should attend the most selective institution for which he or she might qualify,” write the authors, who overall looked at 21 flagship public universities and 47 other state institutions. However, students choosing colleges below their qualifications “should not be the norm.” It’s well known that more selective colleges generally have higher graduation rates, but the authors say that’s not simply because they get better students. They found graduation rates still varied substantially between institutions even when they controlled for academic preparation. The authors found the explanation wasn’t necessarily that selective schools were spending more money per student; rather, it was that they offered a more campus-focused See COLLEGE, page 14
September 24, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
Page 13
SPORTS BRAD PYE JR.
SPORTS BEAT Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond. Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels of Anaheim should have a lock on the NL and AL West titles before the regular season ends Oct. 4 and be playoff-bound. The Angels are expected to meet those mean Boston Red Sox in their first playoff round and the Dodgersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; playoff foe wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t known at the moment. The Dodgersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Angelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; magic number are eight and seven, respectively. This may not come to pass, but a Freeway World Series is still a possibility. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś Three black NFL head coaches came up big winners in the third week of play. The biggest winner of them all was Mike Singletaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unbeaten San Francisco 49ers, 2310 winners over the Seattle Seahawks. Coach Marvin Lewisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cincinnati Bengals upset the Green Bay Packers, 31-24, in a stunner. Coach Lovie Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicago Bears upset Coach Mike Tomlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-14. It was obvious there was something wrong with the San Diego Chargersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
against the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 14. Reason: He was coming out of the game after virtually every play, and his teammate Darren Sproles carried most of the load and scored the winning touchdown with 18 seconds to go. It was announced
on the eve of the Sept. 20 game against the Baltimore Ravens that Thompson would not play. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś Who would have thought the University of Southern California would be 2-1 and University of California in Los Angeles would be 3-0 after the third week of the season? Washington upset USC, 1613, and UCLA made its record 3-0 with a 23-9 victory over Kansas State at the Rose Bowl en route to its Oct. 3 date on the road against Stanford. USC will try to get back on the winning track against lowly Washington State Sept. 26 at the Coliseum. Both USC and UCLA have black associate head football coaches. Todd Howard fills this role at UCLA and Ken Norton Jr., former UCLA Bruin All-American, is USCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s associate head coach. Other African Americans on Rick Neuheiselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UCLA staff are Tim Hundley, Carnel Lake, another exBruin, Reggie Moore and Wayne Moses. Darren Witcher is UCLAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director of Player Development. Pete Carrollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trojan staff includes Jethro Franklin, Todd McNair, Kris Richards (secondary graduate assistant), Albert Dorsey (defensive administrative assistant) and Terrell Ray (administrative adviser). Calâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record-setting tailback Jahvid Best ran for five TDs as the Golden Bears rolled over Minnesota, 35-21, Sept. 19 on the road. This didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt Bestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bid to prove heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best Heisman Trophy candidate in America. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś Is coach Robert Garrettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crenshaw High Cougars (3-0) the best team in the Southland? In that 59-12 win over Miller High the Cougars held onto their No. 1-ranking in a big way. Crenshaw High visits JW North Sept 25. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś Attention Kobe Bryant: LeBron â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kingâ&#x20AC;? James will be in your town next summer to make his debut in a feature film. The King and his high school teammates, who won three Ohio State titles, will star in the
VICTORY â&#x20AC;&#x201D; (Top left) Floyd Mayweather Jr. discussed his win over Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Juan Manuel Marquez during a post-fight press conference Sept. 20 in Las Vegasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; MGM Grand Garden Hotel. To the right of Mayfield is former boxing champion Oscar de la Hoya, of Golden Boy Productions, which promoted the fight; right: Mayweather punches Juan Manuel Marquez, of Mexico, Sept. 20. Photos by DAVE PERRY/PHOTOVISIONS
knocked off the Seattle Storm in the third and final game of the West semi-finals, 75-64, Sept. 20. Should Leslie lead the Sparks to the WNBA crown, she could pick up her fourth MVP honor. Leslie is a four-time Olympic Games gold medalist. Sprinters Tyson Gay and Carmelita Jeter blazed to victory in the 100 meters (9.69 and 10.64 respec-
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tively) Sept. 20 in Shanghai, China, in the second-fastest times in history for men and women. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) is back after decking Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) in the second round Sept. 19 at the MGM in Las Vegas. And the beat ends. Brad Pye Jr. can be reached at switchreel@aol.com. Lisa Leslie
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SICKLE CELL Continued from page 11 Hispanics, Malaysians and more. According to Georgia Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, one in 12 African Americans in the United States carry the sickle cell trait, and about one in 375 will have the disease. About 80,000 to 90,000 Americans have sickle cell disease and about 3.5 million with sickle cell trait and related disorders. The Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California estimates that 7,500 African Americans have the disease in Los Angeles County and that one in 10 have the trait. The numbers are evenly split between men and women. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This thing is serious,â&#x20AC;? Shepard said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sickle cell disease is a serious thing and we have to do something about it. I joined in the fight to find a cure and raise awareness about 17
years ago because there was a need. We have to bring more attention to this disease because it affects us. Us. Black people.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m inspired by what Kiki does every year,â&#x20AC;? said Dawnn Lewis, who is also on the K.I.S. Foundation board of directors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you see her passion, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but support her in a cause that affects all of us.â&#x20AC;? While neither Lewis nor Shepard knew the exact amount of money they have raised since the inception of the foundation and scholarship fund, Lewis said they have â&#x20AC;&#x153;raised enough money for two people to get the necessary bone marrow transplant operation. They are now sickle cell free.â&#x20AC;? Proceeds from the event benefit the programs of The K.I.S. Foundation Inc., an organization founded by Shepard.
Page 14
L.A. WATTS TIMES
September 24, 2009
PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091060191-REVISED The following person is doing business as: Domino LA Domino Los Angeles 11822 Gorham Ave. #9 Los Angeles, CA 90049 Amira F. Shaif 11822 Gorham Ave. #9 Los Angeles, CA 90049 This business is conducted by an individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Amira F. Shaif. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on July 14, 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 9/17/09, 9/24/09, 10/1/09, 10/8/09 LAWT 378-REVISED FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091221939 The following person is doing business as: EEH! Music * Creative Enterprises 4095 W. 132nd Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90250 Eriq E. Hayles 2044 Asilomar Drive Antioca, CA 94509 Eriq E. Hayles 4095 W. 132nd Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90250 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Eriq E. Hayles. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on August 10, 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 9/3/2009, 9/10/09, 9/17/2009, 9/24/09 LAWT 382 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091315498 The following person is doing business as: Cornel, Cary & Associates 9461 Charleville Blvd., Ste.. 358 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Jerome Cornel Metcalf 8501/2 So. Plymouth Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90005 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Jerome Cornel Metcalf. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on August 26, 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 9/3/2009, 9/10/09, 9/17/2009, 9/24/09 LAWT 383 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091378228 The following person is doing business as: Theme Parties by Knight 1504 Turmont St. Carson, CA 90746 Amer Knight 1504 Turmont St. Carson. CA 90746 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Amer Knight. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on September 9, 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 9/10/09, 9/17/2009, 9/24/09, 10/1/09 LAWT 384
Facts Sept. 24, 1986 Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone said the United States “intelligence levels are lower than those in Japan because of African Americans, Hispanics and Puerto Ricans.” Nakasone later apologized saying his remarks were misinterpreted. Source: blackfacts.com
NOTICE INVITING BIDS FOR ATMIS PHASE V – CMS, DETECTORS AND CAMERAS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S2355 AND DRAWINGS LISTED ON PORT OF LOS ANGELES DRAWING NO. 1-2895 (PORT OF LONG BEACH NO. HD 10--2037) AND REFERENCE DRAWINGS NO. HD 10-1999 All bids must be submitted before 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 27, 2009. Any Bids received at or after 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 27, 2009 will be deemed non-responsive and will not be opened. Bids will be publicly opened in the 6th Floor Board Room of the Harbor Department Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza, Long Beach, California, 90802 at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 2009. Bids shall be sealed in an envelope and the outside of the envelope should clearly state the specification number, title of the project and the bid opening date. Bids received before Tuesday, October 27, 2009 shall be sent to the 4th Floor, Plans and Specifications office, where the bid envelope will be date stamped. If bids are hand-carried or received the day of bid opening, prior to 10:00 a.m., the bids will be clocked in at the Lobby desk of the Harbor Department Administration Building and taken to the 6th Floor Board Room by the Port Contract Administrator. It is anticipated that the Board of Harbor Commissioners will consider a conditional award on November 16, 2009 with Staff given the authority to execute a Contract provided the lowest responsive bidder submits the required completed insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) days after conditional award by the Board. Copies of said specifications and drawings in CD format may be obtained, at no cost, in the Plans and Specifications office, 4th floor, Harbor Department Administration Building beginning September 24, 2009 during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To arrange to receive a CD by courier at the expense of the Bidder call the office at (562) 590-4146. The printing of hard copies from the CD will be the responsibility of the Bidder. For information on this project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at: http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/future_work/default.asp. Copies of all Port insurance forms are available at http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/forms_permits/insurance.asp. The Engineering Staff of the Harbor Department will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 10:00 A.M., on October 6th, in the Training Room, 5th floor, of the Long Beach Harbor Department Administration Building 925 Harbor Plaza, Long Beach, CA. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. This project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE) and Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program. POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal for this project which is twenty five percent (25%) SBE/VSBE, of which a minimum of zero percent (0 %) must be allocated to VSBEs. Award of the Contract will be conditioned on the Bidder providing documentation that it has obtained enough SBE/VSBE participation to meet the goal or that it made adequate good faith efforts to meet the goal even though it did not obtain enough SBE/VSBE participation to do so as specified in the Special Provision 34 (S.P. 34). The Port’s SBE Program Staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the staff at (562) 590-4146.
integration with existing central software and assisting with network integration; 5. Furnish, install, make functional two (2) closed circuit television (CCTV) camera systems including assisting with network integration; 6. Furnish and install one (1) CCTV support pole; In support of the CMS, CCTV and vehicle detection systems, the Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, tools, equipment, incidentals, transportation, and supervision necessary for work including, but not limited to the following: furnish and install all electrical, communication and supporting equipment including wireless communication equipment, NEMA junction boxes, transition boxes, cabinet foundations, conduit, pull boxes, bird spikes, CCTV camera and vehicle detector mounts, traffic signal modifications, electrical service modifications; perform stand alone test of each of the components; and provide for the design, installation, maintenance, operation and removal of traffic control for all construction activities including survey work by the Port of Los Angeles staff. Bidders should refer to S.P. 7 “WORK TO BE DONE BY CONTRACTOR” for more detail. Bidders shall, at the time of submitting their bids, in compliance with Section 7028.15 of the California Business and Professions Code, be licensed by the State Contractor’s License Board as a General Engineering Contractor with a "Class A" license or as an Electrical Contractor with a Class C-10 license. Whenever any material, product, thing, or service identified in the specifications is described by one or more brand or trade names and is followed by the words “or equal,” the apparent low bidder shall submit data substantiating a request for the substitution of equivalent item(s) within forty-eight (48) hours following bid opening. All bids shall be submitted upon forms provided by the City of Long Beach accompanied by a satisfactory "Bidder’s Bond" or other acceptable security deposit in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of such bid as a guarantee that the bidder will, if conditionally awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) days thereafter, execute and deliver such Contract to the office of the Chief Harbor Engineer along with all required insurance forms and a “Payment Bond” for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price, and a “Performance Bond” for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price. The “Bidder’s Bond” shall be submitted on forms provided by the City, signed by the Bidder, and the surety and both signatures shall be notarized. The work shall be completed within one hundred and fifty (150) calendar days from a date specified in a written "Notice to Proceed" issued by the City. Failure of the Contractor to complete the work within the specified time frame will result in liquidated damages in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per calendar day of delay in completed work. The Board of Harbor Commissioners, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time prior to the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject all bids and to return all deposits accompanying said bids. If the lowest responsive bidder fails to submit the required insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) days after conditional award, the Board reserves the right to rescind the conditional award and conditionally award the Contract to the next lowest responsive bidder. All bids and bid bonds shall be guaranteed for a period of ninety (90) days following the bid opening or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. The Board also reserves the right at any time to terminate the Contract for its convenience. Dated at Long Beach, California, this 8th day of September, 2009.
This Contract consists of furnishing all labor, materials, tools, equipment, incidentals, transportation, and supervision necessary for work including, but not limited to:
Richard D. Steinke Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California
1. Furnish and install, make functional, three (3) Changeable Message Sign systems (CMS) including integration with Contractor furnished central software and assisting with network integration; 2. Furnish and install three (3) CMS structural support foundations; 3. Furnish and install three (3) CMS structural support structure; 4. Furnish, install, make functional one (1) Vehicle Detection System including
Note: The Long Beach Harbor Department intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This specification is available in an alternative format by request. If a special accommodation is desired, please call (562) 590-4146, 48 hours prior to the bid opening or any pre-bid meetings. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF CLAUDETTE MACK Case No. BP116686 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of CLAUDETTE MACK. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by MARCHELL MACK in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that MARCHELL MACK be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will be held on October 20, 2009 at 8:30 A.M. in Dept. 11 located at 111 N. Hill Street, Room 258, Los Angeles, CA 90012. IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the deceased, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within four months from the date of first issuance of letters as provided in Probate Code section 9100. The time for filing claims will not expire before four months from the hearing date noticed above. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. PETITIONER MARCHELL MACK 2015 N. Castlegate Ave. Compton, CA 90221 Phone#310-413-5744 9/24/09, 10/1/09, 10/8/09 LAWT386-PROBATE
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091329332 The following person is doing business as: EventChalet 447 S. Robertson Bl., Ste. 102 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Event Chalet 447 S. Robertson Bl., Ste. 102 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Cheryl Dawson 447 S. Robertson Bl., Ste. 102 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Deelyn Woodson 447 S. Robertson Bl., Ste. 102 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Dellis Frank 447 S. Robertson Bl., Ste. 102 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 This business is conducted by a General Partnership. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Cheryl Dawson, Deelyn Woodson, and Dellis Frank. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on August 28, 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 9/17/2009, 9/24/09, 10/1/09, 10/8/09 LAWT 385
COLLEGE Continued from page 12 experience. Students who lived in a residence hall their first semester were 7 to 8 percentage points more likely to graduate than those who lived off-
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FCI / Fluor / Parsons, J. V. (FFP) will accept bids by fax at (760) 471-4860 until 2:00 P.M. PDST on Friday, September 25, 2009, for the furnish and installation of all material, labor, equipment and incidentals in accordance with the available design documents and bid documents for the Traction Power Substation and Pad Mounted Switch Grounding Grids on the MidCity/Exposition Light Rail Line Project. The associated bidding documents may be downloaded from the FFP website at http://www.ffpexpoline.com/Business Opportunities/Listing of Advertised Projects. In order to be notified about changes in bid information you must register as a document holder. Prospective bidders may also request a CD-ROM containing the documents from FFP. NOTE THAT ALL SUBCONTRACTORS BIDDING WORK MUST BE UNION. FFP ENCOURAGES DISADVANTAGE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (DBE) PARTICIPATION. FCI/Fluor/Parsons, a Joint Venture, is committed to implementing and maintaining a Community Jobs Outreach Program within the Exposition Light Rail Transit Corridor. This program utilizes the services of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms at a goal of 20% through each phase of the project and employs construction craft workers from the local community to work at a goal of 30% of all construction work hours over the life of the project. If you have any questions about accessing the bid package, please call Christine Burton at (760) 613-4856.
campus, even accounting for different academic credentials and background characteristics. That dovetails with other research showing students who make personal connections on campus are more likely to persist. While the findings might eventually inform students choosing colleges,
the more immediate audience is policymakers and educators. Bowen’s previous data-driven work, on affirmative action and college athletics, has been hugely influential. Again with this project, he and his co-authors gained access to information allowing them to track thousands of individual students over time.
September 24, 2009
L.A. WATTS TIMES
Page 15
PUBLIC NOTICE $50,000 REWARD NOTICE The City of Los Angeles offers a reward payable at the discretion of the City Council to one or more persons in the sum or sums up to an aggregate maximum total sum of $50,000 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the act of murder against, ROSA GARCIA, in the City of Los Angeles. On Sunday, January 13, 2008, at approximately 6:55 a.m., Rosa Garcia, a 35-year old woman, was discovered dead in an alley to the rear of 1504 West Florence Avenue. LAPD is still searching for the individual(s) responsible for this crime and encourages witnesses to come forward, even anonymously, to assist them in their investigations. The person or persons responsible for this crime represent an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles. Unless withdrawn or paid by City Council action, this offer of reward shall terminate on, and have no effect after, MARCH 19, 2010. The provisions of payment and all other considerations shall be governed by Chapter 12 of Division 19 of the LAAC Code, as amended by Ordinance Nos. 158157 and 166666. This offer shall be given upon the condition that all claimants provide continued cooperation within the criminal justice system relative to this case and is not available to public officers or employees of the City, their families, persons in law enforcement or persons whose misconduct prompted this reward. If you have any information regarding this case, please call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1877-LAWFULL, 24 hours. C. F. No. 09-0010-s8 9/24/09 CNS-1691958# WATTS TIMES
UNINSURED Continued from page 11 “It’s estimated that the ranks of the uninsured have swelled by at least 6 million.” The figures show about 46.3 million people were uninsured last year. That’s higher than the 45.7 million in 2007, due to the steady erosion of employer-provided health insurance. Still, the level remained just below the peak of 47 million who were uninsured in 2006, because of the growth of government insurance programs such as Medicaid for the poor. The percentage of Americans without health coverage rose to 15.4 percent, which is not statistically different from 15.3 percent in 2007. Texas had the highest share of people who were uninsured, at about 1 in 4 residents, according to rough calculations by the Census Bureau. It was followed by New Mexico, Florida, Louisiana and Alaska. On the other end of the scale, Massachusetts — which has a mandatory health insurance law — had the lowest share, at 5.5 percent. The nation’s poverty rate increased to 13.2 percent, up from the 12.5 percent in 2007. That meant there were 39.8 million, or nearly 1 in 7 people, living in poverty in 2008, an increase of about 2.5 million from the previous year. It was the highest level since 1997, when the rate stood at 13.3 percent. The official poverty level is now $22,025 for a family of four, based on a calculation that includes only cash income before deductions for taxes. It excludes capital gains or accumulated wealth; it also does not factor in noncash government aid such as food stamps or tax credits. The median — or midpoint — household income declined to $50,303.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (Metro) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Metro will receive proposals for RFP No. PS4340-2410 – Development and Program Management of the Crenshaw Transit Plus Corridor Leadership Council, per specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Management, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (12th Floor). Metro seeks to engage the services of a team specializing in public outreach and meeting facilitation to manage and facilitate a program for the Crenshaw Transit Corridor Known as the Crenshaw Transit Plus Leadership Council. A Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Anticipated Levels of Participation (DALP) for this project is thirty-five percent, (35%). All proposals must be received on or before 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at the address listed above, sent to the attention of Barbara A. Gatewood, Senior Contract Administrator. 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 Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time), Gateway Conference Room 3rd Floor located at the address above. You may obtain a copy of the RFP by downloading it from the Metro website at: www.metro.net, or further information by contacting Barbara A. Gatewood, at (213) 922-7317 or via fax at (213) 922-1004.
NOTICE INVITING BIDS FOR PROVIDING BITUMINOUS PAVING, TRAFFIC STRIPING, PAVEMENT MARKING, AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES AT LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S2359 All bids must be submitted before 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 20, 2009. Any Bids received at or after 10:00 a.m., Tuesday October 20, 2009 will be deemed non-responsive and will not be opened. Bids will be publicly opened in the 6th Floor Board Room of the Harbor Department Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza, Long Beach, California, 90802 at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. Bids shall be sealed in an envelope and the outside of the envelope should clearly state the specification number, title of the project and the bid opening date. Bids received before Tuesday, October 20, 2009 shall be sent to the 4th Floor, Plans and Specifications office, where the bid envelope will be date stamped. If bids are hand-carried or received the day of bid opening, prior to 10:00 a.m., the bids will be clocked in at the Lobby desk of the Harbor Department Administration Building and taken to the 6th Floor Board Room by the Port Contract Administrator. It is anticipated that the Board of Harbor Commissioners will consider a conditional award on November 2, 2009 with Staff given the authority to execute a Contract provided the lowest responsive bidder submits the required completed insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) days after conditional award by the Board. Copies of said specifications may be obtained, at no cost, in the Plans and Specifications office, 4th floor, Harbor Department Administration Building beginning September 24, 2009 during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To arrange to receive a specification by courier at the expense of the Bidder call the office at (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 forms are available at: http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/forms_permits/insurance.asp. The Engineering Staff of the Harbor Department will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 9:00 a.m., on October 1, 2009, in the 1st Floor CM Central Conference Room, of the Harbor Department Administration Building. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. This project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE) and Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program. POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal for this project which is ten percent (10%) SBE/VSBE, of which a minimum of three percent (3%) must be allocated to VSBEs. Award of the Contract will be conditioned on the Bidder providing documentation that it has obtained enough SBE/VSBE participation to meet the goal or that it made adequate good faith efforts to meet the goal even though it did not obtain enough SBE/VSBE participation to do so as specified in the Special Provision 38 (S.P. 38). The Port’s SBE Program Staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the staff at (562) 590-4146. You may also view the Port’s SBE program requirements at: http://www.polb.com/sbe/contractors/sbe_program/default.asp
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FCI / Fluor / Parsons, J. V. (FFP) will accept bids by fax at (760) 471-4860 until 2:00 P.M. PDST on Friday, October 2, 2009, for the furnish and installation of all material, labor, equipment and incidentals in accordance with the available design documents and bid documents for the Traction Power Systems DWP Metering and Switchgear on the MidCity/Exposition Light Rail Line Project. The associated bidding documents may be downloaded from the FFP website at http://www.ffpexpoline.com/Business Opportunities/Listing of Advertised Projects. In order to be notified about changes in bid information you must register as a document holder. Prospective bidders may also request a CD-ROM containing the documents from FFP. NOTE THAT ALL SUBCONTRACTORS BIDDING WORK MUST BE UNION. FFP ENCOURAGES DISADVANTAGE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (DBE) PARTICIPATION. FCI/Fluor/Parsons, a Joint Venture, is committed to implementing and maintaining a Community Jobs Outreach Program within the Exposition Light Rail Transit Corridor. This program utilizes the services of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms at a goal of 20% through each phase of the project and employs construction craft workers from the local community to work at a goal of 30% of all construction work hours over the life of the project. If you have any questions about accessing the bid package, please call Christine Burton at (760) 613-4856.
DBA’s and Legal Notices Call (213) 251-5700
ing services on a series of projects that may include the following: Placing of thermoplastic roadway traffic stripes and pavement markings; installation of pavement markers; painting or repainting some markings within a project that is largely thermoplastic; painting parking lot striping; layout of markings from drawings; replacement of existing painted markings by thermoplastic; providing and maintaining necessary traffic control; removal of obsolete markings; removal of concrete wheel stops, providing concrete wheel stops, and installing concrete wheel stops. The quantity of work to be performed and materials to be furnished are approximate only, being given as a basis for the comparison of bids. Bidders shall, at the time of submitting their bids, in compliance with Section 7028.15 of the California Business and Professions Code, be licensed by the State Contractor’s License Board as a Specialty Contractor with a "Class C-12, Earthwork and Paving" license, or a General Engineering Contractor with a “Class A” license. Contractor or subcontractor performing traffic control work must have a “C-31 Construction Zone Traffic Control” license. Whenever any material, product, thing, or service identified in the specifications is described by one or more brand or trade names and is followed by the words “or equal”, the apparent low bidder shall submit data substantiating a request for the substitution of equivalent item(s) within forty-eight (48) hours following bid opening. All bids shall be submitted upon forms provided by the City accompanied by a satisfactory "Bidder’s Bond" or other acceptable security deposit in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of such bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if conditionally awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) days thereafter, execute and deliver such Contract to the office of the Chief Harbor Engineer along with all required insurance forms and a “Payment Bond” for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price, and a “Performance Bond” for not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price. The “Bidder’s Bond” shall be submitted on forms provided by the City, signed by the bidder and the surety and both signatures shall be notarized. The work shall be completed within the time frame specified in a written Annual Contract Task Order (ACTO) issued by the City. Failure of the Contractor to commence, continue, or complete the work within the time frame specified in the ACTO issued by the City will result in liquidated damages in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500) per calendar day of delay in commencing, continuing, or completing the work that is in excess of the time specified in the ACTO, plus any authorized time extensions. The Board of Harbor Commissioners, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time prior to the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject all bids and to return all deposits accompanying said bids. If the lowest responsive bidder fails to submit the required insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) days after conditional award, the Board reserves the right to rescind the conditional award and conditionally award the Contract to the next lowest responsive bidder. All bids and bid bonds shall be guaranteed for a period of ninety (90) days following the bid opening or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. The Board also reserves the right at any time to terminate the Contract for its convenience. Dated at Long Beach, California, this 8th day of September, 2009.
Except as stipulated in these specifications as being furnished by the City or others, the Contractor shall furnish: all labor, materials, power, equipment, tools, transportation, and supervision necessary to construct, complete the following: A. All labor, materials, power, equipment, tools, barricades, cones, transportation, and supervision necessary to provide bituminous pavement milling, slurry sealing, paving, paving materials, miscellaneous patching and repairing services at specified locations, construct/repair curbs, gutters and sidewalks. B. All labor, materials, power, equipment, tools, barricades, cones, transportation, and supervision necessary to provide traffic striping and pavement mark-
In terms of the uninsured, the Census data show employmentbased health insurance declined from 177.4 million to 176.3 million, driving the overall decreases in insurance. In contrast, the number covered by government health insurance such as Medicaid and SCHIP climbed from 83.0 million to 87.4 million. Children, in particu-
lar, saw improvement, helped by recent expansions of government health insurance. The increases in the uninsured were likely to be just the beginning. Based on current job losses, some researchers estimate the presentday number of uninsured is closer to 50 million, the number now used by the Congressional Budget
Richard D. Steinke Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California Note: The Long Beach Harbor Department intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This specification is available in an alternative format by request. If a special accommodation is desired, please call (562) 5904146, 48 hours prior to the bid opening or any pre-bid meetings. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Office. Diane Rowland, executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, also noted the decreases in the percentage of people with employer-provided insurance in 2008 for the eighth year in a row. She cited the proliferation of small businesses, which typically
decline to offer insurance because of rising premium costs, which could lead to additional declines in private insurance even if the economy improves.
DBA’s and Legal Notices, Call (213) 251-5700
Page 16
L.A. WATTS TIMES
September 24, 2009
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Vol. XXX, No.
1110
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2009
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PRESIDENT OB AMA INAUGU RATION EDIT IO N
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Obama America ’s 44th Presid ent January 22,
2009
BY TERENCE HUNT AP WRITER
Civil Rights ‘Little Rock 9’ Inauguration Icon to Attend
of violence from taunts and threats adults opposed MN and FIRST COLU white students BRISCOE BY ANDRE of Central High. WRITER the integration CONTRIBUTING Roberts has lecObama is sworn Over the years, When Barack college stuUnited high school and president of the in as the 44th s may tured at seminars, and has been 20, American ly about what States on Jan. finally dents the nation has interviewed extensive turbulent year conclude that like during the racist past. was it its He uses his Roberts overcome Dr. Terrence psychology pro- he spent in high school. teach But for retired 67, one a platform to e in as many and experiences as Dr. Terrence Roberts, intefessor e of education ips at events, and participat .” teenagers who the importanc as possible, Roberts relationsh Today and Tomorrow of nine black inaugural balls ld great grandD Little Rock Central how to best improve to speak to “My 11-year-o C. NORWOO , grated Arkansas’ He also plans color. ceremony of Williams BY CHICO the Sidwell people to said. in 1957, Neeko Anthony faculty at the in among this leading up High School STAFF WRITER Speak- son, students and 7 cleared hurdle the theme for In the days ROCK 9, page “Little Rock California Assembly as the came up with will be just another for equal rights. Larry E. See LITTLE ion Day, the serve organizer battle g will Inaugurat said , speak the continuin J. year,” er Karen Bass validates behind the will attend luncheons and Norris the driving force Obama’s election to Nine” grand marshal grand Grant, Rock Nine” tried the celebrity “Little the Jr. Los Angeles parade. the what former Bishton and Bishton Roberts, a Association and In his the 25th annual Joining Bass NEWS IN BRIEF accomplish, said Commerce. P. Valin Psy19 marshal for as Chamber of Gen. David the Master’s Parade on Jan. service role will be Lt. Unico-chair of offiKingdom Day public AND Antioch reviewing at previous year’s THE SOUTHL for Real Estate chology program has been in Los Angeles. celebration of court, this Kingdom Day deputy director Angeles who state of cer, and 2009 The largest versity in Los cereent for the ld to Serve as the inaugural Wyvetta Taylor. King Jr. holiDevelopm Rosenfe attend credited Queen Luther to is in Parade invited the Martin a, Rosenfeld s and offiCalifornia, the first black president Other celebritie Planning Deputy Supervisor Californi to create about mony for the 11 day in Southern to attend include with helping will begin at ctor jobs, Second District cials slated U.S. history. 2.5-mile parade Stanis of to what we homas has chosen 72,000 new private-se Avenue and urban Bern Nadette “It adds substance Mark Ridley-T “When a.m. at Western Boulevard. It actress to serve as which revitalized struggling fame; jazz legend Roberts said. King Daniel A. Rosenfeld “Good Times” tried to do,” history, a State Martin Luther areas. this country’s west to Crenshaw Herby Hancock; Californi to a Senior Deputy you look at Instrucon will proceed Disat the opposition at ds of L.A. turn south ndent of Public for the Second and you look in Superinte Boulevard and District: Thousan ll; members of then you look Vernon Avenue Lose Jobs trict team. Rosention Jack O’Conne integration, and Crenshaw onto Council; with Obama’s Teachers Could where a festival the Los Angeles City ds of Los feld will be responwhat has happenedapparent that the Leimert Park, (AP) — Thousan other emit is quite for planning, more. sible 14 and and election, will follow. include enKABC Telecrumbling. Angeles teachers laid off this The parade will in transportation, Set to air on old system is be teams to what we did fits and ployees could secbands, 20 drill 7 from 11 a.m. “In retrospect, vironmen t to chip Daniel A. vision-Channel as the nation’s , page 4 theme marching able year were parade PARADE school grapSee MLK economic developRosenfeld that pattern. We system — weak1 p.m., this year’sLives On For st school district old of ond-large a $250 million deficit, ment. now away a bit at the is “The Dream than 35 years with — to the point He has more and ples officials recently said. en it if you will faster than ever.” assessment Ramon Corprivate sector co- school where it’s crumbling the election and is the Superintendent Legislature Roberts said developm ent Partners LLC, blamed the state anything, because founder of Urban entrepreneurial tines potential cutbacks, saying doesn’t change elements that the for the an award-winning there are “systemic fabric of this on develrs need to solve lawmake focusing the that Los real estate firm are woven into crisis if the investment opportu- state’s budget District is opment and society.” ds the harm western United Angeles Unified School If anyone understan Roberts. In nities in the force intact. it is to keep its work , page 6 States. segregation causes,age 15, he and the as a board See BRIEFS at He has served City who the fall of 1957, the Central black teenagers the member of eight other as to be known would come braved insults, Nine” “Little Rock Grant
s on in The Dream Live of Year This Historic Parade Day m gdo Kin
Vol. XXX, No.
‘HOPE OVER FEAR’ — Barack John Roberts Obama, joined to become the by his wife Michell 44th presiden e and t of the United States at the U.S. daughters Malia, third from left, and Capitol in Washing Sasha, takes the ton Jan. 20. oath of
FIRST COLU MN
Not Just a Dre am: Obama Sparks Black Men to Action
BY LUCAS L. JOHNSON II AP WRITER
The Son of Our Soil
AP Photo/RON
EDMONDS
office from Chief
Justice
WASHINGTO into history, Barack N — Stepping Hussein Obama grasped the reins of power as America’s first black presiden t on Jan. 20, declarin g the nation must choose “hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord” to overcome the worst econom crisis since the ic Great Depress ion. In frigid temper atures, an exuberant crowd of more than million packed a the National Mall and parade route Obama’s inaugur to celebrate ation in a highnoon ceremony. With 11 million Americans out of work and trillions of dollars lost in the stock market’s tumble, Obama emphas ized that his biggest challen ge is to repair the tattered econom y outgoing Preside left behind by nt George W. Bush. “Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and See OBAMA, page 6
they say they BY REMA REYNO might not have LDS SPECIAL TO NASHVILLE taken without L.A. WATTS , Tenn. (AP) his example. TIMES — An actor NAIROBI, Kenya Van Jones, turns 40, founde d — I sent one inner-city mosque a dilapidated, Green For last e-mail to my All, a into a theater Kenyan friend in just a few asking her what I gram that seeks national prodays. A 20-year should expect. to create -old energy buckles down I would be teaching jobs. His Oaklan clean on in Nairobi d-based historically black his studies at a program during the time , which employ college after his of Preside nt Barack s 25 peomother dies of Obama’s inaugur ple and has an cancer. A commu ation. I wonder nity organizer - of $4.5 million operating budget ed Kenyans were decides his plan excited as I was, if , was instrum create thousan to in passing ental excited as the as ds of green jobs a portion of a majority of Amerinational too modest and is energy bill cans, as excited as enlarges it twencalled the Green ty-fold. Jobs cans particularly. African AmeriAct. It will use up Barack Obama to train 30,000 to $125 million My BlackBerry people in jobs flashed her the White House ’s election to such as reply just as HOME PRIDE installing solar is I boarded the — Kenyans react ization of what the very real- and retrofit panels plane: a large screen, “Kenya is full AP Photo/SAY as U.S. Presiden ting buildings so many black as thousands of Obama mania t Barack Obama YID AZIM to make of people fathers have don’t be surprise them more so guration ceremony appears on told their sons — from Nairobi, gather to watch the U.S. presiden enviro nment d if Jan 20th aspire to for to friendly. ally another nationa Kenya — that is D.C., Jan. 20. Across the tial inauyears, even l holiday. Kenyan took place country, if it often was just are extremely s year ago came together to celebrat neighbors divided by political in Washington, With Obama’s proud of this election, Jones e the inaugura violence only booster not meant a confidence- decided son of our soil!” tion of its favorite a to shop a $33 to be taken litson, Obama. billion erally. And proposal before Congre Another nationa long before NEWS IN BRIE l holiday? Yes, ss that would he wrapped up the another. F contest, his can- hire about 600,000 people didacy had over the next two When Obama driven these THE SOUTHLAND years for similar three Top police official black men and ident of the United was elected presothers to actions work. s acknow States, Kenyan edged that minorit lwere granted See BLACK Los Angeles Police a day off, a holiday s frequently subject ies are more MEN, page 3 commemorate to Reject ed to searche the occasion. Study on Racial but they told As I turned off my the commission s, Bias phone the statistics do not (AP) — A commi the flight attendan in obedience to prove racial prossion that filing oversees the is rampant in me, in my jealousy t hovering over Los the departI thought, “Now Department told Angeles Police ment. why didn’t we police on Jan. get a day off?” to investigate 13 Information whether data While waiting from Times, http://w from: Los Angeles in London to a recent study board the last ww.latimes.com. can be used plane of the identify officers to trip, Kenyans spoke who discriminate L.A. Gang has with against minorit $5 Million asm and animate great enthusiies. d gestures Tab to Pay The commission’s Americans as to they decision came after hearing (AP) — City symbol of hope pontificated the hours of testiofficials said Obama embodi mony about the they secured with proud, boomin es a $5 million study, which was judgment g voices. They conducted by civil couldn’t have against a Los a Yale Univer cared Angele sity street gang professor, and flight was delayed less that our whose 11 membe s published in Oct- control the five hours — ober by the Americ rs more time to brag heroin an Civil Liber- downto trade in the about Obama ties Union of wn area. their relative. Southern Califor nia. The City study Attorne When we finally found that Los y Rocky DelgaAngeles police HE’S GOT dillo and other arrived at Jomo Kenyatt MOVES — officers are more law enforcement a International A parade participa the many perform Photo by HGSTAR1 likely official to Airport stop and search s announced in Kenya, everyon nt nearly does /UNW ances that took the judgment black and against 19. Go to page the splits as part e Latino residen 17 to view more place at the 2009 Kingdom the 5th and Hill of ly Kenyan passeng— even the livets than they Day Parade on parade photos. gang ers are week. Officia whites, even last — seemed Jan. subdued, exhaust though whites ls ed from the journey are obtained againstsaid it is the first more often found . a gang in Calicarrying guns See KENYAN and contraband. fornia. SON, page 6 See BRIEFS, page 7