LAWT 09-08-2011 by LA WATTSTIMES

W E E K E N D E R

L.A. Watts Times Vol. XXX, No. 1248

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

HOROSCOPES

SEPT. 8 - 14

G C L

IBRA ~ You can be discreet and cut down on some of the envious comments you are attracting. Or you can continue to flaunt it since you’ve got it. Your choice this week! Watch for a pleasant change in a romantic partner’s attitude. CORPIO ~ Center yourself at every opportunity during this busy week and keep your quest for emotional and spiritual balance in the forefront. Make an effort to take your time; that way you’ll recognize opportunity from impulse control problems immediately. AGITTARIUS ~ Lucky! Your natural ability to shine is magnified this week. You’ll be garnering positive attention on a project you recently completed. Bask in the glow of public admiration! APRICORN ~ A celebration is in store and you are the guest of honor! You’ve achieved something wonderful and you need to take some time to enjoy it. Let yourself enjoy the applause then move onward and upward. QUARIUS ~ Let someone else make a few decisions this week. Take a back seat and enjoy the respite from doing all the driving. You’ll enjoy the ride more this week if you just admire the view as it goes by. ISCES ~ Sometimes you imagine that everyone needs to hear your sensible opinions on all matters of significance. And other weeks you know that you are wise and generous enough to listen to others as they share their good ideas. This week is a week for listening. You’ll learn much.

Walter Backstrom, labor leader and lifelong fighter for the rights of working men and women, passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 83 years old. Born in Water Valley, Miss., on January 11, 1928, during the height of

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the Jim Crow South, he moved with his parents Walter and Julia Backstrom and siblings to California in 1936. Walter wore many hats and had many roles during his lifetime. He was a son, a brother, a father, an uncle, a friend, a mentor and a spouse. He was an athlete, a student, a solider and a veteran. He was an activist and union leader who was at home with working Tireless champion of union rights: men and women but equally comfortWalter Backstrom. able talking with political and economic leaders. He was a refuse collector who public employees to collectively bargain helped build a union that was and is a with their employer over wages and strong voice for working men and working conditions, negotiating the first women in the City of Los Angeles. No employee contract in the history of the matter what his position was in his City of Los Angeles. He spent his lifeunion, he was first and foremost a mem- time building on that first contract, ber and an organizer. Through it all he always working to improve the lives of was always thoughtful, effective, politi- city workers so that the American Dream became a reality for tens of thousands of cally astute and ahead of the times. In the early 1960s he organized a working Angelenos. He retired from SEIU Local 347, coalition of African American churches, community organizations and business- taking a position directing the district es to protest the City of Los Angeles’ office for State Senator Bill Green. Several years later he moved back to policy of allowing retired police officers with no experience in trash collec- City Hall, this time as chief of staff to tion to apply for supervisory positions Councilman Robert Farrell. He brought in the Department of Sanitation while to these jobs his ability to organize and prohibiting existing employees from his compassion for working people and applying. At that time Backstrom said, used his position to improve, in whatev“The union was focused on establishing er way possible, the lives of the citizens minimum wages and eliminating poli- of Los Angeles. Several years later SEIU beckoned cies such as these, which favored a select few at the expense of the City’s once again, asking him to help out a troubled local. It is no surprise that he lowest-paid workers.” He fought tirelessly for the right of See BACKSTROM, page 12

POLL RESULTS

RIES ~ Everybody’s in a good mood this week, and you’ll want to join friends or family in sharing good food and feelings. You may be asked to grow or move. Think seriously about it, because it could enhance your spiritual growth. AURUS ~ At work, some matters have been on hold but now you will get the green light. Continue to work as diligently as you have been in the pass to ensure success. Have faith that your plans are on target. EMINI ~ Quit rushing around. You frequently help others so why are you troubling over asking for the help you need this week? Ask and, when you receive, say “thank you”! You are blessed with many supportive friends. ANCER ~ Keep all your ducks in a row this week. No mixing work with fun or business with pleasure. Save your affection for the homefront, and stay focused on the work in front of you on the job. Things are working out perfectly. EO ~ Why not take each perfect moment as it comes? You are struggling to find a solution that time can and will provide. Perform your tasks cheerfully this week, and let the future take care of itself. IRGO ~ Your anxiety about an important issue can now be seen as needless. You don’t have to worry! Have faith that things are working out perfectly and they will!

Obituary The Life of Walter Backstrom

10 12

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Dick Gregory, fellow activist arrested in D.C. protest against BP oil

AP Photo/Nick Ut

Does the right of free speech include the right not to be interrupted?

Muslim students stand trial for speech disruption BY AMY TAXIN ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The Muslim students stood up to shout last year at the Israeli ambassador, halting his talk on U.S.-Israel relations to a California university audience for 20 minutes — a protest that left several students facing charges and has evolved into a broader legal tussle over whose free-speech rights were violated. Opening statements were scheduled Wednesday in the trial of 10 students on misdemeanor charges of conspiring to disturb a meeting and disturbing a meeting for interrupting Ambassador Michael Oren’s speech at the University of California, Irvine in February 2010. Students claim they had a right to protest. But Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas contends that right ended when it infringed on the wishes of hundreds of members of the public who had come to hear Oren. The case has generated an impassioned debate about free speech and raised questions about prosecutorial discretion as some members of the public — including some who disapproved of the Muslim students’ actions — say student protests are nothing new and the case is a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money. The students, many who have since graduated from college, say they are being singled out because they are Muslim and that similar protests on other college campuses didn’t elicit criminal charges. “This is selective punishment,” said Kifah Shah, a spokeswoman for a campaign of community activists in support of the defendants. “At this point, it is not just about these 10 students anymore. It is about every single one of us and about whether our right to freedom of speech is going to be upheld.” That isn’t how everyone sees it. Michael Shapiro, a law professor at the University of Southern California, said charging the students with conspiracy isn’t necessary to uphold free speech rights in this case since campus authorities already did so by enabling Oren to give his talk and by disciplining students who participated

in the outburst. But the students don’t have a constitutional right to shout down a speaker, he said. “It is just maddening and outrageous that they think they have a free speech right to shut everybody else up,” Shapiro said. “That’s not the way the First Amendment works.” Prosecutors have accused members of the Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine of plotting to disrupt the upcoming speech six days before the talk entitled “U.S. Israel Relations from a Political and Personal Perspective.” Several hundred people attended the event on the sprawling suburban campus 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles that evening, including students and community members. Authorities say the students stood up one by one and shouted out phrases such as “you are a war criminal” and “propagating murder is not an expression of free speech.” The students were cited and released and disciplined at the university, which revoked the Muslim Student Union’s charter for a quarter during the academic year and placed it on two years of probation. Nearly a year later, Rackauckas filed criminal charges against 11 students, which prompted an outcry from the American Civil Liberties Union and a host of Jewish, Muslim and campus groups. The incident also sparked a media frenzy and Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson eventually issued a gag order to prevent prosecutors and defense attorneys from arguing the case outside the courtroom. Since then, the charges against one defendant have been dropped, but 10 students — some who attended UC Irvine and others who attended the nearby University of California, Riverside — still face prosecution. The trial is expected to last several weeks. If convicted, the students could face a sentence ranging from probation with community service and fines to up to a year in jail. The case has split residents of affluent Orange County, a traditionally Republican stronghold that is home to sizable Jewish and Muslim populations. See MUSLIM STUDENTS, page 11

Still fightin’ for the people: Dick Gregory, right, joins forces with Gregory Rocker. BY SHEVRY LASSITER SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE WASHINGTON INFORMER A handful of BP stockholders gathered last week in Washington, D.C., in front of the Willard Office Building in Northwest to protest the failure by attorney Ken Feinberg, the government-appointed administrator of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund, to settle claims filed by minority victims of the historic Gulf Coast oil spill. A boycott against BP was announced during a brief press conference held during the protest. Art Rocker, chairman-facilitator of Operation People for Peace, an organization representing more than 400 churches, hundreds of ministers and some 500,000 underserved parish-

ioners, along with human rights activist Dick Gregory, and Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq., chair of the National Congress of Black Women, have joined forces to assist people seeking compensation for loss of their livelihood as a result of the 2010 Gulf Coast disaster. According to Rocker, Feinberg agreed through a series of meetings that took place over the past 11 months to make settlement of claims filed by the poor and underserved. “More than a year after the biggest oil spill in U.S. history ravaged the Gulf Coast region, Feinberg has yet to uphold his promise to respond to claimants,” Rocker said. The protest was held to demand answers from Feinberg on when he expects to resolve the more than 10,000 claims through a proposed set-

tlement for a minimum of $488 million. Initially, the protesters blocked entry to the office building by tying the ropes from their protest signs around the entrance doors. D.C. police officers on the scene noted that it’s not their policy to arrest protesters. However, the protesters moved inside the lobby of the office building, which resulted in charges of trespassing on private property and the arrests of Gregory and Rocker. “BP ain’t seen nothing yet ... we will not continue to sit idly by while receiving nothing for the underserved and poor people,” Gregory said. “We will return to London, England, to echo the fact that BP should not be a leading sponsor for the 2012 Olympics, while refusing to pay the claims of the poor.”

WARNING Chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm are contained in crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel and other petroleum products and by-products. Chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm are also contained in and around oil fields, service stations, refineries, chemical plants, transport and storage operations, including pipelines, marine terminals and tank trucks, and other facilities and equipment that manufacture, produce, process, handle, distribute, transport, store, sell or otherwise transfer crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel or other petroleum products or byproducts. The foregoing warning is provided pursuant to Proposition 65. This law requires the Governor of California to publish a list of chemicals “known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity." This list is compiled in accordance with a procedure established by the Proposition, and can be obtained from the California Environmental Protection Agency. Proposition 65 requires that clear and reasonable warnings be given to persons exposed to the listed chemicals in certain situations.

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Employers added no jobs in August, stirring fears BY CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER AND PAUL WISEMAN AP ECONOMICS WRITERS WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers added no jobs in August — an alarming setback for the economy — that renewed fears of another recession and raised pressure on Washington to end the hiring standstill. Worries flared Friday after release of the worst jobs report since September 2010. Total payrolls were unchanged, the first time since 1945 that the government reported a net job change of zero. The unemployment rate stayed at 9.1 percent. The stock market plunged in response. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 253 points, or more than 2 percent, in mid-afternoon trading. Analysts say the economy cannot continue to expand unless hiring picks up. In the first six months of 2011, growth was measured at an annual rate of 0.7 percent. Companies are mostly keeping their payrolls intact. They’re not laying off many workers, but they’re not hiring either. Without more jobs to fuel consumer spending, economists say another recession would be inevitable. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of economic growth. Like a wobbling bicycle, “you either reaccelerate or you fall over,” said James O’Sullivan, chief economist at MF Global. “Something has to give.” Consumer and business confidence was shaken this summer by the political standoff over the federal debt

AP Photo/Reed Saxon

“For The People Jobs Initiative”: A job fair where job seekers met prospective employers, job counselors, skills trainers and others was held at the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles last week. limit, a downgrade of long-term U.S. debt and the financial crisis in Europe. Tumbling stock prices escalated the worries. Even before it stalled last month,

job growth had been sputtering. The economy added 166,000 jobs a month in the January-March quarter, 97,000 a month in the April-June quarter and just 43,000 a month so far in the July-

September period. “Underlying job growth needs to improve immediately in order to avoid a recession,” said HSBC economist Ryan Wang.

The dispiriting job numbers for August will heighten the pressure on the Federal Reserve, President Barack Obama and Congress to find ways to stimulate the economy. So far, the Fed has been reluctant to launch another round of Treasury bond purchases. Its previous bondbuying programs were intended to force down long-term interest rates, encourage borrowing and boost stock prices. On Thursday, Obama will give a televised speech to a joint session of Congress to introduce a plan for creating jobs and spurring economic growth. Even for people who do have jobs, income growth is stalled. That will hold back their ability to spend. The only sure way to reduce the risk of recession is with more hiring, economists say. “The importance of job growth cannot be overstated,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc. The economy needs to add roughly 250,000 jobs a month to rapidly bring down the unemployment rate. The rate has been above 9 percent in all but two months since May 2009. Roughly 14 million Americans are unemployed. The weakness was underscored by revisions to the jobs data for June and July. Collectively, those figures were lowered to show 58,000 fewer jobs added than previously thought. The downward revisions were all in government jobs. See EMPLOYERS, page 11

AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Mike Brown

Another first on her resume: U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald.

First African-American woman on 6th Circuit WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Bernice Donald as a judge on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Donald will be the first African American woman confirmed for that court. Donald has broken through racial barriers throughout her career. Nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1996, she became Tennessee’s first Black female district court judge as well as the first to serve on the federal bankruptcy court. In August, 2008, she received the American Bar

Association’s inaugural Liberty Achievement Award. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals serves Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. She has been a federal judge based in Memphis for the past 16 years. Donald is the sixth of 10 children raised on a sharecropper’s farm in Mississippi. The vote was 96-2. Voting “no” were Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Back-to-School shoppers greeted with shrinking quality, higher prices Rising cotton prices are largely to blame BY CHRIS LEVISTER SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE BLACKVOICENEWS.COM School-aged kids are preparing for their post-Labor Day return to the classroom, and the telltale signs of rising cotton prices and a sluggish economy are everywhere. “The prices are sky-high, and the quality stinks,” says Lisbeth Rose-Scott, a mother of three school children. ’Tis the season of the back-toschool sale, the second most important time on the retailer’s calendar, after Christmas. Early indications are consumers aren’t buying this year’s bevy of higher-priced merchandise from jeans to pencils. With costs for consumer goods and services from apparel to food and gas on the rise, parents like Rose-Scott are back-to-school shopping at thrift stores and dusting off hand-me-downs. “I buy nice clothes for the kids at the beginning of the schoolyear and halfway through they’re already worn out. Even their corduroys have holes in the knees. I can’t afford to keep throwing money down the drain.” Retail experts say manufacturers are “quietly” making clothes that are thinner and made with cheaper quality. Parents know this season better than anyone. Back-to-school shop-

ping occurs from July through Labor Day, around the start of fall semester. Advertising for this heavy shopping time started earlier, with some stores cranking out ads in midJune, when some schools were still in session for the spring semester. In August 2010, prime schoolshopping season, consumers spent a combined $7.4 billion at family clothing stores, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Apparel, the season’s top-selling category for school-aged children, is bracing for cotton cost inflation of as much as 20 percent, the first in at least a decade. The recent weeks’ price declines in the commodity don’t help, because stores paid for their goods about six to nine months earlier. Retailers are raising prices on merchandise an average of 10 percent across-the-board this fall in an effort to offset their rising costs for materials and labor. But merchants are worried that cash-strapped customers, who are weighed down by economic woes, will reject price hikes. Some merchants are using disguise tactics to get parents to open their wallets wide and leave their magnifying glasses at home. For example, some are raising prices then offering the well-worn bait of ‘buy one at the higher price and get a second one,’ often at lesser quality. Others are luring shoppers with chil-

John Amis/AP Images for Sears Holdings Corp.

May I help you?: Comedian Steve Harvey, second from left, assists two Mableton, Ga., Kmart customers in a “Back- to-School” shopping spree contest during a live broadcast of his morning show on Aug. 2. dren’s fashion shows and free sunglasses with purchase. Some are using less fabric and calling it ‘new chic.’ Others are adding glitter, cheap crystals, bows, stitching, fake button holes, zippers — to justify price increases. Those embellishments can add pennies or a dollar to the cost of a garment, but retailers can charge $10 more for them, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with market

research firm The NPD Group. Cohen says parents may want to ‘shop’ their kids’ closets first. “Dust off last year’s jeans, add some lace or trendy buttons, give them a good wash and you’re good to go.” Rose-Scott spent $19 for a Hello Kitty tee-shirt and a pair of slightly used jeans at a San Bernardino consignment store. A year ago, she paid $21.99 for the same shirt at a department store.

Spending on clothing and school supplies for children in grades K-12 is expected to decline this back-toschool season, a National Retail Federation survey showed. The survey showed 70 percent of respondents with school-age children said higher food and energy prices may lower their spending this summer. About 30 percent of consumers See BACK-TO-SCHOOL, page 15

Thursday, September 8, 2011

UK Black leadership wants end to assault on youth, community BY STARLA MUHAMMAD SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE FINAL CALL (FinalCall.com) — Black youth are still being unfairly blamed and targeted in the aftermath of the civil unrest and rebellion that gripped the streets of London and other cities in early August, charge UK activists. Despite media footage that clearly proves White, Asian and Black youth participated in the violence that erupted, Black youth have seemingly been subjected to increased racial profiling by

police in light of Prime Minister David Cameron’s vow to identify, prosecute and jail all those involved. Increased racial profiling of Black youth stemming from the unrest is the result and is the biggest issue that needs to be discussed, says Hilary Muhammad, UK representative for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. “Not only are we having racial profiling here, we’re also having dress-profiling, we’re also having age-profiling and ethnicity-profiling. So with this, if young brothers are walking around with

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hoodies on and with scarves around their necks, then they’re being stopped by four to six police officers at a time,” says Muhammad. It is systematic now, he adds. “Wearing a hoodie is really just a draw to get stopped so they have become very heavy-handed in their tactics and the laws that they are enforcing to really prevent young people from assembling more than three or four at a time,” says Muhammad. Hughie Rose of the UK Chapter of the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) says not only are Black youths being pulled over or stopped but for those now facing charges for riot-related offenses, their right to fair and swift legal representation is being questioned. “They’re actually expediting our youth very quickly through the court system without any proper legal advice or anybody watching the case. They’re doing 24- hour courts now and shutting off the courts to the public and doing the court cases in private,” Rose told The Final Call. Even though parents and probation officers can be in the courtroom, Mr. Rose is concerned that youth are treated fairly, Black youth in particular. The NBPP have teamed up with local UK lawyers and other activist groups to formulate a defense campaign to monitor some of the court sessions in which Black youth are the defendants “to see exactly what they’re doing with our youth,” says Rose. When asked if groups of White youths were also being randomly stopped or pulled over by police since the uprising, Muhammad responded, “If they are, it’s nowhere near the proportion that Black people are being abused and ill-affected by these draconian laws. No, no, no! White people don’t have to suffer these kinds of things. These things are reserved for us as a people” says Muhammad. “What this says to me is that this was planned by government to introduce these types of draconian measures,” he adds. “There have been increased policing laws. Arresting people right now for having a new pair of trainers (sneakers) on and if you don’t have the receipt with it. They’re just arresting you automatically … and since they’ve got the extra policing down here, 16,000 onto the scene, they’ve gone buck wild in the community,” says Rose, also noting preliminary reports that 11 police officers pepper-sprayed and assaulted another Black man, Jacob Michaels, resulting in his death Aug. 22 in a predominately White area near Manchester. This would make 16 Black men killed by police this year alone in the UK. Reports allege the officers repeatedly beat and kicked Michaels while he was handcuffed and on the ground. The police shooting of Mark Duggan, another Black man, is what activists say sparked the latest round of unrest. “If a young person is wearing a hooded top, the police have the right to pull them over, question, search. They have the right to ask you to remove any item of clothing they feel can cover your head or your face — be it baseball caps, be it hats, be it hooded tops,” says community activist Trevor Hakim Muhammad. Through how Black youth dress, Hakim Muhammad says, a more extreme level of racial profiling is imminent. However, the UK’s grassroots Black activist movement is not taking this issue lightly and refuses to remain silent. “The future of Britain’s Black youth must be in the hands of parents and concerned and committed community citizens, not the government,” says Hilary Muhammad. Since the unrest, several groups have

AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

A man rides ahead of British police officers, who charged rioters during clashes in Hackney, east London, last month. Youths set fire to shops and vehicles in many areas around London. had town hall meetings and emergency forums to come up with solutions to problems facing Black youth. Rose says Black organizations in South London, Tottenham and other areas are actively formulating campaigns and are coming together in an effort to join forces in a community-wide effort. “It has galvanized the community to take a better organized action so that’s one good thing that’s come out of it,” says Rose. Another broad coalition of Black leaders and organizations representing differing philosophies but harboring the same goal of taking ownership of their communities gathered recently at the Broadwater Farm Community Center in Tottenham, where Duggan was killed, to discuss problems but more importantly to enact solutions in response to the crisis gripping Black Britons. Tottenham is significant to Black Brits because of the wave of civil unrest that occurred here 30 years ago, says Trevor Hakim Muhammad. “This was one of the places back in the mid-’80s of the first level of civil unrest and uprisings that happened. When the Black community became frustrated … wanting a sense of empowerment to fight back against the establishment, mainly the police who were acting under stop and search laws where they could just stop a young Black person and totally racial profile and arrest you just because they felt they had a suspicion you were going to do something,” he explains. Some of the most historic uprisings in the UK have taken place at Broadwater Farm, an area Hakim Muhammad describes as the U.S. equivalent of public housing developments or “the projects.” “The nature of it (the meeting) is to discuss what happened, why it happened and what are we going to do going forward,” says Hilary Muhammad, one of many helping organize and coordinate the historic call to organization and action. Hilary Muhammad hopes representatives from such groups as the Hebrew Israelite Nation, Pan-Africanists, local leaders, community activists, youth leaders and “every strata of representation in the community” will attend the gathering.

“What has happened has showed us that if leadership is divided, then we can’t speak to division among our youth who may enter into what’s known as youth organizations, what’s known as gangs and what-not. Our people are fighting each other over turf and different areas wherein we live and they are deriving such a warped perspective from those of us that are supposed to be in leadership who cannot agree on an agenda that will take our community forward,” he says. “If the leadership is organized, regardless to language, regardless to faith, regardless to tradition, then our young people can extract that example from us of unity. Regardless of dress or labels, then we can unify our youth but it starts with a unified message from the adults” says Hilary Muhammad. “In order for us to evolve out from underneath the table of the enemy, we must now look toward the leader within ourselves and look toward, as the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan taught us, God Almighty for the solution to our problem because our problem cannot be solved or resolved on the physical level. Our problem can only be solved and resolved on the spiritual level. The leadership must come together to thrash out ways and means to which we can resolve the problems of the times that we have entered into,” says the Nation of Islam student minister. Speakers and presenters at the upcoming community meeting include Student Minister Muhammad; Chairman of the West Indian Standing Conference Clarence Thompson; founding director of Nu-Beyond Ltd: Learning By Choice Dr. William “Lez” Henry; youth activist Mikel Ameen, Uni-Hood; activist Trevor Hakim Muhammad; social intervention specialist Twilight Bey; youth activist Ayeshah Muhammad; Chair of Queen Mother Moor School the Rev. Hewie Andrews; Student Protocol Director for the Nation of Islam Ishea Muhammad and many others who have voiced support of and solidarity with the event.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Calif. gay marriage ban faces next legal hurdle BY LISA LEFF ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP Photo/Ben Margot

Dominic Colwan of Stockton, Calif., lends his support to gay marriage outside City Hall in San Francisco.

appeal, and if the 9th Circuit and ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately agree, it would clear the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California because former Chief U.S. Vaughn Walker’s verdict would stand. But such an outcome would also limit the potential impact of the closely watched catch because it would prevent higher courts from reaching its constitutional merits. “What the court has before it are questions about how the state’s direct democracy rules should be understood to sync with its constitutionally-based ideas of representative government,” Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Marc Spindelman. “Who speaks for the people and the state — and when? Can unelected officials determine how state law will be defended? Should they be allowed to defend the law when state officials elected by the people to represent them will not? Are state officials who refuse to defend a legal measure on appeal practically See GAY MARRIAGE BAN, page 12

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s same-sex marriage ban faces its next legal test Tuesday when the state’s highest court attempts to shed light on whether the voter-approved measure’s backers have legal authority to appeal the federal ruling that overturned Proposition 8. The California Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an hour of arguments on that question, which could prove crucial to the future of the voterapproved ban. The federal appeals court that is considering the initiative’s constitutionality wants the state court to weigh in on the matter before it issues its decision. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has expressed doubts about the ability of Proposition 8’s sponsors to challenge the lower court ruling absent the involvement of California’s governor or attorney general, both of whom refused to appeal a federal judge’s August 2010 decision striking down the ban as a violation of gay Californians’ civil rights. The court punted the question to the California Supreme Court earlier this year, saying it was a matter of state law. Lawyers for the coalition of religious and conservative groups that qualified Proposition 8 for the November 2008 ballot maintain they are legally eligible to represent the majority of California voters who approved the same-sex marriage ban. They argue that because California has such a vigorous citizen’s initiative process, it would not make sense for elected officials to effectively veto measures by not defending them in court. “This is a pivotal hearing for us as we continue to fight to uphold the people’s vote to restore traditional marriage in California against these ferocious

attacks,” Andy Pugno, legal counsel for the Proposition 8 coalition, said in a letter to supporters last week. “We simply cannot allow our opponents to manipulate the legal system to the point where there is nobody left to defend the people!” Lawyers for the two same-sex couples who successfully sued to have Proposition 8 thrown out are arguing that ballot initiative proponents cannot demonstrate that would be uniquely harmed if the same-sex marriage ban is declared unconstitutional. Demonstrating a concrete and particularized harm is the standard that parties ordinarily have to meet to be eligible to wage an appeal in federal court. California Attorney General Kamala Harris has submitted a brief saying that in her interpretation, proponents of successful ballot initiatives do not have the right to defend their measures in court. Harris is a Democrat who succeeded Gov. Jerry Brown in January as attorney general. If the Supreme Court says the ban’s proponents did not have standing to

Thursday, September 8, 2011

A POST good number of people were most likely just awakening to watch the morning news in Los Angeles, since it was only about 6:00 am here, when on September 11, 2001America was attacked. It was already 9:00 am in New York City and Washington DC where, news reporters announced, jihadists from the Middle East had commandeered four U.S. commercial flights and successfully aimed them at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the White House. Almost 3000 human lives, mostly civilian, were lost. In three days, it will have been 10 years since that enormous tragedy. Across the nation, people are preparing to commemorate the day, the victims and the heroes and reflect on lessons learned. Others are taking notice of the significant changes to America’s social and political landscape stemming from the attacks. HOMELAND SECURITY Before September 11, protecting the American public was a job commissioned to the military on foreign soil. It was something that happened in faraway jungles and deserts. American Intelligence would block anything headed this way. The chaotic images on TV played throughout that day changed those assumptions. Over and over; smoke, fire, people jumping to their deaths, people running and screaming for their lives, the Twin Towers of the WTC collapsing, hung about the airwaves. “Terrorists,” “further attacks,” and “Osama bin Laden” became regular sound bytes. How the perpetrators were able to pull oơ the catastrophe became a major question. The nation looked to its leaders for answers. Congress under then president, George W. Bush responded with increased airport security measures, The Department of Homeland Security and The Patriot Act. “Airport security is much tighter,” writes travel expert Rita R. Powers for travelthink.com on changes in air travel since 9/11. “Access is much more rigorously restricted. Long lines are visible inside terminals and sometimes along the sidewalks outside the airport buildings. In short, you have to wait longer and in more lines than you used to…” “One of the more drastic changes is that all security screeners at United States airports have been professionally trained. Passengers’ carry-on items are passed through an X-ray machine where they are checked for what in today’s terms are considered dangerous items such as knives, corkscrews, etc. Screeners are now more frequently performing random searches of baggage and performing passenger pat downs.” Powers lists all baggage being checked for explosives and other dangerous items, passenger ID requirements and new check in procedures as other changes. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is another development of September 11. Established in

F E AT U R E

9/11

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

AMERICA by Jennifer Bihm | Contributing Writer

November 2002, its main function is to protect people on American soil from and assist victims of terrorism, man made accidents and natural disasters. It is reported to be the third largest cabinet department in the country after the Department of Defense and Veterans Aơairs. It’s most recent ﬁscal year report shows expenditures of over $60 billion. Under the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001, law enforcement agencies now have almost unrestricted access to telephone conversations, e mail and medical and ﬁnancial records. Immigration authorities can detain any foreigner they deem suspiciously terrorist and any “lone wolves,” who might be planning attacks. Critics of the act, like Electronic Frontier Foundation members, say it gives the FBI a “blank check to violate the communications privacy of countless innocent Americans.” Earlier this year, President Barack Obama signed an extension of the “roving wire- tap,” “lone wolf,” and “library records,” portions of the act. RACIAL PROFILING GOES BEYOND BLACKS AND LATINOS

“I was moving my way through security in an American airport, shoes, belt, and jewelry oơ, belongings placed securely in the plastic gray colored container, serious demeanor in place,” writes Jennifer Young in her article, “Cultivating a Culture of Fear: Post 9/11 America.” “I glanced back at the poster that had greeted me as I got oơ the escalator: ‘The Faces of Global Terrorism,’ accompanied by dozens of photographs of men and an image of money to denote the rewards available for their capture. These men all shared similar “Middle Eastern” characteristics: some with turbans or long beards or Middle Eastern names. “I was immediately outraged by the poster because it generalized a speciﬁc cross section of individuals as ‘terrorists.’ The men in those photos might very well be implicated and even convicted by the United States government as actors in criminal events. However, these ‘faces of terrorism’ were taken from a minute sampling of the “types” of people who have committed acts of violence against the United States. This poster was created, reproduced, and distributed in airports throughout the country in an attempt to stereotype a ‘terrorist.’ These are the faces of global terrorism…” Racial discrimination against Arabs and people who “look like Arabs” continues even 10 years after the attacks. Civil Rights Group South Asian Americans Leading Together, comprised of citizens from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other communities blames legislation like the Patriot Act and scenarios like the one Young describes above as creating an atmosphere that perpetuates discrimination and distrust toward them. Victims have report-

ed vandalism, bullying, subjection to unfair travel restrictions and being physically attacked. OTHER EVENTS

Former President George W. Bush declared a “war on terror” and the U.S. invaded Iraq, searching for Weapons of Mass Destruction in March 2003. Saddam Hussein, 5th president of Iraq is captured in December 2003. Hussein is executed in December 2006 after being sentenced to death for murdering 148 Iraqis in the 1980s. The “war on terror” has an increasingly negative eơect on the nation’s economy, according to a Center for Economic Policy and Research report: “The reason why the war reduces growth and employment is straightforward; it drains resources from the economy. The money that is used to pay for housing and feeding our soldiers in Iraq, as well as supplying them with weapons, could have instead been used in the civilian economy. The drain is most apparent when we impose a tax to pay for the war. Taxes would pull money out of people’s paychecks, giving them less money to spend and less incentive to work,” the report says. Bush leaves oƥce and Barack Obama is sworn in as ﬁrst Black President of the United States in January 2009. He faces the task of balancing the nation’s homeland security needs and its economic recovery needs. Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. soldiers in May 2011. Homeland Security faces budget cuts in 2012.

AP Photo/Chao Soi Cheong

AP Photo/Chao S

WORLD TRADE CE

SEPTEMBER 11 2001

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, September 8, 2011

In the most devastating terrorist onslaught ever waged against the United States, knife-wielding hijackers crashed two airliners into the World Trade Center on Tuesday, toppling its twin 110-story towers.

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Soi Cheong

NTER NYC

COVER: AP Photo/Carmen Taylor AP Photo/Amy Sancetta

FEATURE: AP Photo/Jim Collins

Eddie Murphy to host Academy Awards solo BY SANDY COHEN AP ENTERTAINMENT WRITER

we did decide to ask him, I think Eddie felt secure with Brett.” Ratner called Murphy “one LOS ANGELES (AP) — In of the greatest and most influenthe tradition of Bob Hope and tial live performers ever” and Johnny Carson, and later Billy cited him as an inspiration for Crystal, Steve Martin and Whoopi his filmmaking career. Goldberg, Oscar is going back to its “‘Rush Hour’ exists comedic roots with Eddie Murphy because of Eddie Murphy,” as host. Ratner said. “Chris Tucker was The actor and comedian will to 12-year-old kids when I was host the 84th annual Academy doing ‘Rush Hour’ what Eddie Awards, producers Brett Ratner Murphy was to me when I was and Don Mischer said Tuesday — 12. I have such love and idolize and even they were surprised the the guy.” reclusive star agreed to the gig. Murphy’s stint as Oscar The last comic to host the show host marks a return to the sinalone was Jon Stewart in 2008. A gle-host format the show has singing, dancing Hugh Jackman employed most often over the took over in 2009, and in recent past two decades. Pairs of actors years, pairs of actors have helmed hosted the two most recent the show. Oscar shows: Anne Hathaway This is Murphy’s first time and James Franco helmed the hosting the Academy Awards. He 2011 telecast, and Steve Martin said in a statement that he’s “enorand Alec Baldwin hosted last AP Photo/Peter Kramer year. mously honored” to join the ranks of the aforementioned Oscar hosts. It’s official: Eddie Murphy will host the Oscars next Mischer said having just Ratner and Murphy worked year. He’s the first comedian to do so since Jon one host will help streamline the together on their latest film, “Tower Stewart did in 2008. show, which typically stretches Heist,” and the director casually over more than three hours. floated the notion of hosting the Oscars kind of stays to himself and has not been He and Ratner were “trying to really by the star. “And Eddie said, ‘Wow, that interested in it.” keep the show moving briskly and keep Murphy made a rare TV appearance pacing up,” he said, “and you can really would be a brilliant idea for you and me to do the Oscars together,’” Ratner in April on the inaugural Comedy focus on that when you have one host. Awards, which Mischer produced, when You don’t have dialog with two hosts or recalled. “I was like, ‘Are you serious?’” the 50-year-old entertainer accepted the more hosts.” Ratner said in an interview. He called Comedy Icon award. The producers said Murphy will By contrast, when Murphy was likely select a writing team and conMischer, his co-producer, who immediately warned him not to get his hopes up. nominated for an Oscar for 2006’s tribute his own jokes and material to the “I said, ‘Not a chance,’” the veteran “Dreamgirls,” he did very few inter- Oscar show, set for Feb. 26, 2012, at the TV director and producer said. views and reportedly left the ceremony Kodak Theatre. “Everybody wants Eddie Murphy. He’s a as soon as his category was announced. Both “Eddie Murphy” and comedic genius, he’s a brilliant imper- (Alan Arkin won for “Little Miss “Academy Awards” were trending topics sonator. He’s just the kind of guy who Sunshine.”) on Twitter after the announcement was “I think that Eddie probably gave made, and Ratner posted his own tweet would make any television show wonderful. So many times through the years this serious consideration because of the saying, “So excited to have Eddie I’ve tried to get Eddie Murphy to agree experience he did have with Brett (on Murphy for the (hash)oscars.” But the to come be on a show, and generally he “Tower Heist),” Mischer said. “When producer said Murphy doesn’t follow social media when it comes to his own projects, including the Oscar show. “I don’t want to cloud my thinking with other people’s opinions,” he said. He and Mischer will get down to serious show planning in a few weeks, when Ratner finishes “Tower Heist” and Mischer clears the TV special he’s doing for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. But the two producers are already fired up. “Eddie Murphy is what makes it,” Ratner said. “It’s surprising even for us. We’re sitting here surprised that it’s actually happening, that’s the exciting part. It’s something we can really get excited about.”

Thursday, September 8, 2011

11th Circuit rejects Wesley Snipes’ appeal ATLANTA (AP) — The federal appeals court in Atlanta on Tuesday turned away the latest attempt by actor Wesley Snipes to get his conviction and prison sentence on tax charges overturned. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the appeal by Snipes, who was convicted in 2008 on three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file income tax returns. His defense lawyers contended they received emails from former jurors reporting misconduct among other members of the panel. One of the former jurors said in the email that three other jurors acknowledged they had determined Snipes was guilty before the trial began. AP Photo/Peter Kramer A federal court rejected the request for a new trial and noted that Rejected: A federal court of appeals there were reasons to question the turned down Wesley Snipes’ appeal veracity of the allegations made in The actor was convicted in 2008 on the emails. The 11th Circuit upheld three misdemeanor counts of willful the ruling on Tuesday, finding that failure to file income tax returns. there wasn’t “strong, substantial and incontrovertible evidence” that would warrant a new trial. Snipes started a three-year term in a Pennsylvania prison in December. He’s appeared in more than a dozen films, from “White Men Can’t Jump” and “Demolition Man” in the early 1990s to the blockbuster Blade trilogy. Defense attorney Dan Meachum said he was disappointed with the court’s decision. He said his client still feels that he “did not receive a fair trial decided by a just and impartial jury” because of those issues.

Rapper T.I. returned to federal prison in Atlanta BY GREG BLUESTEIN ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA (AP) — The lawyer for rapper T.I. said Friday that he’s working to have the Grammy winner returned to a halfway house after a transportation flap left him locked up again in a federal penitentiary. The Federal Bureau of Prisons website Friday shows that the rapper is at the Atlanta penitentiary with a release date of Sept. 29. He had checked into a halfway house in Atlanta this week after serving months in an Arkansas prison. The 30-year-old rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, made the 375mile (600-kilometer) trip to Atlanta in a gleaming motor coach on Wednesday. The transportation arrangements appear to be the reason he’s back behind bars, AP Photo/John Amis his lawyer said. Big problem: T.I., whose real name is “The Federal Bureau of Prisons Clifford Harris, arrives at a halfway (BOP) appears to have an issue with the house after being released from federcircumstances surrounding TI’s trans- al prison in Arkansas, where he served portation from Arkansas to Atlanta,” 10 months for violating his probation. T.I.’s attorney, Steve Sadow, said Friday. Sadow said they haven’t received formal notice from prison officials explaining what he’s accused of doing wrong. Sadow said Friday there was never any intent to mislead or misstate T.I.’s method of transportation, and he hopes the issue can be cleared up quickly so T.I. can return to the halfway house. “T.I. got on a private bus in the prison’s parking area in full view of BOP employees. Indeed, he was actually escorted to the bus by a prison guard,” Sadow said. Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke said Friday he couldn’t discuss why the rapper was transferred back to a prison. T.I. had initially served about seven months at the prison in 2009 after he was arrested for trying to buy unregistered guns and silencers from undercover federal agents. He was on probation after he was released and ordered not to commit another crime or to illegally possess any controlled substances. He was arrested again in September 2010 in Los Angeles on drug charges after authorities said he was found with four ecstasy pills. He was sentenced in October to 11 months in prison for that violation, and had been set for release at the end of September but was let go early.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Judge: Jackson trial ‘on course’ despite appeal

Dr. Conrad Murray

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge says the trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death is “on course” despite an appeal filed last week by the physician’s attorneys. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor says jury selection in the case will begin as planned on Thursday unless the appeals court issues a stay in the case. Attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray on Friday appealed a ruling

by Pastor that jurors in the upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial will not be sequestered. Pastor says he’s confident justices on the 2nd District Court of Appeal will provide some guidance soon. Murray pleaded not guilty and faces up to four years in prison if convicted. Authorities say he gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in June 2009.

MUSLIM STUDENTS

AP Photo/Peter Kramerc

… and baby makes three (girls) … for singer Mel B

Continued from page 3 Residents have written vociferous letters to the editor of the local newspaper, the Orange County Register, on both sides of the debate. Those who attended Oren’s speech that evening also left with different views about how the incident should be handled. Ron Ovadia, a 61-year-old advertising consultant, said he thought the protest was inappropriate but that didn’t make it a criminal act. Ovadia, who is Jewish, said he was disciplined in college when he shouted out a

speaker during a 1968 anti-war protest — but wasn’t prosecuted. “I just personally think that if these were a bunch of white, middleclass students from Newport Beach and Irvine they would have had their hand slapped and that would be the end of it,” Ovadia said. “I certainly don’t condone what they did. I just thought it was handled and we need to move on.” Jesse Rosenblum, president of the Zionist Organization of America’s Orange County chapter, said the stu-

EMPLOYERS Continued from page 4 The average workweek and hourly earnings also declined in August. Cutbacks by federal, state and local governments have erased 290,000 government jobs this year, including 17,000 in August. “There is no silver lining in this one,” said Steve Blitz, senior economist at ITG Investment Research. “It is difficult to walk away from these numbers without the conclusion that the economy is simply grinding to a halt.” The unemployment rate for Black men jumped a full percentage point in August to 18 percent. That’s the highest level for that group since March 2010. And unemployment for Black people as a whole surged from 15.9 percent to 16.7 percent even as unemployment for White Americans ticked down to 8 percent from 8.1 percent. Obama has faced doubts within his own party, including Black lawmakers who say he hasn’t done enough to help chronic unemployment in Black communities. Yet Obama is unlikely to win support for any new stimulus spending from congressional Republicans, who oppose further spending and argue that the president’s economic policies have failed. They favor deeper spending cuts and less government regulation. On Friday, Obama took a step toward winning their support. He directed the Environmental Protection Agency to abandon rules that would have tightened health-based standards for smog. Republicans and some business leaders have said the proposed rules would have cost jobs. Kurt Karl, chief economist for the Americas at Swiss Re, said the August jobs report “implies a rising probability of recession.” Still, he noted, employment fell for six quarters after the 2001 recession — and the economy kept chugging along

at an annual rate of 2.1 percent over that time. The economy’s 0.7 percent growth rate in the first half of 2011 was the slowest six months of growth since the recession officially ended in June 2009. Most economists expect growth to improve to about a 2 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter. Lower gasoline prices have provided some relief to consumers. And factories are revving up again after being interrupted by Japan’s earthquake and nuclear crisis. Before Friday’s jobs report, the economy had been showing signs of better health. Consumer spending was strong in August. Auto sales were brisk. Manufacturing expanded. And fewer people applied for unemployment benefits. Yet even 2 percent growth isn’t fast enough to generate many jobs. And the economy remains vulnerable to outside shocks — a worsening European debt crisis or more political brinkmanship in Washington. “The economy’s perforated at this point,” said Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness. “Any additional strain on it will tear it apart.” The Obama administration has estimated that unemployment will average about 9 percent next year, when Obama will seek re-election. The rate was 7.8 percent when he took office. The White House Office of Management and Budget projects overall growth of just 1.7 percent this year. “The economy continues to stagger,” said Sung Won Sohn, economist at California State University Channel Islands. “It wouldn’t take much (of a) shock to tip it onto a recession.”

dents should have backed down once authorities told them they could face criminal charges. That’s what happened during protests he recalled witnessing during his days as a college administrator in New Jersey, said the 71-year-old, who supports Rackauckas’ position. “You’re sending a message, an important message of what is permissible and what is not permissible in our democracy and that must occur,” Rosenblum said. “It’s not just about these students — it is about any group who feels their voice is so important they have to drown out every other voice.”

Ex-Spice Girl Brown gives birth to daughter NEW YORK (AP) — It’s a girl for singer Melanie Brown and her husband, Stephen Belafonte. An e-mail from a representative for the former Spice Girl says the couple “welcomed their new baby girl in Los Angeles” on Thursday night. The e-mail says, “This is the first child for Brown and Belafonte, and both mom and baby are happy,

healthy and doing well.” There were no other details. The 36-year-old formerly known as “Scary Spice” has two older daughters. Brown and Belafonte were married in 2007. Belafonte is a movie producer whose credits include “Thank You for Smoking.” He has an older daughter.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Blake enjoys new world champion status in 100

Serena the one to watch as finals near at US Open BY EDDIE PELLS AP NATIONAL WRITER

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Do your dance: Jamaica's Usain Bolt, right, Yohan Blake, center, and Nesta Carter show off their moves after winning the gold in the Men's 4x100m relay final at the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, over the weekend. BY GRAHAM DUNBAR AP SPORTS WRITER ZURICH (AP) — Yohan Blake is enjoying the extra attention that comes with being the 100-meters world champion and main attraction at the Weltklasse meet. Because Blake's training partner, Usain Bolt, is skipping the Diamond League finals event in Zurich, he has center stage for his first race after they helped Jamaica set a new 4x100 relay world record

in Daegu, South Korea. Blake says, "My ranking is No. 1 so I want to keep it that way. It's a wonderful feeling but I know it's not going to be easy." The meet is scheduled to begin Thursday. Blake will race former world record-holder Asafa Powell and his relay teammates Nesta Carter and Michael Frater in the 100. Blake won the 100 at the world competition after Bolt was disqualified because of a false start.

BACKSTROM Continued from page 2 accepted the challenge and returned to the labor movement, eventually becoming executive director of SEIU Local 99, where he worked fervently on behalf of LAUSD classified employees to protect hard-won wages and benefits during difficult and challenging economic times while also fighting to develop and implement career ladders for employees so they could advance and improve their lives. It has been said that for everything a man takes with him there is something he leaves behind. Walter Backstrom took with him the love, affection and profound gratitude that comes with a life well-lived. What he left behind is a legacy that has forever changed lives, not only of his family and friends, but of working men and women. He would say that it was his privilege to serve. He never forgot his roots or that he started his career picking up trash. It was a job he embraced and talked about with pride and affection throughout his life. He is survived by his wife Michelle Buehler; his children, Tamara Backstrom Hunter (Darrell), Tyra Backstrom, Walter Backstrom IV and

Arnold Backstrom; his siblings, Ruby Howard (Richard), Sharon Hodge (Keith), Marion Gaines (Eugene), James Backstrom (Maedean), Don Backstrom (Jackii), Warner Backstrom (Loretta) and Vernell Backstrom; his extended family, Kathy Buehler-Lipsey (Joel), Jennifer Thorup (Brooks), Desiree Pendergrass (Peter), John Buehler (Linda); and a host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews and special cousins, Bettie and Dr. Roy Johnson, and Betty Nelson of Little Rock, Ark. Memorial services for Walter Backstrom are as follows: Saturday, September 17, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. 721 SEIU, 500 S. Virgil Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90020 In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that tax-exempt contributions be made to the Templeton Library Association for the construction of a library in the town he recently called home. Please send them in c/o Michelle Buehler, 9600 Enchanto Road, Atascadero, CA 93422-7114. Flowers will be accepted the morning of service at 500 So. Virgil Ave., Los Angeles, California 90020. For more information, please contact Martine Ellis at 310-251-1601.

NEW YORK (AP) — Whether or not she ends up holding the trophy at the end, Serena Williams has no competition at the U.S. Open this year. She is the top personality, the woman to watch in a sport that has struggled of late to find, and hold onto, a compelling star. Part of it is because of the basic numbers — Williams has 13 Grand Slam titles compared to the grand total of zero from the other seven women left in the field. Part of it is the image — a mercurial and physically intimidating presence on the court, who can charm people when she’s off of it. “There are certain people who are pretty special,” said Tracy Austin, who was one of those people back in her day, “and sometimes we don’t appreciate it ’til they’re gone.” [Williams’ run at the title was scheduled to resume Wednesday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where she was scheduled to play Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a 20-year-old Russian matching her deepest run in a major.] Play on Tuesday was washed out when a slow-moving rainstorm moved over the Big Apple and forced tournament officials to push several matches involving top players — Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and Caroline Wozniacki — onto outside courts when play resumes. Williams, though, will be on center stage, as usual, and figures to be for the rest of the week. A favorite coming into the tournament, her odds have only grown shorter — 4-11 at some sports books in Europe — as the other “big names” in her sport have lost (Maria Sharapova), withdrawn (Serena’s sister, Venus) or failed to show up (Kim Clijsters). “Of course there’s a chance. That’s why you play in sports,” Austin said when asked if anyone else could even dream of beating Williams this week. “But it’s a smaller chance. I’ve said in the past that I thought a certain player was a favorite, maybe Serena was the favorite or Justine (Henin) was a favorite. But I can’t remember a time in a while when there was as big a gap between Serena, the favorite and the rest. “For her to lose the U.S. Open, she’s going to have to have a really bad day and someone else is going to have to have a day where they’re just really in the zone.” The candidates include Wozniacki, who has been to only one Grand Slam final, and No. 2 Vera Zvonareva, who has been to two Grand Slam finals and won a total of eight games, five of them against Williams at Wimbledon last year. Also last year, Zvonareva fell 6-2, 6-1 to Clijsters, the two-time defending champion who would

AP Photo/Mel Evans

Serena Williams returns a shot to Ana Ivanovic of Serbia during the recent U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. have likely been Williams’ best competition here had she not pulled out before the tournament with an injury. It was two years ago, when Clijsters played Williams in the semifinals, that Williams got mad at a line judge who called a foot fault against her on a second serve when she was two points away from losing the match. The tirade that followed earned her a point penalty that ended her stay at Flushing Meadows. She missed last year’s U.S. Open after stepping on broken glass in a restaurant in Germany. She had two foot surgeries, blood clots in her lungs and surgery for a stomach hematoma before returning to play in June. This could be the first time she’s been at full health since she won the 2010 Wimbledon title. After her latest victory, a 6-3, 64 win over Ana Ivanovic, Ivanovic conceded it’s intimidating going against such a presence. This from a player who was ranked No. 1 only three years ago. “I really try not to look so much across the net,” Ivanovic said. “I just tried to focus on my game and tried

to do everything that I can.” Which will be Pavlyuchenkova’s strategy, too. “I don’t want to go out there and enjoy just being on the center court playing against Serena,” she said. “I would like to do well, try to fight and, with my effort, I try to beat her. But of course I respect her a lot, as well. She’s just great.” If Williams wins three more matches, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s won a major after essentially working her way into playing shape following a long break. She won the 2007 Australian Open after a year in which she played only four tournaments and was criticized for looking out of shape. “Yes, Kim Clijsters came back and won the U.S. Open in her third tournament back,” Austin said of Clijsters’ win in 2009. “That’s unusual. But Serena has done this multiple times, where she’s been off for a long, long time and came back and won the tournament because she’s just a better athlete than everybody else and she has better mental toughness than everybody else. I don’t think there are other players, other sports, where this happens.”

GAY MARRIAGE BAN Continued from page 7 exercising a veto right that the rules of direct democracy in California do not allow? Proposition 8 reinstated a ban on same-sex marriages in California by amending the state Constitution to supersede a California Supreme Court

ruling that had legalized gay unions five months earlier. The Williams Institute, a think tank on sexual orientation and the law at the University of California, Los Angeles, has estimated that 18,000 couples tied the knot during the brief window.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

SPORTS BEAT

The winning Sierra Leone team.

Head coach Raheem Morris oversees the Tampa Bay Buccaneer training camp.

AP Photo/Margaret Bowles

BY BRAD PYE, JR. WATTS TIMES Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond. All in the family: Ex-Lakers great Michael Cooper, head women’s basketball coach at USC from Pasadena High, has hired his son, Michael Cooper II, as one of his assistant coaches on his Trojan staff.

Coach Pete Carroll brought in exMinnesota Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson as his Seattle Seahawks starter. Former Seahawks safety Lawyer Milloy is nominating Charlie Whitehurst to replace Jackson. Oscar “Big O’ Robertson was a driving force behind the enshrinement, nominating Tatum in the inaugural Early African American pioneers of the Game category. Globetrotters great Reece Goose Tatum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Big O on Goose Tatum: “It was just magical. He made people feel good about themselves, and this is why it is so tremendous to say he’s a hero to me.” Tatum died in 1967 and is generally called the original ‘clown prince.’ Tatum could play the game too. The Globetrotters earned their spurs in games against NBA Champions. The Globetrotters, led by Goose Tatum, beat the Minnesota Lakers in 1940. Tatum played first base for several teams in the Negro Leagues. The Tampa Bay Bucs may be the youngest team in the NFL, but they are also one of the best. They’re quarterbacked by Josh Freeman, 23, and coached by 34-year old Raheem Morris, the NFL’s youngest coach. The Bucs made the playoffs last season and are division-winning contenders in 2011. Freeman’s targets are Mike Williams, 24, Gerald McCoy, 23, Adrain Clayborn, 23, and Da’Quan Bowers, 21. The old men on the team are Rhonde “Pops” Barber, 36; Earnest Graham and Jeff Faine are the only players on the team over 30. High schools from the Southland listed among USA Today’s Top 25 teams are Anaheim Servite (8), Mission Viejo (11) and Westlake’s Oaks Christian (15). No L.A. city school was listed among the top 25. If all the 72 allegations against the University of Miami’s football team are true, Florida-based sports attorney Michael Buck says the USC and Reggie Bush scandals “make the USC case looks like USC was selling Girl Scout cookies.” That’s telling like it is. And the beat continues. Check this: Laila Ali, the daughter of Muhammad Ali and the wife of former USC and NFL star Curtis Conway, will host ABC’s “Everyday Health” this fall. Meanwhile, Laila is taking care of her

See SPORTS BEAT, page 14

The Los Angeles tournament featured 24 teams representing 20 African countries LOS ANGELES - Semi-professional and amateur soccer players numbering 384 and representing 20 African countries were featured in the first-ever African Community Soccer Tournament that saw Sierra Leone’s ‘Leone Stars’ defeat Cameroon’s ‘L.A. Lions’ team 2-1 to capture the first ACST Cup title. From the 24-team tournament that featured teams representing 20 African countries, including Jamaica, with some of Los Angeles’ best amateur soccer players, Sierra Leone emerged victorious, capturing one of the most prestigious and culturally significant titles for the team of West African immigrants, who never had the opportunity to actually play for their native country’s national team after whom they are named. The championship match took place in front of over 2,500 people at the John Ferraro Soccer Complex in Los Angeles. “Representing Sierra Leone in the African Community Soccer Tournament was important to us,” explained team captain and midfielder Brian George, 27, of Los Angeles. “It’s been our dream to represent our national team back in Sierra Leone but because of certain circumstances we were not able to do that, so to win this tournament, it really means a lot to us and we’re proud of that.” A graduate of Hamilton High School (2007), George, came to America from Sierra Leone’s Freetown when he was 11 years old. He is set to graduate from Everest College next year with a degree in criminal justice, which he hopes will help him pursue his dream of joining the Los Angeles Police Department as an officer. In addition to George, the Leone Stars were represented in the 2011 ACST by midfielders Ibrahim Kebe, Christian King, Kedrick George, Mohammad Kamara, Osman Kamara, and Mickey Rickey; defenders Alimamy Kanu, Abdul Kamara, Tejan Kallou, Miguel Alvarez, and Francis Sesay, forward Salieu Fofana; strikers Adrian Hamilton and Albert Sapateh; goalie Joe Hernandez, and team managers Tejan Sesay and Thomas Kamara. Midfielder Christian King was named MVP for scoring 3 goals throughout the tournament all while

playing with a serious knee injury. The Leone Stars, defeated Ethiopia’s L.A. Stars (0-2), Togo’s Black Hawks (0-1) in first-round matchups before advancing to the quarterfinals to face Nigeria’s Black Eagles (0-2). In the semi-finals, the Leone Stars sealed their place in the finals by taking out Ghana’s Africa United team 5-4 in penalties. The Leone Stars was formed in 1990 by a group of Sierra Leoneans living in Los Angeles. The team plays in various local, state, and national tournaments including the Sierra Leone Old Athletics Association’s (SLOAA) annual soccer tournament that assembles Sierra Leaoneans from all across the United States. Sulaiman Turay, 33, an electrical engineer and former member of the Leone Stars before retiring due to an injury was at Saturday’s tournament to cheer on his team. “We’ve never played in a tournament of this magnitude,” Turay explains. “It was amazing to just be a part of it. We didn’t care about winning, we just wanted to be a part of it and to represent our country.” Turay joined the Leone Stars in 1996, two years after he moved to Los Angeles from Freetown. He is considered a big brother to many of the team’s current members whose ages range from 17 to 29. “Joining the team helped me grow as a person. It gave me a sense of community-community that I had left behind in Sierra Leone. Today, I give back and help out with the team as a mentor in the same way that I was mentored when I first joined.” Turay still attends the team’s weekly Saturday practices in Hawthorne. The tournament’s organizers Vuvuzela Media and Marketing, a niche marketing group that focuses on Los Angeles’ African and West Indian communities, believes that the ACST is paving the way for the recognition and contribution of Blacks in soccer in Los Angeles. “Los Angeles has a vibrant African community,” explains Charlotte Kouassi, company co-founder and Republic of Cote d’Ivoire native. “The African Community Soccer Tournament is an event that puts a face on our community and puts on display our love and passion for soccer while

bringing us all together to celebrate our common bonds — Africa, soccer, and the city of Los Angeles. According to the U.S. Census, it is estimated that the current population of African immigrants to the United States is about 881,300. In Los Angeles County there are about 26,000 Africans representing almost 3 percent of the black population. African countries in Los Angeles County with the most immigrants include Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. The tournament’s presenting sponsors were Broadway Federal Bank, Soccer Shop USA and MoneyGram International who sponsored the Cup and $3,000 first place prize money. In addition, to the action on the field, off field Los Angeles’ African dignitaries, including South Africa’s consul general Cyril Sibusiso Ndaba, came out to root for their respective country’s team as well as support the overall event. Looking towards 2012, the tournament’s organizers are hopeful that the ACST will attract soccer’s major league teams for scouting for potential players. “We’re excited about 2012 and look forward to the return of this year’s teams and the addition of new teams,” says Isaac Appiah, Vuvuzela Media and Marketing co-founder and Ghana native. “We congratulate all of this year’s participants. With the success of this first time event, we all are winners.” For all of the 2011 African Community Soccer Tournament highlights including scores, photos, and videos, please log onto www.africansoccerla.com, the home of the ACST and online destination for Los Angeles area Blacks in soccer. The 2011 ACST was produced by Vuvuzela Media and Marketing and was sponsored in part by SoccerShopUSA.com, Christ Citadel International Church, Clear Essence, MoneyGram International, Turkish Airlines, and Broadway Federal Bank with media partners CaribPress, Immigrant Magazine, African Times, The African Trumpet and Pacifica KPFK 90.7 FM. The tournament was sanctioned by, the California State Soccer Association (CalSouth), the official youth and adult state soccer association of the United States.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

A grown folks tale The King Monument: Time BY CHERYL PEARSON-MCNEIL NNPA COLUMNIST I’d like to share a love story with you. It’s probably not the kind you’d expect. The characters in this story are not sultry women and manly men. They are tablets, like iPads, eReaders (electronic devices that allow you to digitally read books, magazines, etc.), and other mobile connected devices. But I promise I’ll make it interesting. Once upon a time, oh, way back a year ago (which is, in fact, a long time as technology seems to evolve at warp speed), Nielsen’s quarterly survey of smartphones, tablets and eReaders reported that men and younger folks dominated the tablet and eReader ownership Cheryl Pearson-McNeil market. The survey showed that 62 percent of tablet owners were 34 and younger, and that those in the 55plus crowd made up only 10 percent. But Old Man Time came along, and showed what a difference a year makes! By the second quarter of 2011, the percentage of users over 55 jumped to 19 percent, while the number of young’uns who owned tablets dropped to 46 percent, according to Nielsen data. While men (still by far) prefer tablets more than women, 61 percent of women have taken an affinity to eReaders, up from just 46 percent this time last year. Smartphones are the darling devices and are pretty evenly split between men and women. To break down our love affair with smartphones even further, Nielsen research shows that 40 percent of all of U.S. mobile owners over the age of 18 own smartphones. And of those, Android is now the most popular operating system (40 percent), edging out Apple’s iOS (iPhones), which came in second with 28 percent of all smartphone owners. I heard you gasp! Surprised weren’t you? What’s a story without a twist? People across the land are pretty passionate about their smartphones. I’ve witnessed some conversations that almost take on a Hatfields vs. McCoys quality between devotees of the iPhones vs. the Android. But wait, there’s more. There’s a new sheriff in town – er, uh, a new device in town. I told you I’d make it interesting. While the iPhone may be behind in the smartphone market, additional Nielsen research shows that the iPad continues to dominate the market in the United States in the tablet race; even with the introduction of new Android-based entrants to the field almost everyday, like the Samsung Galaxy and the Motorola Xoom. So, now people may have the Hatfields and the McCoys living harmoniously in the same house. And the manufacturers across the land are of course pleased as punch with this co-existence. So, we have all of these cool toys. How are we using them? Households with mobile-connected devices as well as desktops or laptops were asked which device they use more since they acquired a tablet: 35 percent of tablet owners report using their desktop computers less often or not at all, while 32 percent of laptop owners say they use their laptops less often or not at all and 27 percent of those tablet owners who also own eReaders reveal that they now use their eReaders less often or not at all. As is often the case with any story there is a damsel in distress. And in this story that would be me! I own both a Kindle and an iPad2, but I prefer to cuddle up in bed with a good book. But I’m clearly in the minority because according to Nielsen, 61 percent of eReader owners are snuggling up in bed with one of any number of eReaders, rather than a conventional book. Somebody save me! The eReaders are taking over; bookstores are rapidly closing down (a moment of silence please over their demise. No really, ssshhh). But, I remain steadfastly devoted to the smell of freshly printed books and the feel of actual, not virtual, pages between my fingers. So, I’m holding out hope against hope that books won’t go the way of the dinosaur, the eight-track or VCR! Of course, people are not just reading in bed (mind out of the gutter, people; it’s not that kind of story). Research reports show that we enjoy playing with all of our technical toys while supine: 57 percent of tablet owners and 51 percent of smartphone users are using them in bed, and 70 percent and 68 percent of tablet and smartphone owners, respectively, use them while watching TV. The moral of this story is whether you’re reading this column, holding the paper in your hands or skimming it on your smartphone, tablet, eReader, laptop or PC — keep reading! Because knowledge is power. The End. Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies, go to www.nielsenwire.com.

to Revitalize the Movement BY DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST The planned dedication and ceremony to formally consecrate the National Memorial Monument of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C., will soon take place after the recent postponement due to the challenging weather conditions resulting from Hurricane Irene. It is not that unusual, however, to now witness a growing chorus of people who are expressing their opinions on the stone structure’s style and architecture, the chiseled inscriptions of King’s quotes and the overall intended tone that should exude from the moment. I believe that we all should be very grateful to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and to Harry E. Johnson and the King Memorial Foundation for their outstanding leadership over the many years to bring this significant project to a permanent establishment. Of course, we also have to recognize and thank the King family for their long fortitude and steadfastness of commitment to keep the dream, legacy and spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King alive and well for millions of people in America and throughout the world. As a former North Carolina state youth director for Golden Frinks and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in NC in the 1960s under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I would like to add just a word to enjoin the current public debate about the King National Memorial. I support the memorial. I believe that this monument in Washington, D.C. will not only stimulate a muchneeded review and broader comprehension of the leadership of Dr. King, but also even for those who have posited their criticisms concerning some aspects of the King National Memorial, this monument, strategically located in the nation’s capital, will bring renewed interests and involvement in the ongoing Civil Rights Movement. In other words, we all should be striving today to make sure that the “Monument” reflects and represents the “Movement” not just of the past, but just as importantly the “Movement” today for freedom, justice, equality, jobs and empowerment. At a time in the United State when we are clearly heading into another difficult national political debate and polarizing crossroads on issues like voting rights, jobs, poverty, racial discrimination, immigration, environmental injustice, disproportionate incarceration, home ownership and land loss, and other severe economic inequalities impacting the African American community, we need the Civil Rights Movement today just as much as we needed the movement 40 years ago. Again we urgently have to ask,

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

“Where is the Movement today that the King Monument represents?” In an Op-Ed piece in The New York Times, the renowned scholar Dr. Cornel West emphasized, “King weeps from his grave. He never confused substance with symbolism. He never conflated a flesh and blood sacrifice with a stone and mortar edifice. We rightly celebrate his substance and sacrifice because he loved us all so deeply. Let us not remain satisfied with symbolism because we too often fear the challenge he embraced.” Dr. West affirms the liberation theology of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that necessitated a visible, audacious, challenging, revolutionary and moral praxis that encouraged a massive and participatory grassroots Civil Rights Movement led in many instances by the Black American church in coalition with many others of conscience and spirit. We should all recall that at one point in the movement, in spite of differences in ideology, age, class orientation, political party or other social distinctions, the NAACP, SCLC, National Urban League, CORE and SNCC all worked together in coalition with others in the civil rights movement in the interests of advancing the cause of freedom, justice, jobs and liberation for all.

SPORTS BEAT Continued from page 13 three-month-old daughter, Sydney J., and three-year-son, C.J. Of the 15 players selected to appear in 2-K Sports basketball simulation NBA 2K12, which will be launched on Oct. 4 on Nintendo Wit, PC Play Station 3, Xbox 360, PS2 and the PSP, 10 players are men of color. A list of the entire 15 is composed of the following: Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan, Lakers Magic Johnson, Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird, Philadelphia ‘76ers Julius Erving, Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Lakers center Wilt

Today we have more national organizations than we had in the 1950s and 1960s, but Black people in America are less organized and mobilized primarily because we have less unity and sense of purpose among us as a people. In 2008, the election of President Barack H. Obama was an important milestone in the history of our long struggle for freedom. 2008 also witnessed the largest voter turnout of African American voters in U.S. history. We have to rekindle that kind of voter mobilization across the nation once again. There are efforts in more than 20 states today to repress Black and Latino voter turnout. The forces of reaction and repression are at work to systematically prevent another large Black voter turnout. How is it that there are some who still say “Well, we really don’t need a movement today?” I am hopeful that the dedication of the new National Memorial for Dr. King will at least remind more of us that we still have a lot of work to do. We still have serious civil rights and human rights issues to be addressed and challenged. In particular I see so many of our young people who cry out today for a deeper understanding and appreciation for what happened and how it happened 50 and 40 year ago in the movement for change. There is no better way to get that kind of an understanding than to simply join the movement and help to lead our struggle forward. I caution against the rise of cynicism and hopelessness in our community. You can be critical without becoming cynical. Constructive criticism always has its place. But we should not indulge in throwing stones of disunity at each other. Let’s show our love for the love that Dr. King gave to all of us by revitalizing the movement that he led: the Civil Rights Movement. Let’s build and expand the “Movement” that the King “Monument” reflects and represents. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is senior advisor to the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and President of Education Online Services Corporation and the HipHop Summit Action Network (HSAN). Chamberlain, Celtics’ Bill Russell, Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon, Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, Bulls forward Scottie Pippen, Lakers guard Jerry West, Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas, Milwaukee Bucks guard Oscar Robertson and Jazz guard John Stockton. How about the Arizona Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald’s eight-year contract for $120 million? AP reports $50million is guaranteed. Fitzgerald’s contract is believed to be one of the largest in NFL history. And the beat ends. Brad Pye, Jr., can be reached at Switchreel@aol.com

Thursday, September 8, 2011 T.S. No.: 10-10546 Loan No.: 1067 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 10/23/2009. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier's check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state will be held by the duly appointed trustee as shown below, of all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter described property under and pursuant to a Deed of Trust described below. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. Trustor: VIRGIL EVERAGE, AS TRUSTEE OF JUDY B. MCGEE TRUST UTD SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 Duly Appointed Trustee: American Trust Deed Services Corp. Recorded 10/30/2009 as Instrument No. 20091641080 in book , page and rerecorded on --- as --- of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, Date of Sale: 9/14/2011 at 10:30 AM Place of Sale: AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE MID VALLEY LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY REGIONAL BRANCH, 16244 NORDHOFF STREET, NORTH HILLS, CA 91343 Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $159,121.79 Street Address or other common designation of real property: 1531,1531 1/2, AND 1533 EAST 81ST STREET, 1604 E. 81ST ST., 1617 E. 81ST ST., AND 1617 EAST 81ST ST. #B (GARAGE), 1507 EAST 24TH ST. LOS ANGELES, California 90001 A.P.N.: 6028-007-016;6027-003-002;6027-002-016;5118-020014 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale. Date: 8/17/2011 SECTION 1692(E): THIS COMMUNICATION IS WITH A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE American Trust Deed Services Corp. 9016 White Oak Avenue Northridge, California 91435 (818) 781-9800 Kim Kaufman, Trustee Sales Officer Ad #14803 2011-08-25 2011-09-01 2011-09-08 Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2011049999 The following person (s) is (are) doing business as:(1) LEGAL PROBATE LITIGATION ATTORNEY, 4515 AUGUST STREET, #2. LOS ANGELES, CA. 90008. County of Los Angeles. Registered Owner (S): JOSEPH GENTRY, 4515 AUGUST ST. #2 LOS ANGELES, CA. 90008. This business is conducted by: an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on JUNE 8-11 . I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/ JOSEPH GENTRY, OWNER This statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES County on JUNE 20, 2011 . NOTICE-in accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920 A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920. Where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of 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). Original 8/18, 8125, 09/01, 9/08/2011. LA SENTINEL 430764

GOVERNMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR A MASTER DEVELOPER FOR JORDAN DOWNS REDEVELOPMENT RFQ NO. 7556 The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites Statements of Qualifications from qualified for-profit or non-profit developers of affordable housing to act as the master developer and to partner with the Authority and City of Los Angeles for the redevelopment of the Jordan Downs public housing site in the Watts community of Los Angeles. copy of the RFQ may be obtained beginning September 7, 2011 via www.hacla.org/ps or call (213) 252-5405 or 252-1832. Submittals will be accepted until 2:00 P.M. (Pacific Time) by November 4, 2011. 9/8, 9/15/11 CNS-2169695# WATTS TIMES LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (METRO) INVITATION FOR BIDS Metro will receive bids for IFB OP83802788 for the Design-Build of an Automated Portable Toilet at the Artesia Transit Center per specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (9th Floor). All Bids must be submitted on forms furnished by Metro, and must be filed at the reception desk of the Office of Material on or before 2:00 p.m. on Monday, November 7, 2011 . Pacific Time. This is a Two-Step IFB. There will not be a public bid opening at this time. Bids received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the bidder unopened. Each bid must be sealed and marked Bid No. OP83802788. A Pre-Bid conference will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 27, 2011, in the Palisades Conference Room on the 8th Floor of METRO’s Gateway Plaza Building located at the address above. You may obtain bid specifications, or further information, by emailing Wayne Okubo at okubow@metro.net. 9/8/11 CNS-2169667# WATTS TIMES

15 NOTICE INVITING BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Long Beach, California, acting by and through the City’s Board of Harbor Commissioners (“City”) will receive, before the Bid Deadline established below, sealed Bids for the following Work: PIER E, BERTHS E25-E27 WHARF/BACKLANDS REDEVELOPMENT, PHASE 1, STAGE 2 LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S2272 Bid Deadline:

Prior to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 Bid packages will be time/date stamped on the 4th floor or in the Lobby and shall be submitted prior to 10 a.m.

Place for Submission of Bids: 1. By Delivery Any Calendar Day Before the Bid Deadline Harbor Department Administration Building 4th Floor, Plans and Specifications/Program Management Office 925 Harbor Plaza Long Beach, CA 90802 2. By Delivery on the Same Calendar Day as the Bid Deadline Harbor Department Administration Building Lobby 925 Harbor Plaza Long Beach, CA 90802 Bid Opening: As soon as practical after the Bid Deadline Harbor Department Administration Building 6th Floor Board Room 925 Harbor Plaza Long Beach, CA 90802 Contract Documents Available: Date/Time: Beginning Thursday, September 8, 2011 Monday –Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Location: Harbor Department Administration Building 4th Floor, Plans and Specifications 925 Harbor Plaza Long Beach, CA 90802 Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting: Date/Time: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 8:00-10:00 a.m. The Pre-Bid Meeting is Mandatory for Bidders Location: 6th Floor Board Room Project Contact Person: Tom Baldwin, Fax: 562-901-1763, Baldwin@polb.com NIB -1 Contract Documents. Copies of Contract Documents in DVD format may be obtained, at no cost, at the Plans and Specifications Office, 4th floor, Harbor Department Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza, Long Beach, CA 90802 during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To arrange to receive a DVD of the Contract Documents by courier at the expense of the Bidder, call (562) 590-4146. For information on this Project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/out_for_bid.asp. Copies of all Port insurance endorsement forms, SBE/VSBE Program forms, Harbor Development Permit Applications and other Port forms are available at http://www.polb.com/economics/contractors/forms_permits/default.asp. NIB -2 Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting. The engineering staff of the City’s Harbor department will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 in the Board Room, 6th floor, of the Harbor Department Administration Building. Note that attendance at the pre-bid meeting can be used to satisfy a portion of a Bidder’s good faith efforts to meet the SBE/VSBE participation goals listed below. Should a Bidder elect not to attend the pre-bid meeting, the Bidder shall not be relieved of its sole responsibility to inform itself of all conditions at the Project Site and the content of the Contract Documents. EACH BIDDER MUST ATTEND THE MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETING. FAILURE TO ATTEND THE MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETING SHALL DISQUALIFY YOUR BID. NIB -3 Summary Description of the Work. The Work required by this Contract includes, but is not limited to, the following: A. Demolish and remove marine structures. B. Dredge ship channel. C. Excavate wharf and backlands. D. Furnish and place stone slope protection. E. Construct fills within Slip No. 1. F. Construct a prestressed pile supported concrete wharf. G. Construct precast concrete sheet pile bulkhead. H. Furnish, place, and compact filter rock, crushed miscellaneous base, and fill material behind the wharf. I. Construct electrical and communication infrastructure. J. Construct water system. K. Construct storm drain system including pipes, trench drains, and oil/sediment separators. L. Provide asphalt concrete pavement. M. Remove and dispose of hazardous materials. NIB -4

Contract Time and Liquidated Damages. The Work shall reach Substantial

Completion within four hundred twenty-five (425) calendar days as provided in Paragraph SC - 6.1 of the Special Conditions, from a date specified in a written “Notice to Proceed” issued by the City and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Conditions. FAILURE OF THE CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE WORK WITHIN THE CONTRACT TIME AND OTHER MILESTONES WILL RESULT IN ASSESSMENT OF LIQUIDATED DAMAGES IN THE AMOUNTS ESTABLISHED IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS. NIB -5 Contractor’s License. Each Bidder shall hold a current and valid Class “A” California Contractor’s License to bid this Project. NIB -6 Contractor Performed Work. The Contractor shall perform, with its own employees, Contract Work amounting to at least 50% of the Contract Price, except that any designated “Specialty Items” may be performed by subcontract and the amount of any such “Specialty Items” so performed may be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. “Specialty Items” will be identified by the City in the Schedule of Bid Items. NIB -7 SBE/VSBE. This project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE)/Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program. The combined SBE/VSBE participation goal for this project is twenty-five percent (25 %), of which a minimum of five percent (5 %) must be allocated to VSBEs. POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal. Award of the Contract will be conditioned on the Bidder submitting an SBE-2C Commitment Plan demonstrating the Bidder’s intent to meet the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal. If the Bidder’s Commitment Plan does not demonstrate intent to meet the combined goal, the Bidder shall demonstrate that it made an adequate good faith effort to do so, as specified in the Instructions to Bidders (ITB 18).The Port’s SBE Program staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the SBE Office at (562) 499-3472 or sbeprogram@polb.com. You may also view the Port’s SBE program requirements at www.polb.com/sbe. NIB -8 Prevailing Wage Rates and Employment of Apprentices. This Project is a public work as defined in Labor Code Section 1720. The Contractor receiving award of the Contract and Subcontractors of any tier shall pay not less than the prevailing wage rates to all workers employed in execution of the Contract. The Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California has determined the general prevailing rates of wages in the locality in which the Work is to be performed. The rate schedules are available on the internet at: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlsr/DPreWageDetermination.htm. Bidders are directed to Article 15 of the General Conditions for requirements concerning payment of prevailing wages, payroll records, hours of work and employment of apprentices. NIB -9 Trade Names and Substitution of Equals. With the exception of any sole source determination that may be identified in this paragraph, Bidders wishing to obtain City’s authorization for substitution of equivalent material, product, or equipment, are required to submit a written request for an Or Equal Substitution using the form included in Appendix A together with data substantiating Bidder’s representation that the non-specified item is of equal quality to the item specified, thirty five (35) calendar days after Bid Opening. Authorization of a substitution is solely within the discretion of the City. NIB -10

NIB -11 Bid Security, Signed Contract, Insurance and Bonds. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a satisfactory Bidder’s Bond or other acceptable Bid Security in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if Conditionally Awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract is conditionally awarded to the Contractor by the City, execute and deliver such Contract to the Chief Harbor Engineer together with all required documents including insurance forms, a Payment Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. All Bonds shall be on forms provided by the City. NIB -12 Conditional Award of Contract and Reservation of Rights. The Board, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time before the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informality or irregularity. The Conditional Award of the Contract, if any, will be to the responsible Bidder submitting the lowest responsive and responsible Bid. If the lowest responsive responsible Bidder fails to submit the required documents including insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) calendar days after Conditional Award of Contract, the Board reserves the right to rescind the Conditional Award and Conditionally Award the Contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible Bidder. NIB -13 Period of Bid Irrevocability. Bids shall remain open and valid and Bidder’s Bonds shall be guaranteed for ninety (90) calendar days after the Bid Deadline or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. NIB -14 Substitution of Securities. Substitution of Securities for retainage is permitted in accordance with Section 22300 of the Public Contract Code. Issued at Long Beach, California, this 20th day of June, 2011. Richard D. Steinke Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California

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Continued from page 5

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believe prices on new back-toschool merchandise are higher, and nearly two-thirds say lower prices, far above other factors, are their biggest purchase consideration, the survey showed. The survey indicates sales are up at the nation’s dollar store chains as

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shoppers flock to stores for school supplies like pencils, composition books, crayons and backpacks. Try consignment stores —prices may be 50 percent lower — and wait if you can: Clearance sales begin at the end of September, says Cohen. Rose-Scott says the higher

prices mean her school-aged kids won’t get everything they want this year. “It’s now all about putting food on the table and gas in the car.” She admits despite the higher back-to-school prices, shrinking quality and the morbid dread with which kids claim to greet the renewal of school days, returning to the classroom is an age-old reunion to which most of them look forward with anticipation.

Thursday, September 8, 2011