Vol. 63 No. 16 | Thursday, April 20, 2023

Gov. Newsom and Funding for Black Student Education

The governor and advocates are at an impasse

A Wedding for

Mr. &

Mrs. Smith

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA

Last week, at the invitation of the Black in School Coalition (BISC), over 2,500 K-12 students, parents, education advocates, and civil rights leaders marched to the California State Capitol to demand increased funding for Black students in the state’s public schools.

Outreach Efforts Help Reach Hundreds

Saturday, April 8th, the Jackie Robinson YMCA gym and outside patio were packed with over 98% of African Americans wanting relief from inflated debt affecting most San Diegans. In collaboration with Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), the Grandparents Connection hosted a workshop to help the community understand their utility bills,

rate hikes, deadlines, and how to ultimately lower their monthly payments.

In addition to workshops to educate the community on bill-related issues including addressing conflicts, the “ TEAM and CHANGES” program facilitator, Niconora Montenegro said that they were only expecting 200 people that day and were shocked that almost 500

BISC is a statewide advocacy association consisting of 17 organizations from all parts of the education community, including teachers, administrators, local school districts and county board of education trustees, parents, civil rights, and faith groups.

See EDUCATION page 2

By Voice & Viewpoint Staff

Well known San Diego residents Pastor Richard Smith, Jr. and Sister Patricia Phoenix exchanged wedding vows on April 15th at the Legacy Resort Hotel & Spa. The ceremony was followed by a reception for friends and family. The wedding was a pleasant surprise to many friends who have known the couple individually for years in the San Diego community and as former members of Saint Stephens Cathedral.

See WEDDING page 2

Why We Need More Trees in Black Neighborhoods

By Alexa Spencer WORD IN BLACK

“Trees aren’t equitably distributed across all communities.”

The unequal distribution of trees robs Black and other people of color of cleaner, cooler air in their neighborhoods.

Katrina Destroyed 200,000 Trees in New Orleans

showed up. “My heart bled seeing so many people with oxygen tanks lined up before we started setting up at 8:30,” Niconora cried, “and come to find out they had been there since 6:30 am.” The event wasn’t set to start until sometime after 10 o’clock. Niconora said it spoke loudly about how great the need was in this community.

See OUTREACH page 10

As an urban reforestation advocate, Tanner Haid has seen lush, green trees line streets, providing shade in predominately-white, upperclass areas. Meanwhile, in neighboring ethnic and lower-income communities, the canopy of maples, oaks, and poplar trees is nearly absent. This tree inequity — when one area has less coverage than others nearby — is common in historically Black cities.

In March, Haid’s organization One Tree Planted, a n on-profit on a global tree-planting mission, put 150 trees in the ground in New Orleans. In partnership with local supporters and residents, the crew planted along sidewalks in the Lower Ninth Ward.

He says the easternmost neighborhood is “a really critical place to be working” because it’s still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

Before the storm hit in 2005, the Lower Ninth Ward had the city’s highest percentage of Black homeownership, although it was the poorest neighborhood.

See TREES page 2

Third-grade student Solomon D. Reedus rallied with his classmates at the State Capitol April 11, 2023. Critics say Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal falls short of narrowing the academic achievement gap between Black students and other groups on state achievement tests. PHOTO: CBM/Antonio Ray Harvey.

The Grandparent’s Connection Founder and Director, Shearl Lambert, assists community members on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at the Jackie Robinson YMCA. PHOTO: Darrel Wheeler

PHOTO: SOUL NOLA

PHOTO: Mike Norris

When cities overheat due to a lack of tree coverage, Black and lowincome residents suffer. Now activists nationwide are creating solutions.

ARTICLE CONTINUATION

EDUCATION:

Continued from cover

The BISC marchers were calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom and t he California Legislature to not move forward with the “Equity Multiplier” proposed in the governor’s Education Budget, which i s supposed to be a substitute for Assembly Bill (AB) 2774 authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D – La Mesa).

AB 2774 would have guaranteed funding for California’s lowest performing group, Black students, but advocates say, Newsom’s proposal falls short of that goal.

Because Newsom raised concerns that targeting funds to a specific group of students would violate Prop 209, which prevents preferential treatment based on race, Weber withdrew AB 2774. In exchange, Newsom agreed to increase funding for Black students under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in the 2023 budget.

The LCFF is a state law that provides funding to local school districts based on the needs of their students. California’s highest-needs student populations receiving supplemental funding for additional support are English Language Learners, low-income students, and children in foster care or homeless youth. However, despite chronic underperformance, Black students are not identified as a high-needs population for funding.

According to state data, in the 2021-22 academic year, 30% of California’s Black students met English standards and 15% met math standards, compared to 61% and 48% of White students meet-

ing reading and math standards, respectively.

The equity multiplier proposal provides $300 million in ongoing Proposition 98 funding to the LCFF to accelerate gains in closing opportunity and outcome gaps. The funds are allocated to school districts with schools serving high concentrations of students eligible for free meals.

The equity multiplier is part of Newsom’s plan to overhaul how the state can hold districts and schools accountable for student performance, with particular attention t o racial disparities. According to Newsom’s office, 95% of Black students in California will be impacted because they are enrolled in districts potentially facing new accountability requirements due to low performance.

Dr. Margaret Fortune, president and CEO of the charter school organization Fortune School of Education and the lead voice for BISC says Newsom’s proposal sounds good but does not reflect the intentions of Weber’s bill.

According to an analysis conducted by EdSource, the funding from Newsom’s proposal would benefit about 6% of Black students statewide and they would be receiving a n estimated $18 million out of $300 million proposed. Overall, the proposal targets just 5% of students in the state in about 800 schools and the students reached in those schools are mostly Latino.

To address this disparity in funding for Black students not in low-income schools, BISC has developed

an alternative plan to the Equity Multiplier. It proposes additional funding for any group not already funded that scores below the state average on any two metrics on the California School Dashboard. Based on this year’s dashboard results, Black and Native American students would qualify.

Because students who have received LCFF funding have shown progress and improved outcomes due to concentrated resources aimed at their improvement, BISC’s funding alternative intentionally provides Black students the additional support that has benefited high-needs student groups.

Prior to their march on the Capitol, members of the BISC and students provided public comments at the State Assembly’s education budget committee hearing in support of their alternative budget proposal.

Fortune suggested to the committee that the $300 million in the governor’s equity multiplier proposal be directed to student groups who perform below the state average on two or more state indicators on the California school dashboard. This would increase per-student funding from $713 under the governor’s proposal to $3,318 for students in California with the greatest academic needs.

Under the BISC alternative plan, an additional 81,617 Black students and 8,807 Native American students would be eligible for this funding, compared to an additional 22,699 Black students and 1,806 Native American students under Newsom’s proposal.

wedding: trees:

Continued from cover

Generations of Black natives spent their lives building and investing there. But along with destroying what they owned, the flooding also damaged the landscape that made the community beautiful — including the trees.

Cynthia Morrell-Guillemet, 78, witnessed the city she was born and raised in be wrecked by the waters.

“Most houses had to be totally torn down, and you had to build again from the ground up,” she says.

Right before the storm, she started renovating her childhood home since her parents had passed away, “then Katrina destroyed all of that.”

were destroyed.”

Crake myrtle trees planted between the street and sidewalk were also removed. But one local tree managed to brave the storm: a pecan tree Morrell-Guillemet’s father planted when she was growing up.

“That was the only thing that was left. That was the original,” she says.

The family tree is now joined by hundreds of newly-planted trees in the area with the help of One Tree Planted and a local organization, SOUL (Sustaining Our Urban Landscape).

Trees Heal the Mind and Body

Residents can expect to experience major benefits within 10 to 20 years.

“I hope I’m here to be able to see it,” says MorrellGuillemet, a client service specialist for the Lower 9th Ward Homeownership Association.

People who live near trees receive a boost in their quality of life. Not only do trees lengthen lifespan and improve brain function, but they also lessen depression and anxiety.

Research has found that simply looking at trees reduces blood pressure and the stress-related hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

Christina Laster, Western Regional Education Director of the National Action Network, stated that not many Black students attend the low-income schools targeted by the governor’s equity multiplier. Instead, she recommends focusing on student groups who perform below the state average on two or more state indicators on the California school dashboard. This would target student groups in the most academic need based on their performance, not their race.

Dr. Ramona Bishop, CEO of ELITE Public Schools, urged the Legislators to consider the BISC alternative proposal for the equity multiplier, which would address the needs of the students who stood behind her as she spoke. She emphasized that all Black students in the state deserve care, attention, and the best efforts of those in power.

A spokesperson for the governor said, “We share the ultimate goal of the Black in School Coalition to eliminate opportunity and achievement gaps for Black students. However, we continue to believe that our more comprehensive and legally sound proposal is a better option than AB 2774 and its related alternative proposal. We are not alone in that belief — as I believe you have seen, we have the support of members of the CLBC (California Black Legislative Caucus including Weber), CAAASA (California Association of African American Superintendents), the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Tony Thurmond) and many others.”

So BISC and Newsom are at an impasse at what is the best way to direct state funding for educating

Black students in the public schools. BISC wants funding targeting Black students based on their need for support due to poor academic performance, while Newsom’s Equity Multiplier focuses on schools with high concentrations of poverty, impacting about 6% of the state’s Black students.

Newsom is concerned about the legal implications of funding aimed at specific racial groups and aims to reform the LCFF to address underperforming racial groups. BISC, on the other hand, is focused solely on Black student funding and not on reforming LCFF.

But the California Department of Justice (DOJ) in a preliminary report it wrote for the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans recommended funding Black students through the state’s funding formula, suggesting that Newsom should not be so concerned about violating Prop 209.

A recent report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office complicates the debate by noting that high-poverty schools already receive targeted funding and recommending that the Legislature not approve funding for the Equity Multiplier.

Until a solution to the impasse is achieved, the state must persist in its efforts to identify and implement the appropriate policy to assist its Black students in improving their academic performance, based on their individual needs rather than their race.

When she returned to rebuild her property around 2019 — almost 15 years after the storm — she realized the palm trees she adored were gone.

“There may be two or three blocks that have one palm tree, but it was beautiful [when they were] laid out,” she says. “All of those palm trees

Susannah Burley, founder and executive director of SOUL, and her team chose to plant “water-loving” trees in bunches in MorrellGuillemet’s community for disaster prevention.

“If you put them all on continuous streets and you have a hundred water-loving trees that are native, can

withstand flooding, and are drinking up the water, you can really change how a neighborhood responds to a storm,” she says.

When the trees absorb the stormwater, less demand is put on the city’s drainage system. This is good news considering the impact of Katrina was due in part to the city’s failing infrastructure.

The trees will also help cool the city down — and that’s not just needed in New Orleans.

An estimated 1,300 people die from extreme heat in the U.S. every year. Due to redlining and other racist policies that result in living conditions with fewer trees and parks, Black people are especially at risk for heat exposure.

When Hurricane Ida swept through New Orleans in 2021, several people died from heat-related causes.

“It’s just unforgivable to me that people are dying after hurricanes from heat,” Burley says. “It’s ridiculous, you know?”

More Trees Are Coming to Underserved Communities

Burley’s efforts at SOUL are part of the organization’s citywide Reforestation Plan — a long-term strategy to build and protect local urban forestry, reduce heat, and lower household energy costs.

Due to buildings and asphalt that emit the sun’s heat, cities can be one to seven degrees hotter than surrounding rural and suburban areas. This is known as the “heat island effect.”

While some people in hot cities opt to turn on their air conditioning to beat the heat, not everyone is as privileged.

“In low-income areas of communities, that’s not an option,” Haid says.

One Tree Planted will be planting trees in Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York next as part of its urban forestry initiative.

“Our mission as an organization is reforestation,” Haid says. “And how can we provide that mission in cities where — especially with disadvantaged, under-resourced communities…that are greatest in need based off of economic factors, historical injustices — how can we support them.”

This story is part of Word in Black’s “Earth Day Every Day,” series exploring the environmental issues facing Black Americans and the solutions being created in the fight for climate justice. It first appeared on Word in Black.

Pastor Richard Smith, Jr. and Sister Patricia Phoenix with family and friends on April 15 th at the Legacy Resort Hotel & Spa . PHOTOS: Mike Norris

Residents and local organizations gathered to plant 200 trees in the Lower Ninth Ward on March 18 th and 25 th. PHOTO: SOUL NOLA

Senator Feinstein’s Retirement and The Governor’s Appointment

By Dr. John E. Warren Publisher, The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

California

Senator Dianne Feinstein has had a long and distinguished career. She has done much for the State of California and the nation as a United States Senator, but at the age of 89, with issues of health and the uncertainty of when she might return to a Senate much in need of every vote from the State of California, it is time for Senator Feinstein to join her former distinguished colleague, Barbara Boxer, in retirement. Senator Boxer herself has also said it’s time for her colleague to step aside and allow an appointment by the Governor to fill the remainder of her term rather than have Republicans hold hostage her seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in an effort to get Kyrsten Sinema appointed to that position. Let us remember that Senator Sinema switched from Democrat to Independent after the 2022 election gave Democrats an additional vote. It had become necessary for Vice President Harris to be the tie breaker in an evenly divided Senate.

Having given the reasons that Senator Feinstein should retire now, let us address the issue of who should be appointed to take her seat for the balance of her term.

Governor Newsom should appoint Congresswoman Barbara Lee to the U.S. Senate to fill that position . Congresswoman Lee should have been appointed to fill the remainder of Vice President Harris’ term instead of Senator Padilla, who not only filled the balance of Vice President Harris’ term, but also got elected to a full term in the 2022 election. Congresswoman Lee is well qualified for the position, having served this state in both the Assembly and the State Senate. She replaced the late Congressman Ron Dellums from Oakland, California for whom she worked as Chief of Staff during his years in Congress.

The appointment of Congresswoman Lee will reaffirm the Governor’s commitment and appreciation of the Back female vote, which has been so supportive of him through all his challenges. Congresswoman Lee should then be able to run for a full term of her own in the next election, just as Senator Padilla did, regardless of who else is running.

Senator Feinstein, please retire. Governor Newsom, please appoint Congresswoman Barbara Lee to fill the remainder of her term.

A Call For Impeachment and Recalls Before 2024

By Dr. John E. Warren Publisher, The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

The attitude of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas only adds to concerns about non reported gifts from wealthy donors. In addition, it adds to the ongoing discussion of his wife Ginny Thomas’ involvement with the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Mrs. Thomas’ emails have already proven to be very telling as to her position with the “far right” and the false statements about a “stolen” Presidential election. It was already hard to believe that she never shared any of her views with her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Considering the Justice’s conservative position on most issues, it became very hard to believe that the two persons in that marriage didn’t discuss politics. Now we find a trail of gifts and favors to the Justice, spanning decades, as well as a personal real estate deal involving the home of the mother of Justice Thomas having been sold to his billionaire donor with no record of the sale being reported, as required by law. Also, no reporting of income from the sale. The excuses offered by Justice Thomas, when he chooses to give one, reflect neither remorse nor concern about the appearance of such actions from a Justice seated on the highest court in the land and expected to lead by example. Justice Thomas can only be removed from office by death, resignation or impeachment. He is not expected to resign. Justice Roberts, the Presiding Justice, is not expected to take any action and, therefore, the only recourse is impeachment as

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Marie Widman Park Is At All-Time Low

Dear Mayor of San Diego, San Diego Urban Warriors has been receiving numerous complaints about the horrible condition [in which] the Marie Widman Park has become since the area’s receiving the designation of San Diego’s first and historic Black Art and Culture District.

While San Diego tax paying [and] voting residents from all over the county of San Diego are uniting the third Tuesday of each month in collective work and responsibility to establish an epicenter for the diaspora of diverse Black cultural enrichment art, culture, heritage, traditions and celebrations through music, song, dance, language, education and networking in building self-determination and purpose at the Second Chance building at 6pm, the City of San Diego is continuing to disrespect our tax dollars, denying us equal rights and justice to resources, funding and support in establishing a higher quality of life and appreciation for Black art, culture and heritage in an area we have fought for over 30 years to claim; and now to have the City totally abandon us in its responsibility is unacceptable and we won’t stand for it.

There needs to be immediate action taken. We have planned to hold the Annual Kuumba Festival in the park, but it, and the momentum of the Black Art and Culture district is in jeopardy now due to the outlandish disregard for responsibility by the City Parks Department’s blind eye to unsanitary and unsafe conditions our City park officials have historically allowed. I personally went to the park and was devastated by over 30 people living there in filth, dung and incredibly unsanitary conditions. There were people inside both the men’s and the women’s restrooms, electric cords and microwaves, open fires and chemical-smelling drug use. The smell coming from the restroom was so debilitating we could not enter to take pictures.

Dajahn A. Blevins San Diego Urban Warriors CEO

THE Tennessee ThreeProof There Is Work To Do

By Arthur Fleming Texas Metro News

provided by the United States Constitution. So far, the only Federal Judge removed from office by impeachment was Judge Alcee Hastings of the Southern District of Florida in 1989.

The issue is not whether the Senate has the votes to convict Thomas, or if a Republican controlled Congress will allow the impeachment proceedings to clear the House of Representatives, as required by the Constitution, but the need to show the American people that some elected officials still take their Oath of Office seriously enough to make the effort for removal from the highest Court in the Land.

While the United States Constitution does not have a recall provision, each state which elects individuals to the U.S. Congress does have such a provision in its State Constitution. It is time for the voters of each state to take a look at the people they have elected to some of the highest offices in the land and for the people of each state to consider recalling those elected officials who are ignoring the will of the people on such issues as gun control, abortion and voter suppression. While there may not be enough votes to remove many of the Republicans in state and national office, the idea of a Recall against them should be enough to let them know the American people have had enough of the attack on democracy. Something to think about.

“We can’t normalize the ending of American Democracy,” those are the words of Justin Jones, one of the “Tennessee Three,” that includes Representatives Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson. I believe in order to fight a “fascist thing,” you must name it, and define it. Expelling State Representatives Jones and Pearson, was the first political move from the fascist, extreme R epublican Party, aimed directly at Black political power.

Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalists political ideology and movement; characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation and race, and strong regimentation of society and economy. This system was made famous by Adolf Hitler’s Third Riech. First, let’s acknowledge the fact that our beloved America was created using what we now call fascism. The definition defines the American fascist dynamics from her beginning. The white Republicans’ supermajority Tennessee State House of Representatives demonstrated affinities for the fascist bug hiding in our quilt of diversity.

White Rep. Andrew Farmer spoke in the Tennessee house in the tradition of George Wallace and Bull Connor, dismissing gun violence concerns as “temper tantrums.” I believe this is the moment or tipping point when the African American community’s leadership is being called upon once again to help our nation get to a better place through our never ending fight for our American freedoms.

How should our community respond to this very real threat to our political freedoms and security as presented by the Tennessee Three event?

See TENNESSEE page 16

City of San Diego COO Eric Dargan Attends BAPAC Meeting

Saturday, April 15 at 12 pm, the Black American Political Association of California (BAPAC) held its monthly General Membership meeting at the San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) where the new COO of the City of San Diego Eric K. Dargan attended as a guest speaker.

Dargan, who began serving as COO November 1, 2022, shared what he has done since taking the position, which was mostly internal organization, as well as his next steps externally working with San Diegan communities to help fix the city’s issues stating that the city “cannot solve the problems alone.”

Dargan’s main internal focuses these past six months while “proudly” running the City of San Diego are what he calls the “Three C’s”:

Communication, Collaboration, and Coordination. Externally, some of his focuses are the growing homelessness issue and fixing the city’s infrastructure.

Attendees overwhelmingly expressed their hope and appreciation regarding Dargan sharing his thoughts and plans to run the city. Community member Minola Clark Manson thought the meeting was “very productive.” Clark went on to say, “[The meeting] started and flowed through with some great information.”

Community member Bruce says, “If they let him do the changes he needs to do and not let politics get involved, this’ll become a better city in one year.”

“A very candid, honest discussion. I am hopeful that folks are gonna be receptive and open to join in these discussions.” says community member and long-time resident Philip Liburd.

Black Candidates Are Queuing Up for Intense Political Battles Ahead

By

Henry

The 2024 general election is over a year away but candidates across California have begun throwing their hats in the ring to run for state office.

Several Black candidates with experience, passion and solid connections to the state’s political inner circles are entering the fray.

Last week, Darryn Harris, former chief of staff to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass while she served in the United States Congress, announced that he is vying in the state’s 35th Senatorial District to replace Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), who terms out next year. Others are expected to enter this race.

After Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) announced that she is running in the election next year to replace State Senate pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), LaShae Sharp Collins, former district director for former Assemblymember and current Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced her candidacy. Her announcement states that she is a longtime resident of the 79th Assembly District in the greater San Diego area, a mother and foster parent with years of service in education and non-profit work. Colin Parent, vice mayor of the city La Mesa, has also announced that he is running for this seat.

CBM sources have also been told that civil rights leader, the Rev. Shane Harris is expected to enter the race. Harris is president and founder of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates.

In Senate District 5 former Tracy City Councilwoman Rhodesia Ransom announced last month that she will be running to replace Sen. Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) when her term ends in 2024.

In the Inland Empire, African American candidate Dejonae Shaw, a nurse and union leader, announced

she is running for the 50 th District Assembly Seat, representing parts of San Bernardino and Los Angeles County, after Assemblymember Eloise Reyes announced she will be running for State Senator in 2024 the 29 th District.

Former Assemblymember Sandré R. Swanson has announced that he is running to replace Sen. Nancy Skinner in Senate District 7, which covers Oakland and surrounding communities.

Anthony Avalos of the Council of Equity Advocacy – San Diego (CEASD) also spoke during the meeting, sharing CEASD’s mission regarding the harmful effects of the war on drugs and the legalization of cannabis in Black and Brown San Diegan communities.

BAPAC’s General Membership meetings take place every third Saturday of the month at SDCCE.

Top to bottom: Rhodesia Ransom, Dejonae Shaw, LaShae Collins and Darryn Harris.

PHOTO: CBM

By Amara N. Beaty VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER

Tanu

CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA

COO Eric K. Dargan seated on the left

Anthony Avalos of CEASD

Activists Challenge ‘Fairtrade’ Label On South African Wine

By Lisa Vives Global Information Network

The label says “Fairtrade” but the conditions at some of South Africa’s money-making vineyards are anything but.

That’s what two academics from the Rhodes University of South Africa concluded in a study of the country’s wine industry once characterized by the use of enslaved workers and the exploitation and paternalistic control of Black and coloured laborers by white farmers for over 300 years.

Following the end of apartheid and the country’s reintegration into the international community, winegrowers were able to import modern technologies and access global export markets for the first time.

As a result, South Africa is now the ninth-largest producer of wine in the world and generates more than US$550 million in export value annually.

A number of wineries have formed to fulfill the standards of Fairtrade International such as workers’ rights and environmental protections.

The group certifies products and ingredients after reviewing company practices and is a symbol commonly associated today with chocolate, coffee, cotton and various other items. Fairtrade products are sold at a higher price because a percentage of the sale value is designated for daycare centers, literacy programs and medical centers.

But interviews with a number of farmworkers suggest that while the wine bottles might bear the Fairtrade label, the workers on these farms do not feel fairly treated.

Of some 30 farmworkers interviewed, most were not even aware that the farm they worked on was Fairtrade certified. Several farmworkers reported poor and unsafe living and working conditions. One woman complained that the vineyard lacked toilets for women. “We have to relieve ourselves in the vineyards. The only toilets you see is when there is an audit.”

“We were promised that these houses would be temporary,” said another. “It is cold and when it rains the rain comes in. … We have reported this, and nothing happens. I have to constantly move my bed when it rains because the water

comes through. I have been here since 1979. They [farm management] have ignored me. They don’t care.”

An investigative documentary (Cheap Wine, Bitter Aftertaste) that spotlights Germany, the second-largest importing country of South African wine after Great Britain, found problems.

Eighty percent of farm workers in the wine sector were seasonal, forcing them to turn to the state’s Unemployment Insurance Fund when the harvest season ends in March.

The minimum wage is about one-third below the living wage needed to support a household, as calculated by the NGO Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity.

As to working conditions, the workers’ harshest criticism was over the use of pesticides, particularly the herbicide paraquat which is banned in many countries. “There is no simple answer to the problems faced by workers on wine farms in South Africa,” wrote Gisela ten Kate from the Dutch activist group SOMO in an article titled “Labor Conditions in South African wine industry remain appalling.”

“Dutch supermarkets need to take their role in the supply chain seriously, to pay fair prices so that farmers can pay a proper wage.

Finally, the human rights defender Oxfam International wrote: “We found proof of labor rights violations and inhumane conditions.”

Oxfam has been part of the global Fair Trade movement since its inception. Today, it still inspires many of volunteers to champion just and sustainable trade.

Continent Is Riven By Conflict - From East to West

By Lisa Vives Global Information Network

Catastrophic fatalities are rising across Africa as conflict breaks out from East to West.

At least 56 civilians have been killed and 595 people, including combatants, have been wounded in fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Under an August 2019 agreement, the military agreed to share power with civilians ahead of elections. That arrangement was abruptly halted by a coup in October 2021 that triggered new mass pro-democracy rallies across Sudan.

Sudan state television cut its transmission on Sunday afternoon, a move that employees said was aimed at preventing the broadcast of propaganda by a paramilitary force that was battling the army for control of the capital.

Violence erupted after weeks of deepening tensions between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, over the planned integration of Daglo’s RSF into the regular army.

The integration was a key element of talks to finalize a deal that would return the country to civilian rule and end the political-economic crisis sparked by the military’s 2021 coup.

In Burkina Faso, unidentified assailants killed 40 people and wounded 33 others in an attack on the army and volunteer defense forces in northern Burkina Faso, the government said in a statement.

Burkina Faso’s military government had declared on Thursday a “general mobilization” to give the state “all necessary means” to combat a string of bloody attacks blamed on fighters affiliated with al-Qaeda and the ISIL group.

Last week, 44 civilians were reported killed by “armed terrorist groups” in two villages in the northeast, near the Niger border.

South Africa to End Asylum For Thousands of ExileD Zimbabweans

By Lisa Vives Global Information Network

“We are sleepwalking into a catastrophe of monumental proportions.”

Those were the words of South African attorney Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, representing over a thousand Zimbabweans facing deportation if their permit to live, work and study in South Africa is allowed to expire.

The disaster looms because South Africa’s home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi is refusing to renew the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit set to expire in June 2023 after several prior extensions.

“This is the end of the permit,” he said. “We have written a letter to all the permit holders, we also sent an SMS to their phones and also put it on the website to inform people that the permit will not be extended. We think we have done enough and we have explained this.”

Under its original terms, the Permit allowed qualifying Zimbabwean nationals – approximately 178,000 peopleto live lawfully in South Africa.

Returning now to Zimbabwe could put lives in danger, especially for those who voted against ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe’s ruling party, and for supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

The permits were introduced in response to a political and economic crisis that created an exodus to South Africa. The permit system was extended twice — in 2014 and 2017. The government maintains it was always clear that permits were temporary.

It was one of the deadliest attacks against civilians since Captain Ibrahim Traore came to power last September after 51 soldiers were killed in February at Deou, in the far north.

Meanwhile, the wave of racist violence sweeping Tunisia is unlike anything in recent memory. The attacks follow a speech by Tunisia’s President Kais Saied accusing African migrants of conspiring to make Tunisia more African and less Arab. This is the latest in a string of authoritarian moves by the president, and it has protesters back out in the street.

Finally, Mohamed El-Amine Souef, special representative of the chair of the African Union Commission for Somalia acknowledged during a radio interview with VOA Somali that thousands of African Union peacekeepers had been killed and hundreds more injured in Somalia since the forces began their work in that country in early 2007.

The peacekeepers were deployed to help protect the government and installations from al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab militants.

“The troops were not well-prepared, and the administration was not even in Mogadishu. Many cases were not properly documented,” Souef said via the WhatsApp mes

saging platform.

Those holding a permit have been advised to apply for alternative visas or waivers by June 30, though few will qualify in terms of the government’s critical skills list.

Permit holders are now pinning their hopes on the country’s judicial system but they may meet backlash from anti-migration vigilante groups such as Operation Dudula and right-wing political parties such as the Patriotic Alliance who want illegal migrants to return to their countries of birth.

“If the government wanted to terminate the program, it must demonstrate that this decision is linked to a positive change in the economic and political situation in Zimbabwe that gave birth to the exemption program in the first place,” asserted the lawyer for the Zimbabweans.

According to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Helen Suzman Foundation, among others, there is a deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe, accompanied by government hostility to opposition activists and journalists, unlawful killings by security forces, an underfunded healthcare system and many people at risk of becoming stateless.

Some 7- million Zimbabweans are reportedly in need of food aid and the reported unemployment rate of 41% in 2021 is little changed from the year before.

Lawyer for the Minister, Sean Rosenberg, insisted it was never their intention to extend the residency deadline any further.

When the case resumes, the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Holders Association (Zepha) will ask the court to grant them permanent residence in South Africa. “We have waited a long time for this hearing, and hope for a favorable decision from the court.

“The mission has documented around 4,000 casualties. According to the force officers who served in the mission, the casualties, including those disabled, can be as high as over 5,000,” Souef said.

He said troops from Burundi and Uganda suffered the most casualties.

This is the first time that an African Union official has commented publicly about the overall casualties of peacekeepers operating in Somalia.

PHOTO: fairtrade.org.uk

PHOTO: GIN

PHOTO: NASA

KEITH DAVISCelebration of Life

On March 16, 2023, Keith Davis Jr., family and friends hosted a “Celebration of Life” for his father, Keith O Davis. The celebration was at the Sheraton Four Points hotel in San Diego, CA, and was planned following the memorial service that was held in Detroit Michigan on November 19, 2022 following his passing on October 27, 2023.

The celebration was truly an uplifting day of testimonials of Keith’s giving spirit, including a dedication by his son offering a new award entitled the “Giving Spirit”Award.

YOU’RE INVITED

He offered a list of attributes for the award and named his dad as the first recipient with a pledge to give the award annually throughout his lifetime.

The Neighborhood House Association NHA President, Rudy Johnson, presented a “Resolution of Respect” to Keith Jr. on behalf of their organization for the many years of community service and advocacy for the underprivileged, military families and students of San Diego. That presentation was followed by friends and family expressing their individual experiences with Keith,

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

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Financial Intelligence

emphasizing how he was instrumental to their successes. The stories were heartfelt and fun.

Minister Dwight Pledger closed the program with an uplifting testimony of faith, love, giving, a legacy of a life well lived, and the many gifts Keith left behind with others to enhance their own lives and the lives of others.

The balance of the day was truly a celebration, with food, pictures, networking, dancing and of course an “after party in the hotel

lobby,” just like Keith would have wanted it! Thank you, Davis family, friends, and family for showing your love and attending. Your presence spoke volumes. A special thank you to the many professionals who donated their time and efforts to make the event special. Our son Keith Davis Jr. and I thank you with all our hearts and hope you stay in touch with his only son, Keith Jr., a senior at Utah Tech University. An outpouring of love is always welcomed.

Courtesy of Sharon Davis

PHOTOS: Mike Norris

Alta Mae Perkins-McIlwaine C elebrates H er 100 t H b irt H day

By Yvette Porter Moore Contributing Writer

On April 14, 2023, 50+ friends and family celebrated Alta Mae PerkinsMcIlwaine’s 100th birthday. With today’s technology, not only was the centurion celebrated in person but on Zoom where people from various parts of the U.S. could join in the celebration and give words of love for their matriarch.

Alta Mae Perkins-McIlwaine is the daughter of Bert and Ridia Perkins. She was born in Asheville, North Carolina on April 14, 1923. Her family moved to Salisbury, N.C., when she was still an infant, where she was

raised on her grandfather’s farm. Her grandparents John and Pearl had a significant influence on her life as they participated in raising her. She graduated from Price High School located in Salisbury. When Alta Mae graduated from high school, she attended cosmetology school and had a wonderful career in cosmetology.

Alta Mae met and married James W. McIlwaine on June 13, 1947, in Salisbury, N.C. Her husband James was in the military, and they were a military couple for 14 years. From this marriage, three children were born: Alta Dianne, Juana Matrisse, and Jacques Winthrop.

After her cosmetology career, Alta Mae had a Board & Care business for senior citizens for 23 years, which provided essential services for the community.

SD Falcons Youth Football Fish Fry At MLK Park

By Malachi Kudura Contributing Writer

On Saturday, April 9 2023, the San Diego Falcons Youth Football held a fish fry at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. There was music, fun and plenty of food that created a perfect environment for a fundraiser. Its founders are Dante Amerson (A-Team Athletics), Archie Amerson Jr. (Hall of Fame Running Back), Akili Smith (former NFL Quarterback) and Coach Archie Amerson Sr. (SD Coaching Legend).

This is the football team’s first year, but it looks like they are here to stay for many years to come. Coach Dante Amerson is Founder and President of the SD Falcons Youth Football Club. He has been coaching here in San Diego with his brother Coach Archie Amerson Jr. for years. “We’re trying to bring back the community and family atmosphere in our community. We are trying to keep the kids of our community active and away from the streets,” said Coach Dante Amerson. “I’ve been coaching at Skyline since 1994,

Mrs. Alta McIlwaine has been a loyal Logan Temple AME Zion Church member for 57 years. Reaching her 100th birthday has been a great accomplishment. Many would describe Alta Mae as vivacious, intelligent, feisty, and friendly to all she would meet. She is a dedicated and faithful member of her church.

Mrs. Alta Mae McIlwaine’s secret to a long life is to “Eat organic food, don’t drink and don’t smoke, and have a relationship with the Lord.”

in this community.”

Tyrese McKnight, one of the many community supporters on hand said, “I’m here to support these guys and the positive stuff they’re doing in our community.”

Coaching Director Archie Amerson Jr. was recently inducted into The Big Sky Hall of Fame as one of the best running backs of his era. He said, “My mom [who] recently passed away told my brother Dante a couple years ago, he needed to start his own organization, so he can control what he wants to do.”

The San Diego Falcons are currently fundraising to get the players equipment. SD Falcons Football sign-ups are every Saturday and Sunday 1 pm to 3 pm at Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Rec. The coaches work the kids out on these days for free and have food for the players on Sundays.

PHOTOS: Mike Norris

PHOTOS:

Outreach Efforts Help Reach

ARTICLE CONTINUATION FROM COVER

Courtesy of The Grandparents Connection

The TEAM and CHANGES Program chose the PWC as one of the nonprofits to disperse the resources funded by the California Public Utilities Commission. TEAM stands for “Telecommunications Education Advocacy and Multi-Language”. CHANGES stands for “Community Help and Awareness of Natural Gas Services”. The program was put into place to train nonprofit members to become caseworkers, educators, and liaisons to underserved communities that are getting behind on their telephone, gas & electric, internet, and cable bills.

The program derived from the CPUC’s Consumer Protection Initiative where the CPUC ordered protections for consumers and directed another proceeding to determine what, if any, protections or assistance should be provided for consumers with limited English proficiency. Because Niconora was a member of the Grandparents Connection, she knew “English Proficiency” didn’t only mean English as a second language.

“There were people here today that couldn’t even write their names,” Niconora empathized, “and most didn’t understand the breakdown of charges on their bills. This program was designed to assign them a caseworker to help them understand that,” Niconora said.

More times than not, programs such as these never make it to underserved Black communities, but because Niconora was a member of Grandparents Connection (GPC), she knew and was adamant about sharing that resource with them through the Grandparents Connection network.

“By being a member of GPC, I am aware of the burden that falls on grandparents that take care of their grandchildren.” Niconora expressed, “Most of the grandparents in this community are caregivers and therefore first responders. They need these resources to help them get by and continue to be the only caregivers some of these children will ever have.”

The process of collecting bills and information, educating attendees, and placing them to eventually meet with caseworkers one on one was smoother than expected. Volunteers from Stop the Genocide Movement kept order and ensured YMCA rules were being followed and the creaator of the movement Travis Stocking got more than he bargained for. Stocking was instrumental in seeing directly to the elderly in line and ensuring they were moved to a seat at the sign-in table, the number on their wristband was accounted for, and the workshop information was given and received in a coherent manner. The smile on Travis’ face gave off the abundance of joy that he was feeling in the moment to be doing good for others in his community.

The program made no promises to pay bills directly but the PWC provided a total of $20 in gift cards to the first 200 attendees with assurance to the last few hundred that theirs would

be mailed to them in the days to follow. Additionally, once an attendee is paired up with a caseworker and goes over the amounts owed, they would then make a group call with the client to the company to see if there were additional programs that would help them get caught up. Through the advocacy of the caseworker with and on behalf of the community member, some bills may eventually get written off to give the person a fresh start.

Treasurer of GPC, Rochelle was relieved at seeing everyone that showed up get the help they needed that day. “We are a Godfearing organization,” Rochelle proclaimed, “We prayed over the event before starting and the Good Lord gave us his blessings.” Founder and Director, Shearl Lambert reiterated that fact and owes the longevity and success of the Grand Parent’s Connection to putting God first in everything that they do.

By and large, the event concluded with The Grandparent’s Connection Founders and Board Members receiving several awards from the County for the work they were doing in the community. From the sight of hundreds of attendees in the room that day it was evident that the Grandparents Connection network has a direct and positive impact directly on and for the Black community. It was an extraordinary and not often enough sight to see in San Diego. To find out more about the Grandparents Connection or to give a much-needed donation, log onto www.thegrandparentsconnection.org

President and CEO, Clifford Lambert, JR would like to give personal and heartfelt thanks to Niconora and her team, Travis and his team, Grandparents Connection Volunteers, YMCA, and the photojournalist. A special thanks to my wife, Shearl Lambert for her hard work and persistence in everything she does and to The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint for always covering our events. Last, another special thanks goes out to Michael Moon for designing the Grandparent Connection T-Shirts.

PHOTO: DARREL WHEELER

Me lonie Dupree Johnson, who comes from rural Lacombe, Louisiana, serves as the first Black woman President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of MGM National Harbor. She was reappointed by MGM Resorts International, becoming the first Black person to lead a casino in Maryland when she was first appointed by MGM in 2017.

“I am thrilled to be back in Maryland where I look forward to reengaging with our employees and reconnecting with the Prince George’s County community,” said Johnson. “I was able to witness many of our resort’s successes during my previous three and a half years there, and I’m looking forward to working with the team towards many more in the years to come.”

After graduating from the University of New Orleans with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Johnson struggled to find employment.

“I was a person of color and in the ‘80s, a person of color really struggled to find a career. And it was deflating. I ended up going to a headhunter and they sent me on an interview at a bank. I landed the job. I made a whopping $9,600 a year,” said Johnson.

Johnson later took a chance and switched careers from banking to casinos. Her gaming and hospitality career spans over 25 years, having served in leadership roles at major properties throughout the U.S. prior to joining MGM Resorts International in 2015. Through her tenure with the global entertainment company, Johnson led Gold Strike in Tunica, MS, first as General Manager and then as President & COO before joining MGM National Harbor in 2017.

According to an MGM National Harbor press release, she oversees

the property’s day-to-day operations, provides strategic direction and focuses on employee engagement and community relations.

Johnson’s achievements are accredited to where she comes from and the strong women in her life, as her family stressed the importance of getting an education and encouraged her to do her best despite not knowing what direction she wanted to take growing up.

CMIT Solutions CEO Keyven Lewis first dived into the tech industry when he was in high school, with the Commodore 64, an 8-bit home computer. He expanded upon this when he attended Prairie View A&M University, where he majored in Computer Science, with a minor in naval science and mathematics.

Lewis has been in the business of IT outsourcing for 30 years, originally working in corporate America. He was released from his job in 2017. That’s when he decided that it was the best time for him to branch out on his own and form an IT business.

Lewis stated that when it comes to tech services, he finds that people, not just the Black community, are often at a disadvantage. A lack of tech awareness can be dangerous at times as well. His hope for the young Black people looking to enter tech is that it offers big opportunities outside of finding the right job.

“I try to explain to the kids nowadays. With cybersecurity, you don’t have to have a four-year degree, right? You don’t have to have a fouryear degree to go get a certification in cybersecurity and get you a job paying you $70- $80,000 a year. We didn’t have that. I didn’t have that growing up.”

ber for Desoto’s STEM advisory c ouncil, also serving as a board member of Desoto, Lancaster and Cedar Hill Chambers of Commerce.

His vision for the future of CMIT Solutions is to grow the company as much as possible. Not with the sole intent of lining his pockets, but with the goal of continuing to employ people and helping those employees take care of their families.

“It’s supporting families. It’s supporting that technician and his family. That’s my goal, so when I grow that’s why I want to grow right. Don’t get me wrong, a business is a business, you do business to make money. But for me, (and I’ll be honest), my technicians make more from my company than I do, and I like it that way. Because I know that it’s making someone’s life. It’s taking care of families. It’s making somebody have a means to go out and buy groceries and have a roof over their head. That’s for me and that’s my goal.”

This article originally appeared on Dallas Weekly News

Whether your career is just beginning or you’re looking to shift gears, the insurance industry may be the right place for you. The industry employs nearly 3 million people in the United States and depends on a diverse workforce from various professional backgrounds. However, experts say that persisting myths may prevent talented job seekers from exploring these careers.

“Many job seekers have preconceived notions about what a career in insurance looks like, and they are not always accurate. The fact is that an insurance industry career offers virtually unlimited job opportunities and chances to learn, grow, benefit from new experiences and make a difference in your community,” says Carrie Martinelli, vice president of Talent at Selective Insurance.

Martinelli also notes that you don’t need an insurance background to get hired and thrive. An informal survey of Selective Insurance employees revealed that 42% had no prior insurance experience before landing their current role.

To help job seekers break into the industry and find success in their new careers, Selective Insura nce offers the following tips and insights:

1 Don’t assume your background isn’t a fit: You may be surprised to learn that the industry does not just hire talent for traditional sales, underwriting, safety management, actuarial and claims roles. It also requires the expertise of legal experts, innovation strategists, and finance, marketing and IT security professionals. In fact, the Insurance Information Institute notes that even art historians and drone pilots are needed to make the industry tick. Before assuming your background isn’t a fit, contact an insurance firm to learn how your experiences and interests translate to an insurance position.

2 Seek to grow in your new job: In a recent Conference Board survey, 96% of respondents said it was “important” or “very important” to develop their work-related skills continuously. There’s a good reason this sentiment is so popular. Professional development helps employees grow, learn and thrive,

His love and admiration for technology bloomed throughout his time in the tech field, from gaining a computer science degree to being a CEO. Due to technology’s constantly changing nature, Lewis finds that he can never get bored in the IT field.

Lewis serves as a board mem-

preparing them for more advanced positions or new areas of responsibility. Consider how such opportunities can benefit your career and take time to learn about the company’s professional development program during any interview process. Selective Insurance, for example, provides in-person and virtual training, simulations, peer coaching and mentorship opportunities for all employees throughout their tenure with the company.

purpose: In-

employees are

unsung heroes who can help improve challenging situations. They provide expertise to help protect valuable assets like businesses, homes and vehicles. They also offer support and guidance after an unexpected loss, making these careers an ideal fit if you are passionate about helping protect your local community.

From recent high school and college graduates to mid-career professionals, the insurance industry offers many opportunities.

How to Shop for New Insurance If You Lose Medicaid Coverage

By Tom Murphy

Medicaid coverage will end for millions of Americans in the coming months, and it will push many into unfamiliar territory: the health insurance marketplace.

The timing of these cuts will vary. But all states have insurance markets where people who lose Medicaid can buy new coverage with help from subsidies. Some states will even connect shoppers with a potential new plan.

Shopping for affordable insurance that covers regular doctors and prescriptions can be daunting, especially in marketplaces that offer dozens of choices and subsidies to help pay for them. Experts say it helps to start this search with a plan. Here’s a deeper look at the process.

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO MEDICAID?

At the start of the pandemic, the federal government prohibited states from kicking people off Medicaid if they were no longer eligible. That ban ends this spring, and many people on Medicaid will be introduced to this so-called redetermination process for the first time.

States are already verifying eligibility. Some, like Arizona, Arkansas and Idaho are expected to start ending coverage for ineligible people in April. Most states will be

doing that in May, June and July.

Federal officials estimate that more than 8 million people will lose eligibility and leave Medicaid mainly because their incomes have changed.

WHERE TO GET NEW COVERAGE

State-based health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act are the only places where people can buy individual insurance with help from an incomebased subsidy. They can be found through the federal government’s healthcare.gov website.

Shoppers also can find coverage sold outside these marketplaces, but it may be risky. For instance, short-term plans can exclude coverage of certain things like a medical condition someone had before signing up.

INCOME-BASED SUBSIDIES

Shoppers can get income-based subsidies to help pay monthly premiums of plans they buy on the state-based marketplaces. Those subsidies were enhanced during the pandemic.

COVERAGE DIFFERENCES

Individual insurance differs from Medicaid in several ways. Some marketplace plans come with a big deductible that people must pay before most coverage starts.

Shoppers should understand deductibles and other payments they

will need to make before committing to a plan, Smith noted.

Individual insurance also groups hospitals and doctors in networks. The insurance may cover much less of the bill for care received outside those networks. Shoppers should learn how any regular doctors and medications are covered before enrolling in a new plan.

Individual insurance also can give people more care choices. Many doctors don’t accept Medicaid, and states may pay for only a limited amount of prescriptions.

IMPORTANT STEPS IF YOU’RE ON MEDICAID

Make sure your state program has your current contact information, including a mailing address plus

email and cellphone. They will send notifications if they need more information or if someone no longer qualifies for Medicaid. Start shopping for new insurance before Medicaid ends. Shoppers should allow plenty of time to sort through options.

The goal should be to have new insurance that starts the day after Medicaid ends. That would cut down on temporary coverage losses for regular doctors or important medicines.

Once shoppers register to shop in the insurance marketplace, they have 60 days to find a plan.

GETTING HELP

Seeking assistance may be a good

idea, especially for people who need help figuring out their income for the coming year. That’s needed to calculate subsidies. There are several ways people can get help.

States will transfer the names and contact information of those who no longer qualify for Medicaid to their marketplaces. They also will send a letter to Medicaid beneficiaries telling them how to connect to the marketplace, said Kate McEvoy, executive director of the nonprofit National Association of Medicaid Directors.

Some states will go further. California’s marketplace, Covered California, will enroll people in a qualified health plan and send them the information. Those people then must confirm enrollment and pay the first premium to remain covered.

State marketplaces have navigators like Smith who can help people sort through options and understand potential plans. The government-funded navigators are free to use but they cannot recommend any specific choices.

Federally qualified health centers also have counselors who can help people apply.

Independent brokers also help people sort through options. They will get a fee that usually comes out of the premium you wind up paying.

California Mask Mandate Over, Patients Raise Concerns

By Kristen Hwang CalMatters

For months California disability and labor advocates have been attempting to preserve statewide masking requirements.

But with the last remaining COVID19 mandates, they say people who are the most vulnerable to severe illness now have to risk getting the virus at a doctor’s office, or avoid necessary health care.

The San Diego Unified School District is celebrating its third year of Level Up SD, a free summer enrichment program available to district-enrolled students.

In collaboration with San Diego Foundation, San Diego Unified offers the free, top-tier summer programs to students in grades transitional kindergarten through high school. Programs include zoo camp, STEAM and arts-based experiences, museum programs, leadership institutes, internships, and accelerated learning opportunities.

All San Diego Unified students have access to free Level Up programs. Fam-

ilies that have been historically underserved received priority access to Level Up programs during an exclusive two-week registration period.

This year, priority families were able to enroll their children in multiple sessions throughout the entire nine-week summer break. Level Up sessions will run from June 20 through August 18.

Registration for Level Up SD began March 21 for students UTK through eighth-grade and continues through the summer, as long as space is available in individual sessions. Registration for additional enrichment programs, accelerated learning opportunities, and internships for high school students opened April 17.

On April 3, the California Department of Public Health ended masking and vaccination requirements in high-risk settings.

People with disabilities or chronic health conditions face higher risk of COVID19 complications and interact with the health system more frequently than average, they say.

State epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan told CalMatters “strong statewide consistency” was crucial in the early days of the pandemic when severe disease and death rates were high and little was known about the virus. But today, she said many things have changed, including vaccination and herd immunity levels, the behavior of different viral variants and the reliability of certain data like unreported over-the-counter tests, making standardized statewide requirements less workable.

A scientific summary describing how the CDC developed its Community Levels indicator notes that masks are primarily intended to prevent infec -

tious people from spreading COVID19.

The only remaining statewide COVID19 protocol is a five-day isolation period, down from 10 days, if someone tests positive for the virus but has improving symptoms.

Pan said health systems wanted more autonomy over internal infection control procedures, which is typical for other respiratory diseases such as the flu.

Most counties and health care facilities such as hospitals have been swift to follow the state’s lead, with the five largest health systems dropping mask mandates for employees and patients except in instances where local health departments have retained mask requirements.

Los Angeles and San Francisco counties have the strictest local requirements, with health workers of all types still required to wear masks.

Future state policies will be based on the COVID-19 SMARTER plan, which was released in February 2022, the public health department said.

According to CDC data, all counties in California, and most of the country, have low COVID-19 community levels, which takes into account a combination of new cases and hospitalizations. Transmission levels, which looks only at new cases, are moderate in most

of the state.

The most recent state data shows the 14-day daily average for COVID-19 hospitalizations is more than 1,600, compared to about 1,300 at the same time last year.

Beth Kenny, a patient in Alameda, said the termination of masking requirements is “devastating.” Kenny has Crohn’s disease, which requires monthly drug infusions that suppress the immune system. Kenny is enrolled in an internal Kaiser Permanente study on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and said the data shows their body isn’t able to produce protective antibodies.

They are trying to switch insurance providers to get treatment at a county facility that still requires masking, but that would cost an additional $1,000plus per month.

For the record: This story has been updated to clarify all California counties have low COVID-19 community levels.

PHOTO: Christina Morillo via Pexels

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO BIDDERS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of San Diego (City) is seeking to receive Electronic Bids for the below named Public Works project. The solicitation, including plans and specifications, may be obtained from the City's website at: https://www.sandiego.gov/cip/ bidopps

Contractors intending to submit a Bid must be prequalified. Please refer to the solicitation for instructions.

Project Name: Beyer Park

Development

Project Number: K-23-2170-

DBB-3 Estimated Value:

$12,070,000.00

Mandatory Pre- Bid: 04/20/23 at 10:00 A.M via Microsoft

Teams

Bid Open Date: 05/22/2023, at 2:00 P.M.

License Requirement: A

It is the policy of the City of San Diego to encourage equal opportunity in its Construction and Consultant contracts. Bids or proposals from local firms, small, minority-owned, disabled, veteran-owned, and womenowned businesses are strongly encouraged. Contractors are encouraged to subcontract with and/or participate in joint ventures with these firms. The City is committed to equal opportunity and will not discriminate with regard to race, religion, color, ancestry, age, gender, disability, medical condition or place of birth; and will not do business with any firm that discriminates on any basis. Bids shall be received no later than the date and time noted above at: City of San Diego's Electronic Biding Site PlanetBids at: https://www.planetbids.com/ portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=

17950

Claudia C Abarca, Director Purchasing & Contracting

Department

April 06, 2023 4/20/23

CNS-3688900# VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS / LEGAL NOTICES

This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on April 10, 2023 This fictitious business name will expire on April 10, 2028 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/04

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9007590

Fictitious business name(s): Locker Hanger Located at: 9111 Sierra Alta Way El Cajon,

Brown III 10737 Graphite St. Spring Valley, CA 91977 This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on April 3, 2023

Notice is hereby given that the San Diego Unified School District, acting by and through its governing board, will electronically receive bids for the furnishing of all labor, materials, transportation, equipment, and service for:

CRAWFORD HIGH SCHOOL CONCRETE AND SLOPE REPAIR

A mandatory site visit is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2023, in front of the main office of Crawford High School, 4161 Colt Way, San Diego, CA 92115. Contractors and subcontractors must preregister with the District prior to attending the site walk at sandiegounified.org/sitewalks. The Bid and Contract Documents may be downloaded free of charge at the District’s new online Planroom at sandiegousdplans.com. All bids must be received electronically at or before 1:00 p.m. on MAY 11, 2023. Firms interested in submitting a bid package must go to tinyurl.com/SDUSD-PlanetBids then search under “Bid Opportunities” for “Invitation number” CP23-0933-08-00-00 Crawford High School Concrete and Slope Repair. For new vendors, please register under “New Vendor Registration”. The project estimate is between $730,000.00 and $760,000.00. This is not a PSA project and does not require prequalification. The District requires that Bidders possess any of the following classification(s) of California State Contractors License(s), valid and in good standing, at the time of bid opening and contract award: A or other appropriate license, subject to District approval. SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, Linda Hippe, Director, Purchasing and Contracts, Strategic Sourcing and Contracts Department CP23-0933-08-00-00

begun to transact business under the name(s) above This business is hereby registered by the following: Nicolas Joseph Alva 2347 Camino De Las Palmas Lemon Grove, CA 91945 Dimitar Topalov 7638 Normal Ave. La Mesa, CA 91941

This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on March 14, 2023

This fictitious business name will expire on March 14, 2028 4/06, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9006356 Fictitious business name(s):

4/13, 4/20

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT 2023-9004823

Fictitious business name(s): RISE OF LIGHT LLC Located at: 950 Taylor St. Apt. 16 Vista, CA 92084 County of San Diego 2772 Roosevelt Unit 921 Carlsbad, CA 92018 County of San Diego

This business is conducted by: A Limited Liability Company

Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above

This business is hereby registered by the following:

RISE OF LIGHT LLC

2772 Roosevelt Unit 921

Carlsbad, CA 92018

This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on March 3, 2023

This fictitious business name will expire on March 3, 2028

3/30, 4/06, 4/13, 4/20

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT 2023-9004824

Fictitious business name(s):

NUVE FILM LLC

Located at: 950 Taylor St. Apt. 16 Vista, CA 92084 County of San Diego

2772 Roosevelt Unit 921

Carlsbad, CA 92018 County of San Diego

This business is conducted by:

A Limited Liability Company

Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above

This business is hereby registered by the following:

NUVE FILM LLC

2772 Roosevelt Unit 921

Carlsbad, CA 92018

This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on March 3, 2023

This fictitious business name will expire on March 3, 2028

3/30, 4/06, 4/13, 4/20

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT 2023-9006661

To

Dept. 61

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One copy of the Order Granting the Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, driver license, passport, and other identification, a certified copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issue the legal document that needs to be changed, to determine if a certified copy is required.

A certified copy of Decree

Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be obtained from the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for the information on obtaining certified copies.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If a timely objection is filed, the court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date

Any Petition for the name change of a minor that is signed by only one parent must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other nonsigning parent, and proof of service must be filed with the court.

The address of the court is:

330 West Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 4/20, 4/27, 5/04, 5/11

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA County of San Diego

330 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 Central Division Hall of Justice

least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: May 22, 2023

Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. 61 (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One copy of the Order Granting the Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, driver license, passport, and other identification, a certified copy of Decree

Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order

Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issue the legal document that needs to be changed, to determine if a certified copy is required.

A certified copy of Decree

Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order

Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be obtained from the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for the information on obtaining certified copies.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions. If a timely objection is filed, the court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date

Any Petition for the name change of a minor that is signed by only one parent must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other nonsigning parent, and proof of service must be filed with the court.

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: May 18, 2023

Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. 61

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One copy of the Order Granting the Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, driver license, passport, and other identification, a certified copy of Decree

Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issue the legal document that needs to be changed, to determine if a certified copy is required.

A certified copy of Decree

Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be obtained from the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for the information on obtaining certified copies.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If a timely objection is filed, the court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date

To All Interested Persons: Petitioner Cyrus Shahadi filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME: Cyrus Shahadi

PROPOSED NAME: Kourosh Shahedi

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: May 15, 2023

Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. C-61

The address of the court is: 330 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 Hall of Justice

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm) 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/04

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA County of San Diego 325 S. Melrose Dr. Vista, CA 92081 North County Division 37-2023-00013285CU-PT-NC

Petitioner or Attorney: Solveig Kathrine Henn

To All Interested Persons: Petitioner Solveig Kathrine Henn filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME: Solveig Kathrine Henn

PROPOSED NAME: Solveig Kathrine Kinzel

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: May 30, 2023

Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. 25

The address of the court is: 325 S. Melrose Dr. Vista, CA 92081

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

Changing Name and Order

Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issue the legal document that needs to be changed, to determine if a certified copy is required.

A certified copy of Decree

Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order

Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be obtained from the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for the information on obtaining certified copies.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If a timely objection is filed, the court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date

Any Petition for the name change of a minor that is signed by only one parent must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other nonsigning parent, and proof of service must be filed with the court.

The address of the court is: 325 S. Melrose Dr. Vista, CA 92081 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/04 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA County of San Diego 330 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 Hall of Justice

37-2023-00012482CU-PT-CTL Petitioner or Attorney: Jasmine Peter Wilson

To All Interested Persons: Petitioner Jasmine Peter Wilson filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME: Jasmine Peter Wilson

PROPOSED NAME: Jasmine Mary Wilson THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: May 10, 2023

Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. 61

PROPOSED

37-2023-00014155CU-PT-CTL Petitioner or Attorney: Vera A. Livingstone, 182333

To All Interested Persons: Petitioner Reza Behrou filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME: Reza Behrou

PROPOSED NAME:

Ryan Anderson THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at

The address of the court is:

Any Petition for the name change of a minor that is signed by only one parent must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other nonsigning parent, and proof of service must be filed with the court.

The address of the court is:

CA 92101

The court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One copy of the Order Granting the Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To change a

a

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100)

will be granted without a hearing. One copy of the Order Granting the Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, driver license, passport, and other identification, a certified copy of Decree

Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order

Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issue the legal document that needs to be changed, to determine if a certified copy is required.

A certified copy of Decree

Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order

Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be obtained from the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for the information on obtaining certified copies.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If a timely objection is filed, the court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date

Any Petition for the name change of a minor that is signed by only one parent must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other nonsigning parent, and proof of service must be filed with the court. The address of the court is: 330 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 3/30, 4/06, 4/13, 4/20

SUMMONS

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

2851 Meadow Lark Dr. San Diego, CA 92123

CITATION FOR FREEDOM FROM PARENTAL CUSTODY AND CONTROL

Attorney or Party without Attorney: Armando Solis Barrios Case Number: 23AD000134C

IN THE MATTER OF Xareni Yezel Zapien (Date of Birth: 11/30/2007

A Minor)

To (name): GUATI ORANIO ZAPIEN

You are ordered to appear in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Diego, in Department JC-02 at the court location indicated above on June 09, 2023, at 1:30 PM, to show cause, why (names) XARENI YEZEL ZAPIEN should not be declared free from parental custody and control as requested in the petition.

This hearing will be conducted by video or telephone through the 2851 Meadowlark Drive San Diego, CA 92123. See attached instructions and call the court to have the video link emailed to you.

IMPORTANT:

GUATI ORANIO ZAPIEN please call the court promptly for instructions on how to attend this hearing. (858) 6341671 M-F 8:30am - 11:30 PST

At the hearing, the judge will read the petition and, if requested, will explain the effect of the granting of the petition, any term or allegation contained therein and the nature of the proceeding, its procedures and possible consequences, and may continue the matter for not more than 30 days for

the appointment of counsel or to give counsel time to prepare. The court may appoint counsel to represent the minor whether or not the minor is able to afford counsel. If any parent appears and is unable to afford counsel, the court shall appoint counsel to represent each parent who appears unless such representation is knowingly and intelligently waived.

Someone over the age of 18 - not the petitioner - must serve the other party with all the forms and complete a proof of service form, such as Proof of Service of Citation (Adoptions) (SDSC Form #JUV-300), telling when and how the other party was served and file that with the court.

If you wish to seek the advice of an attorney in this matter, you should do so promptly so that your pleading, if any, may be filed on time.

Date Filed: 4/11/23 4/20, 4/27, 5/04, 5/11

SUMMONS (Family Law)

NOTICE TO RESPONDENT (Name) AVISO AL DEMANDADO (Nombre): Cesar Payunan Robea Jr You have been sued. Read the information below and on the next page. Lo han demandado. Lea la información a continuación y en la página siguiente.

Petitioner's Name is:

(Nombre del demandante): Carina Cruz Quilatan

Case Number: 21FL001535C

You have 30 calendar days after this Summons and Petition are served on you to file a Response (form FL-120) at the court and have a copy served on the petitioner. A letter, phone call, or court appearance will not protect you.

If you do not file your Response on time, the court may make orders affecting your marriage or domestic partnership, your property, and custody of your children. You may be ordered to pay support and attorney fees and costs.

For legal advice, contact a lawyer immediately. Get help finding a lawyer at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www. courts.ca.gov/selfhelp), at the California Legal Services website (www.lawhelpca.org), or by contacting your local county bar association. Tiene 30 días de calendario después de haber recibido la entrega legal de esta Citación y Petición para presentar una Respuesta (formulario FL120) ante la corte y efectuar la entrega legal de una copia al demandante. Una carta o llamada telefónica o una audiencia de la corte no basta para protegerlo. Si no presenta su Respuesta a tiempo, la corte puede dar órdenes que afecten su matrimonio o pareja de hecho, sus bienes y la custodia de sus hijos. La corte también le puede ordenar que pague manutención, y honorarios y costos legales. Para asesoramiento legal, póngase en contacto de inmediato con un abogado. Puede obtener información para encontrar un abogado en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en el sitio web de los Servicios Legales de California (www.lawhelpca. org) o poniéndose en contacto con el colegio de abogados de su condado.

NOTICE—RESTRAINING

ORDERS ARE ON PAGE 2:

These restraining orders are effective against both spouses or domestic partners until the petition is dismissed, a judgment is entered, or the court makes further orders. They are enforceable anywhere in California by any law enforcement officer who has received or seen a copy of them.

AVISO—LAS ÓRDENES DE RESTRICCIÓN SE

ENCUENTRAN EN LA

PÁGINA 2: Las órdenes de restricción están en vigencia en cuanto a ambos cónyuges o miembros de la pareja de hecho hasta que se despida la petición, se emita un fallo o la corte dé otras órdenes.

Cualquier agencia del orden público que haya recibido o visto una copia de estas órdenes puede hacerlas acatar en cualquier lugar de

California.

FEE WAIVER: If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the clerk for a fee waiver form. The court may order you to pay back all or part of the fees and costs that the court waived for you or the other party.

EXENCIÓN DE CUOTAS: Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario un formulario de exención de cuotas. La corte puede ordenar que usted pague, ya sea en parte o por completo, las cuotas y costos de la corte previamente exentos a petición de usted o de la otra parte.

The name and address of the court are (El nombre y dirección de la corte son): Superior Court of California, County of San Diego Central Division, Central Courthouse, 1100 Union St. San Diego, CA 92101

The name, address, and telephone number of the petitioner’s attorney, or the petitioner without an attorney, are: (El nombre, dirección y número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante si no tiene abogado, son): Carina Cruz Quilatan 7541 Goode St. San Diego, CA 92139 Tel No. (619) 434-3189

Clerk, by (Secretario, por)

A. Puerto, Deputy (Asistente)

STANDARD FAMILY LAW

RESTRAINING ORDERS

Starting immediately, you and your spouse or domestic partner are restrained from:

1. removing the minor children of the parties from the state or applying for a new or replacement passport for those minor children without the prior written consent of the other party or an order of the court;

2. cashing, borrowing against, canceling, transferring, disposing of, or changing the beneficiaries of any insurance or other coverage, including life, health, automobile, and disability, held for the benefit of the parties and their minor children;

3. transferring, encumbering, hypothecating, concealing, or in any way disposing of any property, real or personal, whether community, quasicommunity, or separate, without the written consent of the other party or an order of the court, except in the usual course of business or for the necessities of life; and

4. creating a nonprobate transfer or modifying a nonprobate transfer in a manner that affects the disposition of property subject to the transfer, without the written consent of the other party or an order of the court. Before revocation of a nonprobate transfer can take effect or a right of survivorship to property can be eliminated, notice of the change must be filed and served on the other party.

You must notify each other of any proposed extraordinary expenditures at least five business days prior to incurring these extraordinary expenditures and account to the court for all extraordinary expenditures made after these restraining orders are effective. However, you may use community property, quasi-community property, or your own separate property to pay an attorney to help you or to pay court costs.

ÓRDENES DE RESTRICCIÓN ESTÁNDAR DE DERECHO FAMILIAR

En forma inmediata, usted y su cónyuge o pareja de hecho tienen prohibido:

1. llevarse del estado de California a los hijos menores de las partes, o solicitar un pasaporte nuevo o de repuesto para los hijos menores, sin el consentimiento previo por escrito de la otra parte o sin una orden de la corte;

2. cobrar, pedir prestado, cancelar, transferir, deshacerse o cambiar el nombre de los beneficiarios de cualquier seguro u otro tipo de cobertura, como de vida, salud, vehículo y discapacidad, que tenga como beneficiario(s) a las partes y su(s) hijo(s) menor(es);

3. transferir, gravar, hipotecar, ocultar o deshacerse de cualquier manera de cualquier propiedad, inmueble o

personal, ya sea comunitaria, cuasicomunitaria o separada, sin el consentimiento escrito de la otra parte o una orden de la corte, excepto en el curso habitual de actividades personales y comerciales o para satisfacer las necesidades de la vida; y

4. crear o modificar una transferencia no testamentaria de manera que afecte la asignación de una propiedad sujeta a transferencia, sin el consentimiento por escrito de la otra parte o una orden de la corte. Antes de que se pueda eliminar la revocación de una transferencia no testamentaria, se debe presentar ante la corte un aviso del cambio y hacer una entrega legal de dicho aviso a la otra parte.

Cada parte tiene que notificar a la otra sobre cualquier gasto extraordinario propuesto por lo menos cinco días hábiles antes de realizarlo, y rendir cuenta a la corte de todos los gastos extraordinarios realizados después de que estas órdenes de restricción hayan entrado en vigencia. No obstante, puede usar propiedad comunitaria, cuasicomunitaria o suya separada para pagar a un abogado que lo ayude o para pagar los costos de la corte.

NOTICE—ACCESS TO

AFFORDABLE HEALTH

INSURANCE: Do you or someone in your household need affordable health insurance? If so, you should apply for Covered California. Covered California can help reduce the cost you pay towards high quality affordable health care. For more information, visit www.coveredca.com. Or call Covered California at 1-800-300-1506.

AVISO—ACCESO A SEGURO DE SALUD MÁS

ECONÓMICO: ¿Necesita seguro de salud a un costo asequible, ya sea para usted o alguien en su hogar? Si es así, puede presentar una solicitud con Covered California. Covered California lo puede ayudar a reducir el costo que paga por seguro de salud asequible y de alta calidad. Para obtener más información, visite www.coveredca.com. O llame a Covered California al 1-800-300-0213.

WARNING—IMPORTANT

INFORMATION

California law provides that, for purposes of division of property upon dissolution of a marriage or domestic partnership or upon legal separation, property acquired by the parties during marriage or domestic partnership in joint form is presumed to be community property. If either party to this action should die before the jointly held community property is divided, the language in the deed that characterizes how title is held (i.e., joint tenancy, tenants in common, or community property) will be controlling, and not the community property presumption. You should consult your attorney if you want the community property presumption to be written into the recorded title to the property.

ADVERTENCIA— IMFORMACIÓN

IMPORTANTE De acuerdo a la ley de California, las propiedades adquiridas por las partes durante su matrimonio o pareja de hecho en forma conjunta se consideran propiedad comunitaria para fines de la división de bienes que ocurre cuando se produce una disolución o separación legal del matrimonio o pareja de hecho. Si cualquiera de las partes de este caso llega a fallecer antes de que se divida la propiedad comunitaria de tenencia conjunta, el destino de la misma quedará determinado por las cláusulas de la escritura correspondiente que describen su tenencia (por ej., tenencia conjunta, tenencia en común o propiedad comunitaria) y no por la presunción de propiedad comunitaria. Si quiere que la presunción comunitaria quede registrada en la escritura de la propiedad, debería consultar con un abogado. 4/06, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27

BLACK HISTORY

1951

LUTHER VANDROSS BORN

Luther Vandross was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York on April 20, 1951. He was influenced to seek a music career like his older sister, Patricia Van Dross when he was a child and started working with a vocal group at his high school friends in 1969.

In April 1981, Vandross signed with Epic Records and started working on his debut album Never Too Much, which was released in August. The single from the album, also called “Never Too Much,” climbed to No. 1 on the R&B charts. The album reached the top of the R&B charts and eventually went double platinum. Vandross also produced the songs of other artists. Some include David Bowie, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Dionne Warwick.

Vandross was in the entertainment business for 35 years before he passed on July 1, 2005, in New Jersey due to complications from a stroke he suffered in 2003 while completing his final album, Dance With My Father. He was 54.

1996

ADDIE

FLETCHER

BOOTH PASSES

Addie Fletcher Booth, born Addie De Vault, was an educator, civil rights activist, and labor organizer. She was born on October 29, 1902, in Independence, Texas. Booth led an interracial coalition of labor leaders from various organizations and established the Washington State Council for the federal Fair Employment Practices Committee. The council as well as several civic and political organizations such as the Seattle NAACP and the Seattle Urban League urged legislators in Olympia to declare economic security a civil right and to pass a fair employment practice law in Washington state.

After mounting pressure, the state legislature decisively affirmed that discrimination was “a matter of state concern,” and enacted an FEP law in 1949 to prohibit employment bias regardless of race, creed, religion, and national origin. The law also created a state board against discrimination. The interracial coalition-building between the Seattle Ladies’ Auxiliary and other civic and labor groups brought about the first anti-discrimination employment law in the state.

On April 20, 1996, Booth died from a stroke at 93 years old.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault Receives Anisfield-Wolf Honor

Novels by Geraldine Brooks and Lan Samantha Chang and poetry by Saeed Jones are among this year’s winners of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, presented for literature “that confronts racism and explores diversity.” The journalist and activist Charlayne Hunter-Gault was honored for lifetime achievement.

Besides Brooks’ “Horse,” Chang’s “The Family Chao’’ and Jones’ “Alive at the End of the World,” judges also cited Matthew F. Delmont’s nonfiction “Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad,”

“These remarkable books deliver groundbreaking insights on race and diversity,” jury chair Henry Louis Gates Jr. said in a statement Monday. ‘’This year, we honor a profound and funny novel (‘The Family Chao’) centered in a Chinese restaurant, a brilliant story (‘Horse’) of 19th-century horseracing with contempo-

rary echoes, a stunning poetry collection that c aptures who we are now, and a meticulous history that recasts our understanding of World War II. All are capped by the lifetime achievement of Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who remade this country with her courage and her nuanced reporting.” Previous winners of the Anisfield-Wolf awards, established in 1936, include the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Toni Morrison, Nadine Gordimer and Zadie Smith.

ARTICLE CONTINUATION

TENNESSEE

continued from page 3

Political freedoms thought won and secure are no longer won, nor secured therefore we must mobilize our African American communities in seven areas in an emergency manner to facilitate a mobilized response to voter suppression with voter education and registration.

As a first phase of response we must mobilize around the following:

• Communications (social media infrastructure in place)

• Civil Rights Organizations

• Divine Nine Black Colleges and Institutions

• C hurches

• Voter registration and education

• Freedom Bus Rides Summers 2.0 (information tool)

With the knowledge, and talent we possess as a community, I have no doubt we can meet this moment just as our ancestors and elders before us. African Americans hold a special place in this America, “we are the keepers of American moral authority,“ so let’s lean into this moral authority, and claim our rightful place in this country built on the free Labor of our ancestors, so our children can be unburdened by America’s burdensome past. I believe expelling these freedom fighters will create more freedom fighters among our youth. The Tennessee Three are right when they say, ”We can’t normalize the end of Democracy.” Peaceful protest is our right, not privilege.

Arthur Fleming is an activist and past president of the Dallas NAACP

YOU CAN NOW EXPERIENCE EAGLE’S NEST TEACHINGS ON YOUTUBE!

Search: Pastor John E. Warren San Diego

We are a non-denominational full fellowship of believers dedicated to reach our community with the gospel and providing a place for believers to workship, learn, fellowship, serve and grow into the fullness of Christ Jesus. This ministry is to build people of Purpose, Prayer, Power, Praise and Prosperity. This mandate is being fulfilled by reaching the reality of the gospel in a simplistic fashion, and a result, learning how to apply it in everyday life.

“We are waiting for You”

Christopher Scott

Mitchell

Arrangements by Community Mortuary 855 Broadway Chula Vista, Ca. Tuesday viewing time to be determined. Homegoing celebration service to be held Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at St Stephen’s COGIC 5825 Imperial Ave. San Diego, Ca 92114 at 11 am; pre-service viewing at 10 am.

Christopher Scott Mitchell was born December 17, 1962, to Alfonzo and Erma Jean Mitchell in San Diego, Ca. He accepted Christ at an early age and was tutored by Bishop George D. McKinney and assistant pastor Charlie Clark. Chris proudly maintained many consecutive titles, namely handyman, hauling, chef of Chris’ Delicious BBQ, poet, and Neighborhood Street Evangelist; speaking the word and testifying with the intention of leading all he met to embrace the Holy Spirit. Stating to those much is given, much is required, gone too soon and never to be forgotten.

Chris met his wife Norma Jefferson at St. Stephens COGIC where they began their friendship which grew until they were joined together in holy matrimony almost two years later on October 29, 2016, by Bishop George D. McKinney at Harbor Island, in San Diego, Ca. They shared nine years of loving Christianfilled togetherness. He constantly referred to her as “Baby Cakes” or Norma Jean, giving her his mother’s middle name always stating she reminded him so much of her.

They continued to worship at St. Stephens and later moved their membership to University Ave. Baptist Church where he joined the choir and delighted in his devotion to Christ. Christopher was a walking testimony of the greatness of God and shared his beliefs with all that he encountered on a daily basis.

Christopher passed on April 9, 2023. Mourning his passing with his devoted wife Norma Jefferson Mitchell are two sons Christopher S. Mitchell Jr and JaShawn C. Mitchell; daughter Jalia E. Mitchell; stepsons Rahsaan, Jamal & Jamel Davis of San Diego; father Alfonzo Mitchell; Aunt Audrey Nash; Uncles Charles and Ellis Mitchell; siblings Theresa Williams, Mark Mitchell and Myron (Joshalyn) Mitchell of San Diego Ca; sister in law Josephine Mitchell; loving nieces and nephews; relatives and many lifetime friends.

He was predeceased by his mother, Erma J Mitchell; brother Alvin Mitchell; Aunts Marie and Myrdis Mitchell; Uncles Eugene, John, and Jeremiah Mitchell. His last discussion with family was about the song, My Soul Has Been Anchored In the Lord.

Stephen Anthony

Harris Jr.

ARRANGEMENTS BY ANDERSON-RAGSDALE MORTUARY

A memorial service was held at Memory Chapel of Anderson Ragsdale on 03/25/2023. Final arrangements were entrusted to Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary.

Stephen Anthony Harris Jr., known to everyone as “Tony,” was born on March 28th, 1973 in San Diego, California.

Tony, who passed on February 17, 2023, was a devoted son, a loving brother, a caring father, a proud grandfather, an exceptional uncle, a wonderful cousin, and a compassionate friend. We all love him very much. He will be greatly missed, but forever in our hearts.

Theophilus Alonzo Eva Ray

BY ANDERSON-RAGSDALE MORTUARY

ARRANGEMENTS

Funeral services were held on 04/07/23 at Christian Fellowship Church, with a burial following at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Final arrangements were entrusted to Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary.

Theophilus Alonzo Logan was born April 30, 1917, in Lima, Oklahoma, to Jerome Henry Logan and Mary “Mollie” Logan. “Theo” graduated from Douglass High School in Wewoka, Oklahoma, and received a BA in Liberal Arts (1939) from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania.

Moving to San Diego, California, he worked as a social worker until drafted into a segregated Army (1942). Thereafter, he attended the Infantry Officers Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He served several tours of foreign duty and as an Assistant Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Lincoln University, Missouri. After 20 years, Major Logan retired, having received numerous awards, including the fourth highest ranking award, a Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, in World War II and Korean Conflict.

Theo’s second career was in real estate. In 1965, he established Logan Realty, which became a landmark in the Southeast Community. He joined the San Diego Association of Realtors, becoming the first African American member, serving terms as a local, state, and national director. Theo was elected the first African American President of the Association in 1978.

Theo focused on securing homeownership for the African American and Hispanic American communities, during “redlining” when traditional banks refused loans to people of color. He fought to secure FHA and VA loans to expand housing opportunities.

As an 87-year member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Theo was active in the San Diego Alumni Chapter and was also a member of Christian Fellowship Congregational Church, UCC. In 2011, he and his wife, Martha, were recognized by KPBS and Union Bank as the Local Hero. He was a recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human Dignity Award (January 2022).

Theo passed March 16, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, his children, and a host of family members.

ARRANGEMENTS BY ANDERSON-RAGSDALE MORTUARY

Funeral services were held on 03/17/2023 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church with a burial following at Greenwood Cemetery. Final Arrangements were entrusted to Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary.

Eva Ray Phillips (Paggett) was born on November 12, 1924, in Jonesboro, Louisiana, the 18th of 19 children. She grew up and completed high school there, a remarkable achievement in those days. Eva Ray moved to San Diego, California in 1953 and began her work for the Lord, her community, and her family.

She joined Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. C. Johnson and stayed a faithful member under Pastor, Rev. J. Linzie Whitmill. Eva Ray served as a member of the Missionary Choir, Vice President of the General Mission, President of Faith Circle and leader of the annual Father’s Day Breakfast.

Eva Ray was initiated into the Order of the Eastern Star, Ada B. Cleveland Chapter #71 in 1960. She served as Worthy Matron, Past Matron, Esther, and was made a Lifetime Member. Her passion, the annual May Day Breakfast was renamed in 2000 to “The Eva Ray Phillips May Day Breakfast.”

Eva Ray loved her family and was the family matriarch. She was a generous woman with a big heart. Although she was not blessed with children, she loved taking care of her siblings’ children and their children.

Eva Ray worked for the Navy Exchange as a laundry machine operator for 25 years until her retirement in 1984.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Georgia Reed Paggett, and her siblings: Abner Jackson, Hope Paggett, Zelma Paggett, Velvet Pagett, Areveal Paggett, Glen Paggett, Woodrow Paggett and Alvester Paggett.

Eva Ray was called home on Sunday, February 19, 2023. Her legacy will live on in the stories told and the memories of those she left behind: Niece Joan Paggett Owens; Great-nieces Clara Carter (Roosevelt Carter), Marilyn Smith, Terrice Ferguson, Tanisha Paggett, Shimika Paggett, Shimaya Paggett; Nephew Glen Romell Paggett; Great-nephews Airrion Carter, Ramon Ivey, Richard Peter (all from San Diego, CA); 38 nieces and 37 nephews (abroad); and a host of cousins and friends.

Carl Edward

ARRANGEMENTS BY ANDERSON-RAGSDALE MORTUARY

Funeral Services were held on 03/31/2023 at Memory Chapel of Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary, with a burial following at Miramar National Cemetery. Final Arrangements were entrusted to Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary.

It is with loving memory that we honor the life of Carl Edward Jackson.

Carl Edward Jackson, born January 9, 1936, was the second of three children born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, to Clarence and Sara Jackson. It was in Brownsville that he also found the love of his life, Eula Mae Jackson, whom he was married to for 54 years.

After graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. After serving, Carl began working for the City of San Diego and studying at San Diego State University. Upon graduating in business finance, for more than 30 years he ran a successful real estate business. In 2003, he was elected president of the National City Chamber of Commerce. Around the same time, he pivoted from a real estate sales career to serving as the Regional Vice President at Primerica. Carl and Eula were members of Grace Temple and Apostolic Faith Temple Church, where he notably served as a Sunday school teacher and superintendent. He also was a college-level faculty in real estate at San Diego City College.

In 2012, Carl was led to join Abundant Life Apostolic Church in Temecula, founded by Pastor Jimmie Gidron, where he served as Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, Superintendent, and Director of the Men’s and Brotherhood ministries, and then became Associate Pastor in 2015. In 2016, Carl fully endowed a scholarship in his father’s name to make a lasting impact on the lives of deserving students enrolled in the UMOJA program at MiraCosta College. The scholarships will be given in perpetuity.

Pastor Carl Jackson passed on March 16, 2023, and was preceded in death by his wife, Eula Jackson, and son Harry Edwards. He leaves to cherish his memory: his loving sister Doris, and her husband, William Peoples; son Frederick Watson; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, church family members, friends, and colleagues.

“

Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. ”

ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL MORTUARY

Funeral Services held on April 5th, 2023 at Mount Sinai Baptist Church Cheryl Angeledia Amos-Scott was born on September 16, 1963, to Johnnie Gill Ford and Joseph Lee Amos.

Cheryl was a loving daughter, mother, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, and grandmother. She had a love for doing hair and taking care of people. She was a licensed cosmetologist, CNA and dental assistant.

Cheryl loved her family and Keith Sweat. You could always catch her cooking for her family, listening to Keith Sweat or being one of the loudest in the crowd at one of her kids sport events.

Cheryl was preceded in death by her father Joseph Lee Amos; sister Katrina Cothran; stepdaughter Monique Dunn; and granddaughter Kiera Bergman.

Cheryl Amos-Scott sadly passed away on February 15, 2023, at the age of fifty-nine.

Left behind to mourn her loss are mother Johnnie Gill Ford; siblings Joel Amos and Tonjia Petterson; seven children Keith Taylor, Aisha Wallace, Keisha Smith, Charles Thompson, Donavan Scott, stepdaughter’s Tamaika Dunn and Astoria Dunn; seventeen grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Cheryl Mary

ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL MORTUARY

Mary Peeler was born on January 28, 1933, in Durham, NC to Charles and Ophelia Chadwick. She was the eldest of six children.

The family moved to Durham, NC to join her beloved grandparents, Joseph and Mary Langley where she began elementary school. Mary enjoyed the extended family experience and left school at lunchtime to cook for her grand mother when she became ill while she was a pre-teen.

She accepted Christ at an early age under the leadership of Rev. S. P. Perry at St. Mark AME Zion Church in Durham, NC. Mary was a graduate of Hillside Park High School class of 1950 and was a student hire at Duke University in Diversified Occupations. She was employed at the Carolina Times Newspaper, which was one of the first Black-owned businesses in Durham, and at The Service Printing Company. Shortly after graduation, while furthering her edu cation, Mary attended Winston-Salem State Teachers College where she majored in Nursing.

In 1953 Mary began working for Revlon Cosmetics. She also was the first Black to work as a bookkeeper and accountant for the Tafte Hotel in New York City.

In 1956, Mary met and married the love of her life, Willis Peeler, in New York. They were blessed with two daughters.

Mary faithfully served in the Missionary and Children’s Ministries at New Corinthian Baptist Church. Mary later united with Greater Life Baptist Church and held membership in the Order of the Eastern Star.

Mary loved sports and enjoyed rooting for the San Diego Chargers, Padres, Clippers, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Mary was an exceptional cook and enjoyed preparing culinary masterpieces for her family. She would bake each child their own sweet potato pie and favorite cake during the holidays. She also enjoyed puzzles and playing nightly games of Yahtzee, Bid Wist, Pinochle, and Cribbage with her husband.

Mary was received by her heavenly father on March 1, 2023, where she joined her husband Willis; her parents; siblings Robert, Louise, Clarence and Viola; her beloved Aunts Marie, Vera, Edna, and Laura; and Uncle William Caston (Rose).

She leaves to cherish her wonderful memories: daughters Beverly Thompson (Ron) and Jeannie Johnson (Michael); one sister Lillian Stanley (Dr. Covia Stanley); one granddaughter Teri Thompson; two grandsons Michael Johnson II and Matthew Johnson; seven great-grandchildren, as well as a host of nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.

Tanisha Paulette

ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL MORTUARY

Services were held on March 17, 2023, at Mount Hope Cemetery

Tanisha LaShanae Washic was born on May 10, 1975, in San Diego, California to Robert Lee “Bobbie C” Corbett and Linda Diane Williams in San Diego, California. As a child, Tanisha was very outgoing and seemed to be before her time. Tanisha’s passion to lead led her to explore different facets of life.

Tanisha learned how to drive at 12 years of age. Whose car and which one of her cousins (Toshia) and friends (Tara) she was with, will remain a mystery.

Tanisha received her education in the San Diego Unified School District and worked various jobs as an In-Home Healthcare provider. She was a fierce protector of those she loved. She never backed down from a fight, yet she was well-mannered and had high respect for her elders until the day she took her last breath. Tanisha was compassionate and would help anyone in need. She would often reach into her pockets and pull money out to give to the homeless. This attribute most likely came from her grandmother, the late Aggie Mae Williams, who never met a stranger and provided a hot meal for all those who hungered.

Tanisha had a rich upbringing full of laughter, love, and family. Anyone and everyone knew that if you messed with one, you had to deal with them all.

Tanisha’s mom had the hardest time trying to get her to stay at home. She absolutely loved being around her cousins. Tanisha had a funny sense of humor; she was a good cook, and she was the one who always led the pack in the next financial come-up. Some of her greatest moments were becoming a mom to her only daughter Danisha “Dae-Dae” Corbett; Tanisha met and married Bruce Washic in 1999. The two remained married for twenty-one years.

Tanisha’s earthly vessel came to an end on Friday, February 17, 2023. She was preceded in death by parents Robert Lee “Bobbie C” Corbett and Linda Diane Williams; and grandparents James Williams and Aggie Mae Williams. Left to cherish Tanisha’s memories are daughter Danisha, “Dae-Dae” Corbett; sister Mia Martin; nephew Alex Purifoy; niece Amaya Purifoy; step-in-father Trent Martin; ex-husband Bruce Washic; uncles Danny Williams (Sharon), Ernest Williams (Christie), and Bruce Martin; aunts LaVonne Lewis, Bobbie Williams, Lola Williams (James), and Wanda Coleman; along with a host of cousins and friends whose lives she touched.

ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL MORTUARY

Funeral Services were held on February 9, 2023, at Church of Jesus Christ

Paulette Wilson was born May 26, 1968, to Jerlene and Herbert Wilson. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and was a member of the Mason Lodge where she served side by side with her father as an event fundraising coordinator.

Being a woman of great accomplishments, Paulette believed in higher education. She attended Grossmont and Southwestern Colleges. After completing her studies at Southwestern College and working for the City of San Diego, she decided she wanted a business degree and attended California College San Diego, where she graduated with honors.

After being employed by the City of San Diego for eleven years, Paulette decided on a career change and started working for the United States Government, where she worked for sixteen years – all while caring for her grandmother, Juanita Freelin, whom she loved dearly.

Paulette was a person full of love, life, happiness, and joy. She had a lot of love for her family and there was nothing she would not do for them. Paulette had a heart of gold that will live on in the hearts of those she encountered and in heaven.

As a last request, Paulette asked that all her family gather around her bedside and pray with her and the priest.

On February 17, 2023, Paulette Wilson, an angel, was called home to be with GOD. She is survived by her siblings Edward Haley, Reggie Wilson, David Wilson, and Gail Wilson; nephews Isaiah Wilson and Chris Haley; and niece Keyuana Wilson, as well as many other nieces and nephews that are not mentioned. Paulette had much love for the Rodgers Family, Williams Family, Spicer Family, Legget Family, Haley Family, and a host of other family and friends.

Memories Build a Special Bridge

Love Lives On A.

Our memories build a special bridge when loved ones have to part to help us feel we’re with them still and sooth a grieving heart. Our memories span the years we shared, preserving ties that bind, They build a special bridge of love and bring us peace of mind.

Emily Matthews

T he Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Those we love are never really lost to us we feel them in so many special ways through friends they always cared about and dreams they left behind, in beauty that they added to our days… in words of wisdom we still carry with us and memories that never will be gone… Those we love are never really lost to us For everywhere their special love lives on.

THE GREATEST ENERGY COMES FROM ALL OF US

At SDG&E®, our commitment to community begins with our 4,700 employees. We’re your friends, family and neighbors.

We’re proud of how our work helps power your lives. And, how every day we impact this community we call home.

• Dependable Service – #1 for keeping the lights on in the West for 17 years in a row1

• Clean Energy – 55% of our energy comes from wind and solar2

• Safer Communities – Industry-leading wildfire safety and mitigation program

• Beautified Neighborhoods – 60% of our powerlines are underground vs. the 20% national average

• Community Commitment – Nearly $100 million contributed to local nonprofits over the past decade

• Economic Driver – Over $400 million in products and services from local diverse businesses in 2022

While we are proud to provide these valuable services to you, we understand that affordable energy bills matter more than ever. Although SDG&E customers have on average the lowest residential electricity bills3 among the state’s major utilities, we are listening to you and know more needs to be done.

We’re fighting to remove costs from your energy bill, reforming the way electricity is priced to provide stability and aggressively pursuing federal funds to pay for new infrastructure.

There’s still work to be done, but we’re not going to shy away from it because progress is our promise to you

Always Forward.

Respectfully yours,

The Employees of SDG&E