President Joe Biden announced the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history, commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals and pardoning 39 others convicted of non-violent crimes. Officials said the move reflects the administration’s dedication to criminal justice reform and the belief that individuals who have shown rehabilitation deserve the opportunity to fully reintegrate into society.
See BIDEN page 5
By Antonio Ray Harvey
C ALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
A coalition of community leaders and reparations advocates are demanding that the California legislature, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Gov. Gavin Newsom act decisively on reparations bills that have stalled in the Legislature.
They are calling on the state leaders to pass the bills during the special legislative session the Governor called this month to secure up to
By Macy Meinhardt
Two controversial items landed on the San Diego Board of Supervisors agenda on Tuesday, Dec. 10, directly challenging the role of the Sheriff's Office in how they handle immigration deportations and in-custody deaths. Both items passed on the Democratic majority board. Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican, was the lone descending vote on the immigration policy, and Supervisor Joel Anderson, also a Republican, was absent.
See ROUND UP page 5
$25 million for California “to defend against unconstitutional or unlawful federal government actions” expected during the incoming Trump administration.
The advocates are also urging that the push for reparations for Californians who are descendants of enslaved Black people in the United States continues next year during the regular session, which begins when the Legislature convenes on Jan. 6, 2025.
See REPARATIONS page 16
By Quintessa Williams WORD IN BLACK
The holiday season is more than just a break for Black K-12 students — it’s a chance to unwind and recharge after navigating a fall semester filled with challenges. Along with the normal academic pressures, students this year dealt with the weight of book bans, efforts to censor black history, the 2024 presidential election, and racist messages sent to kids after Donald Trump won.
Diving into culturally relevant reading over the holidays can be transformative for Black students. Research indicates that reading can reduce stress by 68%, surpassing other relaxation methods such as listening to music or walking. These books also celebrate Black heritage and reinforce a positive Black identity, providing a muchneeded sense of belonging and empowerment.
See BOOKS page 5
PRAISING THE GOOD AMONG US
By Dr. John E. Warren PUBLISHER, THE SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT
In recent days, we have seen the beginning of the seasonal outpouring of gifts, food, and resources in the spirit of the Holidays. More than the many toys and gifts for children and households are the attitudes of the many volunteers and their spirit of helpfulness: the multiple toy giveaways, the Santas and his helpers, the boxes of food and produce, and the total effort including the turkeys and items to make a Christmas dinner. And it's not over yet. This week and, even on Christmas Eve at the former Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation parking lot, there will be hundreds of volunteers and thousands of community members coming together for a tidal waveof giving.
The late Alex Haley used to say to people, “Find the good and praise it.” This is what we are doing here. We are praising the good in our neighbors and the humanity displayed in their concern for those who have less, regardless of the reasons. This is what Christ was all about, and this is what so many of us are making Christmas this year. Peace and Blessings to those who serve and those who make it possible to help in so many ways.
AUTOPSY FOR A FAILED PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
By Dr. Wilmer J. Leon, III
The 2024 American presidential election is over. The people have spoken. The world is shocked! Trump won! Americans fell for it again, or did they…fall for it?
Many in the African American community are angry, shocked and looking for the culprits. Who did this to VP Harris? Somebody must be held accountable! The audacity of those misogynistic Latino men, White women and those angry Black men who hate Black women. All of them must he held accountable. What damage does this do to the psyche of Black Women? VP Harris was ENTITLED to the Oval Office and has been denied.
According to Senator Lindsey Graham in 2015, Trump is a “a race-baiting xenophobic religious bigot.” Senator Rick Perry warned us that Trump, “doesn’t know the difference between truth and lies…” while Senator Ted Cruz said, “he lies, practically every word that comes out of his mouth…”
With all of that, Hilary Clinton lost to him in 2016 and now VP Harris has lost to him as well. Trump has prevailed…AGAIN! Why? Don’t ask why Harris lost; ask yourself why did this “race-baiting xenophobic religious bigot,” win. AGAIN!
On March 6, 1857, Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney opened in [Dredd Scott], “…negro’s had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations; and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect…”
This is not a news flash. This is everyday life in America for Black people. So, to boil VP Harris’ loss down to “no one will vote for a Black woman” is too simplistic. It is an excuse, not analysis.
Was VP Harris the best candidate? Did the Party and her campaign make mistakes that resulted in this failure regardless of phenotype?
Start the analysis here, Democrats and their financial backers knew that President Biden’s faculties were declining before he embarrassed himself and the party during the debate. The phrase “non compos mentis” comes to mind.
It was a huge mistake to anoint VP Harris as the nominee. James Carville wrote in early July that Democrats needed to move away
from Biden, “But it can’t be by anointing (VP Harris) or anyone else as the presumptive…nominee. We’ve got to do it out in the open — the exact opposite of what Donald Trump wants us to do.” Carville was correct.
Once on the stump, VP Harris ran a campaign based upon the politics of personality and identity, not a policy-based campaign. It took until mid-September before her webpage even had a policy tab and the policies that were listed were more campaign talking points than substantive solutions to the real problems facing the country.
VP Harris ran away from her base instead of embracing it. For example, polling showed that over 70 percent of Democrats supported a ceasefire in Gaza. Additionally, almost four in 10 likely voters, as well as more than half of all Democrats, believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. VP Harris and the DNC would not even allow a Palestinian spokesperson on stage at the convention. Thus, loosing Michigan.
The Obama/Biden campaign promised to deliver federal codification of Roe. Over two terms, they failed to deliver. The Biden/ Harris campaign promised the same thing and failed to deliver. With women’s reproductive rights as a lead issue of the Harris/Walz campaign, why would voters trust that she would deliver now?
VP Harris chose to embrace the endorsement of former ultraconservative, war hawk, Republican VP Dick Cheney, over working closer with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VM). She traversed the campaign trail with former Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) who voted with Trump 93 percent of the time, instead of campaigning with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). These are just two examples of how the Democrats have moved to the political right and realigned themselves with political adversaries that were once considered extremists, instead of securing their base.
The traditional Republicans did not win. MAGA won. Project 2025 won. The kleptocrats won. America will now be governed by the pathocracy, the inmates have taken control of the asylum. Voters did not fall for it. They clearly voted for it and America is about to get what these folks voted for. JD Vance is being groomed to carry the banner forward after Trump is done. Are you ready for that? It might very well be a long cold winter in America.
As we continue to do this autopsy and/or requiem for a failed presidential campaign and a party, African Americans who have been so loyal and ideologically wedded to the Democratic party may want to reconsider this alliance.
Former President Bill Clinton and his DLC acolytes have taken the party so far to the right that if he were alive today, Ronald
BIPARTISANSHIP CANNOT BE A DIRTY WORD
By Ben Jealous EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SIERRA CLUB
Our nation seems utterly divided. Many of the wounds that have been torn open in these last few election cycles are real and painful. But too much focus has been placed on further tearing open those wounds rather than healing them. One way we can heal them is simply by rolling up our sleeves and getting to work on the things we can agree on.
One thing Dr. Martin Luther King taught his lieutenants, several of whom trained me when I was a young organizer, is that if you are comfortable in your coalition, your coalition is too small.
We need unlikely allies and uncomfortably large coalitions. Coalitions of what can seem like strange bedfellows get things done. When I served as national president of the NAACP, we brought together prison guard unions, conservative governors, and Democratic legislators to dramatically shrink prison systems and allow people who served their sentences to regain their right to vote.
Bipartisanship itself can be a powerful tool and vehicle for progress. Here are a few examples, just from recent or ongoing environmental fights for legislation at the federal, state, and local levels.
We know that Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are close friends of the fossil fuel and other extractive industries. As such, one might assume Republican support for conservation efforts would be hard, if not impossible, to find. But one of the green movement’s great victories at the federal level during the first Trump administration was passage of the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act. The bill provided permanent funding for important conservation and public recreation projects across the country and addressed a multi-billion-dollar maintenance backlog in national parks and other public lands. At the time, then executive director of the Sierra Club, Michael Brune, called it “one of the most important conservation bills in a generation.” It passed in a closely divided US Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, by a vote of 73-25.
At the local level, I heard a story just this month that illustrates how, even when things seem bleak, there are still plenty of opportunities for progress. A Sierra Club volunteer leader receiving a lifetime achievement award for her work spoke to a crowd that was no doubt devastated by the results of the recent election. She told them she had, just the day prior, attended a board of supervisors meeting in her community where she and other community members convinced the body — composed entirely of Republicans except for one Democrat — to ban gasoline-powered leaf blowers. It was a reminder of how often straightforward local community organizing transcends politics.
This is just a small sampling of countless examples across the country of Americans who are not letting partisanship stand in their way as they work to make things better for their families and communities. The common ground is there if we bother to look for it. And look we must if we care about getting things done.
We do not have to agree on much for us to thrive together, in our families and communities, and as a country.
Reagan would be considered a conservative Democrat.
DuBois told us in 1956, “I shall not go to the polls. I have not registered. I believe that democracy has so far disappeared in the United States that no “two evils” exist. There is but one evil party with two names, and it will be elected despite all I can do or say.”
So, if you really want to understand why VP Harris and the Democrats lost, don’t blame misogynist Latino males or “the White man”. Look inward and self-assess before placing blame on those around you. Because contrary to popular belief, Harris/ Walz (just like Clinton/Kaine) was a lousy campaign.
Dr. Wilmer Leon, national broadcast radio talk-show host; author of Politics Another Perspective.
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE
By Darrel Wheeler
The Nice Guys non-profit used the east side of the Balboa Park parking lot last Saturday to host their free 32nd Annual Joy-to-the-World Christmas experience. The organization filled a section of the parking lot with invitees, family, friends, and volunteers, creating a very friendly and festive atmosphere.
The all-things-free event featured toys, take-home bags of groceries, vendor booths, arts and crafts, hotdogs, Starbucks drinks, and an appearance by Santa Claus and the Grinch. Add a stage for live entertainment, 100-dollar gift cards for invitees, and other
goodies and you have all you need to host a successful Christmas event.
The Never Leave One Behind organization, because of its long-standing relationship with the Nice Guys, was able to invite families to the big holiday invitational.
The super-duper Nice Guys transformed the lively lot into an all-you-can-eat buffet, a Toys R Us concert, and a joy-to-the-world holiday reunion.
“I’ve been dealing with them for years,” said Larry Price, “They always do a great job with their events. They make sure they have plenty [to give] away, and their name fits them because they are nice guys that really care about people.”
Saturday, December 14th was proclaimed “The San Diego Nice Guys Day” by the County of San Diego.
By Darrel Wheeler CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTOS: Darrel Wheeler
PHOTOS: Darrel Wheeler
ROUND UP
Here is a breakdown of what these two contentious issues mean for the county and the Sheriff’s Office in the future.
Immigration Enforcement
Incoming President Donald Trump has vowed to begin mass deportations of illegal immigrants on the first day of office. As a border region, the policy proposed by Chair Vargas reaffirms the county’s commitment to serve as a sanctuary region during this time.
Supported by Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe and Terra Lawon-Remer, the resolution will narrow county agencies’ ability to assist the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) in deportations.
This includes local law enforcement withholding information from ICE agents on undocumented individuals in custody, such as their names and release dates, and denying the use of county facilities to assist in investigative interviews.
“When federal immigration authorities coerce local law enforcement to carry out deportations, family members are separated, and community trust in law enforcement and local government is destroyed,” the resolution stated.
State sanctuary laws such as the California Values Act have extended protections against deportations for immigrants since 2017. It is disputed, however, that loopholes in this law exist, causing deportations to occur without a warrant in some circumstances.
The approved policy seeks to provide “further clarity” by specifying that jails, facilities, staff, and funds will not be used to assist civil immigration enforcement actions.
Yet, this passed resolution did not go without a statement of rebuttal from San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez. Martinez claims the loophole is nonexistent and asserts that the Board of Supervisors does not set policy for her department.
“The Sheriff’s office will not change its practices based on the Board resolution and policy passed at today’s meeting,” the press release states.
The way the current law exists as it is today, Martinez argues, strikes the appropriate balance with public safety by only allowing information to be shared only for individuals who have committed “serious, violent, or sex crimes.”
Supervisor Desmond agrees with the Sheriff, arguing that the move prioritizes “political posturing over the safety and well-being of San Diegans.” In addition he writes on his X profile that the disclosure of information on certain individuals is sensible in protecting “our communities, and ensuring dangerous felons didn’t return to our streets.”
Alongside the border crisis, a surge in in-custody deaths in the county’s jail system in the last twenty years has raised political and legal alarms.
A scathing 2022 report from the California State Auditors Office implicated San Diego County as having the highest rate of in-custody deaths between 2006 to 2020.
The audit report also revealed significant shortcomings in how jail deaths are investigated, particularly ones caused by medical negligence.
The Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board is an independent oversight group charged with investigating deaths and incidents connected to the actions of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. However, its scope can only extend to investigating sworn peace officers, meaning the practices of other detention staff, such as medical providers, are off-limits.
“CLERB’S inability to complete a thorough investigation has left many questions unanswered about the circumstances of the decedent’s death,” the proposal states.
In line with the argument that medical care is a law-enforcement function and should fall within CLERB’S purview as an oversight body, the board of supervisors voted unanimously to expand their investigative jurisdiction during the last meeting.
“We cannot allow any more incidents to go unchecked or unnoticed. The time has come to be bold and bring accountability to a problem that has taken decades to correct,” stated District 4 Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe who proposed the amendment.
The morning the item was up for vote, Sheriff Martinez released another statement regarding the board of supervisors decision, stating that there already is “unprecedented oversight of jail personnel and contracted healthcare workers.”
So far, the county is on track for this year to yield the lowest number of jail deaths since 2012, and it is accredited to state legislative changes and policy changes within the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Martinez believes, “Adding to this already burdensome oversight will not serve to make the jails safer; it will make it more difficult to hire staff and contract with high-quality healthcare workers and outside providers.”
The amendment to county laws governing CLERB clarifies it would only investigate healthcare workers in the event of an in-custody death. It also calls to implement a reporting requirement to ensure CLERB completes investigations in one year and for the group to review all deaths, including those ruled as “natural.”
A draft of an ordinance outlining these amendments is due back to the board in 60 days.
The commutations apply to individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic under the CARES Act. The individuals have spent at least a year demonstrating their commitment to rebuilding their lives, securing employment, advancing their education, and supporting their families. The White House said the 39 pardoned individuals, many of whom were convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, are now contributing members of their communities, working as veterans, healthcare professionals, teachers, and advocates.
Biden’s actions include individuals such as:
• Nina Simona Allen of Harvest, Alabama, is a 49-year-old woman who, after a non-violent conviction in her 20s, earned a post-baccalaureate degree and two master’s degrees. She works in education and volunteers at a soup kitchen and nursing home.
• Kelsie Lynn Becklin of Falcon Heights, Minnesota, a 38-year-old woman who completed a Ph.D. and mentors formerly
• Duran Arthur Brown of Cleveland, Ohio, a 44-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who works in education and is described as caring and compassionate.
• Norman O’Neal Brown of Washington, D.C., a 56-year-old man whose sentence for non-violent drug offenses was commuted by President Obama in 2015. He now works with non-profits focused on rehabilitation and reentry.
• Rosetta Jean Davis of Colville, Washington, is a 60-year-old woman who works as a peer supporter for those struggling with substance abuse.
• Michael Gary Pelletier of Augusta, Maine, a 67-year-old Coast Guard veteran who participated in more than 790 search-and-rescue operations and volunteers to support wounded veterans.
In addition to these commutations and pardons, the White House noted that Biden is the first president to issue categorical pardons for indi-
dle schoolers delves into themes of family and courage and encourages reflection and personal growth during the holiday season.
viduals convicted of simple marijuana use and possession. He also pardoned former LGBTQI+ service members who were punished due to their sexual orientation. “The President has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms,” White House officials stated.
Biden’s clemency actions address sentencing disparities, particularly for non-violent drug offenses. Many of the individuals receiving commutations today would have received shorter sentences under current laws. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden insisted. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.”
Those granted clemency come from diverse backgrounds, including military veterans, healthcare workers, addiction counselors, and community volunteers:
• Arthur Lawrence Byrd of Clinton, Maryland, a 58-year-old equipment opera
• Stevoni Wells Doyle of Santaquin, Utah, is a 47-year-old licensed substance use disorder counselor who fosters animals and serves her community.
• Gregory S. Ekman of Fountain Valley, California, is a 58-year-old Air Force veteran who volunteers with youth groups and his local church.
• Emily Good Nelson of Indianapolis, Indiana, is a 39-year-old woman who completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees and works in healthcare while volunteering in addiction recovery programs.
• Nathaniel David Reed III of San Antonio, Texas, a 46-year-old Air Force veteran who achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and mentors fellow airmen.
Biden signaled that more clemency actions could follow. “I will take more steps in the weeks ahead. My administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second
So, whether you’re gifting one to an individual student or an entire classroom of kids, these six books are perfect for inspiring and uplifting Black K-12 students this holiday season.
For Elementary School Students
Thank you, Omu! by Oge Mora: This heartwarming tale follows Omu, an elderly woman who prepares a delicious stew with an enticing aroma that travels throughout her neighborhood. As neighbors follow the scent to her door, Omu generously shares her meal with everyone — only to find her pot empty when it’s time for her own dinner. In a touching turn of events, the community comes together to show their gratitude by bringing her a feast. This story illustrates themes of generosity, community, and thankfulness, — making it ideal for Black elementary students during the holidays.
The Nutcracker In Harlem by T.E. McMorrow: This retelling of the classic Nutcracker tale celebrates Black culture, jazz, music, and the magic of the holiday season. Set in 1920s Harlem, this version follows a young girl named Marie who receives a Nutcracker doll at a Christmas party. That night, she embarks on a magical journey where toys come to life, and she discovers her own voice and confidence.
For Middle School Students:
As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds: Genie, 11, and his soon-to-be 14-year-old brother, Ernie, spend a summer with their grandparents in rural Virginia, away from their Brooklyn home. During their stay, they learn about their family’s history, their grandfather’s blindness, and what bravery truly means. This novel for mid-
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole In the Sky: This story follows seventh-grader Tristan Strong, who is sent to his grandparents in Alabama after losing his best friend, Eddie. While there, Tristan accidentally opens a portal to a world where African American folk heroes exist. Intertwining mythology and adventure, Tristan sets on a journey to reunite with Eddie and discover his storytelling power. This mythological fantasy is an engaging read for Black middle school students, providing them with entertainment and a deeper connection to cultural heritage.
For High School Students:
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler: Set in a fantastical future, the novel follows Lauren Olamina, a 15-year-old Black girl who can feel others’ pain as she navigates a world plagued by social and environmental collapse. She devel ops a new belief system called “Earthseed” and embarks on a journey to find a safe haven. The story represents resilience, community, and the power of faith, offering Black high schoolers an inspiring read during the holidays.
The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert: Election Day, two first-time Black teen voters, Marva and Duke, meet at the polling place to make their votes count. In a surprising turn of events, Duke is turned away, and together, he and Marva team up to ensure their votes count. In the midst, the two end up falling in love. This novel highlights the importance of civic engagement and youth activism — a timely story that encourages Black high school students to reflect on their role in society and the impact they can make.
NEWS
SAN DIEGO UNVEILS
Housing and Cultural Campus for Refugees and Immigrants
In a landmark event to commemorate Human Rights Day, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) unveiled the site for the Refugee and Immigrant Culture Hub (RICH)—a groundbreaking housing and cultural campus designed to provide crucial services for refugees and immigrants in San Diego.
The unveiling took place on Saturday, December 7, at the newly purchased 2.2-acre site in Mid-City, which is set to become a transformative space for San Diego's diverse refugee and immigrant communities. The estimated completion date for the project is 2030.
10, highlighting the importance of welcoming and supporting displaced people. The project provides a beacon of light at a time when refugee and immigrant communities are bracing for the next Trump Administration.
The ceremony was held just days before International Human Rights Day on December
The RICH project will also address the ongoing housing crisis in San Diego by providing housing and community support for refugees and immigrants.
Board Of Supervisors Approve Changes To Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board
On December 10th, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proposal to expand the investigatory jurisdiction of the County’s Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB). The proposal follows years of advocacy from impacted families and community members.
Key components of CLERB’s expansion include:
• Expanded Jurisdiction: Allowing CLERB to investigate any employee or contractor working under the direction of the Sheriff or Probation, including contracted health care providers, in cases of in-custody death. As part of any investigation of a health care provider, CLERB must also consider whether the health care provider’s function in the detention facility was adequately staffed at the time the incident under investigation took place.
• Improving Investigatory Timeline: Re-
quiring CLERB to complete investigations within one year of discovering misconduct allegations and prioritize investigations involving death over all other types of complaints. • Enhanced Reporting Requirements: If CLERB fails to complete an investigation within one year, the Executive Officer would report to the Board of Supervisors within thirty days. CLERB also may not dismiss an investigation or complaint involving a death due to the inability to timely complete the investigation.
• C larifying Investigatory Powers: Empowering CLERB to investigate all in-custody deaths, even those classified as "natural," and reopen a closed case in narrow circumstances.
County Counsel will report back to the Board of Supervisors with an initial draft ordinance within 60 days, and CLERB members will consider drafting their rules and regulations in accordance with this proposal at the next CLERB meeting.
California Reaches Finish Line on Final Vote Count:
State's meticulous ballot process obtains certification by Secretary of State Weber
By Macy Meinhardt
Staff Writer
It has been almost forty days since the November 2024 election. With 22 million votes to process statewide, the official certification
was made Friday, Dec. 13, making California the last state in the nation to formalize results from this year's historic election.
Unapologetically, “we take the time to get it right,” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber
The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint is looking for journalists and photojournalists, as independent contractors, for paid assignments. Additional position of Assistant to Editor available.
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during an online media briefing Wednesday, Dec. 11
The official state certification is happening at a time when politicians across the state are already being sworn into office. On Dec. 2, eleven days before the certification was called, 29 newly elected senators and assembly members took oaths of office at the State Capitol in Sacramento.
The delay is due to California’s transition away from in-person voting in an effort to make voting options accessible. California is one of eight states, along with Washington, D.C., that mails ballots to all registered voters, leading to a lengthier vote-counting process.
In San Diego County, the majority of ballots counted were mail-in’s, accumulating
1.3 million. In person voting amounted to 228,000 ballots.
Other factors contribute to the delay, Secretary Weber explained. The responsibility to individually count and process votes falls onto the state's 58 county registrar offices, who each have different staff levels, schedules, and budgets for elections.
San Diego County certified their votes on Dec. 3, yielding a 75.8% voter turnout rate. It is slightly above the turnout rate received across the state, leveling out to 71.4%.
“In California we prioritize accuracy and inclusion, taking the time necessary to ensure every eligible vote is counted–whether it is cast through mail, in-person, or same day voter registration,” said Secretary Weber, “It is democracy at work.”
Courtesy of PANA
PHOTOS: Instagram via @AsmLashae and @DrAkilahWeber
ARTS & CULTURE
Art Historian and Curator Alayo Akinkugbe On
Reframing Blackness
By Leah Dolan CNN
At 24, Akinkugbe has already worked with some of the UK’s most prestigious art institutions, from the Tate to the National Gallery, interviewing artists and further contextualizing Black works in permanent collections on social media. This summer she curated her first solo exhibition, “The Whole World Smiles With You,” at Opera Gallery in London.
But growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, a career as an art historian seemed very far away. “My parents weren’t that keen,” Akinkugbe told CNN in a video interview. “I think a lot of it was down to the fact that (art history) is viewed as an elite, white field. They couldn’t see me, I guess, succeeding if I were to pursue a career in the arts.”
Akinkugbe lived in Nigeria until she was 11, and though she doesn’t remember visiting galleries she was surrounded by art. Her in-
terest in Blackness and visibility — particularly who gets to make it onto the canvas and why — began early on, while Akinkugbe was at school. Her Nigerian private school taught a British curriculum which felt like a missed opportunity to connect with her heritage. “It’s a bit sad that happens here,” she said. “That people are so set on not even learning our own history, or about our own culture… I look back and I’m like why would children in Nigeria be studying Tudors before learning about our own history?”
It prepared her, in a way, for the feelings of displacement that came with a move to the UK — where she was the only Black history of art student in her year at the University of Cambridge. “I felt hyper visible,” she said. “I think the feeling followed me.” It wasn’t until Akinkugbe was halfway through her undergraduate degree that a Black artist was introduced onto the curriculum. “It was the first time in my whole study that I learned about a Black artist at Cambridge… That was life changing. I really felt connected to what was
FILM REVIEW: Dawn Porter Brings Luther Vandross to Life in New Doc
By Nsenga K. Burton, PhD
NNPA Culture and Entertainment Editor
In the world of documentary filmmaking, few names shine as brightly as Dawn Porter. Known for her poignant explorations of political and social issues (Good Trouble, Power of the Dream, Gideon’s Army), Porter has taken a bold step into the realm of music documentaries with her latest film, Luther: Never Too Much, which celebrates the life and legacy of legendary singer Luther Vandross. In a recent interview, Porter discussed her motivations for choosing Vandross as her subject, the emotional journey of making the documentary, and her hopes for what audiences will take away from the film.
“I want viewers to think about his brain – I want people to see the work and his work ethic and how much he cared about his fans."
– Dawn Porter
When asked why she chose to focus on Luther Vandross, Porter explained her passion for telling stories that resonate with themes of joy and creativity. “I do a lot of political films and films about injustice,” she noted. “But with
Luther, he seems joyous. I wanted to stretch myself and explore a music documentary for the first time.” The abundance of archival materials available through Sony made the project irresistible.
“We had so many different materials to work with; it was heavenly for a documentary person,” she said, emphasizing her desire to let Vandross tell his own story.
While there are countless narratives surrounding Vandross’s upbringing, Porter chose to concentrate primarily on his illustrious career. “His siblings and mother have passed, so there wasn’t a lot we could authentically explore,” she explained. “I thought about the audience and what they want to know. The origins of his songs are what truly matters.”
With Vandross’s roots in New York City, Porter felt that focusing on his professional journey would best serve his legacy.
Porter set out to tell a story about Vandross that would satisfy fans and teach those who may not know the artist the significance of his role in Black music. Vandross was a workhorse from writing and producing the music, handling all business dealings, and being the creative lead on the shows, including the costumes. “He wrote music, composed music, arranged music, directed, sketched costumes,” says Porter. “I want viewers to think about his brain – I want people to see the work and his work ethic and how much he cared about his fans. He was doing this work because he was appreciating the audience,” the Sundance Film Festival winner adds.
being presented to me.”
Worried that her only opportunity to engage critically with Black art was over, Akinkugbe set up her Instagram account as a kind of research diary. It was soon recommended by the New York Times as one of five Instagram accounts to follow immediately.
“I didn’t expect so many people to be interested in it,” she said. “I didn’t think that ideas about Black representation could gain such momentum, but the timing was probably the reason why.” A few months after launching @ablackhistoryofart, the death of George Floyd ignited the revival of the Black Lives Matter protest movement. The coincidence at times feels “sinister” for Akinkugbe, but she believes there is longevity in the increased interest in and support for Black art and artists.
“I’ve spoken a lot about how there was a wave,” she said. “And it feels like it’s peaked.
And now there might be a trough… I don’t think the level of attention that (Black art) was given straight after the (resurgence) of Black Lives Matter will last,” she told CNN. “You can already see it beginning to dissipate.”
“But I do think that as long as the topic remains relevant, which it will be until things change, then it does have longevity.” It’s clear that whether Akinkugbe is curating art to be mounted on an institution’s wall, or posting a 1080 x 1080 pixel square online, Blackness will remain in frame.
Nikki Giovanni, Iconic Poet and Voice of the Black Arts Movement, Dies at 81
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Nikki Giovanni, the groundbreaking poet, author, and professor whose work embodied the spirit of the Black Arts Movement and beyond, died on Monday in Blacksburg, Virginia. She was 81. Her wife, Virginia C. Fowler, confirmed the cause was complications from lung cancer.
helped shape her sense of identity and belonging, themes that would become central to her work.
She graduated with honors in history from Fisk University, a historically Black college in Nashville and her grandfather’s alma mater. While at Fisk, Giovanni’s defiant spirit and intellect were evident. Expelled briefly due to issues with authority, she returned after a period of reflection and was read -
She was known for her candid reflections on race, gender, and identity, blending the personal with the political in provocative and deeply human ways.
Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Giovanni spent her formative years in Cincinnati, Ohio, but returned to Knoxville every summer with her sister to visit their grandparents. These visits
mitted with the help of a supportive Dean of Women. This early experience of rebellion and reconciliation laid the groundwork for her unapologetic approach to life and art.
A Voice of Rebellion and Resilience
Giovanni rose to prominence during the 1960s as a fierce voice in the Black Arts Movement, alongside literary giants such as Amiri Baraka, Audre Lorde, Ntozake Shange, and Sonia Sanchez. Her early works, including “Black Feeling, Black Talk” (1968) and “Black Judgement” (1968), were steadfast in their militancy and pride. Her poetry grappled with the injustices faced by Black Americans, including the brutal murder of Emmett Till and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist
Church in Birmingham, which killed four Black girls.
At a time when mainstream publishers showed little interest in the work of a young Black woman writing what they labeled “militant” poetry, Giovanni took matters into her own hands. She self-published her work, founding a company to distribute her collections. “No one was much interested in a Black girl writing what was called ‘militant’ poetry,” she once wrote. “I thought of it as good poetry.”
Her boldness paid off. In 1972, at just 29 years old, she sold out Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, reading her poetry to a crowd of more than 1,000 alongside the New York Community Choir. The following year, for her 30th birthday, she filled the 3,000-seat Philharmonic Hall, where the choir joined her again, along with Melba Moore and Wilson Pickett. The audience erupted joyfully when she recited her now-iconic poem, “EgoTripping.”
A Prolific Career
In addition to her poetry, Giovanni wrote children’s books, essays, and a memoir, “Gemini: An Extended Autobiographical Statement on My First Twenty-Five Years of Being a Black Poet (1971).” She was known for her candid reflections on race, gender, and identity, blending the personal with the political in provocative and deeply human ways.
A Legacy of Dreams and Defiance Giovanni’s poetry was a lifeline for many, especially young Black women who saw their power and potential reflected in her verses. She wasn’t just a poet but a cultural force who celebrated Blackness, womanhood, and the art of dreaming. “I’m a writer. I’m happy,” she demanded.
Nikki Giovanni leaves behind her son, Thomas, and her granddaughter. Her father, mother, sister, and aunt preceded her in death.
Alayo Akinkugbe at the Courtauld Gallery. PHOTO: Instagram via @ablackhistoryofart
PHOTO: NNPA
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Senegalese Artisans Exhibit At Prestigious Art Event
By Monika Pronczuk Associated Press
Fis a celebratory moment.
Every two years, hundreds of artists, curators and art lovers from across the world descend on the West African capital to attend the event, which was founded in 1989 by the Senegalese government and has over the decades become one of the most important showcases on the continent.
Pop-up exhibitions are held in hundreds of venues, from stylish five-star hotels to local art galleries. Roads are even more crowded than usual, with traffic jams stretching out for miles along the Corniche, the city’s picturesque seaside boulevard. Every night, there are music concerts, fashion shows, talks with artists and movie screenings held against the backdrop of palm trees and to the soundtrack of popping champagne bottles. But it wasn’t until this year that the local artisans in the Soumbedioune crafts market, just off the Corniche and at the doorstep on the Medina working-class neighborhood, realized what the Biennale was.
For years, “we saw the OFF signs, but we didn’t know what was going on,” said Ndiouga Dia, a 48-year-old leatherworker from Soumbedioune, referring to a series of events organized in parallel to the official government program, scattered all over the city. “Only the artists knew among themselves what was going on.”
Craftsmanship is deeply rooted in the country’s culture. Senegal, like most African
nations, has little capacity for industrial production, and traditionally much of its economy has relied on locally produced goods. For centuries, craftsmen played a central role in Senegalese social life, sculpting religious statues and ceremonial masks, sewing boubous (traditional colorful wide-sleeved robes), molding pottery and weaving baskets.
But these days, their role is in decline. As living costs rise, many Senegalese opt for cheaper, often Chinese products. And those that can afford it buy Western clothes and furniture to mark their social status.
So when two designers approached Dia, who is also the community leader of the Soumbedioune artisans, with a proposal for a joint exhibition, he didn’t hesitate for a second.
Designers Kemi Bassène and Khadim Ndiaye asked five artisans — a sculptor, a painter, a jeweler, a leatherworker and a upholsterer — to interpret the theme of “hippo.”
The exhibition, held in the central square of Soumbedioune, surrounded by artisanal boutiques and restaurants selling thieboudienne, the most famous Senegalese dish, has been a hit among locals. There are hippo earrings and a hippo necklace; a giant wooden sculpture of a sleeping hippo; and a hippo-shaped bag.
Bassène, the curator, grew up in Medina, next to Soumbedioune, but is now based in Paris. He said he wanted to bridge the divide between arts and crafts.
“This is the first time in the history that artisans, especially those who are custodians of traditional craftsmanship, are invited to the Biennale,” Bassène said. “For craftsmen in Africa, there is a natural progression towards the world of modern design.”
It was “normal,” he said, to include artisans in the Biennale “if we wanted to try to decolonize a little.”
This year’s Biennale is being held as Senegal is undergoing profound political change, with the newly elected authorities charting a more self-reliant and pan-African course.
The theme of this year’s Biennale has been “The Wake,” alluding to the emancipation of the African continent from its remaining dependence on former colonial powers.
For Nigerian Artist Nengi Omuku Every Painting Has Two Sides
By Precious Adesina CNN
At Frieze London this year, three large artworks by the artist Nengi Omuku were hung away from the walls so viewers could walk around them. With each work, one side
offered a vibrant nature-filled painting. The other presented strips of sanyan, a thick traditional Nigerian fabric that Omuku uses to replace the usual canvas fabric painters often use as their base. For the 37-year-old, the fabric she works on has become as crucial as her paintings themselves.
Parents In Africa Struggle With School Fees Forcing Children To Drop Out
By Rodney Muhumuza Associated Press
The day Shalom Mirembe was sent home from school last month over unpaid tuition, her father lay dying in a hospital. Even as her mother sat by his bedside, school officials were calling and demanding payment.
For Mirembe’s mother, a shoe vendor who looks after four children, it was a heartbreaking moment in the daily struggle to pay often unpredictable and unregulated school fees. Constant threats demanding payment can leave her feeling helpless. Some officials are more tolerant, but eventually they all grow tired of her pleas.
It is a crushing issue for many across sub-Saharan Africa, where the lack of a few hundred dollars can determine a child’s future. The region has long had the world’s highest dropout rates. Reasons vary, but financial pain is the biggest.
It said school fees were the biggest source of financial worry for 40% of people in Uganda, where top government-funded schools now charge nearly $700 in tuition per threemonth term. That’s a significant amount in this East African country where annual GDP per capita was $864 in 2023.
More than anything, it’s the unpredictable tuition hikes — for sometimes questionable reasons — that haunt parents across the country of more than 45 million people. Some critics, including Uganda’s parliament speaker, have called for regulation to protect parents from exploitation.
The Equal Opportunities Commission, a government agency that tracks inequality and discrimination, released a report in September calling for punitive measures against government-supported schools that appear to set excessive fees. It warned that arbitrarily raising fees can force children to drop out.
Since completing her undergraduate and master’s degrees in fine art from the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art in 2012, Omuku has shown in major cities across the globe, including London, Paris, Bangkok, and New York. Her work can also be found in private and public collections, including at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami), and the Loewe Art Collection. She is also represented by three major galleries: Pippy Houldsworth Gallery and Kristin Hjellegjerde, both in London, and The Kasmin Gallery in New York.
Omuku’s choice to use
Attendance falls from 68% in grade school to 22% in secondary school, with financial difficulty the main reason for failure to continue studies, according to new figures from
sanyan initially came from a place of necessity but has now become an integral part of her practice. “I was trying to rediscover myself and my identity,” she said. “When I moved back to Nigeria, I couldn’t find high-quality canvas, and I was also really fascinated by how, as Nigerians, we identify ourselves through our clothes.”
This journey has also allowed Omuku to consider how her artmaking could merge with her Nigerian culture by learning “how to prepare the surface for painting while still honouring the textile.” This journey began by working on vintage textiles found in local markets before eventually moving on to finding people who make sanyan.
Aesthetically, Omuku’s paintings often place abstract human figures in dream-like natural environments as a way to consider the collective experiences of Nigerians.
Omuku’s initial intention for the fair was to paint “uninterrupted landscapes,” but it
the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Uganda does have a program for universal secondary education, introduced in 2007 and similar to one for primary education, but such schools are often rundown and undesirable for many families. They are generally tuition-free, but parents must pay sometimes burdensome fees for uniforms, textbooks and other items.
When it comes to more popular, and more expensive, private schools, the government is not interested in price intervention, said Dennis Mugimba, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education.
Setting fees for private schools is “purely administrative and it is adjusted according to the business environment,” he said. But certain charges such as those including “capital development” should not be the responsibility of parents, he said.
Such private schools have mushroomed across Uganda and now make up the majority of the country’s schools, addressing growing demand but also emphasizing the profitability of education as a business. That worries some experts.
In the school of more than 2,100 students, roughly 400 are from working-class families that routinely struggle to pay fees, according to Seguya, who said the system can seem harsh.
To accommodate some parents, the school accepts in-kind payments such as vegetables and fruit, she said.
But Nangero, whose family shares a single room, has nothing of the sort to offer. Her shoe business, long drained of cash by school fees, has collapsed. The death of her husband, whose carpentry once supplemented the family income, has increased the pain. She said anxiety over school fees is more damaging for her children, who spend days at home whenever school officials lose patience. She’s grateful that two of her sons in secondary school are now supported by an evangelical cleric — rare support made possible via contact through their religious fellowship.
became increasingly more difficult for her to do this as images of “chaos and fighting” were “flashing through my mind like nightmares.” These motifs and explorations have become more prevalent since returning to Nigeria after studying at the Slade. Omuku said she initially focused on her own interiority but noticed “a huge mental health crisis” in the country. “And that’s when I started thinking a little more about the collective,” she said. “How we were experiencing things as Nigerians, how we’re going through trauma and corruption and political unrest, and all of these things that happen every day that we live in and with.”
With an emphasis on the natural world and the captivating fabrics her compositions are painted on, it would be surprising if looking at Omuku’s work didn’t conjure up warm feelings.
“I’m trying to remind people of this beautiful place that we call our world and that we don’t have to make it ugly.”
or the artistic and cultural elites of Senegal, the monthlong Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Arts
Jeweller Mussa Diop presents a bronze hippopotamus in his workshop, as part of the reindeer exhibition at the Dakar 2024 biennial Off in Dakar, Senegal, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. PHOTO: Instagram via @woodekobina
PHOTO: Pexels
Nengi Omuku and her art hero, Yinka Shonibare in Frieze London.
By Tihut Tamrat Contributing Writer
n December 14th from 11am-3pm, Global Empowerment Mission(GEM) along with JIREH Providers Inc., The Urban Collaborative Project, and Good 360, with other organizations around the community such as the YMCA, Blue Shield, the San Diego County Library, UC San Diego Health, San Diego Unified School District, and Friends of the Oak Park Library came to Porter Elementary S chool on 47th St. Part of the school was transformed for the event.
Recent survivors of the January 2024 Floods were treated to resources provided by these orga nizations that included groceries and household items from JIREH Pro- viders Inc., books for children, prizes, health screenings, toys for the holiday season gifted by Hasbro, the toy company; and a variety of sandwiches handed out by holiday helpers!
There were over 700 families who registered to participate in this event.
“I’m glad we get to continue to put on this event and help where it’s needed. It’s wonderful to come out again and to be able to put a smile on kids' faces this holiday season,” said
Samantha Williams, Founder & Executive Director of JIREH Providers Inc.
With the help of Santa’s elves, kids were allowed to pick up three toys each at Santa’s Toy Workshop, pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, face painting, arts and crafts, hot cider, cocoa, and games, priz es! Holiday Sasquatch, the Grinch, and Gingerbread men even came around to joke and bring laughter to the kids, adding to the festive holiday spirit.
After a fun-filled day for families and kids, including Health and Wellness resources such as mental health crisis counseling and confidential disaster case management meet ings, families are ready to take on the holiday season and any challenges it may bring.
PHOTOS: Tihut Tamrat
WREATHS ACROSS
10 TH ANNUAL
By Voice & Viewpoint Staff
Greenwood Memorial Park in Mount Hope hosted its annual Wreaths Across America ceremony, a heartfelt event dedicated to remembering the fallen and honoring those who have served this holiday season.
This is Greenwood’s tenth year hosting the Wreaths Across America event. Emceed by Dee Sanford, Greenwood’s co-location coordinator, the occasion brought together over a hundred community members, JROTC, veterans, volunteers, and leaders to lay wreaths and pay tribute to the ten thousand veterans and families laid to rest at the Mount Hope site.
On the evening of December 12th, the Urban League of San Diego County (ULSDC) honored nine regional leaders who symbolize the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Hosted at the US Grant Hotel, a three-course dinner was served for the guests of honor and their community who came out to celebrate them.
Hosted by two MCs, the young community leaders TJ Harris and Jamela Johnson. The awards program commenced with an invocation given by Pastor George McKinney. The National Recording Artist Daneen Wilburn led everyone in singing the powerful and hopeful Negro National Anthem, filling the room with her vibrato and soulful tone.
As attendees dug into their steak, potatoes, and vegetables, Board Chair Larry S. Reed welcomed everyone to the dinner, followed with more live music and a surprise duet with him and Ms. Wilburn that grabbed the atten-
reflected Reed on the flood disasters in January 2024.
Al Abdallah, President & CEO of the Urban League, spoke to the success of the ULSDC through an annual impact report left on everyone’s table with statistics to match.
With that, the Presentation of Awards began, honoring the nine honorees: Eric Asiedu, Director of Mortgage Marketing & Sales Support at First Citizens Bank; Janell Davis, Founder and Owner of Nelly’s Kitchen; Maya Madeson, Founder & CEO of Maya’s Cookies; Ellen Ewings-Nash, Chair of Black American Policy Association of California, San Diego; Kazeem Omidiji, Director of Community Relations, San Diego Gas & Electric, Gregory A. Smith, Chancellor of San Diego Community
tion and cheers from the audience. Afterwards, Reed spoke on the impact of the Urban League to the community.
“At a time when fear and uncertainty were at their highest due to unforeseen pressures, the determination of the Urban League to overcome formidable barriers to equality and equity has remained steadfast despite the year’s trials,”
“100% of our youth participants are promoted to the next grade level, without requiring remedial courses, all of [whom] applied to and were accepted into a 4-year or 2-year institution”, emphasized Abdallah, earning a room filled with applause.
To close out the night, musical performances from the band filled the room as people began socializing and congratulating one another on their accomplishments, concluding the 71st Equal Opportunity Diversity & Equity Awards Dinner.
PHOTOS:
College District; Fred Sotelo, President & CEO of Cerveza XTECA; Samantha Williams, Executive Director of JIREH Providers; and Tony Young, Prior CEO of San Diego Workforce Partnership.
Right: Senior Master Sergeant U.S. Air Force Erik Dupree presenting the ceremonial wreaths. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint Staff
By Tihut Tamrat CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Honoree Ms. Maya Madsen being recognized for her Local business
Honoree Samantha Wilkins being recognized for her outstanding work as Executive Director of JIREH Providers.
Honoree Tony Young was recognized for his work as Interim CEO of San Diego Workforce Partnership.
Honoree Kazeem Omidiji being awarded for his work with San Diego Gas & Electric.
MC’s TJ Harris and Jamela Johnson
ACROSS AMERICA’S
ANNUAL CEREMONY
“The true measure of a community’s greatness lies not only in how we take care of our veterans while they’re with us, but more importantly, how we remember and honor their sacrifices once they are no longer with us. Today’s event, with its diversity of attendees, sends a powerful message to every military member in San Diego,” said CAPT Laurie Scott, USN Commanding Officer.
The event was joined by over 2 million volunteers across the country laying wreaths in veteran memorial parks. Other participating sites in San Diego include Miramar National Cemetery and Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.
Mayor Todd Gloria and District 4 Councilmember Henry Foster were in attendance and gave remarks to audience members.
“It is an act of dedication that shines a light on our heroes who are so worthy of honor. I also want to honor and give my condolences to all our military families who have loved ones resting here at Greenwood,” said Councilmember Foster. Ceremonial wreath presenters included representatives from the Army, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Buffalo Soldiers.
18th Annual Blue Heart Christmas Breakfast
By Tihut Tamrat CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Bright and early last Saturday morning, the Blue Heart Foundation hosted their 18th Annual Blue Heart Christmas Breakfast. However, unlike previous years, they had special guest Morris Chestnut as the Keynote Speaker who came out in support of young adult men eager to pursue higher education.
To kick off the awards, a hearty Negro National Anthem was sung by the youth of Blue Heart, directed by Tammy T. Blevins, Board Vice President. The presentation of awards followed and were MC’d by the current youngsters of Blue Heart.
The recipients were Wilson Kennedy, Mentor of the Year; Community Activists, Nate Howard, Jasmin and Misty Jackson, Brian Ware, and Dr. Ricky Shabazz; Billy Moore, Father of the Year; D4 Game Changers, Gloria J. Cooper and Jennie Hamilton; Local Businesses of the Year, Makeda “Dredd” Cheatom and Dr. Michelle R. Thompson, and last but certainly not least, Dr. John Warren of Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper recipient of The Tracy R. Morris Legacy of the Year Award, given on behalf of the recently deceased Founder of the Blue Heart Foundation, Tracy R. Morris.
A few remarks were given from Mentor James Crawford on Tracy R. Morris and his legacy. The Blue Heart Foundation is all about, “building community by providing a secure and equitable path to higher education, emotional health, and character development for young African American males.”
performance, getting the audience up on their feet and grooving along to the jazzy tunes she played.
Hood and his more recent role in the Hulu Series Reasonable Doubt as Corey Cash, gave the young men of Blue Heart advice that they can carry with them for their lifetime.
“Always be brutally honest with yourself, stay true to who you are, and treat people with respect. Those go a long way. ‘Hi’, ‘Hello’, ‘Please’, ‘Thank you’ go a long way. Do not forget to do the simple things in life,” Chestnut said.
The young members of Blue Heart took these words as inspiration and gave a passionate and lively step performance that shook the whole
and brought parents,
and clap with them.
proud
down from the Blue Heart leadership and ushering in Tammy T.
as the new Executive Director of the
a delectable breakfast was served buffet-style filled with
Live entertainment was provided by Erisa Nichol with her interactive saxophonist
Up next, Keynote Speaker Morris Chestnut, known from his iconic role as Ricky Baker from Boyz n the
stage
aunties, uncles, and cousins to their feet, feeling no choice but to step
With
parents, deserving award recipients, and the now-inspired guests after Chestnut’s speech, there was nothing left to do but to eat. Provided and catered by Nelly’s Kitchen,
eggs, sausage, bacon, chicken and waffles, potatoes, and beverages to match.
The awards continued and CEO Matthew Gordon of Blue Heart Foundation was introduced, announcing that he is stepping
Blevins
Blue Heart Foundation.
After silent auction winners were announced, raffle drawings were made, and more donations were accepted from the attendees for the continued success of the foundation and its endeavors, the 18th Annual Blue Heart Christmas Breakfast came to a close.
PHOTOS: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint Staff
PHOTOS: Tihut Tamrat
Dr. Michelle R. Thompson of M.A.N.D.A.T.E. Records recieving the Local Business of the Year Award.
Dr. John Warren, Publisher of Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper receiving The Tracy R. Morris Legacy of the Year Award.
Makeda “Dredd” Cheatom, owner of the Worldbeat Cultural Center receiving the Local Business of the Year Award.
Actor Morris Chestnut inspiring the youth with his speech.
Mentor James Crawford facilitating the Christmas Breakfast.
Jasmin and Misty Jackson receiving the Community Activists award.
By Voice & Viewpoint Staff
e George Stevens Fourth District Senior Resource Center held a Holiday Luncheon last Friends and support ers. There was great food, company, and gifts for the attendees and the “seasoned seniors” 90 and over got special attention.
Mrs. Rosemary Pope, the Center Director, not only expressed appreciation for the many “ambassadors” as she calls her volunteers, but she also took time to remember those we have loved and lost, especially in recent days. Mr. John Philips did another outstanding job with the music and Carmelia Bell added her voice and style to the occasion.
O. Kinsler
On behalf of the Kinsler family, we, the descendants of Melvin O. Kinsler, would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you.
Our patriarch was a man of faith, hope, and courage—a Navy man who took immense pride in his service. He loved the Lord and had a passion for singing, particularly gospel songs. His favorite song was "Joy." Melvin was a devoted husband, an incredible father, a doting grandfather, and great grandfather and a cherished friend to many.
He treasured family time, whether it was singing in the church choir or watching his favorite TV shows, especially "Westerns" like "Gunsmoke" and "The Big Valley." He enjoyed these moments either with family or alone. Saturdays and Sundays were often spent watching college football and the NFL, especially when his children were around.
Melvin faced his battle with prostate cancer with remarkable grace, never complaining. When asked about his well-being, he would simply say, "I'm alright; it is what it is." "God got me" He was an upbeat presence, the life of the party, with a charming persona and a million-dollar smile. Our beloved father will be deeply missed.
He is now seated at the right side of God. Heaven has truly gained an angel.
Photos by The Kinsler Family
What Are The Benefits Of Weighted Blankets?
By Adithi Ramakrishnan Associated Press
Rh onda James was skeptical when her husband ordered a weighted blanket for her online. But five minutes after she wrapped it around her body, she zonked out.
“It felt like a really big hug,” said James, a banker in Charleston, South Carolina.
As outside temperatures grow chilly, weighted blankets can be a popular choice to warm up. Some people say the added pressure helps them soothe the worries of the day and get to sleep faster.
But research on the effectiveness of weighted blankets is limited. Here’s what to know.
What is a weighted blanket?
Weighted blankets come with extra heft in the form of glass beads, pellets, cotton or another filling. Scientists haven’t studied exactly how the blankets work, but they have a few ideas.
The blankets’ firm touch may calm the brain’s fight-or-flight response, said Dr. Neal Walia, a sleep medicine expert at UCLA Health.
“The evenly distributed weight on you tells your body, ‘Hey, you’re in a calm environment,’” he said.
The extra pressure also may signal the brain to release what’s called the love hormone, also known as oxytocin. It’s produced during bonding and cuddling, and can also lower anxiety, Walia said. How do I use a weighted blanket?
For most healthy adults, experts say to choose a blanket that is about 10% of their body weight. So a 150-pound person may opt for a 15-pound blanket.
Weighted blankets are not recommended for babies or toddlers since they can hinder movement
and breathing.
People with sleep apnea, sleep-related disorders or respiratory problems should check with a doctor before using a weighted blanket.
The blankets aren’t for everyone and each person gets the best out of their blanket differently. For example, some may find them too hot to use during warmer months.
And the extra swaddling comes at a cost: quality weighted blankets can range from $50 to over $300 depending on the size, weight and material.
James takes hers out of the closet to unwind when she’s watching TV or sipping a glass of wine.
Lucy Taylor, a freelance writer from Wales, uses her blanket to fall asleep when her anxiety spikes during the winter.
“If my body’s relaxed, my mind follows suit,” she said.
Can weighted blankets improve sleep?
There isn’t a ton of research on whether weighted blankets actually work, and the studies that do exist are on small groups. Most studies don’t focus on the average sleeper. Instead, they investigate whether
weighted blankets can help people with chronic sleep problems, mental health conditions or developmental disorders.
There are some hints that weighted blankets can help with anxiety, chronic pain and sleep. But the research isn’t conclusive.
A study on 120 people with insomnia found that the weighted blankets helped them sleep better compared to a light blanket. Another study on 67 children with autism found the weighted blanket didn’t affect their sleep at all – but the children and their parents preferred it to a regular blanket.
And a third study on 94 adults with chronic pain found that a heavier weighted blanket didn’t affect sleep, but was better at reducing pain compared to a lighter one.
Even though there’s not yet strong evidence to back up the benefits of weighted blankets, sleep experts say there’s no harm in giving them a try if you’re willing to splurge.
Dr. Daniel Barone, a sleep medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine, suggests it to his patients after other traditional therapies and medicines.
“If it doesn’t hurt and it may help, it’s worth a shot,” he said.
HEALTHY LIVING
PHOTO: Pexels
Helping Children Develop Healthy Device and Media Habits
What are TikTok’s privacy settings? Can parents control what advertising their children see on Facebook? How do parents limit the amount of time their children spend on Instagram?
A new parent tool, the Glossary of Digital Media Platforms, offers the answers and will be handy for parents of children trying out new phones or other tech-related holiday gifts. The American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health developed the free resource, which contains detailed information on popular digital platforms, including Apple, Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok and X, with more to come.
Users click on a platform to learn about its default and customizable safety settings; messaging and friending controls; screen-time management settings; parental controls and more.
Parents aren’t the only ones looking for assistance when it comes to the online world. Pediatric providers, teachers and others who work with children and teens can introduce the glossary briefly during clinic visits, back-to-school nights, in newsletters, or other communications and encourage families to have conversations about safe and balanced relationships with social media. The tool can also facilitate conversations on concepts like private versus pub -
lic accounts, time limits and how to block or filter upsetting content.
Here are some examples of how the glossary can be used:
• If children have iPhones, parents can learn more about the Family Sharing feature, which includes settings to limit who a child can contact, downtime/do-not-disturb settings and the Ask To Buy option that requires a parent to approve purchases.
• If social media and notifications are distracting teens at night, families can use the glossary to look up apps and how to silence notifications or activate other nighttime settings.
• For teens who are stressed out by negative content on social media feeds, the glossary contains information on tools to curate feeds and block and filter content.
• If a child’s school has a phone policy, families can look up device or app settings to silence distracting apps during school hours.
The glossary joins a roster of resources available at Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, which includes conversation starters for parents concerned about how their children are using social media. The center’s activity cards can help young children build healthy relationships with media and their devices before they grow into teens and young adults.
Statepoint
SDCCE Empowers Women Refugees and Immigrants
When Neimo Ali immigrated from Ethiopia and settled in San Diego, she didn’t know more than a few words of English, had little in the way of job skills and was uncertain about her future. What she did have was determination. And that determination led her to the San Diego College of Continuing Education’s (SDCCE) award-winning ESL program and its burgeoning collaboration with the nonprofit MAKE Projects, which operates an urban farm, cafe and catering service aimed at equipping immigrant and refugee women with job readiness training, an abundance of mentors and career guidance. With SDCCE’s ESL classes building fluency in occupational English and MAKE Projects providing the resume-building work experience, Ali today is a confident U.S. citizen with a vision lacking any limitations.
“When I came to San Diego, I don’t know even how to say ‘hi’ to my neighbors, I didn’t know how to talk with people in English,” said Ali, 33. “I stayed home. I don’t know anybody. Now, I speak better, I have experience working in a restaurant, I have friends who I can converse with in English. I have a future.”
MAKE is an acronym for Merging Agriculture Kitchens and Employment. Officially known as the Project for Self-Sufficiency through Education and Enterprise (Project SEE),
the SDCCE/MAKE Projects collaboration was developed in the fall of 2022 and formalized a year later. Cohorts of six students sign up for 12-week job-readiness sessions with MAKE Projects, and 55 women and 20 youths have gone through the program this year through November 3. Make no mistake, though: participants are not
being pigeonholed into food industry jobs. SDCCE students have gone on to enroll in career education programs ranging from health care to child development. One, a single mom, is now a full-time student at San Diego City College with plans on becoming a social worker. Others are looking to start their own business.
“This has been a very good experience for me,” said Homira Wahisi, an Afghani journalist who fled Kabul in 2022 and who spoke no English when she arrived in San Diego. “This was my first job in the U.S.”
Wahisi recently secured a license to open a childcare center.
The SDCCE ESL faculty collaboration was funded through a federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title II grant (WIOA). Signed into law on July 22, 2014, WIOA II is designed to assist immigrants, English learners, and adults without a high school diploma in gaining the language and literacy skills needed to
secure a good job and economic self-sufficiency. MAKE Projects has been designated by the California Department of Education as a career training pathway for ESL students who are enrolled in both programs.
Chedencia Martin, 24, who immigrated from Haiti by way of Brazil, wrapped up her 12-week Project SEE program on November 3. “This program helped me a lot,” she said. “It helped me improve my skills in English, to be more conversational. It helped me become more confident. And it helped me to continue with my objective to be a nurse.”
PHOTO: Pexels
CLASSIFIEDS / LEGAL NOTICES
to transact business under the name(s) above
This business is hereby registered by the following: Innate Health and Healing 3706 Ruffin Road San Diego, CA 92123
State of Incorporation/ Organization
California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 10, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 10, 2029 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9024226
Fictitious business name(s): Hye Charge Located at: 325 W Washington St. San Diego, CA 92103 County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: A Limited Liability Company
The first day of business was: 11/01/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following: Goal Entertainment LLC 4720 Mansfield St. San Diego, CA 92116 State of Incorporation/ Organization
California
BUSINESS NAME
This statement was
with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 22, 2024 This fictitious business name will expire on November 22, 2029 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9024131
Fictitious business name(s): SD Charter Club Located at: 1400 Scott St San Diego, CA 92106
3021 1/2 Oliphant St San Diego, CA 92106 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: Maverick Investments
3021 1/2 Oliphant St. San Diego, CA 92106 State of Incorporation/ Organization
Colorado This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 09, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 09, 2029 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-902351
Fictitious business name(s): Bean Frosty Fusion Located at: 1910 Encelia Cir. #211 Chula Vista, CA 91913
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: A Married Couple Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above
This business is hereby registered by the following: Ricardo Corro Montes
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 26, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 26, 2029 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 10, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 10, 2029 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9024174
Fictitious business name(s):
Fiercely Uncommon Located at: 4010 Porte La Paz #58 San Diego, CA 92122
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above
This business is hereby registered by the following: Mary Collins 4010 Porte La Paz #58 San Diego, CA 92122
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 09, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 09, 2029 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9024002
Fictitious business name(s): Gyros N Tacos Located at: 747 Turquoise St. San Diego, CA 92109
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: A Limited Liability Company
The first day of business was: 12/04/2024 This business is hereby registered by the following: Gailani Properties LLC 7480 El Cajon Blvd. La Mesa, CA 91942 State of Incorporation/ Organization California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 05, 2024 This fictitious business name will expire on December 05, 2029 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023819
Fictitious business name(s): Alona's Caketots Located at: 687 Bethany St. San Diego, CA 92114 County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual
The first day of business was: 08/19/2022
This business is hereby registered by the following: Alona Jualo Gutierrez MS 687 Bethany St. San Diego, CA 92114
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 03, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 03, 2029 12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
2024-9022651
Fictitious business name(s): RVB Instruction Located at: 1107 First Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91911
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual
The first day of business was: 08/10/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following:
Rosa Villa Balkam 1107 First Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91911
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 13, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 13, 2029
12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
2024-9023168
Fictitious business name(s): Zscape Landscape Designs Located at: 5831 Barbarossa Ct. San Diego, CA 92115
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: A Married Couple
The first day of business was: 12/04/2019
This business is hereby registered by the following: Frank Joseph Zottolo 5831 Barbarossa Ct. San Diego, CA 92115
Jane Kimberly Zottolo 5831 Barbarossa Ct. San Diego, CA 92115
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 21, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 21, 2029
12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023667
Fictitious business name(s): Stewart Income Tax Services Located at: 472 Tanbark Street
Chula Vista, CA 91911
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above This business is hereby registered by the following: Eleanor Mary Stewart 472 Tanbark Street
Chula Vista, CA 91911
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 02, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 02, 2029 12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023749
Fictitious business name(s): Pothead Chicks
Located at: 5984 Latimer Ct. San Diego, CA 92114
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by:
A Limited Liability Company
The first day of business was: 12/02/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following: Jhays LLC 5984 Latimer Ct. San Diego, CA 92114
State of Incorporation/ Organization California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 02, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 02, 2029 12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9021885
Fictitious business name(s): Mr. 1 Located at:
7575 Britannia Park Pl. San Diego, CA 92154
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: A Corporation
The first day of business was: 07/31/2018
This business is hereby registered by the following: Alex Barragan Inc. 7575 Britannia Park Pl. San Diego, CA 92154 State of Incorporation/ Organization California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 01, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 01, 2029
12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023859
Fictitious business name(s): Lu-An Nails & SPA Located at: 1480 Eastlake Pkwy, Suite 907
Chula Vista, CA 91915
11716 River Rim Rd. San Diego, CA 92126
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual
The first day of business was: 12/03/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following: Luan Thi Ho 11716 River Rim Rd. San Diego, CA 92126
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 04, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 04, 2029 12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023780
Fictitious business name(s): Hanytherecoveryguy Located at: 3725 Clove Way Oceanside, CA 92057 PO Box 6141 Oceanside, CA 92052 County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual
The first day of business was: 12/03/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following: Hany Maurice Samaan PO Box 6141 Oceanside, CA 92052
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 03, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 03, 2029 12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9022999
Fictitious business name(s): Moonlit Raven Isle
moonlit Raven Nails Located at: 10031 Marconi Dr #3 San Diego, CA 92154
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual
The first day of business was: 10/27/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following: Nicole Pauline Montano 10031 Marconi Dr #3 San Diego, CA 92154
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 19, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 19, 2029
12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023726
Fictitious business name(s): Belzion Located at: 9735 Dale Ave. Unit 15 Spring Valley, CA 91977 County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: A Corporation
Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above
This business is hereby registered by the following:
Renard Pumps Incorporated
9735 Dale Ave. Unit 15 Spring Valley, CA 91977 State of Incorporation/ Organization Florida
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 02, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 02, 2029 12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/02
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023700
Fictitious business name(s): JP Realty and Management Located at: 5841 Dirac St. San Diego, CA 9122
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual
The first day of business was: 12/02/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following: Joshua R Pelletier 5841 Dirac St. San Diego, CA 92122
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on December 02, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on December 02, 2029 12/05, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023445
Fictitious business name(s): The Well Report Located at: 4482 Winona Ave San Diego, CA 9115 PO Box 600303 San Diego, CA 92160
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above This business is hereby registered by the following: Leora Cooper PO Box 600303 San Diego, CA 92160
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 25, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 25, 2029 12/05, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9022929
Fictitious business name(s): Slay Lounge
Slay Girl Slay Hair Extensions Located at: 8739 Broadway La Mesa, CA 9114 County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual
The first day of business was: 11/16/2017
This business is hereby registered by the following: Kashauna Shinae Heard 7251 Peter Pan Ave San Diego, CA 92114
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 18, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 18, 2029 12/05, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9022932
Fictitious business name(s): Iconic Blendz Barbershop
Iconic Blendz
Iconic Blendz SD Iconic Blends Located at: 7343 Broadway Lemon Grove, CA 91945 County of San Diego
This business is conducted by:
A General Partnership
The first day of business was: 03/06/2019 This business is hereby registered by the following: Branden Lee Hall 7343 Broadway Lemon Grove, CA 91945
Christopher Neil Ramirez Dye 7343 Broadway Lemon Grove, CA 91945
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 18, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 18, 2029 12/05, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9022849
Fictitious business name(s): Lifeline Childcare Foundation Located at: 3664 SPA St. San Diego, CA 92105
FICTITIOUS
Fictitious business name(s): Sweet Suenos Located at: 5450 San Mateo Dr. San Diego, CA 92114 County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: An Individual Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above This business is hereby registered by the following: Theresa Marie Alvarez-Jarrin MRS 5450 San Mateo Dr. San Diego, CA 92114 This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 18, 2024 This fictitious business name will expire on November 18, 2029 12/05, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9022873
Fictitious business name(s): Mexica Libre Mexica Libre Collective Mexica Libre Co Located at: 5450 San Mateo Dr. San Diego, CA 92114 County of San Diego This business is conducted by: An Individual Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above This business is hereby registered by the following: Theresa Marie Alvarez-Jarrin MRS 5450 San Mateo Dr. San Diego, CA 92114
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 18, 2024 This fictitious business name will expire on November 18, 2029 12/05, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023345
Fictitious
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
REQUEST FOR Sub-Proposals from Certified DBE Firms
Project Name: San Onofre to Pulgas Double Track Phase 2 Contract Number: 4250093 Owner: SANDAG
Your Astral Magic Brands Located at: 6635 Bullock Dr San Diego, CA 92114
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: A Corporation
The first day of business was: 11/01/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following: Dekk Co. 6635 Bullock Dr San Diego, CA 92114
State of Incorporation/ Organization: California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 20, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 20, 2029 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, 12/19
Angus Drake Ross
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: January 31, 2025
Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. N-25
Petitioner or Attorney: Joseph Alexander Edeiken
To All Interested Persons: Petitioner Jennifer Colleen Van Grove filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:
a.PRESENT NAME: Joseph Alexander Edeiken
b.PRESENT NAME: Joseph Alexander Marson
all materials and performing all other work necessary to complete the work in accordance with the Contract Plans and Special Provisions. BID DATE: January 9th at 2:00PST/PDT REYES CONSTRUCTION, INC. State License Number 507561
1383 South Signal Drive, Pomona, CA 91766 Phone: 909-622-2259 ● Fax: 909-622-3053
Contact: Christina Ramos Mon - Fri 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Assistance will be available in obtaining bonds, lines of credit, insurance, necessary equipment, supplies, materials or related technical assistance.
By submitting a proposal, Respondent/Bidder acknowledges that they have performed a thorough review of the terms and conditions contained in our standard subcontract/purchase order (Contract). Respondent/Bidder quotes, including terms and conditions contained therein, will not be included in subcontracts/purchase orders issued for the project. Respondent/Bidder shall submit, in writing with their proposal/quote, any exceptions to the RCI Contract terms and conditions.
Note: RCI may disqualify and reject the respondent’s proposal/bid based on the exceptions submitted. For information on the availability of scope of work, plans and specifications, and requirements of the contract please contact our office.
Plans, Specifications, and Contract requirements can be viewed online at no cost here:
1) Via iSqFt – please send an email request to estimating@reyesconstruction.com
2) Bidnet Direct - https://www.bidnetdirect.com/private/solicitations/4497717210/abstract
3) Via Sharefile – please send an email request to estimating@reyesconstruction.com
Please e-mail Quotes to: Estimating@reyesconstruction.com
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Notice is hereby given that the San Diego Unified School District, acting by and through its governing board, will electronically receive written qualifications and proposals for the furnishing of all labor, materials, transportation, equipment, and services for: CC25-0741-33-00-00 REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND PROPOSALS (RFQ/P) FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SOLAR POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS AT 6 SITES (GROUP E)
Mandatory site visit scheduled for 8:00 a.m. on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2025, outside of the main office of Lafayette Elementary School, 6125 Printwood Way, San Diego, CA 92117. Upon completion of the first site, contractors shall proceed to the following sites in the order listed: Ross Elementary, 7470 Bagdad Street, San Diego, CA 92111, Mark Twain High School Main Campus, 6402 Linda Vista Road, San Diego, CA 92111, Loma Portal Elementary School, 3341 Browning Street, San Diego, CA 92106, Sessions Elementary School, 2150 Beryl Street, San Diego, CA 92109, Riley Alternative School, 5650 Mount Ackerly Drive, San Diego, CA 92111 Prime contractors must be present at all 6 sites in order to participate in this RFQ/P. All attendees must preregister with the District prior to attending the site walk at sandiegounified.org/sitewalks. The RFQ/P package may be downloaded free of charge at the District’s online Planroom at sandiegousdplans.com All responses to the RFQ/P must be received electronically via PlanetBids before 1:00 p.m. on JANUARY 30, 2025. Prime contractors interested in submitting a proposal must go to tinyurl.com/SDUSD-PlanetBids then search under “Bid Opportunities” for “Invitation number” CC25-0741-33-00-00 Request for Qualifications and Proposals (RFQ/P) for Construction of Solar Power Generation Systems at 6 Sites (Group E). For new vendors, please register under “New Vendor Registration.” This is a PSA project and the project estimate is $10,258,132.00, not inclusive of allowances. Please visit our Planroom for more details. The District requires that the prime contractors possess any of the following classification(s) of California State Contractors License(s), valid and in good standing, at the time of proposal submission and contract award: A, B, C-46, or other appropriate license, subject to District approval. SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, George A. Harris III, Director, Fiscal Controls and Information Systems, Facilities Planning and Construction CC25-0741-33-00-00
This business is hereby registered by the following: Imprints SDDT, LLC 501 W Broadway, Ste A San Diego, CA 92101
State of Incorporation/ Organization: California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 13, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 13, 2029 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, 12/19
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023150
Fictitious business name(s):
Phuong NGA Restaurant Located at: 5237 El Cajon Blvd San Diego, CA 92115
4016 54th Street San Diego, CA 92105
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by:
A Corporation
Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the name(s) above
This business is hereby registered by the following:
Phuong NGA Inc
4016 54th Street San Diego, CA 92105
State of Incorporation/ Organization: California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 20, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 20, 2029 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, 12/19
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9023141
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9020977
Fictitious business name(s): Businesstrade4u Located at: 700 Redlands Pl Bonita, CA 91902
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by:
A Limited Liability Company
The first day of business was: 10/18/2024
This business is hereby registered by the following: BusinessTrade4u 700 Redlands Pl Bonita, CA 91902
State of Incorporation/ Organization: California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on October 18, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on October 18, 2029 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, 12/19
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
2024-9022662
Fictitious business name(s):
Salon V.I.P. LLC
Located at: 3036 Adams Ave San Diego, CA 92116 3401 Fairway Dr. La Mesa, CA 91941
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: Salon V.I.P. LLC 3401 Fairway Dr. La Mesa, CA 91941
State of Incorporation/ Organization:
California
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on November 13, 2024
This fictitious business name will expire on November 13, 2029 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, 12/19
STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME
2024-9024003
Fictitious business name(s) to be abandoned:
Styles Nails & SPA Located at: 1480 Eastlake Pkwy, Ste 907 Chula Vista, CA 91915
County of San Diego
This business is conducted by: A Corporation
The Fictitious business name referred to above was filed in San Diego County on: 12/04/2024 and assigned File no. 2024-9004035
The fictitious business name is being abandoned by:
Reputation Nails & SPA Corporation 1480 Eastlake Pkwy, Ste 907
Chula Vista, CA 919515
This statement was filed with the Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County December 05, 2024 12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 01/02
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA
325 S. Melrose Dr. Vista, CA 92081
24CU028434N
Petitioner or Attorney: Angus Drake Ross
To All
(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: 325 S. Melrose Dr. Vista, CA 92081 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA
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: January 30, 2025 Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. C-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 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 12/19, 12/26, 1/02, 1/9
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA 330 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 24CU027010C
Petitioner or Attorney: Jennifer Colleen Van Grove
To All Interested Persons: Petitioner Jennifer Colleen Van Grove filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:
a.PRESENT NAME: Jennifer Colleen Van Grove
b.PRESENT NAME: Jennifer Colleen Squillace
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: January 29, 2025 Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. C-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
Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: on December 22, 2024 at 1:30 PM in Department 1603 located at the Superior Court of California County of San Diego 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA 92101 Probate Division If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.
If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Ankle Sprain Hinders Gameplay
By Dave Skretta Associated Press
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a high-ankle sprain, additional testing confirmed, and his status for this week’s game against Houston remains in question, a person familiar with the results told The Associated Press on Monday [December 16th].
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce any updates. The Chiefs did not have any usual availability Monday [December 16th], but are scheduled to practice Tuesday[December 17th] ahead of their Saturday [December 21st] matchup with the Texans.
Mahomes was hurt when his ankle was rolled up on while being tackled by the Browns’ Dalvin Tomlinson on a fourth down play late in the Chiefs’ 21-7 win Sunday [December 15th]. Mahomes limped to the sideline and Carson Wentz played the rest of the way in his place, but the two-time MVP insisted afterward that he would have lobbied to play if the Browns had gotten within one score.
“I feel like I could have finished the game in different circumstances,” Mahomes said afterward, “but I thought the smart decision, I think we talked about, was to put Carson in, and he’s played a lot of football, and he finished the game well.”
Mahomes has a history of ankle injuries, including a similar one against Jacksonville in Week 1 of the 2019 season. But perhaps most
memorable was the playoffs in the 2022 season, when Mahomes hurt his ankle in a divisional-round win over the Jaguars, then played through the pain in beating Cincinnati for the AFC title and Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.
“I mean, they’re all different. Every injury is different,” Mahomes said. “You know what you have to do to get back. And I think that is the most important thing. And now we just get back to the rehab part — the treatment
part — and try to get ourselves ready on a short week against a good football team.”
Indeed, the schedule is doing the Chiefs no favors. They have one less day of recovery this week because of their Saturday game against Houston, then they have another short week with a trip to Pittsburgh scheduled for Christmas Day.
“We’ll just see how it goes,” Chiefs coach
Andy Reid said after Sunday’s game. “We are going to go day to day as we go through it. I don’t know how much swelling he has or any of that, so we don’t know what will come.”
The Chiefs (13-1) have a two-game lead over Buffalo for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, though the Bills hold the tiebreaker. The Texans have clinched the AFC South while the Steelers lead the AFC North and have clinched a playoff berth.
Kansas City wraps up the regular season with a trip to the Broncos, who are also closing in on a spot in the postseason.
If the Chiefs play it safe by resting Mahomes on Saturday[December 21st] — and even next week against Pittsburgh — they feel confident in the ability of Wentz to win a game. He was a Pro Bowl pick in 2017 during his first five seasons in Philadelphia, and he is 47-45-1 as a starter, including his year in Indianapolis, another in Washington and a single-spot start last season for the Rams.
Wentz, who signed a $3.325 million contract with Kansas City to replace Blaine Gabbert as Mahomes’ backup, completed both of his pass attempts for 20 yards and helped the Chiefs run out the clock against the Browns on Sunday [December 15th].
“I have a lot of trust with Carson,” Mahomes said. “I mean, he’s played football and he’s won football games and put him out there and they did a great job moving the football running time off the clock, and putting us in position to win the football game.”
“California has a proud history of lead ing difficult change in America from environmental policies to safety standards to same-
sex marriages and the like,” said Tullus Miller, a Bay Area financial services executive.
Miller was speaking during an engagement held Dec. 2 on the grounds of the State Capitol with the California Native American
Monument as the backdrop. The California Native American Monument, erected in November 2023, is the only Native American memorial at the California State Capitol.
“Our state is at the forefront of social and economic reforms. “We always set standards,” continued Miller, insisting that the state should not take its mind off reparative justice while it defends itself from other concerns.
Los Angeles-based attorney and reparations advocate Cheryce Cryer explained the purpose of the event.
“I’m here today, to bring attention to the needs of Black Americans and the need for our legal and social protections as the special legislative session convenes,” Cryer said.
In addition to Miller and Cryer, other speakers at the event were Dr. Booker Cook, Ethnics Studies professor at the California State University, Sacramento (CSU-Sacramento) and Khansa “Friday” Jones Muhammad, Vice President of the Los Angeles Reparations Advisory Commission.
The news conference coincided with the swearing-in of lawmakers who won races in the November election.
The leaders outlined a list of demands, including re-introducing two reparations bills that were not brought to the Assembly floor for a vote at the end of the last legislative session in August.
During the special session and regular session, the group called for the re-introduction of reparations legislation that did not get a vote in the last legislative season, a distribution of the final California Reparations Task Force Report to schools and libraries, and the establishment of a defense fund to support implementation and legal defense of the reparations report and associated bills.
“Today, that Freedmen’s Bureau (bill) needs to be re-established,” Cook said. “The work is done. The history is there, and the proof is there. There should be no more arguments and no more debates. Why would you build a house and not let anyone live there?”
Authored by former Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), Senate Bill (SB) 1403 and SB 1330 stalled in the Assembly in September, triggering backlash from reparations supporters across the country.
Leadership of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) said they agreed not to support bringing forth Bradford’s bills due to procedural and funding concerns. However, the CLBC was able to secure $12 million in next year’s budget to continue work on reparations legislation.
SB 1403 proposes the establishment of the California American Freedmen Affairs
Agency to recommend a course of action for compensating Black Californians who are descendants of enslaved people.
SB 1331 would have created the Fund for Reparations and Reparative Justice in the State Treasury to fund policies approved by the Legislature and Governor. Advocates of the bills believed that the two bills were essential to moving the reparations discussion forward for the first time since the end of slavery.
“California has been leading the nation in reparations discussions,” Jones-Muhammad said. “The advocates in this space have spent five years doing the impossible and working with the Legislature to bring foundational reparations policies through the Senate and Assembly Appropriations.”
The CLBC starts the 2024-2025 legislative session with new leadership. Sen. Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) serves as the chairperson, while Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) is the vice chair.
On Sept. 26, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a series of reparations bills by the CLBC addressing the legacy of racial discrimination in the state and prioritizing a number of issues important to Black Californians.
On Aug. 31, the CLBC released a statement explaining its reasoning for not moving forward with the bills and outlining its intentions for the future.
“We remain committed to our long-term goals and recognize that this is a multi-year effort,” the CLBC stated.
“We will not be distracted from our mission. We will stay focused on the work at hand, united in our purpose, and dedicated to the cause of reparations and equity for all. The CLBC will continue to lead with integrity and purpose, ensuring that our legislative efforts are impactful and meaningful for the communities we serve,” the statement concluded.
For starters, Bryan introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 7 on Dec. 3, a new reparations bill that would provide priority admission for descendants of slaves at CSU and the University of California (UC) campuses.
“As the new Vice-Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus we will continue to fight for what is just,” Bryan stated on the X platform the same day.
During the gathering at the California State Capitol, the reparations supporters said they were willing to work with both Democrat and Republican legislators to realize reparations for Black Californians.
They also offered to reach out to supporters, grassroots organizations, and lawmakers to broaden support for the passage and implementation of reparations bills in the state.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes watches play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Cleveland. PHOTO: David Richard/AP
CHURCH DIRECTORY
OBITUARIES
Mike Deanne Paulette
Norris
SUNRISE 03/23/1957
SUNSET 11/27/2024
Michael Henra Norris was born on March 23, 1947, in San Diego, California, to John Wesley Norris and Mary Lee Williams-Wright. Mary Lee Wright married Charles Wright, who raised him. Mike would often say, “Johnny is my father, but Charlie was my daddy.”
Mike attended Logan Elementary, Memorial Junior High, and Gompers Junior High School in San Diego. He graduated from Snyder Continuation High School and later attended Laney College, majoring in Photography.
A lifelong learner, Mike read daily and pursued various artistic endeavors. He was a poet, writer, artist, sculptor, jewelry designer, and master photographer for over 50 years. As a photojournalist, he worked for publications such as the Portland Scanner, The Oregonian Newspaper, Voice & Viewpoint as lead photographer, and his very own Imageseed Photography. Mike loved attending the OG Sandbox Annual Cookout where he documented lifelong photos for family and friends.
Mike believed in the concept of being “100 Strong”, striving to be the best in all things. He also founded the Mike Norris Legacy Legends Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of his artistic photography and the legacy of other notable figures. Mike’s final artistic triumph came when his photographic art was selected for permanent display at the San Diego County Southeast LiveWell Center. His images now adorn a 20-foot wall, depicting the history of the Tubman-Chavez Center and the LiveWell Center’s construction-one of his greatest contributions to the San Diego community. Known affectionately as “Uncle Mike” and Pops,” Mike's large family ensured that he was a familiar face throughout San Diego. It was impossible to walk around the city without running into someone related to him. A man of God, Mike lived a deeply spiritual life, which influenced his art and his relationships with others. His faith was a guiding force throughout his life.
On November 27, 2024, Mike went home to be with the Lord.
He was preceded in death by his parents; Johnny W. Norris and Mary Lee Wright, Stepfather Charlie Wright, Son Andre Michael Norris, brothers; William, Steve, and Randy Norris, and Eulis Wright, sister Justine Wright, and granddaughter Tamika Norris.
He leaves to mourn his death 5 daughters and three sons; Sharvella S. NorrisSan Diego, CA, Michael D. Norris (Ryoko)-Okinawa, Japan, Levette RossOrlando, FL, Michael Castleberry (Nina)-Atlanta, Angela Wells-Davidson, Tyrese Baker, Miko Banks (Damon), and Mika Hunt (Jeffrey)-Sacramento, CA, brother Charles Norris-San Diego, CA, John Norris Jr.-Las Vegas NV, sisters; Diane (Pedro) Bordenave-Rialto, CA, Edith Minor-Las Vegas, NV, Clotte Wright, Debbie Wright, Reishone Foster, and Charlene Wight-San Diego, CA, Pam Williams and Patrice Norris-Memphis, TN, and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18
Gooden
SUNRISE 04/11/1984
SUNSET 11/16/2024
ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL
Service was held December 13th, 2024, at Logan Temple AME Zion Church. Arrangements entrusted to Preferred Cremation and Burial. ***************************************************************************
Deanne Paulette Gooden, affectionately known as Dee, was born on April 11, 1984, to the parents of Diane Johnson and Paul Willrich. She preceded her dad in death along with her stepfather Joseph Johnson. She was the only child.
Deanne departed this life on November 16, 2024.
Deanne grew up in San Diego and received her formal education from Meade, Chollas, and Grant Elementary. She graduated from Samuel Gompers High School. She later attended Phoenix University.
Deanne accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized at the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Deanne was the devoted mother to her pride and joy Jayden. Deanne was his biggest supporter and cheerleader. Deanne was passionate about reading and studying the Word of God. She was always eager to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with others. In her free time, she enjoyed writing songs and singing. She loved to cook and help her mom on several occasions feeding the homeless. Deanne was an active member of the community, volunteering for various causes and organizations. Her son’s disability caused her to get involved and learn about this condition to better help him. This is why Jayden is so successful today. Deanne’s ministry was to help teenagers from broken homes reach their potential in life.
Deanne worked as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant at the Veterans Administration. She received many personal awards from patients and her doctors. More than anything Deanne was a faithful mother, daughter, niece, cousin, and friend to many. She touched lives with her passion, energy, smile, and a word from above. Deanne loved her family deeply. She leaves behind many beloved family members to treasure her memories and continue her legacy of faith and service, including her precious son Jayden Gooden of La Mesa, CA, her mother Diane Johnson of Las Vegas, NV, sister Briyana Willrich, aunts; Florine Gildon and Scarlett Henderson of San Diego, CA, and Robbie Jackson of Las Vegas, NV, godmother Genoa Chapman, other mother Debra Newton, special friends; Kimberly Bush, Andre Johnson, and Joseph Johnson, childhood friends; Jazzmine Paire and Albree Lewis, special friend/brother in love Christopher Gooden and a host of family and friends. She will be missed and her memories will be cherished by all those who knew her.
Floyd Darnell Maurice
Hempstead
SUNRISE 07/05/1949
SUNSET 11/18/2024
ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL
Service was held December 16th, 2024, at New Assurance Baptist Church. Arrangements entrusted to Preferred Cremation and Burial.
Floyd Hempstead was born on July 5, 1949, in Camden, Arkansas, the third of eight children to the late Roy O. Hempstead and Lily Mae Hempstead. He departed this life on November 18, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of love, faith, and resilience.
In 1961, Floyd and his family moved to sunny California, where he began his journey of hard work and achievement. Floyd was a natural-born builder with a talent for creating anything with nails and wood. His love for marbles, bowling, and tennis reflected his competitive spirit and zest for life. Above all, Floyd had a deep love for the Lord and was a devoted member of New Assurance Church until his passing.
Floyd was preceded in death by his grandparents and parents, his brother Lloyd Hempstead, his sister Peggy Nelson of North Carolina, his oldest grandson Antoine Hollingsworth, and his nephew Marcus Hempstead.
He leaves to cherish his memory daughter Stephanie Hempstead, adopted son Floyd Johnson, grandchildren; Janika Hollingsworth Stewart, Nakiesha Richard, and Antrell Richard, great-grandchildren; Heaven Martin, Prince Israel Stewart, Ahmad Stewart, Zaakir Stewart, Timothy Davis, Tru Parker, Jae Twon Hollingsworth, Amari Hollingsworth, and Isaiah Hollingsworth, brothers; Roy Hempstead, James Hempstead, and Marrell Hempstead, sisters; Ruby Hempstead and Laura J. Steel, and a host of cousins, friends, and loved ones. Floyd’s determination, craftsmanship, and love for family will forever be remembered.
Rest well, Floyd. You will be deeply missed.
“ 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
Service was held December 14th, 2024, at Preferred Cremation and Burial.
Darnell Maurice Woods was born on June 15th, 1966, in San Diego, CA. He was the first born of 2 children. Darnell attended Chula Vista High School, Class of ‘85. He played sports all throughout his life; football, basketball, track and baseball. He was most popular for his football achievements, where he had a 20-year standing record for the most touchdowns (13) received in a single season set in 1983. It wasn’t broken until 2023. Upon graduating, he received a football scholarship to University of Las Vegas, “UNLV”, where he played for years.
Darnell Maurice was a loving and devoted grandson, son, brother, father, grandfather, uncle and cousin. He loved his family. He loved kids, animals and people in general. He was always willing to help, talk and have a good laugh with everyone he encountered. Everyone that knew Darnell knew that “he loved the ladies”. Darnell worked in security and construction. He was a loving, kind and funny person. He was known as “Uncles” by his niece and nephew and “Woods” by his friends. He had a great relationship with his GrannyMa Ruby and Mother Dearest Brenda, and he was a Mamma’s Boy. Whether it was to the TV or to tell you Happy Birthday, he loved to be the first. Most of his favorite pastimes were watching sports, playing dominos, fishing, listening to music and BBQing. One of his favorite TV shows was In the Heat of the Night. He had a great sense of humor, he loved to make people laugh and was always offering them something to eat. His favorite food was a ham and cheese sandwich and a glass of milk, he could drink gallons of it.
On November 14th, 2024 Darnell Maurice was called from earthly labor to eternal rest.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents; AB and Ruby Sevier, and his uncle Andre Sevier.
Darnell leaves behind many family members to cherish his memories, including mother Brenda Woods, sister La Tasha Woods, daughter Brianna Woods, four grandchildren (of Houston, Texas), nephew Shaquille Garner, niece Shaquirra Chambers, uncle Jefferey Sevier, great uncle Thomas Mallory, auntie Beronica Sevier, and a host of cousins, their children and many friends. Darnell will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
ARRANGEMENTS
Graveside services for Ida B. Donald will be Friday December 27th , 2024 at 11:15 am at Miramar National Cemetery. Final arrangements were entrusted to Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary.
On November 12, 1930 in Humboldt, TN, Ida Beatrice Midgett’s life story began as the first child of nine, born to Iran Midgett and Lucille Dennis Midgett. Ida Beatrice spent most of her formative years in Humboldt, where she received her formal education and was baptized at Faith Temple COGIC at an early age.
On December 17, 1949, Ida Beatrice united in Holy Matrimony, with the love of her life, Mr. L. C. Donald in Gibson County, Mississippi. To this union one daughter, Barbara Jeanette, was born. In the early 1950’s, the family relocated to San Diego, CA, after being stationed in San Francisco, CA.
Ida Beatrice joined Jackson Memorial COGIC, now Fountain of Life COGIC, under the tutelage of the late Bishop J. A. Blake, Sr. She was a dedicated Sunday School and Vacation Bible School Teacher, Secretarial Worker and a member of the Sanctuary Choir. Ida Beatrice deeply cared about people and devoted her entire life to serving others. Her passion for helping people extended into the neighborhoods she lived in, families at her church daughter’s church, and even to strangers she met on the streets. Whenever you asked, “How are you doing?”, her response would be, “All is well.” with a smile!
“And Time yielded unto Eternity…” On November 25, 2024, at her residence, Ida Beatrice Donald departed this earth life.
She was preceded in death by her parents, spouse, and six siblings.
Loving memories of Ida Beatrice Donald will forever be cherished by those lives she indelibly touched, especially her beloved and devoted daughter Barbara Jeanette Donald of San Diego, CA, sister Erby Smith of Humboldt, TN, brother, Charles Lee (Susan) Brown of Milan, TN, and a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will esteem her always.
Ida Beatrice
5 Ways to Make Extra Cash Around the House
Making money from everyday items in your home may be easier than you think. With a growing number of companies simplifying the process, turning unused items into cash has never been simpler. These companies are part of the circular economy, where you get to make money from your items and feel good about it at the same time. By reselling items you don’t use, you can give these items a second home or repurpose them into something that has practical applications.
For example, unused gold and precious metal jewelry can be given a second home to or repurposed for vital technology sectors like health care. This reduces the need for environmentally taxing mining operations and gives these valuable resources a second purpose.
Whether it’s clothing, jewelry or tech, consider these simple ways to make extra cash by selling items online.
Sell Used Clothing
Some newer platforms offer a less hands-on approach to selling used clothing online. Unlike popular online platforms that require you to take pictures or create listings for your items, look for outlets that allow you to simply package your items and send them out with an insured label. This makes selling clothing online a breeze and reduces the potential headaches of dealing with buyers directly and managing listings.
Sell Unworn Jewelry
For precious metals like gold jewelry or
silver jewelry, selling directly to a trusted buyer can provide a fast, secure way to unlock their value.
Sell Designer Bags
If you have any designer bags at home, look for platforms that let you sell handbags directly to them and provide upfront estimates before you ship your items. Some platforms provide free insured shipping and marketplaces where you can buy designer handbags at discounted prices.
Sell Books You’ve Already Read
While this likely won’t make you a fortune, selling used books is a simple way to make some extra cash and help preserve the environment. College students in particular can benefit from upfront estimates and free shipping or the ability to trade in used books for ones they’ll need next semester. Plus, some platforms also offer books for
purchase at heavily discounted prices.
Sell Tech After Upgrading
If you upgraded phones recently or have a used phone just collecting dust, get an upfront estimate for your phone from a trusted site. Some buyers provide free shipping and, with upfront estimates, you know exactly what you will get for your used phone before sending it in.
Sell Old Furniture
Turn your unused furniture into cash by listing items like sofas, tables or chairs on local marketplaces or apps. Clear photos and detailed descriptions can help attract buyers nearby, saving you the hassle of shipping. Selling old furniture not only earns extra money but also helps reduce waste by giving items a second life.
Family Features
New Social Security Increase Provides a Lifeline for Black Retirees
Millions of older Black Americans rely on Social Security to make ends meet
By Bria Overs
The economy is gnawing at the wallets of Americans, and even more so for those who rely on Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits.
low-income older adults.
“Almost every worker in the nation pays into it,” says Kathleen Romig, director of social security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“They and their family members can get
Fortunately, the Social Security Administration announced in October an increase of benefits by 3.2% for more than 71 million Americans who receive Social Security and SSI benefits. In 2024, recipients can expect an additional $50 or more monthly.
“Social Security and SSI benefits will increase in 2024, and this will help millions of people keep up with expenses,” said Kilolo Kijakazi, acting commissioner of Social Security, in a statement.
Social Security is a federal retirement program that provides benefits and a source of income for eligible retired workers who are 65 or older. According to the administration, there are more than 66 million beneficiaries. Supplemental Security Income provides monthly payments for an estimated 7.5 million people with disabilities or
benefits based on those earnings during one of these circumstances — death, disability, or retirement.”
Some Americans receive both Social Security and SSI benefits. It’s the largest poverty-fighting benefit, Romig says, and without them, four in 10 Americans would live in poverty.
Approximately 7.7 million Black Americans receive Social Security, 2.5 million collect SSI, and around 1 million reap both, according to the Census Bureau.
On average, Black men over 65 receive $14,918 a year, and Black women of the same age get $13,636 a year.
With rising rents and utilities and increases in the cost of food and transportation, more than $15,000 a year is needed to live on for many Americans.
The administration has implemented a
cost-of-living adjustment, also known as a COLA, every year starting in 2016, ranging from 0.3% to 8.7% in 2022. The newest boost will take effect as early as Dec. 29, 2023 for SSI and January 2024 for Social Security.
The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the prior year compared to the corresponding quarter of the current year determines if there will be an increase. In this case, the administration used data from the late summer and fall of 2022 and compared it with the numbers from 2023.
“The cost-of-living adjustment maintains the purchasing power of those benefits,” Romig says. “That’s so important because other sources of retirement income are subject to either inflation risk or investment risk.”
Pensions do not increase with inflation, unlike these benefit programs. Other retirement vehicles like a 401(k) or Roth IRA use a mix of stocks and bonds that fluctuate daily based on market performance.
To see more money from these programs for Black Americans, ending institutional and systemic barriers in “education, employment, earnings, marriage, health, disability, and mortality would significantly increase annual and lifetime Social Security benefits for Black adults,” a report from the Urban Institute found. While inflation is moving closer to preCOVID-19 pandemic levels, it is still high enough for Americans to feel the effects, with some expense categories hit harder than others. “That’s why it is so valuable that Social Security and SSI benefits keep up with inflation,” Romig says. “So that people can stay on top of the rising prices of those basic things.”
PHOTO: Pexels
1875
CARTER G. WOODSON IS BORN
Carter G. Woodson, born December 19, 1875, to former slaves in Virginia, overcame poverty to become a prominent historian. He co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) and launched The Journal of Negro History in 1916. After working various jobs and attending Berea College, he earned a B.L. degree in 1903 and taught black youth in West Virginia. Woodson later worked in the Philippines, traveled globally, and earned a doctorate from Harvard in 1912. Woodson published many influential works, including The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933). He founded Negro History Week in 1926 and spent his life promoting black history, writing for leading newspapers, and speaking at schools. A prolific author and scholar, Woodson died on April 3, 1950, leaving a lasting legacy as “The Father of Black History.”
1924
CICELY TYSON IS BORN
Cicely Tyson, born December 19, 1933, in Harlem, began her career as a successful model before transitioning to acting. She gained recognition in the 1960s with roles in The Blacks and East Side/West Side. Her breakthrough film role came in 1972 with Sounder, earning Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. Tyson’s career included iconic roles in King, Roots, and The Marva Collins Story, winning multiple Emmy Awards.
Tyson also co-founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem and received numerous honors, including a Tony Award in 2013. Her memoir, Just As I Am, was published shortly before her death on January 28, 2021, at age 96.
1961
REGGIE WHITE IS BORN
Reginald Howard White, born December 19, 1961, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was an AllAmerican at the University of Tennessee. After playing for the Memphis Showboats in the USFL, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 1985, earning Pro Bowl selections and setting a record with 21 sacks in 1987.
In 1993, White joined the Green Bay Packers, leading them to a Super Bowl victory in 1997.
Known as the "Minister of Defense," he was also an ordained minister and active in community service. White passed away on December 26, 2004, at age 43.
