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TheBulletin WEDNESDAY,JUNE MAY21, 2, 2012 WEDNESDAY, 2017

AN AMERICAN PUBLICATION AN AMERICAN PRINTPRINT MEDIAMEDIA PUBLICATION

SERVING COMPTON THE INGLEWOOD TRIBUNE, AND THE INGLEWOOD TRIBUNE, CARSON BULLETIN, CARSON BULLETIN, WILMINGTON WILMINGTON BEACON, THE CALIFORNIAN, BEACON, THE CALIFORNIANTHE WEEKENDER, VOICE & THE SOUTHTHE SOUTH L.A. L.A. VOICE VOLUMEVOLUME 42, No. 18 • 50 54, No. 47 CENTS • 50 CENTS

Deputies honored for saving Council approves fee increases Dr. Dre pledges $10M for Compton High performing arts center

Compton 4-year old boy

The proposed resolution adds an additional placing too many upon the residents,” Lynn chise agreement for the utility. $140,000 to the general fund.

Council members opposed fees affecting resiBoone said. “Maybe someone should go over “The city hasBy been dents, including a $50 jump insuspected block party these. ” subsidizing or covering gonna face when they get there.

In this alleged gang member in perthe Cat Keniston a handicap curb fee increase to $150 for Utility companies exempt from fee in- mits, and andBoard administration costs,” Tuesday COMPTON—The City Council unanimously street permit issuance case, the are most tragic of any circumstances, shooting is facing eight felony counts.

The of Supervisors the pole and installation, then 22, a $20pleaded charge creases of a lawsuitboy between Director Strickland approved street work fee increases at its April 17 interim Public Works a 4-year-old shot Edison in theand head,” Luissign Julian Beltran Perez, honored threeJohn sheriff’s deputies whobecause annually. insaid.

2011. fee schedule doesboy not inadvertently address Alhambra refuse bins were scheduled meeting, moving them beyond their current 1989 said. “The present McDonnell not Residential guilty to five counts of attempted saved a 4-year-old shot California “The utility company had a franchise agree- to increase from $5 and $40 for small and large many types of street work permits issued and adlevels.

“They had an a decision make very murder and three counts of shooting at during a gang dispute in Compton ment,by and the city adopted ordinancetoconcurbins, to $25 and $75, respectively.

The city based its increase on inspection and ministered.” quickly: Do they wait for the paramedics an occupied motor vehicle.because The charges racing him to a hospital in a patrol car.

Public comments about the increases drew rent with the agreement,” City Attorney Craig “I am against gouging residents of the administrative costs it traditionally not goal is did to “provide

By Staff Reports to be able to found get there, knowing that include gang and gun allegations.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas Cornwell said.

“The court praise from residents hoping for increased revcity’s negligence, ” Councilwoman Janna Zurita. that interfering charge, then compared rates with other cities.

Dr. Dre is pledging kids with the kind of they’ll agreement give themisthe best care that group of commended deputies’ stood againstthe raising fees af- heroism, “It is hardPerez to askallegedly for moreconfronted money withathe condiwith the franchise unconstitutional. ” we “We our rates with tools Gardenia, Lyn- enue, but the group and learning $10compared million toward provide?

But ... knowingcreated that it may men standing in front of a liquor store saying they epitomized “the best inCornwell law can fecting residents. and Edison representatives nwood and Torrance, ” interim Public Works Dithey deserve.” the construction of a » Seeand FEES,Compton Page 9A “I know there enforcement.” should be increases, but you are language inbe theminutes agreement that preserves the franrector John Strickland said. before they get there and that near Atlantic Avenue The performing performing arts center Boulevard and then grabbed a gun Deputies Austreberto “Art” every second counts.” arts center will feature at Compton High They raced to St. Francis Medical and started shooting, Deputy District Gonzalez, Brian Reza and Sergio digital production School.

Jimenez made a split-second decision Center, just two minutes away, with the Attorney Shannon Cooley said. equipment and a The Compton McDonnell said the men were from last Wednesday that they knew they’d boy in the back seat.

Unified School District 1,200-seat theater.

The boy is still hospitalized, but is in rival gangs. have to live with for the rest of the lives, Dre is an original said Thursday that the stable condition, authorities said.

Perez is being held on $9 million Sheriff Jim McDonnell said. member of N.W.A rapper-producer will He had been riding in a car with his bail and could face up to life in prison if “They roll out there on radio call after who released his debut help raise additional radio call, never knowing what they’re mom when a stray bullet hit him. An convicted as charged. solo album, “The funds for the new Chronic,” in 1992. He’s facility, which is also the co-founder expected to break of Beats Electronics, ground in 2020. which Apple acquired The Compton in 2014 for more than native said in a $3 billion. statement that his

By Chris Frost

Bulletin Staff Writer

Council interviews candidates Darrell Wallace knows all eyes on him as rare black NASCAR driver for city manager SEE NEWS » Page 3

Deon Toliver to guide Compton Dominguez football team

By Chris Frost

Bulletin Staff Writer

Sentence for man convicted of strangling young mother modified to 15 years to life

COMPTON—The City Council moved another step forward in the city manager search on Tuesday, April 27, as Council members Willie Jones, Janna Zurita and Yvonne Arceneaux interviewed five candidates during a special found no evidence that Lopez concurred. victim struggle and meetdie,”

By Elizabeth Marcellino ing. Michael Johnson wrote. “This alone However, Justice An appeals court panel had planned in advance to kill Eric J.would Perrodin did notthe attend the Johnson wrote a Mayor dissenting support jury’s Monday reversed the first- Higareda. meeting of a conflict The opinion written by opinion on the issuebecause of finding of involving first- current degree degree murder conviction Bryan Batiste and Counsaying City theManager murder.” of a man who strangled the Justice Lee Smalley Edmon premeditation, interim cilwoman Janna Zurita. appellate court should mother of his two children, cited case law.

Batiste not took overJohnson for former said interim that City “It is well established reweigh evidenceManager tried byLamont the conclusion was reinforced by ruling 2-1 that prosecutors Ewell on Jan. 25. that Lopez used failed to prove premeditation that the brutality of a killing lower court.

“City Managerevidence Bryan Batiste wrotehad a memo support a “Strangling to City someone belt Cornwell to choke Higareda a and deliberation and cannot in itselfBulletin Attorney aCraig requestingon that photos by Chris Frost an untied Zurita priorrecuse occasion. modifying his sentence to 15 finding that the killer acted to death with Councilperson herself from the inThe Sibrie Park Braves practice throwing skills on Saturday, April 29. terview process, in a written with premeditation and belt requires constant and ” Perrodin Lopez,saidnow 55, statewas years to life. ment.applied “I will notoriginally participatesentenced until the Council prolonged pressure, to 25 Juan Bravo Lopez had deliberation,” she wrote. receives a written opinion from Cornwell about Justice Luis A. Lavin while literally watching the years to life. an abusive relationship the disagreement. ” with 29-year-old Martha Zurita said Batiste is only holding the position Higareda, who lived with until the Council finds a permanent city manhim in Compton, and argued ager. with her before killing her in “The accusations that everyone is making May 2003, according to trial have no validity to them, and the Council will testimony. continue searching for a qualified candidate,” Higareda’s son from a she said. “He knew going in this was only temcocaine, illegallyporary. possessing Other key defendants former relationship testified By Fred Shuster ” Cornwell he cannotinmake recuse cracksaidnamed theZurita 213-page The leader of a South Los a firearm and selling that Lopez told him the next elementary indictment also pleaded morning that his mother Angeles street gang blamed cocaine near anherself.

“Every Council member has the right to parthe U.S. guilty. had gone to Mexico with her for two decades of murders, school, according to ticipate in properly noticed City Council By Chris Frost Attorney’s Office.

Tracy “Woody” Harris,mat52, robberies, extortion, illegal sister. ters,” he said. “According Bulletin Staff Writer to the charter, city Martinez was among of Inglewood, pleadedthe guilty “My mom wouldn’t go firearms possession, witness manager serves at the will of the Council and to racketeering i n t iPark m i dBraves a t i o are n continuing their anywhere COMPTON—The without taking Sibrie nothing short of a legally defined conflict of inc o n s p i member racy, and narcotics me or ... 2011 my ...success brother and terest, a situation that precludes the in 2012 as the team has won four of its first five conspiring sell sister,” games. her oldest child trafficking near from attending,was or a belief the he or sheto cannot [Gang leader Tyrine] Martinez methamphetamine o w non t oSaturday, w n ’ s April 28, as their testified. The squad collected adforfeit be open-minded exists, complying with Mr. Skid Row charged in ano legalafter Lopezopponents, drove all Batiste’s wishes has support.” having the three Blue Jays, did not showwas up for theamong game. 72 defendants been convicted e n t and e n current c e d Assistant Coach Zurita said she will not step away from the inSan Francisco children -- Former 10-year-old Luis, s Giant federal Racketeer Influenced and Cornwell terviews, and thanked addressing Jesse Brew led theand team Monday through atospirited of a for prior drug nearly practice and his 5-year-old brother the issue. fast start.

Corrupt Organizations Act—RICO— felony, and selling 22 years in federal 3-year-oldpraised sister the -- team’s to their Councilwoman Arceneaux “They house have surprised me so far,” he said. “I am especially asked Cornwell methamphetamine grandmother’s in prison. indictment that targeted pleased by our play at shortstop and pitcher. ” for a written legal opinion directed to Council near schools.

He U.S. District Mexico and left them there.

Brew coaches the defensive members, and he said he will prepare one. to portion of the game and sticks the Broadway Gangster Crips, was sentenced A few days later, a Judge S. James Public comments on the selection process fato the fundamentals.

15 years in federal Compton neighbor vored Batiste.

“You keep noticed your handsOtero in front, step also and aim at athe chest ofgang that claims street territory prison. ordered Tyrine a rotten smell coming from “The man does a good job, ” resident Carolyn the person you are throwing to,” he said. “We have sound in South Los Stokes Angeles.

R oofoyou s ehave v e ltot “Lil’ C-Bone” the family’s apartmentbut and said. “If you fire Batiste all fundamentals, I know the team can do better.”

“TuTu” Sumpter, Martinez, 36, of is positive attithe landlord deal with me. Not just one of you, all of you.”

One of discovered the cornerstones of team success 44, ofunderstood Los Angeles, to immediately.

Higareda’studes, bodyBrew undersaid, a bunk She asked the Council if they her and heLos dealsAngeles, with problems twice, and Arceneaux acknowledged her.

“I am not a babysitter and do not tolerate hardheads, ” he 72 defendants charged in a pleaded guilty to racketeering spend 10 years on supervised bed with a belt around her Courtesy photo said. “This is serious, and Resident Lorraine Cervantesconspiring expressed conI am teaching themhisabout baseball. ” federal Racketeer Influenced conspiracy, to release after serving prison neck. A coroner’s investigator Deon Toliver has been named head football coach at cern about the publicity the meeting The she teamhad is turning corner offensively, Brew said, beand Corrupt Organizations distribute crack received. cocaine, term.

Compton Dominguez High School. Coach Toliver has concluded that been the “You guys keptillegally this meeting quiet,a” she said. spent the last two years coaching at West Los Angeles possessing firearm, strangled.cause of diligent, hard work.Martinez pleaded guilty Act -- RICO -- indictment “That is why no one is here tonight, and it is not “They started in the batting cage, but live pitching imCollege. He served as defensive coordinator during The 2nd District Court last year to federal charges that targeted the Broadway and selling crack cocaine on television.” proves the hitters’ timing,” he said. “We play small ball (scorthe 2016 season. He has also previous head coaching Gangster Crips, a street gang near schools. He is currently ofdoubles racketeering of Appealingpanel foundsingles that and City Clerk Alita Godwin and Zurita both reruns with instead ofconspiracy, home runs). If experience at the high school level. He coached that claims territory in South serving 20 years.notice met the conspiring tohits commit murder, there wasthey clear motive for sponded, and said the meeting stay focused, those ground ball will turn into line Gardena High School for three years. The CUSD Board In his plea agreement filed the killing, given the couple’s conspiring to traffic crack Los Angeles. of Trustees approved thetake hireadvantage at a recentofmeeting.

HisSaturday, The Sibrie Park Braves a forfeit on history of domestic violence, » See BRAVES, Page 5A » See MANAGER, Page 9A Dons will28, open 2017 season atpractice. home versus Tustin April andthe hold an additional but two of the three justices on August 25th. » See GANG LEADER SENTENCED, Pg 3

Braves enjoy early-season success

Leader of South L.A. gang ‘enforcement’ clique sentenced to nearly 22 years

CUSD UPDATES GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 3A If you are a business owner and would like to have a newsrack at your location, please call our office at (310) 635-6776.

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RODNEY KING LOOKS BACK PAGE 6A

SEE OPINION » Page 4

2 THE BULLETIN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017

News LAPD cadets steal patrol car for joy ride

By Craig Clough Three teenage members of the Los Angeles Police Department’s cadet program were in custody Thursday for allegedly stealing three police cruisers and leading authorities on two chases that ended with crashes in South Los Angeles.

Chief Charlie Beck said he has ordered a top-to-bottom review of the cadet program as a result of the thefts, saying the cadets may have been impersonating police officers when they were in possession of the vehicles.

After the crashes

involving two police cruisers Wednesday night, a third LAPD vehicle that may have been stolen by the suspects was found parked on a street, Beck said.

Police spotted two of the stolen vehicles about 9:35 p.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of East 61st Street, between San Pedro Street and Avalon Boulevard, Officer Tony Im of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Division said.

The two vehicles were being driven in tandem when they were spotted by officers, prompting the chases, Beck

said. Investigators believe the cadets used their knowledge of the LAPD’s computer inventory system to check the vehicles out under the name of a sergeant who was on vacation, Beck said.

The chief said he “was not sure” how long the cars had been missing, but one of them may have been gone for two weeks.

The LAPD has more than 1,800 black-and-white squad vehicles but they are not all used every day, and because of the suspects’ familiarity with the computer system, they were able to conceal the

Crossword ACROSS 1. Like Catherine or Peter, in Russia 6. Norwegian band of “Take on Me” fame 9. “I call first ____!”

13. “Home on the ____” 14. Charlie Parker’s style of jazz 15. Comedian Silverman 16. Not upright 17. Greek H 18. Acrobat maker 19. *Like the July 4th holiday 21. *Pre-state state 23. Thanksgiving tuber 24. Hold as a conviction 25. Ides mo.

28. Expunge 30. Catching like a cowboy 35. ____ ‘n’ Andy 37. Trash containers, e.g.

39. Of war and sea?

40. It wasn’t built in a day 41. Happily ever when?

43. Car with a bar 44. Loud noise 46. Dublin land 47. Lecherous look 48. Lampoon 50. Pouches 52. Not sweet, as in wine 53. Plant anchor 55. Brown truck delivery company 57. *Traditional July 4th meal 60. *Fire____ 64. Filthy dough 65. Bird word 67. Tee off 68. Enclose in a recess 69. Big coffee server 70. Dine at home 71. Shakespeare’s metrical unit 72. Hi-____ 73. Type of wheat DOWN 1. Tennis’ Steffi 2. Denote as “PG,” e.g.

3. Children’s author Blyton 4. “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft ____” 5. Foursome

6. Cain’s brother 7. *Like a dog 8. Rapidly 9. Type of cabinetry joint 10. De-wrinkler 11. “Rosemary’s ____” 12. Anything female 15. Omega 3 source 20. Naked protozoa 22. “____ the fields we go” 24. ADA member 25. Jacobs and Anthony, e.g.

26. ____ ____ or a spy 27. *____ candle 29. *”____, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” 31. ____ Mall, London 32. Like a Harvard building?

33. Name-chooser 34. *Old ____ 36. Seal with a kiss and do this 38. Plural of serum 42. Happen again 45. Patient’s bed 49. Interesting person,

acronym 51. Queen of these 54. Happen 56. Junk yard stuff 57. Wild feline 58. Ballistic missile acronym 59. Dungeness, e.g.

60. Flipside of pros 61. Flying toy 62. Reagan’s reference to Russian “empire” 63. As opposed to own 64. Hula girl’s flower 66. Metal-bearing rock LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

thefts, Beck said.

All of the vehicles were taken from 77th Division Station in South Los Angeles, and the vehicle that was discovered parked on a street was around the corner from the station, Beck said.

Beck also said the suspects were in possession of some LAPD equipment, including radios and a bullet-proof vest, although no firearms are believed to be missing.

“We believe they may have been impersonating officers, and we want the public’s help. Anybody that believes that they may have come into contact with very young-looking folks that claimed to be police officers, primarily in the south or central parts of the city, or possibly in areas west of that, such as in Inglewood, we would like to know,” Beck said at a news conference at LAPD headquarters.

Beck said it was “not easy” to check out a police vehicle, and cadets are not supposed to have access to them.

The missing vehicles were discovered by a supervisor who was doing equipment inventory Wednesday, and police were able to identify a female cadet on video gassing up one of them, Beck said.

Police pursued both vehicles Wednesday night, with one of the purloined cruisers crashing in the area of 77th and San Pedro streets where the driver was taken into custody, police said. The other stolen vehicle crashed into another vehicle at Adams Boulevard and Central Avenue, and that driver was also was taken into custody.

The female driver of the vehicle the suspect crashed into was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police said. It wasn’t immediately clear how the third suspect was involved in the incident, but Beck said the three suspects -- one female and two males -were working together.

An officer crashed into a civilian vehicle near the intersection of Gage Avenue and Broadway during the chase, police said. There were no reports of any serious injuries involved in that crash.

Beck said the cadet program has more than 2,300 active participants.

“I’m very proud of our cadet program and I don’t want the actions of these three individuals to reflect negatively on the other 2,300,” Beck said.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Today is not really about Ice Cube.

It’s about all the people who helped me get here.”

— Ice Cube

at Hollywood Walk of Fame cermony

Ice Cube gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star

By Staff Reports Rapper-turned-actor and movie producer Ice Cube Monday became the latest celebrity to be added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Speaking at the ceremony in front of the Musicians Institute on Hollywood Boulevard, Ice Cube gave thanks to his parents and others who played a role in his career.

“I’m so honored to be here, you know, it’s a great day,” he said. “... You know, you don’t get here by yourself. When you’re coming up doing music, movies, just trying to be creative, you never figure you’ll be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame one day.

So today is not really about Ice Cube. It’s about all the people who helped me get here.”

The star is the 2,614th on the famed walk.

The ceremony came three days after the release of the 25th anniversary edition of his second album “Death Certificate,” which includes three new songs.

Ice Cube, whose birth name is O’Shea Jackson, first attracted attention as a rapper and songwriter with the West Coast gangsta rap group N.W.A. in the late 1980s, writing lyrics for its groundbreaking songs “Straight Outta Compton” and “Gangsta, Gangsta” and “Express Yourself.”

He soon left the group for a solo career, releasing his first studio album in 1990, “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted.”

Ice Cube, now 47, began his acting career with the 1991 film “Boyz n the Hood.” He later appeared in the “Friday,” “Barbershop,” “Are We There Yet?” and “Ride Along” franchises, which he also produced, and such films as “Three King.”

South L.A. church sued The City Attorney’s Office sued a South Los Angeles church Monday in an effort to halt alleged drug, gang and firearm activity at a home owned by the house of worship.

The property in the 4800 block of Avalon Boulevard is across the street from Ebenezer Baptist Church,

the defendant in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that alleges violations of the Health and Safety and the Business and Professions codes. The church has owned the property since 1999, the suit states.

“The property is notorious in the surrounding community and (among) LAPD officers as a dangerous and troublesome gang location,” the suit states.

The suit seeks to have the property declared a public nuisance and have an injunction issued prohibiting drug sales and related activities. The complaint also asks for installation of an internet-connected video monitoring system, improved lighting and a recovery of up to $1 million in costs in attorneys’ fees and law enforcement costs.

A representative for the church could not be immediately reached.

The suit states that the single-family home is a “hub” for gang- related activity perpetrated by members of a local street gang.

SODOKU SOLUTION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017 THE BULLETIN 3

News Wallace knows all eyes on him as rare black NASCAR driver

By Dan Gelston LONG POND, Pa. (AP)— Darrell Wallace Jr. woke up around 2:30 a.m. ready to race. Hours later, he strode across the stage for driver introductions to a nice ovation from thousands of NASCAR fans, his little slice of race history ahead.

Wallace became just the eighth black driver to race in NASCAR’s top Cup series when he started the No. 43 Ford at Pocono Raceway.

During the week he chatted with team owner and Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty and, like any rookie in his debut, tried to stay calm.

“It’s just another race car.

That’s how I’m treating it,” Wallace said Sunday. “I’m trying to prove to everybody that I belong here.”

The 23-year-old driver had some issues early in the race—he was too fast on pit road and nearly missed his pit stall because he looked for the number he used in his second-tier Xfinity Series team.

But he’s a Cup driver.

Wallace was bombarded this week by interview requests and fans flocked to him around the Pocono garage. More commonly known by his nickname “Bubba,” the easygoing Wallace handled the spotlight

have been brought up to think and believe.”

According to NASCAR, Wallace joined at least seven other black drivers in to reach the Cup level in the 69-year history of the series: Elias Bowie, Charlie Scott, Wendell Scott, George Wiltshire, Randy Bethea, Willy T. Ribbs and Lester.

Scott is the only one to

system. The program started in 2004 and was designed to attract minorities and women to the sport in all fields, from the track to the front office.

“Bubba’s talent, personality and unique story resonates with our fans, but it also helps spark new interest in the sport,” said Jill Gregory, chief marketing officer for NASCAR. “He’s earned this opportunity in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and we believe his development and success will encourage other young, diverse drivers to pursue careers in NASCAR.” Wallace, one of NASCAR’s social media stars, has five years of experience in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series, and has five wins and 20 topfive finishes. But his Cup gig— which came when RPM driver Aric Almirola was injured in a fiery wreck at Kansas—come at an opportune time; while NASCAR has pushed Wallace to corporate America, Xfinity sponsorship dried up and he was about to lose his ride.

“I think it’s a crying shame that he doesn’t have enough support to keep the Xfinity program going,” Lester said.

“That should tell you all you need to know about the state of affairs.”

Wallace just wants to make the most of his time in the 43.

“I’m just glad he’s getting the chance and I hope he’s able to get more opportunities,” Lester said. “I hope it can start to change some things about the way we’re appreciated in the sport. I’m not betting that it will.”

“I’m trying to prove to everybody that I belong here.”

—Darrell Wallace Jr.

Darrell Wallace Jr. with ease.

Watching the race on TV 3,000 miles away in California, Bill Lester was rooting for

Photo by Russell LaBounty/NKP

Wallace. Lester made two starts in 2006 and was the last black driver to make a Cup start. Lester met Wallace at

GANG LEADER SENTENCED Continued from page 1

in Los Angeles federal court, Martinez admitted being a leader of the Gremlin Riderz, a BGC subset serving as the gang’s hit squad, and whose members bore tattoos from the 1984 movie “Gremlins.”

Otero said the BGC was “well-known to the court” for encouraging younger members to engage in violence against rivals and insubordinate members.

Martinez also admitted that he conspired with other Broadway Gangster Crips to murder a fellow gang member who had provided law enforcement information regarding a 2012 gang shooting that killed an unarmed teenager with no gang affiliation and wounded three others, including a 10-year-old girl.

At the time of the criminal conduct to which he pleaded, Martinez was on probation in four separate cases.

The judge also mentioned that while in custody, Martinez held a Gremlin Riderz meeting on a monitored telephone and discussed weapons sales and “disciplining” members who had violated the gang’s rules.

“I am sorry about whatever happened to whoever,”

a Truck race in Kansas a few years ago and had followed his progression through NASCAR. “I think he’s doing a great job,” Lester said. “I’m glad he’s getting a chance.”

Lester was a sports car driver who had little interest early in his career at chasing a NASCAR ride. He wanted to compete in races like the 24 Hours of Daytona, not necessarily the Daytona 500.

But it was more than stock cars that soured him on NASCAR. “Whenever I watched it, I saw a bunch of Confederate flags—stars and bars staring back at me,” he said. “It was racing I could not identify with. Drivers I could not identify with. For me to wind up in NASCAR, it was a huge anomaly.”

Lester made his only start in NASCAR’s developmental series in 1999, had 142 career starts in the Truck series and was 45 years old when he made those two Cup starts in 2006.

“I wanted to be where the action was. I wanted to be where I could make a name for myself and compete with the best,” he said.

Lester said he tuned out the racism that came his way.

“I was booed during driver introductions for no reasons that I could appreciate,” he said. “Did it affect me? No, but I was well aware of it and was conscious of it that not everybody was welcoming of my presence.

I can’t change what people

Martinez said when given the opportunity to make a statement to the court.

In his unsuccessful argument for the mandatory 15-year minimum sentence, defense attorney Stephen G. Frye said his client’s relatives had co-founded the BGC. “He was literally born into gangs,” Frye said. “When he was 2 years old, they dressed him in gang clothes. He had no control over that.”

The gang, which was formed in the 1970s, grew into a violent criminal enterprise that conducts regular meetings, espouses a strict set of rules, and exacts punishments, including death, against those who cooperate with law enforcement, according to court documents.

In addition to committing crimes in its claimed territory east of the Harbor Freeway, the Broadway Crips sold drugs near the Skid Row section of downtown Los Angeles, according to the indictment, which states that area “is desirable to the gang because it is close to Skid Row, where there is a large and vulnerable customer base of drug addicts and mentally ill persons.”

The investigation into

The Bulletin 322 W. Compton Blvd., Ste. 100B Compton, CA 90221 PHONE: 310-635-6776 www.thebulletinweekly.com news@thecomptonbulletin.com

the BGC, which was called Operation Gremlin Riderz, was conducted by the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department under the auspices of the FBI.

win a Cup race, on Dec. 1, 1963, and the next win at a NASCAR national event by a black driver came in 2013 when Wallace took the Truck Series checkered flag at Martinsville.

Ribbs made 23 starts in Truck in 2001 and three starts in Cup in 1986. He is the subject of an upcoming documentary that will recount the prejudice he faced during a long career. He contends the sport never tried to bring more black drivers to the track or fans to the stands.

“NASCAR is happy with the way it looks,” he said.

“They’re quite comfortable.”

NASCAR has made several steps toward boosting minority involvement.

There’s a “Drive for Diversity” program that has paid few dividends with Wallace, and fellow Cup drivers Kyle Larson and Daniel Suarez all graduates of the development

4

THE BULLETIN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017

Opinion Can two walk together, except they be going to the same store?

Dr. James L. Snyder After about a million days of toil, sweat and aggravation, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I decided to take a few days off and relax.

I am not a real expert when it comes to relaxing. I have not pursued a PhD in relaxing and therefore it is a foreign theme to me.

Of course, I have advised many people to chill out, relax a little bit and not get so excited about things. What doctor do you know who takes his own medicine? Or, what pastor do you know that listens to his own sermon?

I could preach a sermon to beat all sermons on relaxing and not getting so uptight about things. You would think after listening to some of these sermons that I was an expert in this area. My expertise is only in telling other people what they should be doing. I do not have time to listen to my own sermons.

My wife and I realized a month or so ago that we have not taken a day off in over six months. Actually, we were trying to figure out the last time we did take a day off.

“I think,” my wife said most reflectively, “that we should take a day off and relax.”

It has been my policy throughout my marital life to not disagree with my wife. This was one of those times when I was in full agreement with her statement. It doesn’t happen often, when it does, it is time to celebrate.

For us, a couple days off takes a couple months of planning and when I say planning, I mean planning.

We had to coordinate the date with the rest of our family, and with the church schedule.

I fully understand that the church will run quite well without me, but I have conned myself into believing that it can’t. That means, I have to make special plans for when I take a day off.

It did not take me long to rearrange my schedule, but it was a different story with my wife.

She had to coordinate her schedule for a couple days off with both of the daughter’s schedule because she watched the grandchildren while the parents were working. It took several months for her to coordinate all of the schedules and finally, voilà, we arranged a time that we could “leave Dodge,” and head to St. Augustine for a couple days off.

We left after the Sunday evening service and our plan was to return Wednesday before the Wednesday night service. If you plan something right, it all comes together.

We left that Sunday night and headed for our motel to settle down for several days of rest and frivolity. I do admit that I have a PhD in frivolity and so I was ready to for frivole. (Pardon my French).

When we woke up Monday morning, I began to realize that my definition of rest was not exactly the definition my wife embraced.

For me rest is staying in bed with a cup of coffee in one hand and a good book in the other hand. Actually, in my hand was my tablet, which had my Kindle app, which contains over 300 books. The hardest decision I had was to choose which book I was going to read first.

I had recently purchased the Kindle edition of The Complete Father Brown Mysteries by G. K. Chesterton. Oh, that Father Brown. What an interesting character he is.

I had just got into the first story when I heard from my wife, “Well, are you ready to go?”

It was then I discovered her definition of rest is not my definition of rest.

Her definition of rest is to visit all the thrift stores in the St. Augustine area. Unfortunately for me, she knows every one of them.

With a little bit of persuasion on her part I got out of bed, dressed and walked with her to the car so she could drive us to the first thrift store.

It has been a long time since I have been in a thrift store and so I had forgotten pretty much what it was all about. I walked in the first one and that thrift store aroma smack me right in the face.

“Doesn’t that,” my wife said with a giggle in her throat, “smell wonderful?”

Obviously, we have noses from different resources and my nose said, “Yuck, what stinks?” I was afraid to give the information to my nose in fear that it would start a sneezing fit.

After five minutes I had seen everything in that thrift store I wanted to see. So, I said to my wife, “Could I borrow the car keys?”

“You’re not done shopping?” she said quizzically.

I nodded my head and with a great deal of hesitation, she handed over the car keys and I exited the thrift store and three steps out of the door my nose said to me, “Thanks.”

I must say that my wife and I are good partners in just about everything except in this area of relaxation.

However, every good relationship has its opposites.

The important thing is to recognize the opposite and not allow that to define the relationship.

I like what the prophet Amos said, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).

The best part of a relationship is walking together.

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

No Trump-Russia collusion, no obstruction, no perjury in Attorney General Sessions’ testimony

Photo by Jacquelyn Martin Attorney General Jeff Sessions arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, before testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

By Robert Romano It turns out that it was Attorney General Jeff Sessions himself who was one of the sources that revealed to a reporter that in his capacity as Senator, he had had a meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in 2016—as well as another event at in Cleveland at the Republican National Convention in July 2016 where both had attended.

“It was only in March, after my confirmation hearing, that a reporter asked my spokesperson whether I had ever met with any Russian officials. This was the first time that question had squarely been posed to me. On the same day we provided the reporter the information related to the meeting that I and my staff had held in my Senate office with Ambassador [Sergey] Kislyak as well as the brief encounter in July after a speech that I had given during the convention in Cleveland, Ohio,” Sessions testified at the June 13 hearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

That story ultimately was published on March 1 by the Washington Post, and Sessions recused himself from any part of the Russia investigation or any other matter pertaining to the 2016 campaign a day later.

This was one of the more surprising revelations at Sessions’ testimony and admittedly, Sessions himself was not a possibility this author had previously considered as to as one of the sources of that particular story.

The encounters had not been previously disclosed at Sessions’ confirmation hearing in response to sweeping allegations made

by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) that the U.S. intelligence community had advised then-President Elect Donald Trump that Russian intelligence had compromising information on Trump and that there had been continued communications between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, presumably colluding on hacking the election.

That line of questioning was ultimately referring to the now-discredited Christopher Steele dossier, which had alleged that not only had Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee emails and had them published on Wikileaks, but that the Trump campaign had aided and abetted that endeavor.

Yet, the meetings Sessions had that occurred were either in the conduct of his official duties as a U.S. senator, or chance encounters at receptions and speeches with lots of ambassadors from many countries as well as U.S. officials attending, including a reception at the Mayfloyer Hotel in April 2016, which Sessions said he did not recall meeting Kislyak. These were not occasions to do with any collusion whatsoever, and certainly nothing that was alleged in the Steele dossier, and therefore, had no bearing whatsoever on Franken’s question.

Sessions said those fantastic allegations were “through the looking glass,” particularly at the hotel with dozens of guests at a dinner—but the same could be said for a Senate meeting with his senior staff present—that it was some sort of occasion to engage in espionage.

“I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign,” Sessions confirmed in his testimony.

But Sessions went further, calling “any suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country which I have served for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process is an appalling and detestable lie.”

Also, very early into taking the office as Attorney General, Sessions was apparently looking to recuse himself from anything to do with the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation of Russia’s supposed hacking of the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta emails and publishing them on Wikileaks, and any allegations that they might have had something to do with the Trump campaign.

At the hearing, Sessions said he believed that he had to recuse himself, because it was required under 28 CFR 45.2, which bars any Department of Justice employee from participating in any potential investigation of a political campaign to which he or she was a party.

As the Justice Department was already investigating any possible ties between the alleged Russian hacking and the Trump campaign, it was wholly appropriate for Sessions to have recused himself.

It was that recusal that ultimately led to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein assuming oversight of the investigation, and then delegating that investigation to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

To allay fears that Sessions had not been pushed off of the investigation with the publication of the March Washington Post story—it was followed by his prompt, subsequent recusal—it might have been better in hindsight to have preempted that story’s revelations with his public statement on the matter. But there may not have been time.

That said, now we know the rest of the story, which is that Sessions was always going to recuse himself as he was discussing the matter with Justice Department attorneys from the onset of his tenure.

It also explains how former FBI Director James Comey could have possibly known ahead of time that Sessions was going to recuse himself, who in his own testimony last week stated, “We concluded it made little sense to report [the Feb. 14 meeting] to Attorney General Sessions, who we expected would likely recuse himself from involvement in Russia-related investigations.”

Sessions suggested later in his testimony that his discussions of his recusal likely had circulated through the department.

Finally, Sessions hinted that although he has recused himself from anything to do with the campaign, he may still involved with cases to do with the leaking of classified information. Answering a direct question from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Sessions stated, for the record, not backing away, “We have had one successful case very recently in Georgia, that person has been denied bail, I believe, and is being held in custody. But some of these leaks, as you well know, are extraordinarily damaging to the United States’ security and we have got to restore a regular order principle. We cannot have persons in our intelligence agencies, our investigative agencies or in Congress leaking sensitive matters on staff.”

Sessions added, warning, “And this is I’m afraid, will result—is already resulting in investigations and I fear that some people may find that they wish they hadn’t leaked.” No mention of recusal.

Meaning that, the scope of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation may be slightly narrower than some have believed, and that Sessions’ own recusal may not extend beyond matters that occurred after the election on Nov. 8, 2016, when the campaign ended. Sessions had no trouble talking about the case of Reality Winner, who is accused of leaking a classified assessment—even though it was about Russia’s alleged attempts to hack U.S. election-related software companies.

Recall, that in Sessions’ recusal he stated, at his March 2 press conference, “I have recused myself in the matters that deal with the Trump campaign.” The actual text of the recusal states, “I have decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States.”

The classified intelligence assessment in the Winner case and its disclosure evidently did not cross over into the campaigns for president, either by Trump or Hillary Clinton, and still appears to be a matter that he can oversee as Attorney General. The intelligence came forward in April, 2017, after the election, just as some of the most damaging leaks and unmaskings by the Obama administration occurred after the election, during the transition phase.

Meaning, leakers beware, it looks like Sessions is still on the job.

Robert Romano is the senior editor of Americans for Limited Government.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017 THE BULLETIN 5

Opinion

Saving Medicaid— an urgent SOS

By Marian Wright Edelman This is an urgent SOS. Right now Republican Senators are working behind closed doors on their own version of the terrible American Health Care Act (AHCA) passed by the House of Representatives in early May that would rip away health coverage from 23 million people. They plan to vote on a Senate bill just before they leave Washington for the July 4th recess. We can’t tell you everything that’s in it because Senate leadership is keeping its bill secret and doesn’t plan to reveal it until just before they vote. But we know it’s bad— ending Medicaid as we know it. Your help is needed right now to keep Senators from moving forward with this terrible health plan! More than 50 years of progress made in expanding and improving comprehensive child-appropriate health coverage for children across America hangs in the balance.

Everybody who cares about children needs to mobilize as you have never mobilized before and raise a ruckus to save children’s health care safety net.

When Medicaid was first created in 1965 it provided children with a range of services necessary to treat acute and long-term health conditions, but there was no pediatric- and developmentspecific benefit. A 1964 government study found 50 percent of military draftees were rejected as a result of poor physical and mental health that could have been diagnosed and successfully treated in childhood and adolescence. The realization that children’s health was a national security issue led to a sea change for children.

In 1967 Medicaid added the Early and Periodic Screening,

Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children up to age 21 to meet their unique and developmental health needs, guaranteeing children a full range of comprehensive primary and preventive care and access to all medically necessary health and mental health services.

Since then we have been striving to live up to the promise of ensuring all young people are able to reach healthy adulthood— laboriously trying to expand coverage to more children thousands by thousands, millions by millions, state by state. Today, thanks to Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 95 percent of children in America have health coverage—a historic high.

Medicaid has evolved to be an essential part of the coverage system for children, ensuring 37 million children the health coverage they need to survive and thrive, including 40 percent of all children with special health care needs, and covering more than 40 percent of all births. Medicaid plays a critical role for children with special health care needs—for example, providing services throughout childhood to an infant born with a heart condition or a child with autism. For families struggling to find the financial resources needed to care for their children with disabilities, Medicaid is a lifeline and often the only viable source of financing for their children’s extensive and expensive health care needs.

For some children with complex health conditions, Medicaid supplements private health coverage to ensure them access as they grow to needed specialized medical equipment and devices such as hearing aids

and wheel chairs. Medicaid is also a valuable source of preventive services, helping children get the well-child visits and screenings they need to support healthy development and prevent expensive complications later.

By investing in child well-being now, our nation and economy will recoup huge benefits later. Medicaid is far more efficient and cost-effective than private insurance for children and research comparing children eligible for Medicaid during childhood to their noneligible peers found Medicaideligible children were more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, make greater contributions as adult taxpayers, and live longer than those without coverage.

Yet despite more than 50 years of progress, improvements, and success, the Senate is on the verge of recklessly crafting a bill to repeal and replace the ACA and end Medicaid as we know it. Like the terrible AHCA bill in the House, Senate Republicans want to convert Medicaid to a “per capita cap,” which means changing Medicaid’s financing structure from a federal guarantee of coverage for all medically necessary services to an annual per person federal payment that does not increase regardless of the extent of use or cost. Please don’t let this misleading jargon fool you— this is emasculation of health coverage for up to 37 million children and a cut cloaked in confusion so people can’t see the magnitude of the damage it will do. For example, it claims to give states “more flexibility” but in reality will force states to increase their own spending dramatically, make deep cuts in benefits,

or, more likely, both. Make no mistake: there is no way the Senate can design a Medicaid “per capita cap” or block grant that won’t harm lowincome children and children with disabilities. Adults with disabilities, seniors, and others vulnerable Americans would be hurt too. Entire families will be affected.

Simply put: Medicaid saves lives. And right now Medicaid’s life hangs in the balance propelled by greed, callousness and political opportunism. These cuts in Medicaid are being used to pay for tax cuts for the very wealthy. Children’s crucial health needs should not be a political plaything for any party at any time.

The time for you to tell your Senators that you will not stand for a bill being drafted in secret to end Medicaid as we know it is right now. The flood of phone calls generated by upset constituents when the House was first considering the AHCA must be repeated and increased dramatically and we urgently need you to flood the stealthy Senate with phone calls right now and flush them out of their hiding place.

Tell your Senators not to let children move backwards and undermine the critical health care safety net.

Urge your Senators specifically to reject any structural changes or cuts to Medicaid. America’s future

depends on the health of our young and Medicaid works for children. In fact it works for multiple generations.

We must not turn back the clock. Call, tweet, visit and organize right now to urge your Senators to protect Medicaid for America’s children and families and #KeepKidsCovered.

Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

6

THE BULLETIN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017

Focus on Food Caramel-Nut Popcorn Crunch

Yield: 20 pieces 10 cups freshly popped popcorn 2 cups whole almonds 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1/4 cup light corn syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Heat oven to 225 F. Spray 15-by-10-inch baking sheet with nonstick spray.

In large bowl, mix popcorn and almonds.

In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Over low heat, stir mixture until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, almond extract and baking soda.

Pour over popcorn and almonds, immediately stirring gently to coat. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly.

Bake 1 hour. Cool completely. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Caramel-Nut Popcorn Crunch

N

FAMILY FEATURES

o matter the occasion, every celebration is better with snacks. Whether you’re hosting game day with the guys, catching up with girlfriends, gathering for family movie night or inviting your kids’ friends over for a grade school sleepover, you can’t go wrong with popcorn treats.

Popcorn is the perfect partner for a broad span of flavors, especially when they’re sweet or salty – or both. You can make each mouthwatering bite pop even more by adding texture with crunchy nuts or silky melted chocolate.

Even if you simply serve plain popcorn to your guests, you can feel good about serving healthy, whole grain, freshly popped popcorn, which is naturally low in fat and calories, non-GMO and gluten free.

Find more ways to pop up more fun for your next party at popcorn.org.

Maple Bacon Popcorn Mix

Yield: 2 quarts 6 slices thick-cut bacon 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, divided 8 cups popped popcorn 2/3 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped 2/3 cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon maple extract Heat oven to 400 F. Line jelly roll pan with foil. Place wire rack in pan. Arrange bacon in single layer on rack. Bake 15 minutes, or until ends of bacon start to curl. Remove and reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Brush bacon with 2 tablespoons maple syrup; bake 15 minutes until browned. Cool then coarsely chop bacon.

In large bowl, combine popcorn, pecans and cranberries.

Combine butter, black pepper, maple extract, remaining maple syrup and reserved bacon drippings. Cook over low heat until butter is melted. Drizzle over popcorn mixture and mix thoroughly.

Spread popcorn mixture in jelly roll or roasting pan. Bake 5 minutes. Toss in bacon pieces. Serve warm.

Maple Bacon Popcorn Mix

Poppy Chow

Yield: 2 quarts 2 quarts popped popcorn 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup confectioners’ sugar Place popcorn in large bowl; set aside.

In microwave safe bowl, combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Microwave 2 minutes; stir until smooth.

Pour chocolate mixture over popcorn and stir until well coated. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over popcorn and stir until coated.

Cool to room temperature before serving.

Store in airtight container, refrigerated, up to 24 hours.

English Toffee Popcorn Bars

Poppy Chow

Yield: 20 bars 2 1/2 quarts popped popcorn 1 cup peanuts 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted Toffee: 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 tablespoons water 4 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup Chocolate Topping: 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate pieces 1 tablespoon shortening Heat oven to 200 F.

In large bowl, combine popcorn, peanuts and toasted coconut. Cover bottom of buttered 15 1/2-by-10 1/2by-1-inch jelly roll pan with half of the popcorn mixture. Keep filled pan and remaining popcorn mixture warm in oven.

To make toffee: In heavy 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat.

Add sugar and blend well.

Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches full boil. Add water and corn syrup; mix well.

Wash down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar granules.

English Toffee Popcorn Bars Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches soft-crack stage on candy thermometer (280 F). Immediately pour mixture over warm popcorn in jelly-roll pan, making certain all popcorn is covered. Quickly spread and press remaining popcorn mixture into hot toffee. Set aside to cool.

For topping, melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. Spread over popcorn mixture, making certain any loose pieces are held in place.

Cool. Cut into bars. If bars will not be served immediately, wrap in plastic wrap for storage.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017 THE BULLETIN 7

Legal Advertising T.S. No.: 9550-4205 TSG Order No.: 8673564 A.P.N.: 7116-006-088 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 07/28/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. NBS Default Services, LLC, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded 08/03/2006 as Document No.: 06 1722060, of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, executed by: EDDIE MCCLENDON, AN UNMARRIED MAN, as Trustor, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH (payable in full at time of sale by cash, a cashier’s check drawn by a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state). All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and state, and as more fully described in the attached legal description.

Sale Date & Time: 06/28/2017 at 10:00 AM Sale Location: Behind the fountain located in Civic Center Plaza, 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona CA The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1645 E 68TH ST #11, LONG BEACH, CA 90805-1697 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made in an “AS IS” condition, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, towit: $344,145.96 (Estimated). Accrued interest and additional advances, if any, will increase this figure prior to sale. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the total indebtedness due. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call, 916-939-0772 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this Internet Web site, www.nationwideposting.com, for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case, T.S.# 9550-4205.

Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. NBS Default Services, LLC 301 E. Ocean Blvd. Suite 1720 Long Beach, CA 90802 800766-7751 For Trustee Sale Information Log On To: www. nationwideposting.com or Call: 916-939-0772.

NBS Default Services, LLC, Nicole Rodriguez, Foreclosure Associate This communication is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. However, if you have received a discharge of the debt referenced herein in a bankruptcy proceeding, this is not an attempt to impose personal liability upon you for payment of that debt. In the event you have received a bankruptcy discharge, any action to enforce the debt will be taken against the property only. LEGAL DESCRIPTION PARCEL 1: AN UNDIVIDED 1/36TH INTEREST IN AND TO ALL THAT PORTION OF LOT 1 OF TRACT NO. 48707 AS SHOWN ON A MAP RECORDED IN BOOK 1173, PAGES 33 TO 35, INCLUSIVE, OF MAPS, RECORDS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, SHOWN AND DEFINED AS “COMMON AREA” ON THE CONDOMINIUM PLAN RECORDED MAY 8, 1991 AS INSTRUMENT NO. 91669637 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS OF SAID COUNTY. EXCEPT THEREFROM UNITS 1 THROUGH 36 INCLUSIVE, AS DEFINED AND DELINEATED ON THE CONDOMINIUM PLAN RECORDED MAY 8, 1991 AS INSTRUMENT NO. 669637, OFFICIAL RECORDS, LOS ANGELES COUNTY. PARCEL 2: UNIT 11, AS SHOWN ON THE CONDOMINIUM PLAN REFERRED TO IN PARCEL 1 ABOVE. PARCEL 3: A NONEXCLUSIVE EASEMENT APPURTENANT TO

UNIT 11 FOR INGRESS, EGRESS AND SUPPORT THROUGH THE COMMON AREA AS SET FORTH IN SECTION 1. “EASEMENTS RESERVED TO OWNERS” OF ARTICLE XX ENTITLED “COMMON AREA EASEMENTS” OF THAT CERTAIN DECLARATION OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS OF 68TH STREET CONDOMINIUMS RECORDED ON MAY 8, 1991 AS INSTRUMENT NO. 91-669638 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. PARCEL 4: ONE CLASS A MEMBERSHIP IN 68TH STREET CONDOMINIUMS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, A CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT MUTUAL BENEFIT CORPORATION, HEREINAFTER CALLED THE “ASSOCIATION”.

NPP0309132 To: LONG BEACH CALIFORNIAN 06/07/2017, 06/14/2017, 06/21/2017 SchId:67889 CustId:68

AdId:22602

--------------------------------------NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE TS No. CA-17761569-BF Order No.: 7301700967-70 NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED TO THE COPY PROVI DED TO THE MORTGAGOR OR TRUSTOR (Pursuant to Cal. Civ. Code 2923.3) YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 9/9/2005. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 to the Financial C ode and authorized to do business in this state, will be held by duly appointed trustee. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE. Trustor(s): Joann S Green, a married woman, as her sole and separate property Recorded: 9/21/2005 as Instrument No. 05 2276055 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of LOS ANGELES County, California; Date of Sale: 7/13/2017 at 10:00 AM Place of Sale: Behind the fountain located in Civic Center Plaza, located at 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona CA 91766 Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $255,184.15 The purported property address is: 1016 SOUTH CHESTER AVENUE, COMPTON, CA 90221 Assessor’s Parcel No.: 6164-004-014 NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property.

You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information.

If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale.

If you wish to learn whether your sa le date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 916-9390772 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this Internet Web site http:// www.qualityloan.com , using the file number assigned to this foreclosure by the Trustee: CA-17-761569-BF .

Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale.

The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the property address or other common designation, if any, shown herein. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, including if the Trustee is unable to convey title, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return o f the monies paid to the Trustee. This shall be the Purchaser’s sole and exclusive remedy. The purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Trustor, the Trustee, the Beneficiary, the Beneficiary’s Agent, or the Beneficiary’s Attorney.

If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy, you may have been released of personal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holders right’s against the real property only.

QUALITY MAY BE CONSIDERED A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL

BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Date: Quality Loan Service Corporation 411 Ivy Street San Diego, CA 92101 619-645-7711 For NON SALE information only Sale Line: 916-939-0772 O r Login to: http://www.qualityloan. com Reinstatement Line: (866) 645-7711 Ext 5318 Quality Loan Service Corp.

TS No.: CA-17-761569-BF IDSPub #0127469 6/21/2017 6/28/2017 7/5/2017 SchId:67897 CustId:608

AdId:22606

--------------------------------------T.S. No. 15-41075 APN: 6145-019-045 NOTICE SALE

OF

TRUSTEE’S

YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 9/22/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state will be held by the duly appointed trustee as shown below, of all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter described property under and pursuant to a Deed of Trust described below. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale.

Trustor: NIKITA K KNOWLES, A SINGLE WOMAN Duly Appointed Trustee: LAW OFFICES OF LES ZIEVE Deed of Trust recorded 9/29/2006 as Instrument No. 06-2171507 in book , page And further modified by that certain Home Affordable Modification Agreement dated 9/22/2006, and recorded on 1/12/2015, as Instrument # 20150036834 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, Date of Sale:7/5/2017 11:00 AM

at

Place of Sale: By the fountain located at 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA 91766 Estimated amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $328,105.38 Note: Because the Beneficiary reserves the right to bid less than the total debt owed, it is possible that at the time of the sale the opening bid may be less than the total debt owed.

Street Address or other common designation of real property: 1105 WEST 137TH STREET COMPTON, CA 90222 Described as follows:

For NonAutomated Sale Information, call: (714) 8487920

________ Ashley Walker, Trustee Sale Assistant

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 Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

THIS FIRM IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION WE OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. EPP 22555 6/14, 6/21, 6/28/17

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

SchId:67911 CustId:108

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

For Sale Information: (714) 848-9272 www.elitepostandpub.com

AdId:22611

--------------------------------------NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF HELEN ESTELLA BROOKS Case No. 17STPB05115 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of HELEN ESTELLA BROOKS A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Kelly Ann Howard in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Kelly Ann Howard be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval.

Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on July 12, 2017 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 29 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing.

Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the 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 Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST

Attorney for petitioner:

A.P.N #.: 6145-019-045

SBN 72783

The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale.

STACKER & ASSOCIATES

NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property.

---------------------------------------

NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (714) 848-9272 or visit this Internet Web site www.elitepostandpub.com, using the file number assigned to this case 15-41075.

Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale.

Dated: 6/7/2017 LAW OFFICES OF ZIEVE, as Trustee

LES

30 Corporate Park, Suite 450 Irvine, CA 92606

PATRICK C STACKER ESQ

3030 OLD RANCH PARKWAY NO 170 SEAL BEACH CA 90740 CN938919 BROOKS 21,28, Jul 5, 2017 SchId:67928 CustId:65

Jun

AdId:22617

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: BEVERLY JOHNSON CASE NO. 17STPB04149 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of BEVERLY JOHNSON. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by SHAMEIKA HUMPHREY in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that SHAMEIKA HUMPHREY be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act . (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval.

Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 07/24/17 at 8:30AM in Dept. 11 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing.

Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by

Attorney for Petitioner CARLA D. ALLEN - SBN 195623 THE LAW OFFICE OF CARLA D. ALLEN 4418 S. MULLEN AVENUE LOS ANGELES CA 90043 6/21, 6/28, 7/5/17 CNS-3022585# THE COMPTON BULLETIN SchId:67943 CustId:61

AdId:22622

--------------------------------------APN: 6164-021-021 TS No: CA08004515-15-1 TO No: 160010281-CAVOI NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE (The above statement is made pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(1). The Summary will be provided to Trustor(s) and/or vested owner(s) only, pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(2).) YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED February 21, 2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On July 20, 2017 at 09:00 AM, Vineyard Ballroom, Doubletree Hotel Los AngelesNorwalk, 13111 Sycamore Drive, Norwalk, CA 90650, MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps, as the duly Appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust recorded on March 5, 2007 as Instrument No. 20070476122, of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, executed by DANIEL BRADFORD AND DELPHINE BRADFORD, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS JOINT TENANTS, as Trustor(s), in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC as nominee for THE MORTGAGE STORE FINANCIAL, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID DEED OF TRUST The property heretofore described is being sold “as is”.

The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1201 EAST GREENLEAF BOULEVARD, COMPTON, CA 90221 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust.

The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is estimated to be $639,943.73 (Estimated). However, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale.

Beneficiary’s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the Trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. Notice to Potential Bidders If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a Trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a Trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property.

You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same Lender may hold more than

one mortgage or Deed of Trust on the property. Notice to Property Owner The sale date shown on this Notice of Sale may be postponed one or more times by the Mortgagee, Beneficiary, Trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about Trustee Sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale.

If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call Auction.com at 800.280.2832 for information regarding the Trustee’s Sale or visit the Internet Web site address www.Auction.com for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case, CA0800451515-1.

Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. Date: June 15, 2017 MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA08004515-15-1 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 Phone:949-252-8300 TDD: 866-660-4288 Myron Ravelo, Authorized Signatory SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ONLINE AT www.Auction.com FOR AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: Auction.com at 800.280.2832 Trustee Corps may be acting as a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained may be used for that purpose.ISL Number 32300, Pub Dates: 06/21/2017, 06/28/2017, 07/05/2017, THE COMPTON BULLETIN SchId:67952 CustId:669

AdId:22625

--------------------------------------NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE T.S. No.: 16-17874 A.P.N.: 6164-007-032 NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED. PURSUANT TO CIVIL CODE Section 2923.3(a), THE SUMMARY OF INFORMATION REFERRED TO ABOVE IS NOT ATTACHED TO THE RECORDED COPY OF THIS DOCUMENT BUT ONLY TO THE COPIES PROVIDED TO THE TRUSTOR. YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 3/24/2010. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state will be held by the duly appointed trustee as shown below, of all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter described property under and pursuant to a Deed of Trust described below. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE. Trustor: STEVEN MARTINEAU, A MARRIED MAN AS HIS SOLE AND SEPARATE PROPERTY Duly Appointed Trustee: Carrington Foreclosure Services, LLC Recorded 4/1/2010 as Instrument No. 20100442952 in book , page Loan Modification recorded on 7/20/15 as Instrument No. 20150876156 and rerecorded on 11/25/15 as Instrument No. 20151483590 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, Described as follows: AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST. Date of Sale: 7/20/2017 at 9:00 AM. Place of Sale: Vineyard Ballroom of the Doubletree Hotel Los AngelesNorwalk, 13111 Sycamore Drive, Norwalk, CA 90650. Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $187,290.05 (Estimated).Street Address or other common designation of real property:1327 EAST CRANE COURT COMPTON, CA 90221. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale.

If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, or the Mortgagee’s Attorney. If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy, you may have been released of personal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holder’s rights against the real property only. THIS NOTICE IS SENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING A DEBT. THIS FIRM IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDER AND OWNER OF THE NOTE. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED

BY OR PROVIDED TO THIS FIRM OR THE CREDITOR WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. As required by law, you are hereby notified that a negative credit report reflecting on your credit record may be submitted to a credit report agency if you fail to fulfill the terms of your credit obligations. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you

should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property.

You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information.

If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale.

If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (800) 280-2832 or visit this Internet Web site www.auction.com, using the file number assigned to this case 16-17874. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site.

The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale.

Date: 06/16/2017 Carrington Foreclosure Services, LLC 600 City Parkway West, Suite 110-A Orange, CA 92868 Automated Sale Information: (800) 280-2832 or www.auction.com for NONSALE information: 888-313-1969 Shirley Best, Trustee Sale Specialist A-4624478 06/21/2017, 06/28/2017, 07/05/2017 SchId:67955 CustId:64

AdId:22626

-------------------------------------NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE T.S. No.: 17-17930 A.P.N.: 6147-019-012 NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED. PURSUANT TO CIVIL CODE Section 2923.3(a), THE SUMMARY OF INFORMATION REFERRED TO ABOVE IS NOT ATTACHED TO THE RECORDED COPY OF THIS DOCUMENT BUT ONLY TO THE COPIES PROVIDED TO THE TRUSTOR. YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 12/12/2014. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state will be held by the duly appointed trustee as shown below, of all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter described property under and pursuant to a Deed of Trust described below. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale.

BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE.Trustor: NICHOLAS R. GIBBS, A MARRIED MAN AS HIS SOLE AND SEPARATE PROPERTY Duly Appointed Trustee: Carrington Foreclosure Services, LLC Recorded 12/16/2014 as Instrument No. 20141364147 in book , page of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, Described as follows: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST Date of Sale: 7/17/2017 at 11:00 AM. Place of Sale:By the fountain located at 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA 91766. Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $289,798.02 (Estimated). Street Address or other common designation of real property:1679 E 126TH ST COMPTON, CA 90222.

The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale.

If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, or the Mortgagee’s Attorney. If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy, you may have been released of personal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holder’s rights against the real property only. THIS NOTICE IS SENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING A DEBT. THIS FIRM IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDER AND OWNER OF THE NOTE. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED

BY OR PROVIDED TO THIS FIRM OR THE CREDITOR WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. As required by law, you are hereby notified

that a negative credit report reflecting on your credit record may be submitted to a credit report agency if you fail to fulfill the terms of your credit obligations. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property.

You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information.

If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale.

If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (714) 730-2727 or visit this Internet Web site www.servicelinkASAP.com , using the file number assigned to this case 17-17930.

Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale.

Date: 06-06-2017 Carrington Foreclosure Services, LLC 600 City Parkway West, Suite 110-A Orange, CA 92868 Automated Sale Information: (714) 730-2727 or www.servicelinkasap.com for NONSALE information: 888-3131969 Shirley Best, Trustee Sale Specialist A-4624484 06/21/2017, 06/28/2017, 07/05/2017 SchId:67958 CustId:64

AdId:22627

--------------------------------------NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Trustee Sale No. 15002646 730-1407992-70 APN 7237-027-005 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 04/05/2005. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 07/12/2017 at 11:00AM, Aztec Foreclosure Corporation as the duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Edouard Theodore Knighton and Elizabeth Anne Knighton, as Trustor(s), in favor of Bank of America, N.A., as Beneficiary, Recorded on 04/19/2005 in Instrument No. 05 0901596 of official records in the Office of the county recorder of LOS ANGELES County, California; WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States, by cash, a cashier’s check drawn by a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state), By the fountain located at 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA 91766, all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County, California described as: 641 WAKEFIELD COURT NO 102, LONG BEACH, CA 90803 The property heretofore described is being sold “as is”. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, towit: $810,003.82 (Estimated) Accrued interest and additional advances, if any, will increase this figure prior to sale. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located and more than three months have elapsed since such recordation. DATE: 06/19/2017 AZTEC FORECLOSURE CORPORATION Elaine Malone Assistant Secretary / Assistant Vice President Aztec Foreclosure Corporation 3636 N. Central Ave., Suite #400 Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (877) 257-0717 or (602) 638-5700 Fax: (602) 638-5748 www. aztectrustee.com NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property.

You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information.

If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one

mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale.

If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call or visit the Internet Web site, using the file number assigned to this case 15-002646. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. www.homesearch.com 800-758-8052 Or Aztec Foreclosure Corporation (877) 257-0717 www.aztectrustee. com NPP0310567 To: LONG BEACH CALIFORNIAN 06/21/2017, 06/28/2017, 07/05/2017 SchId:67967 CustId:68

AdId:22630

-------------------------------------NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE T.S. No. 17-1682 Loan No. 1663-A T.S.G. #729671 On, Date 07/21/2017 at 10:00AM BROWNSTONE MORTGAGE CAPITAL CORPORATION, A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION, Trustee, or Successor Trustee or Substituted Trustee of that certain Deed of Trust executed by VICTOR H. ARTAVIA AND EVELYN D. ARTAVIA, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS JOINT TENANTS, TRUSTOR, and recorded on 04/06/2006 as Document No. 06-0750539, of Official Records of LOS ANGELES County, California, and pursuant to that certain Notice of Default thereunder recorded on 03/09/2017 as Document No. 20170273316 of Official Records of Said County, will under and pursuant to said Deed of Trust sell at public auction for cash, lawful money of the United States of America, a cashier’s check payable to said Trustee drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state, SAID CHECKS ARE TO HAVE AN ENDORSEMENT GUARANTEED BY THE ISSUING FINANCIAL INSTITUTION OR MADE PAYABLE TO BROWNSTONE MORTGAGE CAPITAL CORPORATION, Behind the fountain located in Civic Center Plaza, 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona CA 91766 all that right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: SEE LEGAL DESCRIPTION ATTACHED HERETO AND MADE A PART HEROF AS EXHIBIT “A”. LEGAL DESCRIPTION EXHIBIT “A” PARCEL 1: THE WEST 125 FEET OF LOT 29 OF TRACT NO. 5927, IN THE CITY OF CARSON, AS PER MAP RECORDED IN BOOK 64 PAGE 58 OF MAPS, IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY RECORDER OF SAID COUNTY. PARCEL 2: THE WEST 125 FEET OF LOT 30 OF TRACT NO. 5927, IN THE CITY OF CARSON, AS PER MAP RECORDED IN BOOK 64 PAGE 58 OF MAPS, IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY RECORDER OF SAID COUNTY. PARCEL 3: THE WEST 125 FEET OF LOT 31 AND THE NORTH 10 FEET OF THE WEST 125 FEET OF LOT 32 OF TRACT NO. 5927, IN THE CITY OF CARSON, AS PER MAP RECORDED IN BOOK 64 PAGE 58 OF MAPS, IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY RECORDER OF SAID COUNTY. EXCEPT THEREFROM ALL OIL, GAS, MINERALS AND OTHER HYDROCARBON SUBSTANCES LYING BELOW A DEPTH OF 500 FEET FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID PROPERTY, BUT WITH NO RIGHT OF SURFACE ENTRY, AS PROVIDED IN DEEDS OF RECORD. APN: 7336-017-034 APN: 7336-017-036 APN: 7336017-037 Assessor’s Parcel Number: 7336-017-034, 7336-17-036, 7336-017-037 ADDRESS: 20930-20942 MAIN STREET, CARSON, CA 90745 (X) The street address or other common designation of said property: ADDRESS: 20930-20942 MAIN STREET, CARSON, CA 90745 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale.

(X) Name and address of the beneficiary at whose request the sale is being conducted: BROWNSTONE MORTGAGE FUND I, LP 111 E. City Place Drive SANTA ANA, CA 92705 Directions to the above property may be obtained by requesting same in writing from the beneficiary within 10 days from the first publication of this notice.

Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, as to title, possession or encumbrances to satisfy the unpaid balance due on the note or notes secured by said Deed of Trust, towit: $556,135.51 including the unpaid interest, estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of initial publication of this Notice of Sale. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 03/22/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. PUBLISHED IN “THE WEEKENDER”, ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: DATE: 06/21/2017 DATE: 06/28/2017 DATE: 07/05/2017 BROWNSTONE MORTGAGE CAPITAL CORPORATION 111 E. City Place Drive Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 547-1285 Date: 06/15/2017 ALEX NACKOUL, JR., MANAGING DIRECTOR NPP0310470 To: THE WEEKENDER 06/21/2017, 06/28/2017, 07/05/2017 SchId:67973 CustId:68

AdId:22632

8

THE BULLETIN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017

Entertainment

Homeless, but not voiceless, at Carnegie Hall

By Verena Dobnik NEW YORK—They’re homeless, but a group of men and women from Texas has made it to Carnegie Hall.

The storied New York City concert hall was the venue Wednesday evening for a performance by the Dallas Street Choir, all singers recruited from urban streets and homeless shelters who’ve been performing since 2015.

About 20 members of the choir were joined by 17 residents of a Manhattan homeless shelter.

The singers included Michael Brown, who lives under a bridge in Dallas when it rains and on a hilltop in sunny weather.

“We may be homeless, but we’re not voiceless,” he said at a rehearsal Tuesday, “so let’s use our effort to remind people that we still have hope and it will never die.”

Dallas Street Choir conductor Jonathan Palant has also brought in some world-class luminaries for the performance: mezzosoprano Frederica von Stade; soprano Harolyn Blackwell; composer Jake Heggie, who created a musical version of the book and movie “Dead Man Walking”; and Stephen Schwartz, who composed the Broadway hits “Godspell,” “Pippin” and “Wicked.”

Palant said he got the idea for the choir a few years ago while volunteering with a homeless services organization. It started out as a Christmas event - a big meal at a homeless shelter with entertainment by a group of singers who rehearsed with Palant for just a few hours. But that inspired him to start a weekly musical session open to anyone who wanted to sing.

Members of the choir come and go frequently. They don’t always produce perfect sounds, and there are moments of slight cacophony, “but our members sing with heart like no other choir I’ve ever worked with,” said Palant. Never in its 126-year history has a musical ensemble of homeless performers appeared at Carnegie, said the hall’s archivist, Gino Francesconi.

On Wednesday, they drew one of the most diverse audiences Carnegie Hall has ever seen: just about every race, religion and

age, including a 3-month-old baby, and from wealthy New Yorkers to the nearly penniless homeless, rocking to the rhythms.

Brown got his first shower and haircut in weeks for the concert. Normally, he survives going to soup kitchens, and aims to get a job as a waiter.

He’s an energetic, bright-eyed choir member, while some others are physically frail; one woman relies on a walker, another uses a cane.

In Dallas, they rehearse each Wednesday morning, learning melodies by rote, with printed lyrics. They leave with snacks and a public transportation voucher.

The evening at Carnegie Hall was titled “Imagine a World - Music for Humanity.”

Von Stade premiered Heggie’s new setting of Hub Miller’s “Spinning Song,” with Heggie at the piano.

The homeless choir and Schwartz performed “For Good” from “Wicked,” along with Blackwell and von Stade. Rounding out the evening was the choir offering Broadway songs, capped by personal stories.

Tickets were $25 for any Carnegie seat, with proceeds going to organizations that support the homeless.

The New York City Department of Homeless Services donated some tickets so members of the homeless community could attend.

The choir also planned to perform Thursday at Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C. About $200,000 needed for the New York and Washington trips came from previous concerts in Texas, plus a private grant.

Carnegie’s Weill Music Institute pulled in the homeless singers from Manhattan. The New Yorkers are members of a community choir and sang several numbers on the program.

At least while they were in New York, the singers had a roof over their heads - a hotel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side near the Valley Lodge shelter where the local performers live.

“This is serious, man - Carnegie Hall in New York City,” says Brown. “We have to show people that we didn’t come from Texas for no reason.”

Photo by Kathy Willens Dallas Street Choir member Michael Brown raises his voice during a rehearsal for their performance at Carnegie Hall.

Dominican Republic dreams of becoming Caribbean Hollywood

By Ezequiel Abiu Lopez SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic—In the opening scenes of the latest Vin Diesel action movie, troops in the Dominican Republic chase the hero through a rainforest and down a twisty mountain road. But in real life, the government is doing all it can to welcome the Hollywood star—or anyone else who wants to produce a film in this Caribbean country.

The filming here of some scenes from “xXx: Return of Xander Cage” is a sign of progress in efforts to persuade the film industry to use the Dominican Republic’s lush mountains, whitesand beaches and colonial architecture as a backdrop.

“Now, we are on the map,” said Yvette Marichal, director

of a government agency created in 2010 to woo film production companies to the country and to regulate their activities here.

Marichal spoke in a recent interview after returning from the Cannes Film Festival, where her agency had a pavilion promoting the country’s varied landscape along with tax breaks and other incentives to lure companies from other destinations, including other parts of the Caribbean or the U.S. Besides the Vin Diesel action flick, which grossed more than $300 million at the box office this year, the country’s film credits have grown to include last year’s Netflix production “True Memoirs of an International Assassin,” as well as “47

Meters Down,” which stars Mandy Moore and opens in the U.S. on Friday.

There are small-screen offerings as well, including the Turkish version of the competition series “Survivor,” which moved from the Philippines to the Dominican Republic’s Samana area in the north, as well as the Greek version of the same program, which is moving from Argentina’s Patagonian region, and a Swedish production of “The Bachelor.”

All or part of 45 foreign productions, including fulllength movies, documentaries and reality TV shows, were filmed here last year. There were another 20 full-length movies for the domestic market, compared to three in 2010.

CNN chief:Interview worthy, but mishandled

By David Bauder NEW YORK—Some top people at CNN have come to Megyn Kelly’s defense in the wake of criticism she’s received for interviewing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, but say NBC News hasn’t done itself any favors.

NBC’s handling of the interview, scheduled to air on Kelly’s newsmagazine at 7 p.m. EDT Sunday, has given fuel to the backlash against her, said Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, on Thursday.

Kelly has been attacked for

interviewing the “Infowars” host, primarily because he has questioned whether the shooting that killed 26 people at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 was a hoax. Some parents of children killed in Newtown said NBC shouldn’t feature Jones. An anti-gun violence group founded by Sandy Hook parents dropped Kelly as a host for one of its events.

Her interview quickly became a topic of discussion at a news conference CNN held to promote its morning show, “New Day.” Zucker

and the show’s anchors, Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota, said Jones is a newsworthy subject for an interview because he has President Donald Trump’s ear.

“It’s a little dangerous to get into the ‘you don’t deserve a platform’ business,” Cuomo said.

The CNN leaders criticized NBC News for the brief clip, or “tease,” that it released of Kelly interviewing Jones to promote the interview, saying it left open the question of whether Kelly would challenge him enough.

In the past, the country played host to some notable films. Parts of “Apocalypse Now” were filmed here as were scenes in “Godfather II” representing Cuba. In the 2006 movie adaptation of “Miami Vice,” the Dominican Republic stood in for Haiti, the other country occupying the island of Hispaniola.

Those occasional productions inspired former President Leonel Fernandez, who was looking for ways to diversify the economy and bring jobs to the country of more than 10 million.

“That bit of investment in the Dominican Republic without any type of incentives motivated the president,” said Omar de la Cruz, who served on an advisory board that helped launch a more concerted effort to attract the film industry.

In 2010, the government established tax credits for productions costing at least $500,000 and exemptions on such things as import duties for audiovisual equipment.

The movie “A Dark Truth,” starring Andy Garcia, was the first to take advantage of the new law in 2011.

In addition to the incentives and marketing, universities in the Dominican Republic began offering courses to provide the technical skills that production companies could use to find the local production and technical workers they are required to hire under the law.

In 2013, the prominent Vicini family opened Lantica Media, which operates what it describes as the Caribbean’s most modern studio and sound stage facilities in a partnership with Britain’s Pinewood Studios.

Among the movies that Lantica Media worked on is “xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” which required hiring 300 local people with technical skills, providing valuable experience for them to work in future major productions, said Rafael Nunez, a production director

at the company’s location in San Pedro de Macoris on the southern coast. The facilities were also used in “47 Meters Down” and “True Memoirs of an International Assassin.”

Marichal credits some of the success to the country’s varied landscape. “It is incredible how we have almost all ecosystems on this little island,” she said. “The only thing we lack is snow but for that we have studios.”

The benefits are difficult to measure, but Marichal’s office says that film production in 2016 injected nearly $87 million into the economy and created 4,000 direct jobs. Most lucrative for the country are the long-running reality TV series, which bring crews staying six months or more at a time. There is also the benefit of promoting the country, already among the Caribbean’s top tourist destinations.

“It encourages me to see how much the Dominican Republic has achieved in so little time,” Marichal said.

Ku Klux Klan items pulled from auction TAYLORSTOWN, Pa.—Several Ku Klux Klan items listed in a classified ad have been pulled from a Pennsylvania auction.

WTAE-TV reports items such as a hood, book and robe adornment were posted on an auction website and scheduled to be sold at the Taylorstown Fire Hall on Thursday.

Resident Derrick Edwards says he saw a photo of a newspaper clipping with the classified ad. Edwards tells WTAE “you shouldn’t make a profit off racism.”

Auctioneer Randy Shook says the KKK items have been pulled. He says the overall auction will continue.