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EYE ON THE CITY Rams
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April 30 - May 06, 2020
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VOL. 35, No. 18
Farewell Willie E. Agee, Inglewood’s Most Vocal Ambassador Inglewood Council Meetings will Never Be the Same Again
to Combat
By Francis Taylor, Sr. Writer
By now the word of the passing of Willie E. Agee, affectionately known as Red by his family, has spread throughout the City of Inglewood. Mayor Butts announced the sad and devastating news on Facebook and social media quickly amassed hundreds of pleasant memories of the man known as Mr. Inglewood and countless expressions of deepest sympathy and condolences for his family. I came to know Willie as a writer for INGLEWOOD TODAY Weekly Newspaper over two years ago. One of my assignments was to cover the weekly Inglewood City Council Meetings and it did not take long for me to identify Willie as the most vocally supportive citizen of Mayor Butts and the leadership he and his council colleagues have ushered into the city. For a man with a 52-year history in the City of Inglewood, it was prudent that I, and any city observer, take particular notice of what Willie had to say about all of the issues that affected Inglewood residents. Willie was not
Health Disparities for People of Color By Brandi Alexander, Compassion & Choices The coronavirus pandemic is taking a disproportionate toll on people of color, joining the many healthcare disparities that people and communities of color as a whole, have historically faced. To commemorate April as National Minority Health Month, now is the time to seek viable solutions to address those disparities that are realistically within our collective grasps. As a member of the African American community, I am personally and communally affected by the insidious COVID-19. Every day I continue to see and hear how this deadly virus is impacting my community. The numbers reported are real. I know because my aunt is recovering from the virus. The small silver lining so far in this public health crisis is that it highlights ways to help combat these healthcare disparities right now. The methods detailed below can be utilized immediately, in conjunction with the necessary long-term systemic changes that will require major policy reforms, in both our economic and healthcare system, to begin the fight to eradicate these disparities. Unequal access to economic opportunities and healthcare facilities are just some of the huge systemic hurdles that policymakers must address to close the healthcare disparities chasm between people of color and white Americans. Meanwhile, the question is what can people
Willie E. Agee is shown here during happy time with one of his favorite people Tunisia Johnson, City of Inglewood Transportation Demand Management Coordinator.
including, but not limited to:
·People with chronic lung disease Continued on page 3
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Centinela Hospital Receives Donation of 25,000 N95 Masks IT News Wire
of color do in the near term to minimize our chances of dying from this life-threatening illness and another deadly disease in the future? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that groups at higher risk for severe illness from the coronavirus include people of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled,
& Lakers
Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood has received 25,000 N95 masks to help protect their health care workers – a donation made by the development firm Wilson Meany and the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center. The masks will be used by doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital as they continue to treat patients with the COVID-19 virus. “Medical professionals are on the frontlines of the fight against coronavirus. We are proud that we are able to play a small part in ensuring healthcare workers have the personal protective equipment they need to stay safe while caring for patients,” said Gerard McCallum of Wilson Meany, which is developing
Buppie is Back! See Page 6
the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center. “We are truly grateful for their work and sacrifice.” At Centinela Hospital, the team has activated an emergency response plan, maintaining facility readiness in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital has tested and treated a number of patients with the COVID-19 virus, both through the Emergency Department and its inpatient units. In order to keep patients, the community and its healthcare workforce safe, the ability to access PPE (personal protective equipment) is an essential part of the equation. “PPE is in short supply here and at every other acute-care facility across the nation, and the proper use of PPE can reduce the risk of exposure, which is critical to keeping our workforce safe while treating COVID-19 patients,” Continued on page 2
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bashful in speaking his mind on a myriad of topics. He was articulate, thoughtful, and knowledgeable in his remarks and usually chose to speak when individuals chose to criticize the direction and leadership of the mayor and city council. During the public comments portion of the weekly meetings, which Willie
direction on matters like rent control, the NFL stadium, the NBA arena, the city’s fiscal position, and a host of others. At first Willie was skeptical of me as I wrote several articles that were critical of Donald Trump. Willie was a staunch republican and was not shy about letting you know about his political
attended with regularity, he always approached the microphone with his standard introduction, ”My name is Willie and I live in the Beautiful city of Inglewood.” His soft-spoken and grand-fatherly introduction was swiftly followed by a polite yet incisive criticism of those who spoke before him that were critical of the council’s
inclination. Over time, he embraced me as a friend when he realized that my reports were not personal but merely newsworthy reports. Without speaking about the differences in our politics we politely avoided any further political discourse and he usually saved me a seat next to his on the front row, adjacent to the citizen’s podium in the council chambers. Continued from page 1: Centinela...
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said Paryus Patel, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Centinela Hospital Medical Center and Corporate Chief Medical Officer, Prime Healthcare. “We are incredibly grateful to the team at Wilson Meany and the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center, who have been such a strong force within the community and a great partner of the hospital, for this donation of 25,000 N95 masks to support our healthcare workforce.” Centinela Hospital Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, has served the residents of Inglewood and surrounding areas since 1924. Throughout the late 1960’s and 1970’s it continued to expand to its now 362 bed capacity. Centinela Hospital is consistently at the forefront in providing innovative and integrated healthcare. Wilson Meany is a San Francisco and Los Angeles-based developer of mixed-use, residential, retail, office and master plan urban infill properties. The Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center will include an arena with 18,000 seats for NBA games, family shows, concerts, conventions and corporate events. The campus will include an athletic training facility, corporate offices, an outdoor plaza and retail and restaurant space. Public hearings to approve the project are expected to begin late spring, with anticipated completion slated for the start of the 2024 NBA season.
Going forward, when the city resumes weekly city council meetings and the threat of COVID-19 has fizzled away, the meetings will not be the same. There will certainly be a feeling of loss on the part of the council members, who honored Willie by naming the Playhouse in Ed Vincent Park the Willie E Agee Playhouse, when his usual seat on the front row is empty. The citizens who attended the meetings will also most certainly feel the loss of one of the city’s most senior residents who chose to continue his civic involvement by standing up and speaking out in the weekly meetings. Only those closest to Willie knew about the pain and suffering he was experiencing with cancer. With the COVID-19 limitations on council meetings and other social interaction, only those who were in his inner circle knew that he was being treated in the Veteran’s Hospital. I am sure, if the community at large knew that he was suffering, there would have been no limit to the outpouring of
support for him and his family. The hardest part of losing someone, isn’t having to say goodbye, but rather learning to live without them, always trying to fill the void, the emptiness that s left inside your heart when they go. Farewell Willie. You will forever be remembered and sorely missed.
Continued from page 1: COVID-19... ·People who have serious heart conditions · People who are immunocompromised by cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications ·People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher) · People with diabetes
Some of these healthcare conditions are genetic or caused by lack of healthcare access, but some we can avoid or minimize by 1) not smoking to minimize the chances of lung disease; 2) eating healthier, less sugary foods less likely to cause diabetes, heart disease and obesity; and 3) avoiding unsafe sex that could lead to HIV or AIDS. Not coincidentally, Kaiser Health News reports: “Blacks and Alaska Natives have higher rates of...diabetes compared to Whites … nonelderly adult Alaska Natives are nearly twice as likely as Whites are to report having had a heart attack or heart disease. Black, Hispanic, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians Other Pacific Islanders nonelderly adults and Black and Hispanic children also are more likely to be obese compared to Whites. Compared to Whites, Blacks have an over eight times higher HIV diagnosis rate and a nearly ten times higher AIDS diagnosis rate, and the HIV and AIDS diagnosis rates for Hispanics are more than three times the rates for Whites.” If you’re a person of color of any age, but especially if you suffer from a life-threatening disease, you can use the coronavirus and National Minority Health Month as motivation to discuss your end-of-life care wishes with
your family members. Start having these family conversations, complete an advance care directive detailing your wishes for end-of-life care if you cannot speak for yourself and appoint a healthcare proxy to ensure your healthcare providers know what you want and don’t want. I’m well aware that these conversations are difficult because my dad died without discussing his end-of-life care wishes with our family. When he could not speak for himself, we had no idea about his preferences and healthcare priorities. As a result, this lack of information caused needless suffering for him, and family infighting, guilt and heartbreak, because we never talked about it. Thankfully, there are online tools and resources available to help guide these conversations and to complete an advance care directive documenting the details of your preferred end-of-life care treatments. Forexample, CompassionAndChoices. org, provides FREE end-of-life care fact sheets and planning tools to help you navigate your care options, including a COVID-19 specific planning guide. Take it from someone who knows firsthand experience, taking action now will reduce the stress of caregiving for your loved ones and the chances that you or they will needlessly suffer in death, whether it is in the near or distant future. Brandi Alexander is the National Director of Constituency for Compassion & Choices, the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and expanding healthcare options for the end of life.
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EYE ON THE CITY GEORGE DOTSON
ALEX PADILLA
JAMES BUTTS
ELOY MORALES
RALPH FRANKLIN
AROUND THE CITY
Parks Commissioner Agee Succumbs Statement from Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr.
It is with great sadness that I report to you the death of Parks Commissioner Chairman, Willie Agee from complications associated with his treatment for Lung Cancer. He was 90 years of age. He passed away at 7pm tonight (April 27th) at the VA Hospital in Long Beach. While undergoing treatment in Long Beach last week he contracted the coronavirus. Willie Agee was a 50 year Inglewood resident and the Willie Agee Playhouse was named in his honor. Services have yet to be scheduled.
From left Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. and Parks Commissioner Willie McGee. (Mayor Butts file photo)
JAMES T. BUTTS JR Mayor
Rep. Waters Announces $1.2M in Coronavirus Funding IT News Wire
LOS ANGELES – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, released a statement announcing that Behavioral Health Services (BHS), Inc., which provides primary healthcare services to low-income and underserved patients at locations throughout Los Angeles County, including the Cities of Gardena and Hawthorne in the Congresswoman’s congressional district, received three federal grants totaling $1,264,245 to support its primary care and coronavirus response work. Her statement follows: “I am proud to announce that
Behavioral Health Services has received federal grants totaling more than $1.2 million to support its vital work providing primary healthcare services in the Cities of Gardena and Hawthorne in my congressional district, as well as locations throughout Los Angeles County. These funds will help BHS provide COVID-19 screening and treatment and other essential health services to low-income and underserved individuals and families in our region. BHS will also be able to use these funds to provide face masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect its frontline health workers and their patients. “I am especially proud that these
BHS grants were largely funded by legislation my colleagues and I passed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. BHS received a grant for $567,395 that was funded by the landmark CARES Act, which passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support. This $2 trillion economic security package – the largest in our nation’s history – was designed to help healthcare providers, working families, and vulnerable communities impacted by the pandemic. BHS also received a grant for $643,778 to support its primary care services and an additional grant for $53,072 that was funded by a coronavirus supplemental appropriations bill. I worked very hard to pass these coronavirus relief bills,
and I am pleased that they supported the important work of BHS in our community. “BHS and its dedicated team of health professionals are on the frontlines of our nation’s battle against the coronavirus. Like all of our nation’s courageous health workers who risk their lives every day to provide healthcare to patients who are – or who could be – infected with the coronavirus, these brave American heroes are serving our community when we need them the most. It is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to support their work.”
Rep. Waters Announces Federal Grants to Protect Workers, Vendors & Passengers at LAX, Hawthorne and Torrance Municipal Airports Inglewood Today New
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, released a statement announcing that the three airports in her congressional district each received a federal grant to address the economic impact of the coronavirus on their operations. The grants were provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pursuant to the CARES Act as follows: $69,000 for Hawthorne Municipal Airport (also known as Jack Northrop Field), $69,000 for Torrance Municipal Airport (also known as Zamperini Field), and $323,636,269 for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Her statement follows: “I am proud to announce that all three of the airports in my district received grants to help them weather the enormous economic impact of the
coronavirus on their operations. The Hawthorne Municipal Airport and the Torrance Municipal Airport each received $69,000, and LAX received more than $323 million. These funds will help the airports pay the salaries of their workers and maintain safe operations for workers, vendors, and passengers despite the unprecedented decline in air travel caused by the pandemic. “I am especially proud that these grants were funded by the historic CARES Act, which passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support. This $2 trillion economic security package – the largest in our nation’s history – contained several provisions that will help the airports and workers who are the heart of our nation’s air travel system. The bill provides $10 billion for our nation’s airports and airport workers and an additional $50 billion in grants and direct lending to
passenger airlines ‘that shall exclusively be used for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits’ for airline workers, including pilots, flight attendants, and ticketing agents. Airlines and airports must continue to employ at least 90 percent of their workforce in order to receive CARES Act funding. “I worked very hard to make sure the CARES Act included strong protections for airport workers and their families, and I am pleased that this landmark legislation is supporting all three of the airports in my district and the workers who depend upon them for their livelihoods. “Airports play a vital role in our society, our economy, and our world. They facilitate commerce, education, science, and tourism. They have enabled generations of Americans to travel, experience new places, meet people, and
learn about the world around us. Even in the midst of the current pandemic, our nation’s airports facilitate the shipping of life-saving medical supplies and other essential goods and services, and allow doctors, nurses and first responders to travel to the places where their skills are most needed. They even enable me and my colleagues in Congress to travel to Washington, DC, and vote on matters of critical importance to our nation and then return safely to our communities to serve our constituents. “While stopping the spread of the coronavirus necessitates that Americans avoid all but the most essential air travel, we must nevertheless ensure that all of our nation’s airports, large and small, are able to continue to operate in a safe manner, pay their workers, and prepare for the day when Americans will once again be able to travel freely without fear of the coronavirus.”
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Area Communities S e r v i n g L a d e r a , H a w t h o r n e , W e s t c h e s t e r, L a w n d a l e , G a r d e n a , C a r s o n
Housing the Homeless: COVID-19 Has Forced California’s Hand
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California was the first state in the nation to secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to place unsheltered people in hotel rooms at no cost to them. The state’s action is providing safe isolation for tens of thousands of homeless Californians during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Almost 129,000 Californians experienced homelessness in 2019. Nearly 40% of them were African Americans. The state’s effort, dubbed Project Roomkey, set an initial goal of securing up to 15,000 rooms to fast track getting people off the street since Gov. Newsom instituted a stay-at-home order on March 19. After about a week, county partners had moved 869 homeless individuals off the street, or out of shelters, and into isolation. “Homeless Californians are incredibly vulnerable to COVID-19 and often have no option to self-isolate or social distance,” Gov. Newsom said. “By helping the most vulnerable homeless individuals get off the street, California can slow the spread of COVID-19 through homeless populations, lower the number of people infected and protect critical health care resources.” As of April 3, the state reports that local governments had secured 6,867 emergency hotel rooms for shelter. Some homeless advocates say that number is a commendable achievement that begins to move the Newsom administration closer to its goal of mitigating what was perhaps the state’s most pressing problem before the COVID-19 crisis. In Los Angeles County, the state’s homelessness crisis is most acute. It is also where the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the most hospitalizations and deaths. Officials there want to take the work of Project Roomkey further. LA County Board of Supervisors’ Mark Ridley Thomas and Janice Hahn have developed a plan to house the homeless after the coronavirus crisis has been contained. “We need to be thinking two steps ahead in order to mount a crisis response that is not only comprehensive but
sustained,” Ridley-Thomas said in a statement on his website. “Now is the time to be having these conversations. Not when the disaster funding runs out.” LA County’s Chief Executive Office Homeless Initiative is working handin-hand with the state, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, and several public and private partners to facilitate Project Roomkey. As of April 13, over 1,946 beds at 23 sites in the county had been secured; of which 515 are already in use in an effort to protect unsheltered individuals and seniors with underlying medical conditions from contracting COVID-19. Ridley-Thomas said that LA County has also put procedures in place to prioritize existing resources such as housing vouchers and resources for veterans. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, state government attempts to speed up housing the homeless – including incentives provided to local governments to increase their housing inventory and efforts to penalize those that didn’t — met stiff resistance from lobbying groups, the state legislature, county boards, and city councils. Most recently, state senators killed SB 50, a bill that would have lifted local zoning restrictions statewide to allow denser and more multi-unit housing construction. Now, across California, both the state and local governments are teaming up to solve the state’s homelessness problem like they never have before, sharing up to 75% of FEMA reimbursements for hotel rooms and wraparound support services like meals, security, and custodial maintenance. Local governments and community partners cover behavioral health and medical care costs. California’s effort to provide emergency shelter for homeless families and individuals takes an innovative approach, homeless advocates say. It brings hotel units online at a rapid pace while providing business to the hospitality industry, a sector among those hardest hit by the Coronavirus crisis. Kevin Carter, a homeless advocate and member of Northern California’s branch of the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC), has been canvassing parts of Sacramento aiding unsheltered individuals. He said
PPC members have identified at least 30 homeless people in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood. “They are mostly Black people living and gathering in various homeless encampments,” Carter told California Black Media. “We supply them with water, food, hand sanitizers. And we see if anyone is sick or needs to be hospitalized for COVID-19.” The National Poor People’s Campaign, started by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, confronts systemic racism, poverty, and social injustices, according to the organization’s website. Under the PPC banner, Carter and his colleagues put together a program called “Sacramento Housing Services, Not Suites Coalition.” “One of the things we are focused on right now is getting hotel or motel rooms for the homeless through the city and county,” Carter said. “As far as what the governor is doing — he’s moving in the right direction.” In 2019, an estimated 128,777 individuals in California experienced homelessness, based on the Annual
Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. Over 108,000 people were tabulated as unsheltered and more than 41,000 suffered chronic homelessness, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD’s annual report shows that 56,257 individuals were unsheltered in Los Angeles County in 2019, accounting for almost half of all unsheltered persons across the state of California. Across the country, HUD reports that there were 568, 000 homeless people in 2019. African Americans, who only make up about 14% of the United States’ population accounted for 39.8% (225,735 people) of that total. That included Black individuals both sleeping on the streets and living in shelters. California accounted for one-third, 33%, of all people experiencing homelessness in the United States and more than half, about 53%, of all unsheltered individuals. The state has also deployed 1,305 Continued on page 7
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Sports & Entertainment Rams lineman Joseph-Day continues frontline aid
The Sports God
KAREEM NOT A TOP10 PLAYER? THIS IS BLASPHEMY
By Dave Smith, Sports Columnist
With ESPN currently airing “Last Dance,” chronicling the final championship run of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, they also held a discussion on ESPN.com, entitled “NBA GOAT Debate: Big Questions on Michael Jordan and the greatest players ever.” They decided to ask a panel of “experts,” many of whom I’ve never heard of, for their opinion of who are the greatest players of all time. Right away I was skeptical, because in my 25 years of covering the NBA as a reporter and sports-talk radio host one thing has been abundantly clear: Most of these “experts” have no idea what they’re talking about and know less than the average sports fan walking down the street; but they’re presented as basketball savants. I’ve spent countless hours with NBA beat guys and reporters and while we’ve chatted in the media room, during games or having a beer, I was always taken aback with how little they knew about the game and wondered how in the world they could make a living covering a sport in which they have very little knowledge. I remember mentioning to an NBA beat guy that more coaches should try a zone defense to contain great players and talked about various zones and how they could be effective. But the blank, confused look on his face said it all: He’d never played a game in his life and had no idea what I was talking about. But you’d think Bobby Marks, a former Vice President and assistant General Manager with the Brooklyn Nets would be different, because here is a guy who was in the upper echelon of NBA management and you can’t reach that level without a good understanding of the game. But then again, this is the Nets we’re talking about. Marks is also described as a “Front Office Insider,” which immediately raises red flags. Because “Experts” and “Front Office Insiders” usually have basketball I.Q’s in the double digits. So when Marks was asked to list his 10 greatest players of all time, here was his answer: “I’ve got 10 on my list for discussion: Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James.”
IT News Wire
In an effort to continue supporting local medical professionals and their aroundthe-clock COVID-19 relief efforts, Rams Defensive Lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day is providing more meals to our local frontline medical heroes. Joseph-Day recently hosted a DJ session on Instagram Live to raise nearly $5,000 to benefit local healthcare providers. In partnership with Superfine Pizza and Chef Steve Samson, Joseph-Day will provide pizzas for employees at an Inglewood hospital continuing on May 1 and Saturday, May 2nd. The initiative will build off JosephDay’s recent efforts working alongside Chef Steve Samson to support frontline medical workers. Weeks ago, Joseph-Day donated $10,000 to Rossoblu’s Restaurant Relief to fund prepared meals for Cedars-Sinai medical staff. Located in Downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District inside City Market South, Superfine Pizza is a homage to the finest pizza-making traditions. The site’s history as LA’s original produce market aligns with Chef Samson’s passion for using the highest quality ingredients.
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Joshua Kelley’s Dream Landing Spot is Also a Perfect Fit
Chris Hayre, Chargers Reporter
The stage is set for running back Joshua Kelley to add a few more chapters to his unique L.A. story. The UCLA product was drafted in the fourth round (No. 112 overall) of Saturday’s 2020 NFL Draft by the hometown Los Angeles Chargers. He’ll play professionally at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., the same city where he was born over 22 years ago. Kelley’s landing spot is also perhaps the most ideal fit. The rookie enters a selfless running backs room that includes 2017 undrafted free agent Austin Ekeler and 2018 seventh-round selection Justin Jackson, two players who have outplayed where they were – and weren’t – drafted. Then there’s head coach Anthony
Lynn, a former NFL running back and two-time Super Bowl Champion. “Anthony Lynn, he’s dope, man,” Kelley said. “He’s great. He’s been around UCLA, so it’s awesome. And … those two great running backs they have in there, they’re great people from what I hear. So, I think it’s just awesome I get to be a part of that.” Lynn said the team needed to identify a bigger-bodied back who could take the role of Melvin Gordon – a downhill runner who’s also reliable in goal-line and short-yardage situations. While Lynn acknowledges that you don’t immediately replace a Pro Bowler like Gordon, Kelley’s potential is evident. “We feel like he can get to that point, I can tell you that,” Lynn said. Kelley transferred to UCLA from UCDavis in 2017. In 2018, he rushed for 1,243 yards, including a 40-carry, 289yard performance against crosstown rival USC. He followed that up with another 1,000-plus-yard campaign in 2019, earning team MVP honors in both seasons. General manager Tom Telesco said both Kelley and the Chargers’ firstround quarterback Justin Herbert stood
out at the 2020 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. in January. “You watch them in the fall, then you see them in an all-star game against the best seniors in the country,” Telesco said. “It was nice to see him really step up, too. That’s part of our evaluation process. He’s a very well-rounded running back and we’re looking forward to seeing him get in the mix.” Kelley’s 458 career rushes for the Bruins far outweigh his 38 catches, but as he said he told scouts, “just because you haven’t been asked to do it doesn’t mean you can’t do it.” “For me, I take pride in running between the tackles,” Kelley said. “I can do outside zone, inside zone, power – I’m really good at that. “And also, I’m versatile. I went to the Senior Bowl, the combine and showcased my ability to catch out (of) the backfield. I showcased myself to beat linebackers one-on-one. I take pride in being as versatile as I can.” Kelley knows, though, that the preparation required for success at the NFL level starts now. “I just can’t wait to make them feel like they made the right choice,” he said. “I have to get to work.”
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B U P P I E | B U S I N E S S Open to Apply: Gig Workers Can File for Unemployment
Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media
Out-of-work gig workers in California whose employers have not paid into the state’s unemployment insurance fund — as well as Californians without jobs who have run out of unemployment benefits — will be able to file new unemployment claims. Starting April 28, the state will begin accepting unemployment insurance (UI) applications from both of those categories of jobless Californians through the California Employee Development Department (EDD) website. “We have been working on making
sure that we get Californians what they are entitled to under PUA,” California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su wrote in an open letter last week. She was breaking down the new federal government Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program that provides Californians an additional $600 a week on top of whatever amount — between $40 and $450 — they qualify for under the state’s unemployment insurance program. The supplemental unemployment money is funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act, which the United States Congress approved and President Trump signed into law last month.
The EDD has built a new system to handle new CARES Act claims for both the regular state unemployment insurance benefits and payouts from the new federal PUA program. The website has specifically been constructed to accommodate claims from independent contractors, the self-employed and individuals who lack sufficient work history. For every week a gig worker was out of work between Feb. 2, 2020 and March 28, 2020, he or she will receive $167 in unemployment benefits from the state of California, according to the EDD. In the next phase, which runs from March 29 to July 25, unemployed gig workers will receive $167 for each of those weeks, plus an additional $600 in PUA payments. For the final phase, which goes from July 26 to Dec. 26, they will go back to receiving only the $167 in PUA benefits if still needed. The state has recently updated the PUA web page to include eligibility criteria. Anyone who has lost work due to COVID-19 related complications is eligible, whether he or she been diagnosed, is acting as a caregiver, or has lost work due to complications. “There’s one and a half million that are self-employed, one and a half small businessmen and women, individuals
that have no other employees, and they’re also deserving of direct assistance,” said Governor Newsom in a recent press briefing, announcing the initiative. Su provided some specifics of the PUA program during the same press conference and in a letter addressed to all Californians on April 15. According to Su, the PUA program will have a fast turnaround so that benefits can be administered within 2448 hours. Also, benefit payments will be retroactive, going back to the first week of February, if the applicant can prove that his or her loss of work was due to COVID-19. She added that the extra $600 from the federal CARES Act will also be retroactive. To handle the increased hours and high amount of calls, the Unemployment Insurance branch has added 740 new EDD employees and 600 others across state government. Su said the state has taken other steps to make sure that people affected by the crisis receive their money without delay, including extending call center hours from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and adding phone lines. Also, Labor Secretary Su announced April 23 that EDD has temporarily suspended Unemployment Continued on page 7
Opinion: Coronavirus and Your Mental Health Dr. Lenore Tate | Special to California Black Media
What happened to living for the weekend? Where did hump day go? When will sports return? When will these kids return to school? Where can I buy toilet paper? When will life return to normal? When will I be able to return to work? These and so many other questions have been looming in our consciousness (minds) for more than six weeks. We all know that the Coronavirus has significantly impacted our lives. At the beginning of this pandemic, it was rumored that the Black community was not being impacted, but within weeks we witnessed many African Americans being diagnosed, treated and dying due in part to health disparities. Very simply, the lack of access to health care, some living without health insurance or being minimally insured, having diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and the impact of racism and cultural biases in medicine are just some of the factors that have
impacted our physical and mental health outcomes. Fears of transmitting the Coronavirus have most of us unable to escape the grim reminders of the deaths and infections that have touched African Americans. We know that as the virus increases, so does our anxiety. We begin to worry or become concern if we or one of our loved ones or friends will be infected. Most of us are unable to be tested and if we are tested, many of us are concerned about the slow turn around in obtaining results. Testing in underserved communities is slim to none right now. During these times, it is important to try to stay in the present and not think about the worst thing that could happen. Try to figure out exactly what and how you are feeling (e.g. scared, stressed, fearful, sad, helpless, or angry). Anxiety and feeling distressed is our body’s biological reaction to a threat and the Coronavirus is a real threat especially when we are not able to control our daily lives.
Some symptoms that you might pay attention to include: change in sleep pattern, overeating, over drinking, increasing drug use or unhealthy behaviors, feeling irritable, or wanting to just escape. For the most part, we are social animals and connecting with others helps us thrive.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”
Below is some common sense, easy to follow recommendations. 1. Maintain a schedule for the household with flexibility. 2. Stay up to date on all COVID-19 information. Listen to the doctors and scientists. Limit the amount of COVID-19 news you watch! 3. Focus on positive aspects of your life and things that you can control. 4. Seek social support from family members and/or friends and maintain social connections (e.g. Facetime, Zoom, Skype, Calls, making Tik Toks, etc.) 5. Engage in relaxation techniques and exercise. 6. Eat healthy. 7. Feeling overwhelmed, seek support from a mental health provider. In today’s world, you don’t even have to leave your home, Tele Psych is available. Telepsychology will allow you to access a licensed provider in the comfort of your home or other personal Continued on page 7
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Classified LEGAL NOTICES
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Insurance certifications for the weeks ending March 14 through May 9. EDD will issue regular unemployment payments during those weeks, and will not stop payment unless notified that the recipient has found new employment. Labor department call center staff members answered on the first ring when California Black Media made investigative calls twice this week after hearing reports that unemployment insurance support phone lines were down when applicants called on the first day seeking help. On April 14, Su held a Facebook Live discussion to update the public about unemployment benefits. She answered questions from concerned selfemployed workers who had received $0 UI determinations from the EDD and had trouble getting a representative on the phone. According to Su, a $0 determination means that there was no money paid into self-employment from a previous employer. She also said that self-employed workers who applied for UI would possibly have to apply again for PUA once it’s available. “Let me also acknowledge that there has been frustration and disappointment about how long things take, uncertainty about what it means when you can’t get the payments that you need right now,” she said. “I also just wanted to acknowledge that it is a difficult time and I know that it is very, very hard for people throughout California, throughout the country, and throughout the world.” Gov. Newsom also announced a $75 million Disaster Relief Fund for undocumented Californians who are ineligible for UI benefits and disaster benefits, including the federal stimulus check, due to their immigration status. According to Newsom, individuals can apply for a one-time cash benefit of $500 per adult capped at $1,000 per household beginning next month. Continued from page 6: Opinion...
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housing trailers to local governments that will complement the efforts of Project Roomkey. “California has taken the lead in protecting homeless residents from COVID-19,” said Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “This initiative sets a strong national example of how state leaders can leverage their dollars with FEMA, HUD and other federal funds to address the needs of the most vulnerable homeless populations.”
space. It is convenient, prevents missed appoints and may encourage those in our community concerned about the stigma of mental health to seek the help they need to “rise up” to life’s challenges facing us today. Lenore A. Tate, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Sacramento, California. She has previously worked as Principal Consultant to the California Assembly and Senate Health Committees as well as the Senate Office of Research. Dr. Tate has also served as a university professor in Texas, Arizona and California. She specializes in neuropsychology, geriatrics and behavioral health. For further information, see www.Lenoretate.com or email at: DRTATE20@gmail.com.
PRESS RELEASE City of Inglewood – Recognizes a great incentive program engaged in by the City’s Waste Haul provider, Consolidated Disposal Services/Republic Services to help local businesses, their employees and customers during the pandemic
SUBJECT: Waste Hauler – “Committed to Serve” INGLEWOOD, CA, April 27, 2020, Mayor, James T. Butts, Jr. is pleased to announce a community initiative launched by the City’s waste hauler, Consolidated Disposal Service/Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG). The “Committed to Serve” initiative is designed to help its employees, customers and communities across the United States during this time of crisis. The Company has committed $20 million to support frontline employees and their families, as well as small businesses that are the economic engines of local communities. The program will last for two months. Key elements are: 1) a weekly meal for all frontline employees, a weekly dinner for frontline employees and their families, and; 2) bi-weekly $100 gift cards to all frontline employees (totaling $400 per employee over 2 months). All meals will be purchased from local small businesses to help support the Company’s business customers and to generate local taxes for the community. Finally, Republic Services will donate $3 million to the Republic Services Charitable Foundation to fund our longterm nonprofit partners that operate locally and serve local communities and small businesses. To date, they have used several local Inglewood restaurants and will continue to do so in the future. “This initiative is targeted economic stimulus at the local level, designed to benefit small business customers as well as local employees, their employers and our region.”; says Mayor Butts. CDS/Republic Services has a stable, predictable and resilient business model, and through prudent planning and hard work they are wellpositioned to manage through this crisis. The City has a valuable partnership with this company and applauds their innovative efforts. The Company is taking enhanced measures to help ensure the well-being of its employees by closely following guidance from the CDC, and state and local public health agencies. The Company is also continuing to work closely with public health experts and other advisors and will continue to adhere to OSHA guidelines regarding the safe handling of waste and recycling. For more information, contact - Ms. Dawn Harris-Benton @ dharris@Republic Services.com or 310.628.2115.
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