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December 31- January 6, 2020 VOL. 35, No. 53

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“2020 blurred by COVID” See Page 5

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December 31- January 6, 2020

Gov. Newsom Appoints Sec. Padilla to Replace Sen. Harris

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to be California’s next United Despite intense pressure from Black States Senator, replacing Sen. Kamala women political groups across the state, Harris. Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Padilla will complete Vice President-

CA-13) and Karen Bass (D-CA-37), both Black women. They argued that if the governor appointed either Lee or Bass, he would be continuing the representation of Black women across

first Latino Secretary of State on Jan. 5, 2015. He was re-elected in 2018 and received the most votes of any Latino elected official in the United States. “I am honored and humbled by

elect Harris’s term, which began in 2017 ends in 2023. He will be the first Latino to serve as United States Senator representing California. “The son of Mexican immigrants -- a cook and house cleaner -- Alex Padilla worked his way from humble beginnings to the halls of MIT, the Los Angeles City Council and the State Senate, and has become a national defender of voting rights as California’s Secretary of State. Now, he will serve in the halls of our nation’s Capitol as California’s next United States Senator, the first Latino to hold this office,” Gov. Newsom said. For weeks after the presidential election, various Black women leaders, civic and political operatives have been pushing for the governor to appoint an African American woman to replace Harris. With a campaign titled “Keep the Seat,” they have been organizing rallies, social media drives and news conferences across California – and around the country -- to inform the public, pressure the governor and gain public support for their effort. The California Democratic Party Black Caucus (CDP Black Caucus), Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), the California Black Legislative Caucus (CLBC), and Black political leaders across the country expressed their support for filling the seat with a Black woman. The top candidates the groups recommended to replace Harris were Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-

America in the highest law-making body in the country. Reacting to the governor’s decision, the Women’s Foundation of California expressed its disappointment. “We wanted to see a Black woman continue to represent our state in the Senate,” the organization’s statement read. “We are disappointed, but we are not defeated,” the Women’s Foundation of California statement continued. “We will continue to invest in, train, and connect Black, brown, and indigenous woman, because we know that’s what is needed. We will advance feminist policy that furthers racial, economic, and gender justice, because we know that is what we deserve.” After the governor’s announcement, Lee immediately sent well wishes to Padilla and praised the governor’s decision. “I congratulate Secretary of State Alex Padilla on his historic appointment to fill Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris’s seat in the United States Senate. Secretary Padilla has a track record as a skilled legislator and a steadfast advocate for justice, and I believe he will be a powerful voice in the Senate for those who continue to be denied our country’s promise of equality,” Lee said in a written statement. Padilla, who previously served as a Los Angeles City Councilman and State Senator, has been a national leader in the fight to expand voting rights. Padilla was sworn in as California’s

the trust placed in me by Governor Newsom, and I intend to work each and every day to honor that trust and deliver for all Californians,” said Secretary of State Padilla. “From those struggling to make ends meet to the small businesses fighting to keep their doors open to the health care workers looking for relief, please know that I am going to the Senate to fight for you. We will get through this pandemic together and rebuild our economy in a way that doesn’t leave working families behind.” Hours after Gov. Newsom appointed Padilla, he made another major announcement. He nominated Assemblymember Dr. Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego), who currently serves as chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, to serve as California’s next Secretary of State. “Dr. Weber is a tireless advocate and change agent with unimpeachable integrity. The daughter of sharecroppers from Arkansas, Dr. Weber’s father didn’t get to vote until his 30s and her grandfather never got to vote because he died before the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. When her family moved to South Central Los Angeles, she saw as a child her parents rearrange furniture in their living room to serve as a local polling site for multiple elections. Now, she’ll be at the helm of California’s elections as the next Secretary of State – defending and expanding the right to vote and serving as the first African American to be California’s Chief Elections Officer,” the governor said.

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

PRESIDENT/ EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Willie Brown PUBLISHER Kenneth Miller VICE PRESIDENT Gloria Kennedy PRODUCTION Kenneth Denson QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER Gloria Kennedy Inglewood Today Weekly is a legally adjudicated newspaper of public circ ulation, published weekly by Ads Up Advertising, Inc. News and press releases may be submitted for consideration by mail to 9111 La Cienega Boulevard, Suite 100, Inglewood, CA 90301 or by email to itnetworks@msn.com.

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December 31- January 6, 2020

EYE ON THE CITY

AROUND THE CITY

2020 is Over, Thank Goodness! Inglewood Has Much to Boast About GEORGE DOTSON

ALEX PADILLA

JAMES BUTTS

By Francis Taylor, Senior Correspondent

ELOY MORALES

RALPH FRANKLIN

the diamond in the South bay. In one of the final city council 2020 will undoubtedly go down meetings of 2020, as the council in history as one of the most tragic, members adhered to rigid social devastating and memorable years in distancing seating and said farewell

Giveaway, the Norm’s restaurant reopening, Snoop Dogg’s Annual Turkey Giveaway and Member Padilla’s annual Toy and Food Giveaway, to name only few of the city’s 2020 events.

to outgoing Council Member Ralph Franklin and City Clerk Yvonne Horton, the mayor introduced a City of Inglewood 2020 in Review Video that provided a comprehensive overview

Despite a worldwide pandemic during most of 2020 the City of Inglewood managed to post accomplishments that position our city as one of the most enviable one’s in Southern California.

of the city’s progress during one of the most difficult years in our region’s and our nation’s history. The broadcast quality video depicted the MLK Parade, the Ed Vincent Park Clean-up, the city’s food give-away program, the Debit Card Relief Program, the Rental Relief Program, the opening of SoFi Stadium, the progress of the new Clippers’ Arena, the Market Street Corridor Development, the Grace Park Homes Development, the Wondalunch Program, the One-For-All Backpack

2020 was filled with many political upsets, the most important of which was the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The local political landscape was also changed with upset victories for Holly Mitchell to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and George Gascon to the position of City of Los Angeles District Attorney, while the death of George Floyd, at the knee of a Minneapolis Police officer, rekindled and energized the Black Lives

United States’ history, largely due to the lethal effects of COVID-19 that, by years’ end will likely have claimed the lives of over 325,000 Americans. It will also mark the end of the presidency of

Donald Trump, who will once again, undoubtedly, go down in history as one of the most divisive, destructive and worst presidents in our lifetime, if not in history. 2020 will also be recorded in the City of Inglewood’s historical record as the most reconstructive in the city’s history. Under the leadership of Mayor James T. Butts and a synchronized city Council, the city has ushered in changes, economic development and landmark structures that re-position Inglewood as

Matter Movement, domestically and internationally. While it is customary to remember the lives of those we lost during the year, particularly those in the public eye, 2020 has ushered in not only the loss of public figures whose names we all recognize, like Kobe Bryant and Little Richard for example, but also the lives of the hundreds of thousands of lives who may have been saved if we had a federal response by a responsible president that set the tone for how to manage a deadly pandemic. Philonise Floyd speaks at a memorial service for his brother George on June 4. He said George had “touched many hearts” and that the audience in Minneapolis was a testament of that. “Everybody wants justice, we want justice for George,” Philonise said. “He’s going to get it.” Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, was fired from the department and eventually charged with second-degree murder. (Julio Cortez/AP) Donald Trump who as of this writing has failed to acknowledge defeat for the office of the president will be remember for those who revile him and those who seem to worship him. Our current president obstructed special counsels’ investigations of his wrongdoing, pushed foreign officials to dig up dirt on political rivals, fired inspectors general who find corruption, ordered the entire executive branch to refuse congressional subpoenas, flooded the Internet with fake information about his opponents, refused to release his tax returns, accused the press of being “fake media” and “enemies of the people”, and continues to make money off his presidency. Almost half of the electorate voted for his reelection and he was soundly defeated but he continues to lie about the results of the election without a shred of evidence – and yet, according to polls, be believed by the vast majority of those who voted for him. But Congress – a co-equal branch of government under the Constitution – cannot rein in rogue presidents. And the courts don’t want to weigh in on political questions. The appalling reality is that Trump may get away with it. And in getting away with it he will, curing his presidency and in 2020 in particular, have changed and degraded the norms governing American presidents. Nothing will correct this unless or until an overwhelming majority of Americans recognize and condemn what has occurred. Thank goodness 2020 is almost over.

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December 31- January 6, 2020

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

It’s so hard to say Goodbye Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther. He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.” JANUARY Nick Gordon, 30. He was found liable in the death of his ex-partner, Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Jan. 1. Heroin overdose. Jimmy Heath, 93. A Grammynominated jazz saxophonist and composer who performed with such greats as Miles Davis and John Coltrane before forming the popular family group the Heath Brothers in middle age. Jan. 19.

Kobe Bryant-Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26 in Calabasas, California, alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others. He was 41. The aircraft was en route to the former Los Angeles Lakers player’s Mamba Academy for a basketball practice near Thousand Oaks. Chadwick Boseman- Chadwick Boseman, 43. He played Black American icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown with searing intensity before inspiring audiences worldwide as the regal Black Panther in Marvel’s FEBRUARY blockbuster movie franchise. Aug. 28. Daniel arap Moi, 95. A former Cancer. schoolteacher who became Kenya’s longest-serving president and presided over years of repression and economic turmoil fueled by runaway corruption. Feb. 4. Barbara “B.” Smith, 70. She was one of the nation’s top Black models who went on to open restaurants, launch a successful home products line and write cookbooks. Feb. 22. Katherine Johnson, 101. A mathematician who calculated rocket trajectories and Earth orbits for NASA’s early space missions and was later portrayed in the 2016 hit film “Hidden Figures,” about pioneering Black female aerospace workers. Feb. 24. MARCH Rev. Darius L. Swann, 95. His challenge to the notion of segregated public schools helped spark the use of busing to integrate schools across the country. March 8. Fred “Curly” Neal, 77. The dribbling wizard who entertained millions with the Harlem Globetrotters for parts of three decades. March 26. Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, 98. A veteran civil rights leader who helped the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. found the Southern Christian Leadership “Chadwick was diagnosed with stage Conference and fought against racial III colon cancer in 2016 and battled with discrimination. March 27. it these last four years as it progressed APRIL to stage IV. A true fighter, Chadwick Ellis Marsalis Jr., 85. The jazz pianist, persevered through it all, and brought teacher and patriarch of a New Orleans you many of the films you have come musical clan. April 1. Coronavirus. to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Earl Graves Sr., 85. He championed Bloods, August Wilson‘s Ma Rainey’s

Black businesses as the founder of the first African American-owned magazine focusing on black entrepreneurs. April 6. MAY Bobby Lee Verdugo, 69. One of the leaders of the 1968 East Los Angeles high school walkout to protest discrimination and dropout rates among Mexican American students, which triggered a movement across the American Southwest. May 1. Little Richard, 87. He was one of the chief architects of rock ‘n’ roll whose piercing wail, pounding piano and towering pompadour irrevocably altered popular music while introducing Black R&B to white America. May 9. Bone cancer. Betty Wright, 66. The Grammywinning soul singer and songwriter whose influential 1970s hits included “Clean Up Woman” and “Where is the Love.” May 10. JUNE Wes Unseld, 74. The workmanlike Hall of Fame center who led Washington to its only NBA championship and was chosen one of the 50 greatest players in league history. June 2. Bonnie Pointer, 69. She convinced three of her church-singing siblings to form the Pointer Sisters, which would become one of the biggest acts of the 1970s and ‘80s. June 8. Cardiac arrest. JULY Naya Rivera, 33. A singer and actor who played a gay cheerleader on the hit TV musical comedy “Glee.” July 8. Drowning. John Lewis, 80. An icon of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress. July 17. Rev. C.T. Vivian, 95. An early and key adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who organized pivotal civil rights campaigns and spent decades advocating for justice and equality. July 17. Herman Cain, 74. A former Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of a major pizza chain who went on to become an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump. July 30. Coronavirus. AUGUST John Thompson, 78. The imposing Hall of Famer who turned Georgetown into a “Hoya Paranoia” powerhouse and became the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship. Aug. 30. SEPTEMBER Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87. The U.S. Supreme Court justice developed a

cultlike following over her more than 27 years on the bench, especially among young women who appreciated her lifelong, fierce defense of women’s rights. Sept. 18. Gale Sayers, 77. The dazzling and elusive running back who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite the briefest of careers and whose fame extended far beyond the field for decades thanks to a friendship with a dying Chicago Bears teammate. Sept. 23. OCTOBER Bob Gibson, 84. A baseball Hall of Famer and the dominating St. Louis Cardinals pitcher who won a record seven consecutive World Series starts and set a modern standard for excellence when he finished the 1968 season with a 1.12 ERA. Oct. 2. Joe Morgan, 77. The Hall of Fame second baseman became the sparkplug of dominant Cincinnati teams in the mid-1970s and was a two-time National League Most Valuable Player. Oct. 11. Sean Connery, 90. The charismatic Scottish actor who rose to international superstardom as the suave secret agent James Bond and then abandoned the role to carve out an Oscar-winning career in other rugged roles. Oct. 31. NOVEMBER Alex Trebek, 80. He presided over the beloved quiz show “Jeopardy!” for more than 30 years with dapper charm and a touch of schoolmaster strictness. Nov. 8. Paul Hornung, 84. The dazzling “Golden Boy” of the Green Bay Packers whose singular ability to generate points as a runner, receiver, quarterback and kicker helped turn the team into an NFL dynasty. Nov. 13. Diego Maradona, 60. The Argentine soccer great who scored the “Hand of God” goal in 1986 and led his country to that year’s World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. Nov. 25. DECEMBER Rafer Johnson, 86. He won the decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics and helped subdue Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin in 1968. Dec. 2. Tommy “Tiny” Lister, 62. A former professional wrestler who was known for his bullying Deebo character in the “Friday” films. Dec. 10. Charley Pride, 86. He was one of country music’s first Black superstars whose rich baritone on such hits as “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” helped sell millions of records and made him the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Dec. 12. Coronavirus.

December 31- January 6, 2020

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Sports & Entertainment 2020 blurred by COVID cloud and death of Kobe Bryant

By Kenneth Miller, Publisher

Good riddance to the year 2020! It was a nightmare of gigantic proportions, anchored by a long and enduring painful pandemic on the heels of losing our favorite son. A mere week before Patrick Mahomes II took the sports world by storm leading the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title in 50 years beating the San Francisco 49ers 3120 in Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2, we lost Kobe Bryant on Jan. 28 in a tragic helicopter crash. As surreal as the death of Bryant was to begin with the news got increasingly worse when we learned that his prodigy daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others had also perished on the rugged Calabasas hillside. Not in our wildest dreams could we have imagined that 2020 would get worse than that, but disgustingly it sure did. Almost simultaneously when COVID-19 seeped upon our shores during a time when America elected its most incompetent president and even more callous administration that legislated the division, hatred and racism he coveted. The poison pill served by Donald J. Trump drove this nation off a pandemic cliff in bungling the crisis of our lifetime and forcing local governments to compete against each other, overbid for essential medical supplies, crippling their budgets and ravishing the economy. Meanwhile the sports world wrestled with the prospects of not finishing or starting their seasons. Locally, high school basketball championships had to be scrapped, NCAA March Madness vanished, Major League Baseball was reduced to a quarter of its season, the NBA restarted in isolation in Orlando and the anticipated big splash of SoFi Stadium grand opening was diminished to human cutouts posing as fans while the Rams and Chargers played. Money and television were the driving pillars for pro sports, but as COVID casualties mounted, schools

LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers to their 17th NBA title defeating the surprising Miami Heat 4 games to 2 in the first virtual sports championship ever, but it would only provide us with how we envision sports and entertainment for now and perhaps beyond. The Dodgers joined the Lakers as world champions, giving the city of angels with their first title in 32 years and returning some of the spark and sizzle to Los Angeles. The NFL is surviving a COVID season of their own, but there are no illusions of grandeur for Rams and Chargers fans. Both teams disappointed, but it might be safe to say the Rams were the more disappointing of the teams. Expectations for the Rams and all world defensive stars Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey were elevated when the team continued to extend Robert Woods and cut checks befitting of a Super Bowl team. However, the Rams lost at home to the then winless Jets, got pummeled a week later by division foe Seattle and while a sure bet to make the postseason it doesnâ€™t appear that golden boy Jared Geoff will be healthy. On the other hand, the Chargers should thank their lucky stars for empty stadiums. Head coach Anthony Lynn would have been fired in a normal year, but he was extended earlier this year making it unlikely that he would be canned. Itâ€™s not that Lynn is a bad football coach, quite the contrary, but what he lacks is the moxie this team and town require. There have been too many mental lapses on the defensive side of the ball late in games, poor in game judgment calls. He lost me when he was determined to retain Tyrod Taylor as the starting quarterback after his mysterious lung puncture. Taylor was only taking first team reps until rookie first round pick Justin Herbert was ready. Herbert has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,034 yards and thrown for 28 touchdowns against just stayed shut, fall prep football shelved, 10 interceptions. Any questions? basketball and other spring sports pushed to perhaps late spring or summer if at all.

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December 31- January 6, 2020

BUPPIE | BUSINESS

State Selects Black LA Firm to Disburse $500 Million in COVID Relief Grants

Tanu Henry | California Black Media

The State of California announced that it has selected a Black-led-andoperated financial firm in Los Angeles to act as the intermediary charged with disbursing $500 million in COVID-19 grants to California small businesses and non-profits. The California Office of The Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), which operates under the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), says small businesses and non-profit organizations across California that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can begin submitting applications for relief grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. The application process begins now and runs through Jan. 8, 2021. The governor and the Legislature first announced the program Nov. 30. The funding to the organizations will be administered through Lendistry, a Black-led-and-operated financial firm based in Los Angeles. Lendistry is designated both a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and a Community Development Entity (CDE) small business and commercial real estate lender. “As an organization dedicated to efficiently providing capital to underserved small businesses, and with a deeply experienced senior management team that mirrors the diversity of our home state of California, Lendistry is proud to partner with the CalOSBA in this bold and critical effort,” said Everett K. Sands, Lendistry’s founder and CEO. Sands, who has broad experience in small business and commercial lending, says since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lendistry has assisted over 19,000 small businesses in a dozen states. The organization has also deployed nearly a half-billion dollars in capital.

“We are bringing the full force of our technology, expertise and relationships with partner CDFIs and community organizations to bear on CalOSBA’s landmark commitment to California’s small businesses,” he said. CalOSBA says it will announce a second window for accepting applications to ensure the process is inclusive for disadvantaged minority firms. “Small businesses form the economic heart of every community. Inclusive, equitable relief is fundamental to the small business support developed by this

administration,” said Isabel Guzman, CalOSBA Director. “This grant program provides that support through a network of Community Development Financial Institutions and Community Based Organizations ensuring reach to those highly impacted small businesses in disadvantaged communities, underserved small business groups, and industries disproportionately impacted by this pandemic.” The criteria for selecting beneficiaries will include industry sectors most impacted by the pandemic; small businesses and organizations that are

“mission lenders” or are operated by -- or that direct their services to -underserved groups, including women, minorities, rural populations, among others; and organizations located in areas affected by the governor’s COVID-19 health and safety restrictions first issued in March and the his more recent regional stay-at-home orders. For more information on the grant requirements and eligibility, or to apply, please visit careliefgrant.com.

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December 31- January 6, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020208259 The Following Person Is Doing Business As:

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020207341 The Following Person Is Doing Business As:

Mama Method 6035 6th Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90043

Pretty Petty Parties 10241 S. Van Ness Avenue Inglewood, CA 90303

Registered Owner: Kara Marotta, 6035 6th Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90043

Registered Owner: Alicia Ramsey, 10241 S. Van Ness Avenue, Inglewood CA 90303

This business is conducted by a company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business listed above on December 7, 2020

This business is conducted by a company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business listed above on December 4, 2020

I (We) declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) Kara Marotta, Owner

I (We) declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) Alicia Ramsey, Owner

This statement was filed with the County Clerk on December 7, 2020.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk on December 4, 2020.

NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration.

The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State or common law (See Section 14411 et.seq., Business and Professions Code.)

Original Dec 31, 2020; Jan 7, 14, 21, 2021 IT0042230120020150 Inglewood Today

Original Dec 31, 2020; Jan 7, 14, 21, 2021 IT0042230120020149 Inglewood Today

ENGLISH Inglewood Unified School District ANNOUNCEMENT OF BOARD MEMBER VACANCY – TRUSTEE AREAS 1 and 5 The County Administrator is accepting applications for interested and qualified persons who wish to be considered for vacancies on the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education. The deadline to submit an application is 4:00 p.m., January 8, 2021. To access the application and criteria for eligibility, please visit the District website at www.inglewoodusd. com, click on the Board tab and select Board Vacancy Information.

SPANISH Distrito Escolar Unificado de Inglewood ANUNCIO DE VACANCIAS EN LA JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN - ÁREAS DE FIDEICOMISO 1 y 5 La Administradora del Condado está aceptando solicitudes para personas interesadas y calificadas que deseen ser consideradas para las vacancias en la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Inglewood. La fecha límite para enviar una solicitud es el 8 de enero de 2021 a las 4:00 pm. Para acceso a la solicitud y los requisitos de elegibilidad, visite el sitio web del Distrito: www.inglewoodusd.com, haga clic en la sección Board y seleccione Board Vacancy Information.

Reconciling Back to Church During A Pandemic By Michelle Lyons, IT Contributor

Many Christians have compared 2020 to Armageddon. As crazy as this year has been, it has not been the end of the World. Just perhaps “the end of the World as we know it” to quote The Beatles, but definitely not Armageddon. Nevertheless, thousands of people this year have reconciled back to Church or joined church for the first time. “Covid-19 has drastically increased our membership because we are living in uncertain times during a global pandemic that has killed over 300,000 Americans. A lot of people are anxious and afraid. Nothing gets rid of fear and anxiety like enhancing your spiritual life,” says Sherlett Newbill. Sherlett Newbill is the Family Group Bible Study Leader for LA International Church of Christ (LAICC). LA International Church of Christ (LAICC) is a branch of the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) and has been servicing LA County virtually for years. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic online services have been their only option.

Presently International Churches of Christ (ICOC) has over 620 churches worldwide, and 8 regional churches in LA County. Every Sunday morning, each region has a virtual service on YouTube. Afterwards, members fellowship for an hour on Zoom. Zoom is a new feature that the church has been using extensively since quarantine began. The church uses Zoom for: fellowship, Sunday services, midweek services, and bible studies. “Zoom has made everything more convenient. I have been able to host up to 8 bible studies a week. I could never do this if I were driving around in LA Traffic,” said Newbill. Before COVID-19, Newbill use to drive to bible studies and church gatherings once or twice a week max. She is a mom of two young children, and she has a husband so time would not permit her to overextend herself. “But now, I don’t know if I will ever go back to bible studies in person because I can spread the gospel around the World virtually. This allows me to evangelize with more people from the comfort of my kitchen table and spend

more time with my family. To God be the Glory,” said Newbill. Newbill has been with LAICC for twenty-five years. She started when she was a student at CAL State Long

Beach getting her master’s degree in Psychology. Lake Papelera has been a member of the LAICC for 13 years. She said, “Covid-19 Quarantine is nothing I can personally complain about either. I feel like the World needed a reset. Time to pray and focus on the things that really matter.” Papelera is a Wisconsin native and prefers the slower lifestyle that quarantine has provided over the hustleand-bustle of Los Angeles. “Coming from the Midwest, Los Angeles has

always seemed hectic to me. But now traffic is light, I work in my pajamas, and I have time to relax and meditate. This is something I needed,” said Papelera. Papelera and Newbill met many years ago, both were students at Cal State Long Beach where they oversaw the singles ministry. Now, both ladies are married. Presently, Papelera assists Newbill with those studying the bible. Papelera’s advice to newcomers is to read a proverb a day. “The book of Proverbs has 30 books, that’s one chapter a day. My Campus Pastor Steve Stevenson use to say a proverb a day keeps folly away,” says Papelera. Both ladies have been extra busy with the Church during Covid-19 because many people are reconciling back to Church. Thanks to Zoom they can host disciplines or anyone wanting to join the church worldwide. For anyone looking to join a church, you can reach out to The Westside Church of the LA International Church of Christ at www.thewestsidechurch. com or https://www.laicc.net for a service near you.

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December 31- January 6, 2020