C e l e b r a t i n g 2 6 Ye a r s o f Service in Inglewood, Airport area Communities
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EYE ON THE CITY Rams May 21-27 , 2020
Chargers
Clippers
Forum
“Welcome to Inglewood” See Page 3
VOL. 35, No. 21
By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
The ease of COVID-19 restrictions had barely been implemented, but the massive green sign was becoming much more clear now. “Welcome to Inglewood!” That sign stretching north and south along La Cienega Blvd. is an invitation to America and the world who will soon witness first hand the future model of how to build, grow, develop and sustain a urban city. Almost a decade ago the City of Inglewood was left for dead. According
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to the FBI interactive chart for violent crime rates and statistics, since James T. Butts Jr. was elected mayor in 2011, Inglewood crime rate has consistently dropped, and just a couple of years ago the city recorded a nearly 13 percent decline in 2017 at 12.93 percent. Rest assured there was not any discussion about professional sports, a city renaissance or as some have alleged without facts gentrification. Inglewood was a mere after thought, and in many instances not a good thought either.
The most prominent landmark for the City of Inglewood was essentially the Inglewood Cemetery and Mortuary. The iconic Forum only hosted memories of the great days of past. Butts was not your typical politician, in fact running for mayor in Inglewood was the farthest thing from his mind some nine years ago. At his core he is a very astute businessman and policeman. He spent 34 of his 45 years of public safety and municipal government experience as the Police Chief in Inglewood and Santa
Monica. It’s rather ironic that Butts became the mayor of Inglewood and not Santa Monica, but their loss was certainly Inglewood’s gain. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the fiscal mismanagement that had long been ignored by Santa Monica government officials forcing the coastal town to now be looking down the barrel of a $226-million shortfall by June of 2021. Continued on page 3
Student winners announced for West Basin art contest
West Basin Board of Directors Recognizes 15 Local Student Artists for Water-Smart Artwork IT News Wire
CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) announced today the winners of the 2020 Water is Life Student Art Contest. West Basin fosters student creativity and innovation throughout its service area by hosting the annual “Water is Life” art contest. Student artists inspire their communities to support water conservation as a way of life by creating thought-provoking water-smart pieces of art. “We commend all of the local students who participated in this year’s Water is
Life Student Art Contest and for their commitment to water conservation,” said West Basin Board President Gloria D. Gray. “We were impressed and inspired by the many creative submissions that we received from students this year.” Nearly 500 entries were received from students throughout the West Basin service area, with one grand prize winner and four honorable mentions being selected in each of the elementary, middle and high school categories. 2020 Grand Prize Winners Elementary School Grand Prize Winner:
Rhea Mitchell, 4th Grade, Bennett Kew Elementary School, Inglewood Middle School Grand Prize Winner: Susan Cho, 8th Grade, Chadwick School and Seoul Arts Academy, Palos Verdes High School Grand Prize Winner: Alycen Kim, 10th Grade, Palos Verdes High School and Seoul Arts Academy, Palos Verdes Honorable Mention Award Winners Genesis Benitez, 3rd Grade, 186th St. Elementary School, Gardena Evan Cheung, 3rd Grade, Playa Vista Elementary School, Los Angeles
Buppie is Back! See Page 6
Ashley Treger, 3rd Grade, Pennekamp Elementary School, Manhattan Beach Samiya Portugal, 5th Grade, Dapplegray Elementary School, Palos Verdes Skylar Urfrig, 7th Grade, Manhattan Beach Middle School, Manhattan Beach Ashley Villatoro, 7th Grade, Will Rogers Middle School, Lawndale Jolie Tsai, 7th Grade, Culver City Middle School, Culver City Cael Cross, 8th Grade, Beulah Payne STEAM Academy, Inglewood Continued on page 2
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May 21-27 , 2020
Early Data Shows “Encouraging” Census Response Rates in Hard-to-Count Cities Charlene Muhammad | California Black Media
Early data is showing cities in California with some of the hardest-tocount census tracts are among places with above-average U.S. Census response rates so far. Many of them are areas where African Americans live. Invitations to fill out the Census 2020 questionnaire started going out to Californians in mid-March. At the time, the deadline for completion was July 31. But because states across the country issued emergency shutdown orders about two months ago responding to the global coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has pushed the selfresponse deadline to October 31. Now, as California begins to phase in the reopening of offices, businesses and public spaces, census advocates are reminding people that even with the extension, it is still urgent that they submit their questionnaires as soon as possible. “The data coming in suggests that response rates are encouraging, but we can’t get comfortable,” said Walter Scott Hawkins, a senior research associate at NewHawk, a southern California-based data collection firm. “African Americans across the state have to push each other and make sure every person they know completes his or her form,” Hawkins said. “Until we have the actual numbers for those hardest-
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to-count places in the state, which can sometimes be as small as several blocks, we don’t have the full picture.” In California, 60.6% of all residents have submitted their 2020 Census forms. A total of 51.1% of that number completed their questionnaires on the internet. The state has a response rate of 59.5%. So far, among the top 13 counties in California with the highest African American populations, Contra Costa County has the highest response rate at 69.1%. Kern County has the lowest at 54.5%. Across the United States, approximately 79 million households have already responded to the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail. The estimated 55 million that haven’t should be receiving “don’t forget to respond” postcards soon. Hawkins, who spent 30 years in the California State University system, recently authored California Black Media’s Counting Black California: Counting the Hard to Count” study. The report identified areas in the state where African Americans are least likely to be counted by the 2020 Census. “Several cities with pretty good response rates are areas with large numbers of hard-to-count populations,“ said Hawkins. Among California’s cities with the highest numbers of African American residents, Elk Grove in Sacramento County has the highest response rate of 73.7%. The Black population in Elk Grove, one of the hardest-to-count areas in Sacramento County, is more than 11% — nearly two times the percentage of African Americans in the state. Other cities with sizable Black populations and above average response rates include: Carson (64.8%); Sacramento (63.3%); Riverside 62.7%; Oakland (61.8%); Rialto (60.7%); and Long Beach (59.3%). In the greater Los Angeles area, including parts of Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire, the number of Black residents is more than the number of African Americans in the rest of the state combined. The response rate in several Los Angeles area cities are slightly lower than the state’s total number. They include Victorville (59.3%); Fresno (59.1%); Bakersfield (58.8%); Stockton (57.7%); San Bernardino (54.7%); Compton (54.5%); Inglewood (54.3%); and Los Angeles (49.2%). For African-American communitybased organizations, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has thrown their outreach plans off track, many of them say. So, news that the Census Bureau has moved its deadline to later in the year was a gift they had been anticipating. “We know that working-class Black people in Oakland already face barriers to being counted in the Census. The extension of the Census deadline will give the Black community the opportunity to prioritize adjustments to their livelihood, while also giving us more time to complete the Census,”
said Laneisha Butler, field manager for Oakland Rising, a community-based civic engagement organization. Butler is optimistic the extension will enable her organization to find new ways to reach people where they are. Recently, the organization conducted tens of thousands of wellness checks via text that revealed the alarming amount of African Americans throughout Oakland and Alameda County who have lost their homes, jobs, and even loved ones as a result of the coronavirus crisis, according to Butler. “On top of this, many Black people lack access to adequate — proper medical attention and other resources to help them get through this quarantine,” she continued. According to the Census Bureau, some areas where census takers were originally going to hand deliver forms will now receive a reminder letter in the mail. The agency will drop off invitations for those who don’t receive mailed letters, until it’s safe enough to return to business as usual. Like other advocates working to ensure a robust Black count, part of Oakland Rising’s efforts include a new text banking program on top of its current phone banking program to be able to directly reach out to Hardto-Count communities, specifically
Black and other communities of color, according to Butler. “This is a new strategy we developed in order to be able to check-in on our neighbors who have been more than likely burdened by the impacts of COVID-19,” said Butler. In Inglewood, the California Black Women’s Health Project says the census extension brought great relief to them, too. Although it’s hard to make major adjustments with partners, said CEO Sonya Young Aadam. A couple of the organization’s partners were able to push forward because of their associations with food banks or other places where food is distributed, Aadam said. This gave the group an opportunity to distribute information by slipping them in care packages. According to Aadam, the California Black Women’s Health Project’s faithbased approach to the census targets Christian, Muslim, and elderly Black female communities. It also works with partners focused on improving the lives of marginalized youth. “Extending it just gives us time because right now our community is very much focused on something other than the census, and it’s going to take time before people start to think about things that are more civic engagementrelated,” continued Aadam.
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May 21-27 , 2020
E Y E O N T H E C I T Y AROUND THE CITY
GEORGE DOTSON
ALEX PADILLA
JAMES BUTTS
ELOY MORALES
RALPH FRANKLIN
“Welcome to Inglewood”
New Sign on La Cienega Boulevard
By Francis Taylor, Sr. Writer
The City of Inglewood has a new sign that rivals the world-famous Hollywood Sign, indicating to everyone who sees it, including the countless tourists who visit Randy’s Donuts, that they have arrived in the beautiful City of Inglewood. The nearly block long sign, prominently displayed on La Cienega Boulevard, between Manchester and Florence will be visible to air travelers as they approach the Los Angeles Airport as well as the thousands of anticipated patrons who will eventually visit the Rams and Chargers’ SoFi Stadium, the Clipper’s Arena and the fabulous Forum as they exit the 405 freeway heading southbound to Manchester Boulevard! The council continued business operations in their meeting that was available to citizens via telephone call-in only and they first conducted a public hearing to consider an ordinance amending the Inglewood Municipal Code to establish policies for Short Term Rentals.* The council authorized the payment of invoices from Cellebrite for mobile device data extraction and analytics services and from Leverage Information Systems for repair and maintenance of the Police Department’s camera equipment. These funds were sourced from the police department’s Asset Forfeiture Funds. The council approved the Fourth Amendment to CEQA Funding Agreement No. 18-055 with Murphy’s Bowl to include an additional $96,133.59 to cover costs of certain Legal activities and services (Phase II) provided by third party consultant at the
request and on behalf of the City with regard to the proposed development of a National Basketball Association Arena and associated facilities (Project) near the intersection of Prairie Avenue and Century Boulevard; necessary to provide certain environmental and legal services on behalf of the City as required and/or contemplated by the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement. The council approved the development and staffing of a Housing Protection Department with funding from the General Fund. To accommodate this new department, the council adopted a resolution amending the budget transferring funds in the amount of $1,180,717 to fund the transfer and hire of seven positions and supporting M&O costs. The council approved a California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) Lease Rider for PATH Eucalyptus located at 502-508 S. Eucalyptus Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90301. Documents: The council confirmed the appointment of two Inglewood Housing Authority (IHA) Section 8 tenant participants to the Housing Advisory Commission. Georgia Gist-Williams and Ramsey Jones were appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council to serve as commissioners. Each will receive $50 per day for attendance in no more than four meetings per month. The council approved an amendment to Agreement No. 18-150 with Sialic Contractors, Corporation dba Shawnan to increase the contract amount by an additional $332,300 for construction work performed on the Imperial Highway Improvement Project (P610).
Continued from page 1: Student...
Ava Frans, 9th Grade, Culver City High School, Culver City Isabella Gonzalez, 11th Grade, Saint Mary’s Academy, Inglewood Emily Zorn, 12th Grade, Redondo Union High School, Redondo Beach Leona Garber-Patel, 12th Grade, Hawthorne High School, Hawthorne Each winner is awarded a new Apple iPad, with Grand Prize winners additionally receiving a digital stylus pen and $25 Apple Store gift card. West Basin hosts the annual Water is Life contest to encourage third through 12th grade students to showcase their artistic creativity through the depiction
of responsible water use in their homes, schools, and communities. The contest is a collaborative water education program between West Basin and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan). Winning artwork from West Basin’s local contest will advance to Metropolitan’s regional competition and may be featured in the agency’s 2021 calendar. For more information about the Water is Life Student Art Contest and the full list of awardees and artwork, please visit www.westbasin.org/waterisl
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What Are Your Advance Healthcare Plans? Compassion & Choices is committed to helping people navigate their end-of-life options and make informed healthcare decisions. Having a plan in place gives everyone peace of mind. Visit CompassionAndChoices.org/planning for all of our FREE end-of-life planing tools and start having conversations about your end-of-life care today.
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May 21-27 , 2020
Sports & Entertainment What does UCLA historical AD hire really mean?
Martin Jarmond By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
It was a story that was buried beneath The Last Dance ESPN documentary series, the pending NFL season and NBA camps opening up for the Clippers among others. In the shadows of it all was the monumental hire of UCLA African American Athletic Director Martin Jarmond. After all he is the first athletic director of African American descent in the
101-year history of the school. This is the school that gave us Jackie Robinson, the man who broke Major League Baseball color barrier and its first Black football player in Kenny Washington, tennis pioneer the late Arthur Ashe hailed from the Westwood campus. Jarmond joins a list of D-1 athletic directors that includes Florida State’s Stan Wilcox, Virginia’s Carla Williams (the lone black woman), Maryland Damon Evans (interim) Michigan’s Warde Manuel, Ohio State’s Gene Smith, Arizona State’s Ray Anderson and California’s H. Michael Williams. “UCLA is an aspirational program in intercollegiate athletics,” Jarmond said in a statement. “Steeped in history and success, the tradition of legends and barrier-breakers who call themselves Bruins is unmatched. … I will work tirelessly to ensure our student-athletes, alumni and fans remain proud of UCLA Athletics.”
It is a really big deal, but if you examine the history of racial pioneers in the landscape of sports you are still left scratching your head as to what the long term impact was or will be. Since Jackie Robinson, baseball has abandoned Black players and instead has targeted Latin countries for its surplus of talent. We all thought that Serena and Venus Williams would attract young Black kids to the sports of tennis in droves but that just has not happened and today both the William sisters have more in common than there white contemporaries than a kid coming from Compton. Hell the City of Compton can’t even get them to return. Tiger Woods was surely the symbol we needed to integrate country clubs throughout the nation in golf? What has changed since Tiger in the sport of golf, except for the ratting when he plays? Michael Jordan owns the Charlotte Hornets, but how many coaches of color or general managers has he empowered to run his franchise? If an owner of a professional sports team cannot or will not do what LeBron James has done with his own career then what does it really mean? Jarmond, is just 39 years old, brilliant and an extremely capable fundraiser. He will be the highest-paid athletic
director at a public school in the Pac12 Conference after inking a six-year contract that will pay him $1.2 million in the first year and rises to $1.7 million in the final year. Jarmond was the youngest athletic director in the Power Five conferences and the first black athletic director in Boston College history. He has been successful along every stop that included Michigan State and Ohio State. However he will inherit an athletic department with a huge $18.9-million deficit for the 2019 fiscal year, requiring an interest-bearing loan from the university. That debt will increase when and if COVID-19 ever ends. It’s like the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, where he inherited a country on the brink of a recession. Obama got little credit bailing America out and producing the landmark Affordable Care Act, and nearly four years after he’s been gone the current president is blaming him for everything that goes wrong now. Jarmond is an outsider, the first AD without UCLA ties since 1919 and it remains to be seen if the powerful alumni will give him the same support Continued on page 7
Should the Chargers have signed Cam Newton?
Cam Newton By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
The Chargers will be the second tenant in the new home of SoFi Stadium that will open in September, but signing Cam Newton they could have made them the first team in Inglewood. Head coach Anthony Lynn told reporters that the team kicked the tires on Newton, but decided to take a pass
instead. If this non-decision had been made while the team was playing in Carson’s 30,000 seat soccer stadium perhaps it would have been a non story. However, the Chargers have an identity crisis that lingers back from their final days in San Diego and since they relocated to Southern California. Bottom line is the Rams are the signature team here and although both teams are very close in talent, they are light years apart in popularity. It was recently disclosed the Rams owners went to the NFL to borrow another $500 million to complete the construction on the new saucer that is now estimated to cost closer to $6 billion instead $5 billion. Rams tickets are going through the roof and the opening day with the Dallas Cowboys will be a sellout if fans are allowed to attend the game. In the meanwhile, the Chargers are not having success in selling their season seats, although there is no question the entertainment value of NFL will win out in the end it doesn’t help the fan base. This is a team that needs a jolt to go along with their bolt and if Cam Newton is healthy then he could have certainly provided that.
Of course that is the multi million dollar question. Is Cam Newton healthy? Has the once darling of the NFL taken one hit too many? The Chargers have undoubtedly said yes. So they whiffed on his 182 touchdowns, 4,806 yards rushing and 58 rushing touchdowns in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor and rookie Justin Herbert. “Absolutely, Cam is a tremendous quarterback,” Lynn recently told CBS Sports Radio. “He’s been MVP of this league, he’s led his team to the Super Bowl and he’s healthy now from what I hear. Cam is going to be on somebody’s roster and he’s going to help somebody win a few games, but yeah, we did take a look at that, sure.” Coach Lynn pointed to the confidence he has in Herbert the No. 6 overall which is why the Chargers to shy away from making a leap with Newton. Taylor was in a similar position in Cleveland, holding the ball until Baker Mayfield was ready. He’s always been steady, but not spectacular. Herbert is not expected to be rushed like Mayfield was in Cleveland, but he is an injury away from being the
starter of this football team and Taylor is capable of being injured just like he was in Cleveland. “I feel really good about the quarterback room that I have,” Lynn said. “With Tyrod Taylor, Easton Stick -- those are guys that a lot of people don’t talk about, but he was a Division I AA -- he won like three national championships. He’s a hell of a leader, hell of a professional and I think he has a bright future in this league one day.” All of that may be true, but if the Chargers flop in their first season in the new stadium and Newton emerges somewhere else and shines, this will be a decision that will haunt the team for years to come. This is a team that has to win out the gate and I don’t mean just games, but also fans. This is a team that needs a purpose connection to their new community. No one is sure that Newton was that player, but the Chargers damn sure need one and perhaps he’s already on the roster. There is no one on this current roster that resonates like Newton. Love him or hate him, he manages to gain your attention.
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May 21-27 , 2020
BUPPIE | BUSINESS The Lyon Queen Bigger and Better Business from Sigmas in Inglewood
Michelle Lyons Anthony George, Damon Haley and Earnie Sears
By Michelle Lyons, Columnist
My Name is Michelle Lyons also known as The Lyon Queen. I am writing this column weekly to illustrate, inspire and define Black Girl Magic. What is Black Girl Magic? Carlos Santana sang that it is more powerful than Gamma Rays. Literally, the energy in our bodies is the divine holy spirit that makes all things possible. Black Girl Magic is Magic but it’s not sorcery. Sorcery is casting spells presumed to be demonic; on the contrary, Black Girl Magic is the ability to break spells; Break generational curses that have plagued the black community for 400 years. Today, we are our ancestors wildest dreams. They had both physical and psychological limitations, our limitations are in our mind or by the people we choose to align with. Everyday I am encouraged by my sisters who I see awakening the Queen within. From Gymnastics to Politics to Singing and more, we are dominating proving that with God all things are possible. In my own life, I can testify The Glory of God. I have gone from being raised on Crenshaw and Adams to attending UC Berkeley at 16 years old to living in four international countries (Italy, Brazil, Barbados and London) to starting up my own Modeling School just outside of Beverly Hills at 34 years old. I have co-produced and sponsored over 40 fashion shows across this country and in Europe. I have mentored and trained thousands of young girls and young women on 5 different continents, and my greatest joy, outside of motherhood, has been redefining beauty and empowering women. That is Black Girl Magic. My next chapter is going into Politics. God is calling me to Go Bigger. To Much Is Given Much Is Required, and I want to show The World “If I can do it so can you”. God has only blessed me so that I can bless others. I will discuss my trials and tribulations in my next column because my life has not been easy, but it’s in my darkest hour that I saw the light. When society empowers women, women find their crowns and when women find their crowns they align with their Kings, and together they have princes (and princesses). This cycle, not only breaks generational curses, but it uplifts our community, which ultimately uplifts The Nation, which uplifts The World! The World is waiting on us to Return To The Throne - We Are Magic!
By Jon G. Mickens
Amidst the many establishments, personalities, characteristics and people in business on La Brea Avenue in Inglewood, there are four men that have one thing in common…Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. On any given day between 64th and Kelso Streets on La Brea, you can find these ‘Gentlemen of the Dove’ at work making life better for the citizens of Inglewood. We all know that on the corner of La Brea and Regent sits a cornerstone in our community - KJLH Radio Station. What we may not know is the many accomplishments of one of its key executives Ron Turner. Turner, a graduate of Gardena High School and USC, has been a long time radio executive in Los Angeles for over 30 years. At the heart of KJLH’s success and engagement within Greater Los Angeles is Turner’s undying drive to serve. In addition, you can find him and his longtime friend Congressman Steven Bradford (who is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Gardena HS and CSULB alumni), on the front lines of Los Angeles’ community initiatives. A few blocks south of Turner on Kelso is the Inglewood headquarters for People Helping People Agency headed up by Earnie Sears. In the 1980s, Sears was an All-CIF High School Basketball Player at Inglewood High School. After his Sentinel days, Sears was a four year letterman at Cal Berkeley. These days, Sears is spending his time not too far from where he grew up training and educating a new (and old) generation on the specifics and nuances
of financial services and how to reserve and grow one’s wealth. “When I was first introduced to the financial industry over 11 years ago, two thoughts popped into my head, one is that “Why haven’t I heard of this before?” and the second was, “When I open my own office, I’m going to open it in the area that I grew up in, INGLEWOOD!”. When you head a few blocks north of Sears on Centinela there is a
another Sigma Man…Damon Haley. A Los Angeles native, Haley spent his childhood playing at Darby Park and the old Getty Field. He is part owner of Glow + Flow Beauty Supplies (formerly Sol Beauty). “I have always had love for Inglewood. Being a sports marketing professional, I marvel at Mayor Butts’ ability to create deal flow, close deals and elevate the city. Good things are certain to follow and my Sigma brothers support him and the city”, says Haley. A few blocks north of Haley, is Life Style
Imports and co-owner Anthony George. George is a UCLA graduate who started off in Watts and later moved to the Baldwin Hills. George, who conducts business in Inglewood and has seen the city’s emergence and seeks to grow and expand with the city states “I’ve always known since I was a little child, that I wanted to own my business, work for myself and the community. That’s why my partner’s and I decided to open a Vehicle Dealer Business Center (AKA Life Style Imports) to help customers gain access to auctions, facilitate vehicle registration and passports, offer mailbox rentals and assist in the formation of S and C corps as well as LLCs”. It is refreshing to know that boys who grew up in and around the City of Inglewood are returning as men and business influencers to contribute to the city’s economic growth. Often times, our leaders that we develop and cultivate find themselves fleeing the city to bolster other communities and build wealth with others. More importantly, these gentlemen are leveraging education, talent and leadership to strengthen our city. In the spirit of one of Phi Beta Sigma’s National Programs ‘Bigger and Better Business’, these four Sigma Men will be attracting and generating more business to the City of Inglewood. “It seems natural that we not only align ourselves being in close proximity to one another but also to encourage more of our members at large and our sister organization Zeta Phi Beta to support Inglewood as well”, says Turner. “Inglewood has always been a forward thinking city. The leadership has done an excellent job of working with business owners, the community-at-large and being collaborative at every level of government. My business partners look forward to expanding to offer more to the people” says Haley. Phi Beta Sigma participates in numerous programs and projects centered around its ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service. For more information on Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity local activities and opportunities, visit https://www. pbschapter.org.
Inglewood’s Beauty Industry - On the Brink of Extinction? By Jon G. Mickens, Special to Inglewood Today
Entering 2020, the vibrance and future prosperity of Inglewood’s business growth was skyrocketing. A brand new stadium with the Rams and Chargers ready to move in, a flourishing event venue in The Forum Presented by Chase, discussions of billionaire Steve Balmer bringing his
NBA Clippers franchise to Inglewood and the consistent rise in business growth Inglewood achieves year in and year out driven by the leadership of the Honorable Mayor T. Butts Jr. When the smoke clears from COVID-19, there is no doubt these business will pivot and experience huge success. However, there is one sector of our business community that is still
“Life is messy but when we get through the mess we find out who we really are..”
in the balance of how or if it will ever bounce back from this devastating virus from a pandemic standpoint and business perspective. That sector is the Inglewood Beauty Industry. With over a combined 120 beauty salons, barbershops and nail shops in the City of Inglewood that have been closed for months, how do these businesses bounce back?
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Classified Continued from page 1: Inglewoood...
Santa Monica was considered one of the bright spots from the pandemic that is crippling cities large and small throughout the nation. In the meanwhile Inglewood has roughly $54 million in reserves and doesn’t anticipate furloughing or laying of any of its employees. In fact the City of Inglewood employees are among the most dedicated, skilled and deservingly compensated public servants in America. Inglewood is a predominantly minority city with 42 percent African Americans, Butts is one of just two local mayors of a city without a predominant African American population. The other is Compton’s Aja Brown. During a breakfast event honoring Butts in 2019, Kerman Maddox the managing partner of Dakota Communications stated that if any mayor should be running for president it should be Mayor James T. Butts Jr. Maddox was referring to the bonafide achievements that Butts has earned in the transformation of Inglewood. One of the first major deals he sealed was in 2011 negotiating with Madison Square Garden to renovate the Forum, years later the Forum leaped to become the top concert venue in California by 2016. In 2015 & 2016 he was named one of the 500 most influential leaders in LA County by the Los Angeles Business Journal, but clearly was only getting started. His big coup was sealing the deal for the return of the NFL to Southern California. You can barely count on one hand the number of failed stadium proposals designed to lure the NFL back to Southern California that were buried by the time Butts had pulled off the unthinkable. Not only did get bring the Rams back home to the Southland, but the Chargers will also play home games in Inglewood this fall. He began negotiations with the Clippers in 2017 and after a long and contentious battle the deal for the Clippers to build a stadium in Inglewood is moving forward and the team is
LEGAL NOTICES
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”
expected the begin play in Inglewood by 2024. Butts may have been at his absolute best during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) where he demonstrated a steeled calm demeanor, following the data from scientist and health experts and deliberately declaring a state of emergency for the city when it was absolutely necessary. His polished leadership brings to mind another African American mayor who hailed from a police department. The late Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley is still a standard by which all mayors, black and white are measured. Bradley’s legacy is engraved everywhere, from LAX, to schools and artifacts. Butts is on his way to leaving a legacy that cannot be duplicated by any mayor. That mark can be traced to Inglewood, that South Bay City that has been brought from the abyss to a shinning city on a hill.
Continued from page 5: What does...
it did his predecessors. I personally never imagined that UCLA would ever hire a Black in a prominent role in its athletic department regardless of qualifications. It should have hired Earl Watson to pilot the basketball team, but didn’t. In 2003 UCLA did hire Karl Dorrell to be its football coach, but by 2007 after a mediocre 35-27 record he was gone. Current football coach Chip Kelly has gone 7-17 since 2018 and is making a fortune and there isn’t even speculation of firing him. He’s white. Jarmond will be mostly measured by how much money he can raise.
PRESS RELEASE
The signature basketball program has already been accepted as a muddling conference survivor instead of a national championship contender. Crosstown rival USC has dwarfed the Bruins in basketball recruiting of national talent and most specifically cleaning up in their own backyard. Love the hire, but don’t have any grandiose expectations of Jarmond making bold African American hires, qualified or not. It has not happened before him and I am not holding my breath that it will occur because of him.
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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May 21-27 , 2020