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VC FAIR From page 1A There are still opportunities to purchase your very own beautifully inscribed brick to support the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Personalized bricks make ideal birthday and anniversary gifts, commendations and remembrances of loved ones. Corporations and organizations can inscribe their name to show public support for the Fairgrounds while promoting their business. “These beautiful personalized bricks are selling fast,” said Armando Lopez, President of the Ventura County Fairgrounds Foundation, “We are happy to offer this opportunity. Order today and be remembered in the Ventura County Fairgrounds Main Entry Plaza forever.” Letters are sand blasted in black for durability and beauty. For generations to come thousands of visitors to the Ventura County Fairgrounds will enjoy the uniqueness and beauty of the Main Entry Plaza. Each engraved brick will be carefully placed in the Main Entry Plaza as part of the main entrance to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Each brick can have up to four lines of script with 15 characters per line. Spaces and punctuation are counted as a character. Each brick measures 8” x 8” and is available for $250 to individuals and families and $1,000 to corporations and businesses. To order an engraved paving stone please call (805) 648-3376 or visit www.venturacountyfair.org. PROSECUTIONS From page 1A even see the day. The Department of Justice is failing to protect the civil rights of Black Americans and to timely and effectively address the crisis of structural racism and police violence targeting our communities. “Before leaving office, Attorney General Eric Holder spoke to this problem, arguing the need for a lower standard of proof for civil rights crimes. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has the power and responsibility to establish a broader standard for what defines a “deprivation of rights under color of law,” the provision that most commonly applies to police killings. We cannot afford to wait for her leadership on this critical matter. The lack of sufficient prosecutions and accountability for abusive and discriminatory police has had an unconscionable human toll.” With more than 1 million members, ColorOfChange is the nation’s largest civil rights group NYHOFF From page 1A assignment with Princess Cruises. Joseph brings extensive experience in effective strategic planning, budgeting, financial management, and enhancing organizational efficiency and effectiveness through streamlining and improving processes, evaluating departmental policies and procedures, and implementing technology solutions. Joseph currently serves as Chapter Chair for the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO), and is an active member of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and California Municipal Treasurers Association (CMTA). Contributing to Joseph’s strong leadership and organizational management style is a broad educational background. He holds a master’s degree from California State University, Northridge majoring in public administration, and a bachelor’s degree from the California State University Los Angeles majoring in Business Administration/ Accounting. Please join me in welcoming Joseph P. Lillio to the Oxnard community. SORRY From page 1A in calling for sentencing reform. A new coalition, The Coalition for Public Safety, has been launched with support from everyone from the ACLU and George Soros to FreedomWorks and the Koch brothers. Senators from both parties have rushed to introduce bills to revise federal sentencing guidelines for nonviolent offenders. The president recently commuted the sentences of 46 men and women convicted under those guidelines. More than 2 million people are still held in prisons and jails. The United States has 5 percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of its prison inmates. Millions of lives have been destroyed by harsh sentencing for what the president recognized were the “normal mistakes” that teenagers make. Of the 2.3 million people in U.S. prisons, 93 percent are men. About two out of three are people of color. The majority is being held for nonviolent crimes (drugs, property theft and “public order” offenses). Sensible sentences would be a good first step but hardly sufficient. These destructive policies, now admitted to be wrongheaded, have devastated Black and Latino communities, with millions of lives ruined. If you
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careen recklessly off the road and smash into someone’s living room, sorry isn’t sufficient. At the very least, you will be responsible for repairing the damage done. We need fundamental reform of our criminal justice system from racial profiling to mandatory sentences. But we also have to redress the damage done to families and communities. Commuting sentences is a start, but we need new programs to rehabilitate those who are sick or addicted. We need investment and jobs so that those who made stupid mistakes can find decent work. When Reagan and Clinton led a bipartisan push to lock more people up, they provided some of the money needed for new prisons, more cops and more equipment. The bipartisan push to rectify the wrongheaded policies should provide the money needed to correct the damage, and to insure that kids who make mistakes receive a new start, not a life in ruins. After Baltimore, the reform movement has gained momentum. But apologies and sentencing changes aren’t enough. It’s not enough to save money on prisons the young don’t need; we’ve got to invest in the schools, training and jobs that they desperately need. CLERGY From page 1A 8:00 a.m., Women’s Session 12:00 p.m. Noon Speaker 1:30 p.m., Women’s Luncheon at Courtyard Marriot, 600 Esplanade Dr., Oxnard 6:00 p.m., Registration 6:30 p.m., Service: Speaker, National Baptist Convention USA, President Jerry Young ADVERSITY From page 2A One of the greatest skills I think everyone should have is the skill or rather the boldness to confront “ourselves.” Adversity, storms, problems force us to ask ourselves the hard questions during difficult times you cannot rationalize or explaining circumstances away you have to deal with them if you expect to get out of the situation. My advice would be when you’re at that moment of vulnerability, don’t get too caught up with how you got there. Our mind is very powerful if you ask it a question it will always give you an answer even if the answer works against you. If you say why am I so stupid? Or why am I so fat? Why am I so slow? Your mind will give you 100 answers why. If you asked why am I in this situation? Your mind will give you 100 answers why and none of them will serve you any good while you’re in the storm. Asked the right questions, questions like what role must I take to get out of this situation in the shortest time possible? Or what options do I have to help me get out of this situation? Or what’s the wisest decision I can make that will help me get out of this situation rapidly? When you ask these, questions your mind is program to give you the answer. Your life will unfold oftentimes based on your ability to ask yourself the right questions especially during your most challenging times. Hear Pastor Lonnie this Sunday 10AM live at the Miracle Center, 5105 Walker St, Ventura, Ca, www.miraclecenterventura.com (805) 6447722 lonnie100@msn.com BRAIN From page 2A activity, it literally changes your brain and your life experience. If this focus is on a good activity, such as flute playing, it produces positive effects. This focus actually helps you to improve your abilities in experiencing this activity. But, if you’re focused on a negative activity, such as when you vent or complain or criticize, you also grow new brain cells for that purpose. And as time goes by, you get better at it! Who wants to be better at complaining!!!!! When you have a thought, it may elicit an emotion. Your body will respond with the appropriate hormone. A stressful thought will give you a shot of cortisol. A flash of fear will give you a boost of adrenaline. You will lay down the path between a stimulus and your response. If you focus on the thought, the path will widen. It will become very defined. In the future, when you have a similar thought, it will elicit a similar emotion and a similar physical response. You have successfully trained your brain, developing your angry, fearful muscles. I don’t think you want to be trained to be angry or fearful. That is like going to the gym with a goal to be weak and powerless. Some people spend their lives focusing on what they don’t like and what they don’t want. They complain of their misery. They think of all the things that are wrong in their lives. They criticize and blame others. And while they are doing that, their brains are beginning to work against them. Connections are being made. Neural pathways are forming. The superhighway of unhappiness is being widened to accommodate more traffic. Bad brain cells are being built
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one thought at a time. You are the architect of your life. As long as you’re building brain cells, build a bigger, happier brain. Focus your attention on what you want. Patricia Lynn Belkowitz teaches life-changing tools to achieve self-mastery. She is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and a Shaman. For more about her practice, visit www.TheMindMatters.com. INSIDE From page 2A When I re-read this last night, some 20 years after I wrote it down, I thought: “It’s not what you do that makes you happy, it is why you do it.” It’s actually your motivation they see. Let’s use the same example: You are not happy because you are an accountant. You are happy because you get to provide a service to people who need it (and are willing to pay you for that service). Next time someone asks you what you do, tell them what you actually do. Answer with your inside facing outward. Sue Hines is a life-long seeker and student of the art of finding meaning and purpose in life. Sue has three decades experience in marketing and consulting experience with large and small businesses, including some of the world’s most famous and powerful brands. Sue’s passion is working with the small business owner or entrepreneur, helping them find the center for their brand. For more information, visit www.AspectsGalore. com. BILL From page 2A every 12 months for those in need. SCE helped more than 15,000 households last year. With SCE’s financial assistance, Washington was able to remain in her apartment and has since been transferred to an ongoing SCE assistance program for low-income households called California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE). Washington said the CARE discount saves her about 30 percent on her electric bill, about $10 to $15 a month. “If I didn’t have help, I couldn’t make it,” said Washington, who is disabled with rheumatoid arthritis and lives on Social Security and disability income. The CARE program is available to SCE customers who meet income guidelines according to the program or who have someone in their household participating in at least one of 10 government public assistance programs. The eligible programs range from Medi-Cal/ Medicaid to Supplemental Security Income. A separate SCE program called Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) helps households that meet certain income qualifications. For instance, a household with four people with a total combined gross income of $48,501 to $60,625 would be eligible for FERA assistance on their electric bill. About 1.3 million SCE customers, or 87 percent of those eligible, are enrolled in the two programs. “Our income-qualified programs benefit so many households, and our goal is to have every eligible household not only aware, but participate as well, helping them lower their electricity usage and their monthly bill,” said Tory Weber, SCE principal manager, Energy Efficiency Programs. “This is a preventive measure,” said Washington. “It’s to prevent you from being out in the cold.” For more information about financial assistance for your bill, go to sce.com/billhelp. DEATH From page 3A Authorities are asking for calm while they finish investigating. But there were already two protests last weekend. Attorneys for Sanders’ family paint his death as part of a larger nationwide struggle over police brutality against black men, and they see it as part of the unfinished civil rights movement in Stonewall, a town named after Confederate general Stonewall Jackson. Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the Sanders family lawyer, said authorities told relatives that an autopsy found he died from “manual asphyxiation” — strangulation. He said the manner of death was homicide, not accidental. A spokesman for MBI said the agency doesn’t discuss ongoing investigations. The autopsy finding doesn’t necessarily mean Herrington committed a crime and accounts so far leave unanswered questions: What triggered the encounter? Was Herrington using necessary force, or was Sanders the victim of an overly aggressive officer? And at a time when police departments are under intense scrutiny for treatment of black suspects, did race play a factor? Stonewall doesn’t have cameras in police cars or on officers, putting the focus on witnesses. Clarke County Sheriff Todd Kemp said one witness is
Rachel Williams, a jail guard in neighboring Lauderdale County. Lawrence, the witnesses’ attorney and Lumumba’s law partner, won’t confirm her name, or describe the others, except to say they are related and also distantly related to Sanders by marriage. Lawrence said the witnesses sought lawyers because they fear for their safety. Also present at the time of the death was Herrington’s wife, Kasey Herrington, who was riding that night in his police car. BROWN From page 6A Bill Picket Rodeo, millions of Americans have been educated about the contributions of African-Americans on the frontier.” Mr. Vason, a California native, passed away on May 17, 2015, and is survived by his wife Valeria, 7 children, 15 grandchildren and 5great grandchildren. The Bill Picket Invitational Rodeo will be performing in Los Angeles this weekend at the Industry Hills Expo Center. For more information please visit www.billpickettrodeo.com. SCE From page 6A who lives with them full time has a medical condition that requires electricity-powered life support equipment. You may be eligible to receive additional baseline allocation. Certification by a doctor is required. To be eligible, you must require use of a medical lifesupport device or equipment that use mechanical or artificial means to sustain, restore or replace a vital function. You or a full-time resident can also be a paraplegic, hemiplegic, quadriplegic, multiple sclerosis or scleroderma patient, or have a life-threatening illness or compromised immune system. Click here to learn more. About Southern California Edison An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California. CONTROLLER From page 6A special funds is projected to fall short of General Fund obligations. The Controller may ask the Treasurer to sell short-term RANs that are repaid by the end of the fiscal year. As of June 30, the amount available for internal borrowing from the state’s own funds was $28.3 billion, exceeding the May Revision estimate by $1.7 billion. ENERGY From page 8A dimmers and timers can reduce lighting use, and installing power strips can keep computers, microwaves, cable boxes, DVRs and high-end TV sets from sucking energy even when they’re not turned on. Unplugging between uses works too. Also, swapping conventional incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) can provide lighting that lasts longer and saves money on replacements. Check for tax credits and rebates. Make a call to your tax professional, check the Internal Revenue Service’s website (http://www.irs.gov/uac/ Form-5695,-Residential-Energy-Credits) and EnergyStar.gov for news on residential energy credits for specific replacement appliances and energy-saving improvements to your home. Keep in mind that Congress traditionally acts late each year to renew old credits or to approve new ones. Consider energy-smart landscaping. Keep in mind that well-placed trees and shrubs can shield a home from the sun and the elements year-round and potentially save 25 percent on energy costs annually. Cars, gas, and public transportation. If you drive, consolidate errands, fill up your tank at cheaper times and consider smartphone apps to find low gas prices for commuting and vacation use. And if you don’t regularly use public transportation, start testing it during the summer. The additional walking most people do when they take public transportation has health benefits as well. Bottom line: This summer, don’t just try to keep cool. Save money by changing your yearround energy behavior. TATTOOS From page 9A she was thankful to not have to undergo radiation since the cancer hadn’t in fact spread like the scans had indicated. You are probably now looking at your tattoos if you have any wondering, how does that even happen? Well, Dr. Eskander explains that, “When you get a tattoo, some of that ink will be absorbed in the cells in the lymphatic system and migrate to levels of lymph nodes. When there is a PET scan that shows a bright lymph node, if a patient has significant tattoos or body art, then you have to be
cognizant that these might be false positives.” MASSACRES From page 11A Charleston is not isolated from what happened to us in 1968 in Orangeburg.” What will be raised up now in South Carolina? Will the state’s HBCUs receive adequate funding from the state legislature now that the flag is down? Have we seen the last of the House Budget Committee proposal to close South Carolina State University, the only public HBCU in South Carolina, for two years and fire all school administrators and trustees under the guise of allowing the university to reorganize its troubled finances? Will there be an end to racially motivated police brutality in South Carolina? Will there be more overall racial equality and justice in South Carolina in the aftermath of the Charleston Massacre? We know these questions are not relevant just for the people who live in South Carolina. The questions concerning racial justice and equality are national questions that should continue to be raised and must be answered. Why is that some of us have to die tragically before there can emerge a momentary sense of national empathy and solidarity for the cause of equal justice? From the massacres in Orangeburg to Charleston, S.C., we will not relent. We will not forget. We will not be silent. Instead, we will press on to make sure that the oppressive deaths of our sisters and brothers in South Carolina and throughout the world will not be in vain. One day we will overcome the oppression and the racism. Let’s rededicate ourselves to advance the freedom struggle. A luta continua! Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached for national advertisement sales and partnership proposals at: dr.bchavis@nnpa. org; and for lectures and other professional consultations at: http://drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix. com/drbfc CANDIDATES From page 11A of nine people in a South Carolina church, to the legislative efforts in some states to rob Americans of their constitutional right to vote –cries out for serious and immediate reform. While our economy is improving after the recession, the bounce back has not been as evident in many Black and Brown communities. For too many Americans, the recession is alive and well. As Congress continues to debate reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we, along with a diverse coalition of policy-makers, families and community activists, are fighting to ensure that any new legislation adopted protects civil rights and promotes equity, equality and accountability in education. These conversations are indispensable in this moment in which we as a nation find ourselves of perhaps the greatest social and economic upheaval in a generation. Choose to be a part of our discussion and conversation, or choose to get involved in the discussions and conversations that are happening, or will happen in your communities – every voice and vote matters. Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League. HAITIANS From page 11A racial discrimination is an accepted practice. Indeed, a report by two United Nations experts found systemic racism and discrimination in the Dominican Republic, particularly against people of Haitian ancestry. According to the report, Haitians immigrants and Dominicans of Haitian ancestry are extremely vulnerable and face unjustified deportations. Dominicans of Haitians ancestry are often denied passports or even birth certificates. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of Haitians or Haitian-Dominicans being lynched for alleged offenses that range from robbing stores to burning a Dominican flag. Several Haitian-Dominicans have had their homes torched – and in most of these cases, the cops have been reluctant to investigate. According to news reports, in large cities, including Santiago and Santa Domingo, some bars refuse to admit Blacks – or at least people who look Black. The Dominican Republic’s plans have drawn the fury of the international community. New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, whose city is home to 400,000 people of Dominican ancestry and 100,000 HaitianAmericans, has weighed in, as have many major international human rights groups. Foreign investment in the Dominican Republic is also down as a result. In response to this pressure, the government appears to have backed down – at least for now. The goal for the coming years must be to sustain that
pressure so that the Dominican Republic accords ethnic Haitians the dignity and human rights they deserve. Lekan Oguntoyinbo is an award-winning journalist. Contact him at oguntoyinbo@gmail. com. HOME From page 11A dedicated to creating economically-thriving African-American communities, it is extremely concerned about the prospect that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) will effectively eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The NBCC believes that without those corporations providing for affordable credit, African-Americans will be disproportionately unable to obtain conventional mortgages. Thus, if the FHFA is allowed to complete its attempted liquidation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, affordable credit may well dissipate for minorities (who already have a very difficult time obtaining loans). The NBCC therefore asks this Court to consider these interests in the course of its deliberations on this case.” The above is our Statement of Interest portion of the Amicus Brief which is 18 pages long. We must make all of Black America aware of this. Does the Congressional Black Caucus have a concern? What about all of those Civil Rights organizations that have been around since the beginning of the 20th Century? What is their position on home ownership? How about the National Black Caucus of State Legislators? I don’t find the outrage anywhere. If the federal government has its way, the future of mortgages will be up in the air. Our subdivisions will turn to blankets of rentals and their values will sink much further than they have already done. That’s why we are fighting this. Our financial future is on the line and it could have a negative impact on the quality of life for our children, grandchildren and their children. We have no choice but to fight. Mr. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Website: www.nationalbcc.org Email: halford@nationalbcc. org CI From page 16A Three of the events were open to the public: the Arrival Celebration, a Thursday exhibition basketball game, and the Friday Departure Celebration. The Departure Celebration is scheduled for 10 to 11 a.m. at CI’s Tree House Courtyard. To attend the Friday’s public events, visit: http://go.csuci.edu/ SO2015. ST. JOHN’S From page 16A Dr. Tuai has extensive experience with advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive techniques; he has been performing robotic procedures since 2013. In this specialized field, Dr. Tuai possesses expertise in laparoscopic open colon resections, inguinal and ventral hernia repairs and anti-reflux surgery. Dr. Tuai assumed his new role in May of 2015. IMPROV From page 1B uncensored nature of stand-up comedy. Beer and wine will also be available to all patrons over 21. More details can be found online at www.venturaimprov. com/LastFridays or www.davidsharpcomedy.com. WORD-FINDS, From page 5A
SUDOKU, From page 5A
CROSSWORD COMPANION, From page 5A