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TRI-COUNTY

The

Importance of Educating All Children n See page 6

Vol. XXV No. 47

September 22, 2017

Thousand Oaks man passes counterfeit check for bail By Cat Keniston Authorities say a Southern California man jailed on suspicion of check fraud and identity theft is suspected of using a counterfeit cashier’s check to post bail. The Ventura County Star reports Cedric Frierson is due in court next week. n Thousand Oaks, see page 9

US immigrants sue over Trump’s end of deportation protection

Dr. Aminta Hawkins Breaux is the first female president of Bowie State University. (Bowie State University)

By AMY TAXIN Six immigrants brought to the United States as children who became teachers, graduate students and a lawyer sued the Trump administration last week over its decision to end a program shielding them from deportation. The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco alleged the move violated the constitutional rights of immigrants who lack legal status and provided information about themselves to the U.S. government so they could participate in the program. ``The consequences are potentially catastrophic,’’ said Jesse Gabriel, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. ``These people can very powerfully and very clearly communicate the extent to which they organized their lives around this program.’’ The lawsuit joins others filed over President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program which has allowed nearly 800,000 immigrants to obtain work permits and deportation protection since 2012.

Dr. Aminta Hawkins Breaux Makes History as BSU’s First Female President By Lauren Poteat (NNPA Newswire Contributor)

OLLOWING the celebrated legacy In her historic role as Bowie State of Dr. Mickey L. Burnim, the former University’s first female president, BSU president that served the Dr. Aminta Hawkins Breaux said that institution for nearly 11 years, Breaux she’s ready to lead the top 25 HBCU said that she is thrilled and honored to accept the into the school’s next phase of growth leadership role. “When I look at issues that African American and development.

women have faced in this country, it makes me n Dr. Aminta, see page 9

n US immigrants, see page 9

What Does an Innocent Man Have to Do to Go Free? Plead Guilty. PART II (CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK) On Oct. 15, 2008, James Owens shuffled, head high despite his shackles, into a Baltimore courtroom, eager for his new trial to begin. Two decades into a life sentence, he would finally have his chance to prove what he’d been saying all

along: The state had the wrong man. Wrongful convictions involving violent crimes typically involve poor, often minority defendants, sometimes with limited education or IQs, who are convicted on scant evidence

or flawed forensics. The cases are fueled by an early theory of the crime that relentlessly drives the investigation and prosecution — even, in some cases, to official misconduct. “At some point n What Does, see page 9

James Owens, now 52, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1988 for a murder he didn’t commit. (Lexey Swall)

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE EQUIFAX DATA BREACH

Equifax Data Breach Leaves at least 143 Million Consumers at Risk

CFPB rule allowing consumers to seek class action suits for corporate wrongdoing in jeopardy By Charlene Crowell (Communications Director, Center for Responsible Lending) Record-breaking, back-to-back hurricanes in Houston and Florida brought unprecedented winds and rains affecting millions of Americans. Yet another storm just as brutal, but financial in nature, is raging and affects at least 143 million Americans: that’s the Equifax data

breach that took place from mid-May to July of this year. On July 29, Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting corporations, discovered that unauthorized data access had occurred. Yet it was not until September 7 when the multi-national data breach was announced publicly. This massive cybersecurity breach includes n Equifax Data Breach, see page 5

What You Should Know about the Community Reinvestment Act By Christopher G. Cox (Publisher/ Managing Editor, realesavvy.com) Since it was passed in 1977, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has enabled thousands of low- and moderate-income families— many in minority communities—to become homeowners. In the current political climate, n What You Should, see page 9

Failing Charter Schools Have a Reincarnation Plan CONVERTING INTO PRIVATE SCHOOLS — AND USING VOUCHER PROGRAMS TO THRIVE ON THE PUBLIC DIME. By Annie Waldman

The Equifax data breach affected 143 million Americans. (Wikimedia Commons)

This past June, Florida’s top education agency delivered a failing grade to the Orange Park Performing Arts Academy in suburban Jacksonville for the second year in a row. It designated the charter school for kindergarten through fifth grade as the worst public school in n Failing Charter Schools, see page 5

TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

Help e n a c Hurri s m i t Vic Natural disasters come in multiple forms and can quickly devastate many lives in a matter of moments. While they all can cause nightmares for those aﬀected, few are as powerful and destructive as hurricanes.

n Put together an emergency kit, including basic but crucial items such as: water, food, a first aid kit, cell phones with chargers, contact information for family and friends, flashlights, extra batteries, medications, radios, copies of key personal documents, extra cash and maps. n Working with your family, create an evacuation plan for your home. This includes discussing how to prepare and respond to emergencies, identifying the responsibilities of each person in the home and practicing the plan. n As a storm is approaching, stay tuned to local radio or TV stations for the latest updates. n Be prepared to evacuate quickly, and ensure that your emergency kit and other necessities are ready.

START A FUNDRAISER

One of the most potentially impactful ways to lend a hand after a natural disaster is to start a community fundraiser. This can be as simple as an online account accepting donations for a group of people and sending a large sum to a relief organization, or as thought-out as a large-scale event, like a raffle or dinner, accepting donations for entry.

DURING

DONATE

Money is typically the resource relief organizations can use the most during natural disasters, and it can also be the easiest way for people to lend aid. There are typically many trustworthy organizations available to donate to during times of need.

GIVE BLOOD

After you’ve made a donation yourself, spread the word to others whether it’s via word of mouth, social media or other forms of communication. Let friends and family know how they can join the cause.

Injuries can be unavoidable when hurricanes and other disasters strike. One way to help those hospitalized or otherwise injured is to donate blood, possibly saving lives in the process.

VOLUNTEER

STAY PERSISTENT

While it isn’t viable for everyone, some people closer to the affected region can directly help those in need with physical help at the place it’s most needed. Whether it’s passing out supplies, serving food to those displaced or other means of lending a hand, volunteers are a valuable resource following natural disasters.

PROVIDE SHELTER

Another option for people looking to help who are closer to the devastation is to offer shelter, especially if they have family members or friends who have been affected. Assisting at places sheltering the displaced is another way to provide help, if offering space in your home is not an option.

While the immense power of hurricanes and tropical storms can greatly affect the lives of many in an instant, there are ways to increase your safety before, during and after the storm. These tips from the American Red Cross can help protect yourself and your family. BEFORE

HAT’S why, when hurricanes make landfall and wreak havoc, help is immediately needed and accepted by the people and communities impacted the most. Here are a few ways you can make a positive impact for those affected by natural disasters, specifically hurricanes:

PROMOTE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS

Staying Safe Through a Hurricane

In the immediate aftermath of storms and natural disasters, the news cycle is dominated by stories of triumph and despair, and by ways people can help. However, the storm is eventually overshadowed by other, more recent news. One major way people can help after a hurricane is by continuing their support long after the storm has passed, as those affected will need assistance, supplies and donations for much longer than just a couple of weeks after the incident. As time passes, it can be helpful to continue donating money and supplies, committing to helping physically rebuild structures and promoting fundraising efforts. Find more ways to help those in need at eLivingToday. com.

n Stay inside. n If power is lost, use flashlights in the dark rather than candles. n If possible, keep radio or TV stations tuned in for any new or developing information. n Because waters could be contaminated with sewage or contain other dangerous substances, avoid contact with floodwater. n If instructed to do so by local authorities, shut off the power and water mains. n If you must be outdoors, don’t walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Don’t walk on beaches or riverbanks, and don’t allow children to play in or near floodwater. n Stay out of areas subject to flooding, such as underpasses, dips and low spots. n If you must drive and are caught on a flooded road with rising waters, get out of the car and move to higher ground. AFTER n Communicate with family and friends to let them know you’re safe. n If you are evacuated, don’t return until authorities confirm it is safe to do so. n Continue listening to radio or TV stations for new or developing information. n Be prepared for continued rainfall and additional flooding. n Don’t use water that could be contaminated. n If possible, help friends, family and neighbors who require assistance, especially the elderly, people without transportation, large families and people with disabilities. n When returning home, stay away from buildings that have water around them. n Stay away from dangling power lines and report them to power companies. n For insurance purposes, take pictures of home and item damage. n When cleaning your home, wear protective clothing like rubber gloves and boots, and be cautious. n Inquire with professionals to check for roof damage and other more technical tasks.

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Issue Date 03 01 16

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TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

NEWS Reduce Your Suffering By Patricia Lynn Belkowitz Unfortunately, it is part of the human condition to experience an unkind remark; an attack on physical appearance or ability; a hypocritical judgment. People can be cruel to each other with their words and their actions. And they can do these things for no apparent reason. As Don Miguel Ruiz advises us in his book, The Four Agreements,

“Don’t take anything personally”! It’s not about you! Any statement, action or reaction of another human being is not about you or anything you may have done. When you can separate yourself from the opinions and actions of other people, you can reduce your personal angst and suffering. Those opinions and actions are all about that other human being’s life experience. Remember, each

one of us is the sum total of what we have experienced in our life. We are successfully fulfilling our life script based on our beliefs. What we perceive and therefore, know to be true, is based on our individual beliefs. Each one of us is living our life based on our own truth. We only know what we have been told by others and what we have experienced by ourselves. We have a limited

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD

perspective and consequently, we have a limited understanding. Most people you meet will say and do whatever they do based on their own beliefs about the way things are. Each one of us has our own set of fears and beliefs. We have reached a conclusion about life based on our own attempts to survive. We develop coping mechanisms to get us through. We seek to numb ourselves to our feelings by turning to food, drugs, alcohol, sex and gambling.

We look outside of ourselves to lay blame for our anger and frustration. We suffer. Most of another’s bad attitudes, defenses and fearful behavior has nothing to do with you. Even when that bad attitude may appear to be aimed directly at you! The behavior has more to do with a past event when the person experienced a similar situation. The reaction is about all the other times. Especially the first time. We react in the

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now moment based on our past programming…right or wrong. We perceive only what we believe. When you can recognize that nothing is personal, you are able to get over it. You don’t feel abused or mistreated. You move on since you know the reaction is not about you; it is not about what is happening now. Their reaction is based on their past suffering. Do not be offended! Take the opportunity to extend kindness and compassion. Another’s actions may cause you pain. You may feel frustrated or disappointed. You may know anger or betrayal. Know that your worth is not determined by what anyone else says or does or believes. Take those things less seriously. Focus on your own truth; the integrity of who you are. When you live your life as your authentic self, other’s opinions and behaviors do not hinder your happiness or your success. There is no need to suffer when you are living authentically. There is no need to care about other’s opinions of what you do and who you are. It doesn’t matter what they think or do. Instead, care about what you think of what you are doing. Be the best you. Tranquility will replace suffering.

SODOKU SOLUTION

touch & take off! ACROSS 1. *____ Jessica Parker 6. Bag, in Paris 9. Diplomat’s forte 13. Opposite of cathode 14. *”Chinatown” sequel: “The ____ Jakes” 15. Chocolate tree 16. Considering everything 17. Pro vote 18. Sleep spoiler? 19. *Famous filmmaker Cecil 21. *”The Jazz Singer” was the first one 23. “To Kill a Mockingbird” recluse 24. *Cary Grant in “His ____ Friday” 25. FedEx competitor 28. Family room staple 30. *Hollywood, a.k.a. ____town 35. Not kosher 37. Perfect houseplant spot 39. Mother-of-pearl 40. Tiny amount 41. _____ Island, NY 43. Pre-college school 44. Opposite of rappel 46. *Japanese American actor with star on Hollywood Blvd. 47. Religious offshoot 48. Trojan hero 50. Superbright 52. Pilot’s deadline 53. “____ we forget” 55. Ballerina’s support 57. *Famous boulevard 60. *Grauman’s ____ Theatre 64. A mood disorder 65. Before 67. Did not smell good 68. Discrimination against seniors 69. Immeasurable period 70. Fear-inspiring 71. *Scorcese and De Niro flick 72. “____ the wild rumpus begin!” 73. Goes down DOWN 1. Aforementioned 2. *Hathaway or Bancroft 3. Knock about 4. Impromptu 5. How-do-you-dos 6. Eye affliction 7. Leave speechless 8. Raccoon’s South American cousin

9. *Feature film actors first did it in the 1920s 10. Antioxidant-rich berry 11. Kind of package 12. *Director Ford or actor Hanks 15. Summon one to enter 20. *Clint Eastwood’s “Every Which Way but ____” 22. *Motion picture, a visual ____ form 24. Dandy 25. Carthage’s ancient rival 26. Proletarian, for short 27. Become established 29. *The industry 31. Takes a siesta 32. Rocks at mountain base 33. Upright 34. Former Greek coin 36. *Walk of ____ 38. Facebook button 42. Truth, in the olden days 45. Type of fir 49. “Savvy?” 51. Made noise 54. Stainless stuff 56. *Bruce Lee’s “____ the Dragon” 57. *”Hollywood ____” by brother of 19 Across 58. Computer operating system 59. Inconclusive 60. Copper coin 61. Eurozone money 62. Edward Scissorhands’ sound 63. Augments 64. Dojo turf 66. Future fish

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TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

NEWS Failing Charter Schools continued from page 1

Clay County, and one of the lowest performing in the state. Two-thirds of the academy’s students failed the state exams last year, and only a third of them were making any academic progress at all. The school had had four principals in three years, and teacher turnover was high, too. “My fourth grader was learning stuff that my second grader was learning — it shouldn’t be that way,” said Tanya Bullard, who moved her three daughters from the arts academy this past summer to a traditional public school. “The school has completely failed me and my children.” The district terminated the academy’s charter contract. Surprisingly, Orange Park didn’t shut down — and even found a way to stay on the public dime. It reopened last month as a private school charging $5,000 a year, below the $5,886 maximum that low-income students receive to attend the school of their choice under a state voucher program. Academy officials expect all of its students to pay tuition with the publicly backed coupons. Reverend Alesia Ford-Burse, an African Methodist Episcopal pastor who founded the academy, told ProPublica that the school deserves a second chance, because families love its dance and art lessons, which they otherwise couldn’t afford. “Kids are saying, ‘F or not, we’re staying,’” she said. While it’s widely known that private schools convert to charter status to take advantage of public dollars, more schools are now heading in the opposite direction. As voucher programs across the country proliferate, shuttered charter schools, like the Orange Park Performing Arts Academy, have begun to privatize in order to stay open with state assistance. A ProPublica nationwide review found that at least 16 failing or struggling charter schools in five states — Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Georgia — have gone private with the help of publicly funded voucher programs, including 13 since 2010. Four of them specialize in the arts, including Orange Park, and five serve students with special needs. “The voucher just is a pass through in order to provide additional funding for private schools to thrive and to continue to work,” said Addison Davis, superintendent of schools in Clay County. Changing a school’s status “isn’t going to stop the process where we continue to see kids who are declining academically and not being able to demonstrate mastery and proficiency.” Two key factors underlie these conversions. The number of voucher and voucher-like programs across the country has more than tripled over the past decade from 16 to 53. And charter schools, which became popular as a way to spur educational innovation with reduced regulation, have increasingly faced more stringent oversight. Jeanne Allen, founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform and a longtime supporter of charter schools, lamented in a recent op-ed that increased government regulation is turning them into “bureaucratic, riskaverse organizations fixated on process over experimentation.” “Why not just be a private school if the kids qualify for the scholarships?” said Christopher Norwood, a consultant for the Orange Park school, in an interview. “With 90 percent fewer regulations, schools can be independent and free, and just deal with the students.” As private schools, the ex-charters are less accountable both to the government and the public. It can be nearly impossible to find out how well some of them are performing. About half of the voucher and voucher-like programs in the country require academic assessments of their students, but few states publish the complete test results, or use that data to hold schools accountable. While most states have provisions for closing low-quality charter schools, few, if any, have the power to shut down low-performing voucher schools. “Public money is being handed out without oversight,” said Diane Ravitch, a New York University education historian and public schools advocate, who served as assistant secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush. “The fundamental voucher idea is that parents are choosing the schools and they know better than the state. If they want to send their kids to a snake-charming school, then that’s their choice.” ________________________________________ The type of voucher program that rescues failed charter schools like Orange Park in Florida may soon be replicated nationwide. Visiting a religious school in Miami last April, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos praised the state’s approach as a possible model for a federal initiative. Typically, voucher programs are directly funded with taxpayer dollars. Florida’s largest program pursues a different strategy. Its “tax-credit scholarships” are backed by donations from corporations. They contribute to nonprofit organizations, which, in turn, distribute the money to the private schools. In exchange, the donors receive generous dollar-for-dollar tax credits from the state. This subsidy indirectly shifts hundreds of millions of dollars annually from the state’s coffers to private schools. More than 100,000 students whose families meet the income eligibility requirements have received the tax-credit coupons this year. Of the nearly 2,900 private schools in Florida, over 1,730 participated in the tax-credit voucher program during 2016-17, according to the most recent state Department of Education data. On average, each school received about $300,000 last year. While more than two-thirds of these schools are religious, the roundabout funding approach protects the vouchers against legal challenges that they violate the separation of church and state. Earlier this year, the state Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit by the Florida Education Association, a teacher’s union, challenging the constitutionality of the voucher program. In an education budget proposal from May, DeVos detailed her voucher plans, pitching a $250 million plan to study and expand individual state initiatives. She has since suggested that the administration may also create a federal tax-credit voucher scheme through an impending tax overhaul. School choice advocates like DeVos have long contended that vouchers improve educational opportunities for low-income families. They reason that competition raises school quality, and that parents, given more options, will select the best school for their children. A growing body of research, though, casts doubt on this argument. It shows voucher-backed students may not be performing better than their public school counterparts, and may do worse.

n Failing Charter Schools, see page 9

Innocent Man psychologically, you go from figuring out what happened to figuring out how to prove it happened the way you said it did,” Barbara O’Brien, a law professor involved with the National Registry of Exonerations at the University of Michigan, said. “It’s very difficult to take a step back from that.” Marty Stroud, a former Louisiana prosecutor, made national headlines in 2015 when he penned a rare public apology for putting an innocent man on death row for 31 years. He told me recently that the system comes down hardest on those without the means to defend themselves. “It’s easy to prosecute those people and put them away and not think twice about it because no one is speaking for them,” he said. The certitude of detectives and prosecutors hardens when their theory is validated by a judge or jury, and later, by an appellate court. Time, instead of allowing for fresh eyes, often makes biases worse. When a defendant like Owens gets a new hearing, the district or state’s attorney’s office — long committed to his guilt — has to re-justify that decision. If they admit they got it wrong, prosecutors have to accept that a person was robbed of years of his life, the real perpetrator was never found, the victim’s family was let down, and, to top it off, they now have a cold case that’s unlikely to be solved. With the Alford plea, not only is the real perpetrator not caught but the case is officially closed on the books. It also dings their won-loss record on typically highprofile cases. The idea of a wrongful conviction, Stroud said, assaults a prosecutor’s sense of identity that “we’re the good guys. We have the white hats and are putting the bad guys in jail.” Exonerations are also like a Pandora’s box in two important and unsettling ways. First, looking closely at why wrongful convictions happen — even in cases when everyone worked in good faith — could force a reckoning about deeply held beliefs on what is required to solve and punish crimes. False confessions, for example, often are a result of time-honored, and perfectly legal, tactics to soften up a suspect, such as lying or conducting questioning in the dead of night, said Steven Drizin, the former director of Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions. When wrongful convictions are a result of misconduct, there could be a string of other bad convictions connected to that prosecutor or detective. It’s no coincidence, many defense lawyers across the country say, that when misconduct comes up, prosecutors are quicker to propose an Alford plea or similar deal, effectively quashing any further inquiry into the behavior. One ACLU attorney told me about a galling Alabama case in which prosecutors insisted they would reseek the death penalty, and it was “only because we were continuing to expose prosecutorial misconduct that they finally agreed to settle the case.” On a muggy August evening in 1987, police officers swarmed a block of squat brick rowhouses in a mostly white, working-class neighborhood in southeast Baltimore. A young woman had been raped, strangled

with a sock and stabbed to death in her second-floor bedroom. Detective Thomas Pellegrini, who’d been assigned to homicide only the year before and, who, by his own admission, was green enough not to sweat the details, caught the case as lead detective. He was assisted by Detective Gary Dunnigan and the squad’s boss, Sgt. Jay Landsman. The trio would become famous a few years later when David Simon heralded them in his book “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets” and on the subsequent prime-time TV show it inspired. The next morning, the neighborhood reverberated with the choppy drone of police helicopters circling overhead. Thompson, a gas station attendant who’d suffered a brain injury in childhood, lived down the street with his wife and their two young boys. He’d heard detectives were looking for a knife and offering a $1,000 reward. It seemed a prime opportunity for a quick buck. The short, stocky 27-year-old wandered over to the yellow police tape and handed Pellegrini a large switchblade. Thompson said he’d found the bloody weapon in the grass the night before, pocketed it, and cleaned it at home — somehow unaware of the massive overnight police presence. At Pellegrini’s urging, he fetched a pair of cut-off jeans he said he’d been wearing at the time, which had a small bloodstain on the back right pocket. Forensics showed a possible presence of blood or other unknown substance on a small area of the knife and no evidence to suggest it was used in a violent struggle, such as a broken tip from hitting bone. The detectives moved forward on the assumption it was the murder weapon. Two days later, rather than being thanked and handed the reward money, Thompson found himself under suspicion. In a panic, he fingered Owens. The two had been casual friends, but they’d had a falling out over accusations of theft when they’d briefly worked together at the gas station. In a thoughtless burst of vengeance, Thompson gave an official statement at the police station; he said the knife was actually his but claimed Owens had stolen it and then told him where to find it the day after the murder. Thompson noticed the detectives ate up everything and realized they had nothing else to go on. At the time, there seemed to be no risk in just making it up as he went along. After he retrieved the knife, Thompson told detectives, Owens washed it in the kitchen sink. Thompson didn’t give the police any details about the murder, but he said Owens had told him he’d had sex with the victim. Owens, 22 at the time, was arrested and charged with burglary, rape and first-degree murder. In just 72 hours, the detectives had closed the case. There was no forensic evidence, motive or eyewitnesses linking Owens to the crime. Landsman and Pellegrini would later say they had believed at the time that without Thompson, Owens would walk. Even the prosecutor, Marvin “Sam” Brave, said he viewed Thompson’s story as “implausible” and didn’t think he had the truth, but he nevertheless pressed charges. Brave recently told me that “if

you think you’ve got the right guy, but not that you can necessarily prove it beyond reasonable doubt, it doesn’t mean you don’t go forward.” When Owens’ trial began in February 1988, Thompson was the star witness. He’d considered coming clean several times but was afraid he’d be sent to jail. He’d lied to the cops during a previous encounter and had been arrested for making a false police report. Despite that history, the detectives in this case had made him feel like a hero. Pellegrini didn’t think Thompson was “the sharpest pencil in the box,” but at that point in his career, he said in a recent deposition, he thought only suspects would lie to him. Brave also was unconcerned. “If the part that you think he is telling the truth [about] contributes to your case, you use it,” he said. “He doesn’t have to be telling the truth about everything.” The rest of the case relied mainly on minor scratches Owens, a factory worker, had on his arm and a spot of possible blood that had been swabbed from his hand. Two jailhouse snitches who’d been Owens’ cellmates while he awaited trial claimed he had separately confessed to them, though the story Owens purportedly told them contradicted the version Thompson had given police. In his opening statement, Brave told the jury that any notion that police had “bungled the investigation” and the defendant was innocent was from the fantastical realm of television. But Brave was concerned enough about Thompson’s story that he took him aside the morning of his testimony and warned he was going to “look silly” and it was time he “told us the truth about how that knife really got back into his possession,” according to testimony Brave later gave about the conversation. He even assured Thompson he wouldn’t be prosecuted for making a false statement. When Thompson took the stand, he told the jury he’d had a “heart to heart” with the prosecutor and was “ready to tell the truth.” In this new version of events — which Brave described later as “sellable” to a jury — Thompson said that around 8 a.m. the morning after the murder, Owens had come by his house and given him the bloody knife. Except this story, too, was a lie. As one of the detectives noted to Brave afterward, Owens’ boss had told police he’d been at work by that point in the morning. “The more I tried to fix things to go in my favor, the bigger hole I dug for myself,” Thompson told me recently. That Friday Brave went home “really worried about the case,” and stewed over the weekend that he was on “a sinking ship.” Late Sunday evening, he met with Pellegrini and told him to take blood and hair samples from Thompson for testing to exclude him as a suspect and bolster his credibility as a witness. Brave already knew the pubic hairs found on the victim didn’t match Owens. Neither did saliva on a cigarette found at the scene. During a lunch break at trial the next day, Brave and the three detectives met with the city’s forensics expert who, they said, told them the hair was a match to Thompson. Detectives brought Thompson in, read him his rights, and told him “he was in a lot of trouble” and might be charged.

His hair, Landsman told him, had been found in the victim’s house. Thompson later contended he knew this couldn’t possibly be true — he hadn’t been there at all. But at the time, he said, he was scared and thought if he just said what pleased the detectives and got Owens convicted, he’d be alright. Like an actor doing take after take to accommodate the wishes of a director, Thompson went through several more versions about what supposedly happened, adjusting his story to reflect additional pieces of evidence the detectives told him about. Thompson first said he broke into the house but didn’t go upstairs. After the detectives told him his hair had been found on the second floor, Thompson then said he did go upstairs but hid in the bathroom while Owens attacked the victim after she unexpectedly came home. Detectives then told him his pubic hair had been found on the victim’s buttocks, suggesting his pants must have been down. After several hours of this back and forth, Landsman went to the courtroom and handed Brave a note, saying Thompson had admitted to burglarizing the house with Owens. Thompson was taken directly from the interrogation room to the witness stand to testify a second time. Now, speaking so softly at first that the judge twice had to tell him to raise his voice, Thompson said he and Owens had broken into the apartment to steal jewelry, and Owens attacked the victim when she came home unexpectedly. Then, while Owens raped her, Thompson testified that he masturbated over her back — his newly concocted explanation for how the pubic hair the state claimed was his had ended up on the victim. Owens, Thompson said, then stabbed her and threw the knife on the ground, which Thompson picked up on the way out. This was, unbeknownst to Owens or his lawyer, Thompson’s eighth version of events — the one that satisfied the officers that they had enough “to get James Owens,” as one detective later put it. Even on the stand implicating himself in the crime, with both Brave and Owens’ lawyer stressing charges he might face, Thompson said the full ramifications of his lies didn’t dawn on him. He thought he’d be fine once the trial was over. “I never hurt anyone. I never touched that young lady,” Thompson said again and again on the stand, adding at one point that he’d take a polygraph to “prove my innocence on that particular behalf.” Owens was convicted of the burglary and the murder but found not guilty of the rape. Thompson’s changing stories had cast enough doubt that Brave acknowledged in his closing argument that either man could have committed the rape. Thompson, who had been arrested right after testifying and immediately recanted his confession, was later convicted of burglary, rape and murder. Thompson’s multiple different stories of the crime had been accepted as truth, but his multiple attempts to protest his innocence were taken as lies. Both men were sentenced to life without parole. Owens was the first in Maryland to receive such a punishment. See next week’s edition for Part III.

answered by September 26. Issues raised in the letter include binding arbitration clauses that deny affected consumers the right of class action lawsuits, the firm’s security systems and controls, how consumers can expect to be officially notified, and what, if any, protections Equifax will offer to affected consumers. “The scope and scale of this breach appears to make it one of the largest on record, and the sensitivity of the information compromised may make it the most costly to taxpayers and consumers,” wrote Senators Orrin Hatch, Senate Finance Chair and Ron Wyden, the committee’s Ranking Member. The following day, September 12, another letter to Equifax included questions on what data changes to Equifax’s security plans and procedures were made as this breach now becomes its third one in only two years; the letter was signed by 24 Members of Congress, who serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and represent 15 states. Three are also members of the Congressional Black Caucus: Representatives G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, Brooklyn’s Yvette Clarke and Bobby L. Rush of Chicago. “Your company profits from collecting highly sensitive personal information from American

consumers—it should take seriously its responsibility to keep data safe and to inform consumers when its protections fail,” wrote the representatives. “The massive Equifax data breach is one of the largest in our country’s history, affecting half of the United States population and nearly threequarters of consumers with credit reports,” said Chi Chi Wu of the National Consumer Law Center. “A security freeze is the most effective measure against “new account” identity theft, because it stops thieves from using the consumer’s stolen information.” To follow Wu’s advice, consumers will need to contact all three of the major credit reporting bureaus and request that no new accounts be opened in their names. Once requested, consumers will not be able to easily apply for new credit accounts or apply for a loan. An additional layer of precaution would be to contact every creditor and request that respective accounts be flagged for unusual or new credit activity. Detailed information on how consumers caught in the Equifax breach can take these and other steps to protect their credit is available on the Federal Trade Commission’s website. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also has another

consumer-friendly rule that Congress is currently fighting: preserving the right for consumers to file lawsuits when financial disputes could not be resolved otherwise. Announced on July 10, Richard Cordray, CFPB Director explained why the rule is important. “Arbitration clauses in contracts for products like bank accounts and credit cards make it nearly impossible for people to take companies to court when things go wrong,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “These clauses allow companies to avoid accountability by blocking group lawsuits and forcing people to go it alone or give up. Our new rule will stop companies from sidestepping the courts and ensure that people who are harmed together can take action together.” Days later on July 20, Capitol Hill lawmakers turned to a seldom-used option, the Congressional Review Act, to deny the rule from taking effect. Sen. Mike Crapo, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Chair of the House Committee on Financial Services announced a coordinated legislative attack to roll back CFPB’s arbitration rule. The law allows Congress to fast track a veto of new federal regulation with limited debate and a simple

majority vote in each chamber. On July 25, the House passed its resolution on a highly-partisan vote of 231-190. To date, the Senate has yet to take a corresponding vote. “The Equifax data breach is yet another reason to support the CFPB’s arbitration rule that would restore consumers’ day in court,” noted Melissa Stegman, a senior policy counsel with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). “When a company has injured consumers, it should not also decide whether those affected have a right to pursue justice. Although Equifax claimed it will not assert arbitration in the aftermath of its data breach, consumers must be able to challenge corporate wrongdoing in the courts and Congress should cease its efforts to quash the rule.” Congresswoman Waters prefers a legislative approach – one that will ensure this type of financial disaster from happening again. “I have long advocated for an overhaul of our nation’s credit reporting system,” said Waters, “and I will reintroduce legislation that will enhance consumer protection tools available to minimize harm caused by identity theft.” Speaking directly to consumers, Senator Elizabeth Warren said, “Equifax proves why we must protect your right to join class actions.”

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federal income tax records, as well as employee records for government employees and those of Fortune 500 firms. Even recipients of major government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are affected. For consumers, the personal information exposed to fraud and identity theft could mean a lifetime of closely monitoring and defending personal data to fight theft, fines and more. For businesses, questions will emerge as to whether millions of credit accounts were fraudulently opened and additionally whether they will be held partially responsible for its perpetuation. In reaction to this cybercrime, a surge of federal class action lawsuits are going after Equifax. As many as 50 have been filed in at least 14 states and the District of Columbia as of September 12. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reportedly examining what went wrong from a criminal perspective. On the civil side of the law, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is beginning its own independent investigation. Now a growing number of bipartisan inquiries from Capitol Hill are demanding to know why these breaches of personally identifiable

information (PII) came about, what actions Equifax took, and what the global firm intends to do on behalf of consumers whose names, birth dates, addresses, Social Security numbers and drivers’ licenses are all in jeopardy. Equifax also knew that an estimated 209,000 credit card holders and some 182,000 consumers in the U.S. who have a dispute on file with a creditor also had comprised PII. “This hack into sensitive information compiled and maintained by Equifax is one of the largest data breaches in our nation’s history and someone has to be held accountable,” said Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee in an article for “Business Insider.” “Given the important role credit scores play in the lives and financial futures of hardworking Americans, Congress must diligently examine the way our credit reporting agencies are operating and impose additional statutory and regulatory reforms to protect the integrity of the country’s credit reporting system,” Waters continued. In a September 11 letter to Richard F. Smith, Equifax’s Chairman and Chief Executive Office, the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee went further to pose a series of questions to be

TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

OPED Don’t Let “45” Take Credit for President Obama’s Economy By Julianne Malveaux (NNPA Newswire Columnist) The income, poverty and health insurance data released by the Census Bureau on September 13 confirms what many of us already knew. President Obama’s last year was one of economic improvement for many individuals. The median income rose from $57,230 in 2015 to $59,039 in 2016, an increase of 3.2 percent. Black income rose 5.4 percent, from $37, 364 in 2015 to $39,400 in 2016, while White income rose from $63, 745 to $65,041, an increase of two percent. The income gap narrowed very slightly, with African Americans making 58 percent of White earnings in 2015 and 60 percent of White earnings in 2016. This income ratio typically hovers around 60 percent, and this situation has not improved, since 1967. Despite an absolute improvement in incomes, the racial income disparity remains. Fewer than 1 in 10 whites earned less than $15,000 per year, compared to 20 percent of African Americans at that low earning level. While 18 percent of Whites earned less than $25,000 a year, fully one-third of African Americans earned so little. At the same time, while 7.4 percent of Whites earned more than $200,000 a year, only 2.8 percent of African Americans had similarly high earnings. At the top, there was significant improvement for African Americans—we didn’t cross the 1 percent line on high earning until 1997, and now our percentage has more than doubled. Still, it would take hundreds of years, at the rate we are going, to close the gap with Whites. With incomes as low as they are, it is unsurprising to find African Americans more heavily represented among the poor than Whites are, but again, President Obama’s last year in office saw a real drop in the poverty level. The poverty rate dropped from 13.5 percent in 2015 to 12.7 percent in 2016, and the Black poverty rate dropped from 24.1 percent to 22.0 percent. There were 800,000 fewer African Americans in poverty in 2016 than in 2015. That’s good news. Child poverty was also overwhelming. With 15.1 percent of White children living in poverty there were nearly twice as many Black children living in poverty at 29.5 percent. Among elders, 8 percent of White seniors were poor, compared to 18.5 percent of African American seniors. And when Black women headed households, 34.2 percent of those households lived in poverty. While these numbers make a clear case that President Obama improved the situation for all Americans, it is also clear that his unwillingness or inability to target programs toward the African American poor maintained the size of the income gap, and maintained the fact that African Americans experience twice as much poverty as Whites, earning only 60 percent of the incomes that Whites do. This gap will not be closed unless there is some intervention, some form of reparations, or some special program that will empower African Americans. If that didn’t happen in the Obama administration, it is unlikely to happen in during the current one. President Obama’s singular success, of course, was health care. More than 93 percent of Whites, 92 percent of Asian Americans, 89.5 percent of African Americans and 84 percent of Hispanics had health care in 2016, continuing an upward trend that began in 2011 with the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Of course, Republicans have promised to “repeal and replace” Obamacare. They have been unsuccessful, because so many Americans like the program and use it, even though it has flaws. The program should be tweaked, but not replaced, but we’ll see what happens in coming months. Despite improvements in income data, too many Americans aren’t feeling the improvements. That’s how “45” was able to manipulate people into believing that they were worse off than they had ever been, and that he was going to improve their quality of life. To be sure, while the unemployment rate is way down, there are also people sitting on the sidelines of the labor force. Raises seem to be coming, but quite slowly, and a 3.2 percent increase in income, after several years of declining income, seems not to be enough. Additionally, there are millions of millennials who came of age during the recession, having spent years marginally employed, and are shouldering the burden of high student loans. Small increases in income don’t make these folks feel flush. Many still feel that they are just getting by. Knowing “45,” he will crow about these numbers, though he truly cannot take any responsibility for them. This data is 2016 data, and the improvement here can be solely attributed to President Obama. The proof of 45’s pudding will come next year, when 2017 data are reported. Will we be better off with the repeal of the ACA? Will incomes rise or fall under 45’s leadership? What will happen with poverty in an administration that has already taken actions to keep wages low? Will the Obama momentum come to a skidding halt because of 45’s policies? We’ll have to wait and see, but it is clear that 45 has already taken too many steps in the wrong direction. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Founder of Economic Education. Her latest book “Are We Better Off: Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available via amazon. com. For booking, wholesale inquiries, or for more info, visit www.juliannemalveaux.com.

The White House Should Postpone Its HBCU Conference By Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. (President and CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund)

Last month, after speaking with the White House about a few calls, we had received I was asked to get a sense of where our member-schools stood on the upcoming National HBCU Week Conference. After a call with a number of our 47 member-school presidents and chancellors the overwhelming consensus was to advise that the White House consider postponing the annual National HBCU Week Conference organized by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

believed then and I am now affirmed that it is still the best choice when we objectively look at the current national events that could detract from the real needs of the HBCU community. It is no secret that, under my leadership at TMCF, we have taken a position of finding ways to have a positive meaningful, transparent working relationship with the current administration on all issues pertaining to HBCUs. I have been outspoken in my support of the significant meetings, policy positions and plans that have a direct impact on our member-intuitions. Like most of us, we often have a difference of opinion with even those closest to us, so though the Administration may disagree with our call for postponing this event, our commitment to finding common ground to work together on behalf of HBCUs has not and will not change. This conference is important to all of our HBCU students, campus leaders and the millions of people who live in the campus communities, all of which are searching for these schools to be equitably funded and supported by public and private partners. It is more than a time for leaders, alumni and other stakeholders to convene and network; when developed to the specific interests of our institutions, the conference is a valuable tool for exposure of HBCU strengths before powerful actors in our nation’s legislative and corporate circles.

Traditionally, the White House Initiative on HBCUs Executive Director, in consultation with the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs has planned the event. Regrettably, as of August 2017 neither has been appointed. TMCF was asked to submit names and provide general input on the conference, but my position has always been, there needed to be an Executive Director in place by July 9th. There is no doubt that there are people in the White House that are committed to the advancement and support of HBCUs during the Trump Administration. Two of them are actually HBCU graduates, so I applaud the fact that they are advocating for our community, behind closed doors. The conference should not be cancelled. We need this annual event to bring all of the stakeholders together around a specific, strategic agenda of substantive action for the entire Black College Community. September 17-19, 2017 is just not the right time. We asked the Trump Administration to consider postponing the conference, because there is legitimate concern that some may want to use this event to protest, boycott or much worse, refuse to work with the Trump Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. Let me be very clear, with the fragile condition of some of our HBCUs, now is not the time for us to retreat, now is not the time for us to move off the path of strategic and effective engagement to seek meaningful

solutions for HBCUs. Our students and faculty are watching and want us to solidify continued support from the entire Trump Administration for HBCUs. They are seeking more than positive affirmations that many in the political space try to give. We need and deserve policies, which reflect the service our schools provide in spurring industrial diversity, political autonomy and economic progress. No one wants HBCUs to become a footnote at a national event, which could draw attention from many types of groups seeking opportunities to advance a message totally independent of higher education or HBCU advocacy. Our students and our leaders deserve more than to be a catalyst for liberal or conservative groups to use the conference as an agenda amplifier; especially when HBCUs have hard work ahead in securing partnerships to promote and to bolster institutional strengths in STEM, national defense, public health, secondary education, entrepreneurship and business management. I was pleased to hear Secretary of State Tillerson talk about the value of HBCU students interning and working at the State Department. TMCF has great partnerships with the United States Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency and many others. I can understand why some White House officials want to continue the conference. I

applaud their firm commitment to maintaining a laser focus on the HBCU agenda, even when the prospects for controversy are growing around it. That commitment is a sign of true leadership and advocacy in which we should all be proud, because it is rare. It is the kind of commitment for which TMCF has advocated over the past 30 years, and which we are proud to say has resulted in bipartisan support of our scholarship and talent pipeline programs which have benefited thousands of students from our 47 memberinstitutions and beyond. The best course of action is to pause for just a moment, get the Executive Director and Advisory Board in place to plan out a short term and long term strategy for the Trump Administration and Black College Community to be convened for this critically important conference, we all want to be successful, substantive, and impactful. I have no doubt President Trump, his administration and the 47-member schools I represent as the President & CEO of TMCF, have a genuine desire to get this right, so that HBCUs can survive and thrive. Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. is the President & CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. Prior to joining TMCF, he spent many years as a successful corporate executive and attorney. Follow him on Twitter at @ JohnnyCTaylorJr.

How U.S. natural gas will help countries meet their Paris commitments By Merrill Matthews While critics bemoan President Trump’s decision to pull out of -- or renegotiate -the Paris climate agreement, the United States has been reducing its greenhouse gas emissions over the past decade. And now the country is poised to help a number of the signatory countries reduce theirs as well. In his commitment to the Paris negotiators, President Obama “pledged” to reduce emissions between 26 and 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. However, the U.S. was on track to meet that goal, or close to it, even before Obama weighed in. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), energy-related U.S. carbon emissions have declined from about 6,000 million metric tons in 2005 (the agreement’s baseline date) to 5,170 MMT in 2016 -- a 14 percent reduction in a decade. If the U.S. continues reducing carbon emissions at that rate, we might just meet the Paris

agreement’s U.S. goal anyway. Ironically, the U.S. natural gas production boom could help other countries meet their commitments as well. U.S. natural gas pipeline exports to Mexico have quadrupled recently because the country realized it’s cheaper and cleaner than other fossil fuels for electricity generation. To export natural gas overseas or to South America, it must be turned into a liquid by cooling it to -260 degrees. Hence, liquefied natural gas or LNG. Fortunately, a number of private sector companies have been willing to make the enormous financial investment to build U.S. LNG terminals. We can already see where the future is heading. The EIA says the U.S. exported 43,553 million cubic feet of natural gas in March. By contrast, in March of 2016, the U.S. exported only 10,000 million cubic feet. Cheniere Energy’s LNG terminal in Sabine Pass, Louisiana, is by far the most active

LNG terminal to date, releasing 18 cargos in May, a record for the company. The U.S. is projected to be a net natural gas exporter by next year, which could help lower the trade deficit that has Trump so concerned. It’s hard to overstate the importance of this new global market for LNG. Natural gas releases about half the carbon emissions of coal. The primary reason U.S. carbon emissions have been declining over the past decade is power generating plants have been shifting from coal to inexpensive natural gas. By contrast, many developing countries tend to rely on coal for power generation because historically it has been the least expensive and most available option. In 2015 China consumed 3,732 million tons of coal, according to the Global Energy Statistical Yearbook 2016. India consumed 990 Mt in 2015. China -- the country many say will become the post-Paris

leader in fighting climate change -- consumed more than five times the coal the U.S. consumed. But China, along with a number of other countries, has begun importing U.S. LNG -about 30,000 million cubic feet between October and March. Egypt imported 3,600 million cubic feet, India about 10,000 million cubic feet,; Turkey about 11,000 million cubic feet. Even several oil-rich Middle Eastern countries have begun importing U.S. LNG. As these and other countries try to reduce their carbon emissions in accord with their Paris agreement commitments, transitioning to natural gas power generation may be one of their first steps. And the country being widely denounced as the scourge of a cleaner climate, the U.S., may be the one to help them achieve their goal. Merrill Matthews is a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation in Dallas, Texas. Follow him on Twitter @ MerrillMatthews.

TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

OPED

The Importance of Educating All Children It’s Up to All of Us to Improve Academic Achievement in the Black Community By: Dr. Elizabeth Primas (Program Manager, NNPA/ESSA Media Campaign)

I am a former teacher. I taught for 25 years in the public school system and have held various titles in the field of education throughout my 40-year career. I have always had a passion for education. My family and I joke that I have been teaching since the first day of kindergarten. My older sister also wanted to be a teacher. So, we would spend our evenings “playing school” with our many siblings and neighbors.

ECAUSE of our productive “pretend play” I began school already reading and writing. I remember printing the alphabet with pride. By the time I reached third grade I was reading everything I could get my hands on and helping my classmates read as well. In fact, the only time I was reprimanded was when I tried to help a classmate pronounce names during her social studies report on current events.

I shared that time during my childhood, because it is important for educators to understand that children begin school on various levels. Children develop and retain information differently. Some students begin school ahead of the pack. As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure all children, irrespective of their initial academic level continue to make progress. Unfortunately, most students are not progressing at an appropriate pace. The reauthorized, national education

law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), grants states the freedom to develop their own academic standards and measures of accountability so long as those standards prepare students for college and career readiness. State academic standards can include a wide range of subject areas; in contrast to the previous emphasis on reading and mathematics. To support the academic achievement of

Those Annoying Sounds of Silence Dr. James L. Snyder It was in the 60s when Simon and Garfunkel recorded their famous song, “The Sounds of Silence.” I must confess that I do enjoy what I know of as “The Sounds of Silence.” Nothing is more relaxing than sitting back with a cup of coffee and enjoying the silence as it whistled by. This has become a rather infrequent period for me. I love the silence and I enjoy the peace and quiet it brings. The problem is, silence can be taken too far. Recently, we were the target of a ferocious hurricane who tried to have her way with us. She snorted, huffed, puffed and stomped her way up through the state of Florida. As it turned out, although there was a tremendous amount of damage, it was not as bad as expected. That is something we can thank God for. For almost a week, we were privileged to have her presence in our state. She did not stay as long as we expected and we were quite happy to see her go. The further north she went the less strength she had. The state of Florida simply exhausted her. Here in Florida we are used to high winds and that sort of thing. Water, rain and flooding are a common occurrence here. We did have some record high flooding, but in the mainstream, we endured and got through it. Many people were out of electricity for days and some for weeks at a time. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and her faithful companion did not lose electricity. We did lose, however, our Internet, phone and TV. That covered pretty much everything in our house. My wife had her car filled with gas while I on the other hand, did not. I did not think it would last long, so I stuck it out because I really had no place to go. Where would I go? Almost everything was closed. Even the gas stations at one point closed. Restaurants were closed so I could not go out and have lunch. Therefore, even though I did not have gas, I really did not need gas. I really had nowhere to go. I did have a plan, though. I figured if we had to go somewhere, we could use my wife’s car. She always has plenty of gas, so I wasn’t worried. Many people around us lost their electricity and I figured we would lose ours too. We did not and so I was most grateful. At least I could set in the living room with the air conditioner on enjoying myself. As the days turned into more than I can remember, it started to get rather boring. We had no Internet or phone or TV so I did not know what was going on around us. It was quite exasperating to me.

I like to know what’s going on and what’s happening and what to expect. “Just relax,” my wife said rather calmly, “everything is all right and we have nothing to fear.” It wasn’t anything I wanted to Fear, there were just things I wanted to Know. Fear and Know are two very different things. Then she said something, which she thought, would calm me down a little bit. “Remember,” she said most seriously, “that song by Simon and Garfunkel?” I knew where she was going with this, but I had nothing else to do so I thought I would play along. “No, I don’t,” I said as seriously as possible. “I can’t remember that far back.” She scowled at me and then continued, “The Sounds of Silence.” “We have electricity, the air conditioning is running, the refrigerator is okay and the stove is working so I can cook. We don’t have anything to worry about.” “Just listen,” she continued, “to those wonderful sounds of silence.” It was about that time that the rain came down in torrential fury. I looked at her and smiled and she whirled back to the kitchen to cook supper. Silence is wonderful if you’re in control of it. Too much silence can get a little bit aggravating, at least to someone like me. I enjoy the silence when I can open a book and enjoy the literature before me. Then I like to get on the Internet or TV and find out what is happening in the world. Too much silence can be aggravating and then I got to thinking, what in the world did people do before we had electricity? This gave me a new appreciation for the things that I have. During those “Sounds of Silence,” I began to think about all the blessings I have in my life. Most of the time we do not appreciate what we have until we do not have them any longer. What is the one thing I could do without? That is a hard question to ask, but I thought about it during the silence. One of the things I want to learn from this experience is to every day appreciate what I have because tomorrow I may not have it any longer. I thought about what David wrote in the book of Psalms. “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24). I only have one chance to rejoice and be glad in today, and I’m going to take it as much as I can. Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

students with varied academic ability, background, and socioeconomic status, it is vital that educators refrain from the one-size-fits-all model of instruction promoted during No Child Left Behind (NCLB). To improve academic achievement, we must reflect on our stated mission: to educate all children. Not every child is going to be a mathematician. Not every child is going to be a scientist or doctor. However, every child is born with specific gifts and talents. It is up to us, as parents and educators, to help each child develop those specific talents. In a family of six children, each of my siblings had a different area of interest. One became a medical doctor,

another a mathematician, still another, an engineer; there are two former teachers, and a law enforcement officer. We were all expected to excel in our respective fields, and we did. Success comes in many forms. A successful student is allowed to pursue his/her natural talents and encouraged to learn the skills needed to be a productive citizen. Had my siblings and I been limited to reading and mathematics, we probably wouldn’t have been as successful; not in our careers or personal lives. To improve academic achievement, let’s first equip teachers with the skills to recognize the natural talents that support and encourage academic achievement. School

systems must realize that tests only measure a finite set of skills and that skills do exist outside of those measured. Academic achievement is improved when we recognize the differences in children and embrace them rather than trying to put every child in the same, square box. Academic achievement is improved when parents take the initiative to advocate for their child’s needs from the womb all the way through college graduation and the start of their careers. Who is responsible for improving academic achievement? All of us. Get engaged, go to the meetings, participate in the professional development, take part in the free webinars, read the articles on education in your local newspapers, and be a voice in your child’s education. If you are looking for tips on how to get involved, or where to go to attend meetings, visit . www.nnpa.org/essa. Dr. Elizabeth Primas is an educator, who spent more than 40 years working towards improving education for children of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. Dr. Primas is the program manager for the NNPA’s Every Student Succeeds Act Public Awareness Campaign. Follow Dr. Primas on Twitter @elizabethprimas.

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TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

OPED How to Hurt Chicago’s Black Community: Crack Down on Ridesharing In case you missed it, the conversation about requiring fingerprint-based background checks for drivers on ridesharing platforms and imposing limits on surge pricing for the services flared up again last week in Chicago. I’ve written about the flaws of fingerprint-based background checks before. Many believe fingerprinting is the gold-standard in law enforcement, but when we take a closer look at how Alderman Anthony Beale’s proposal to require drivers for ridesharing companies to be fingerprinted would impact minority groups, we realize just how wrong that assumption is. Independent government audits have shown these background checks are discriminatory, incomplete, and inaccurate. First, minority groups are much more likely to have had an interaction with the criminal justice system. Though many of these interactions are minor, nonviolent offenses where the charges are dropped, oftentimes, the record hasn’t been cleared. In fact, nearly half of Black men are arrested by the age of 23. Think about that. The issue is even worse in Chicago, where 37% of the population under 18 identifies as Black, but Black boys and girls make up more than 79% of juvenile arrests. If you include the number of people who are currently in prison, you will find nearly 80% of working-age African American men in the Chicago area have a criminal record. Studies also show that fingerprint-based background checks are incomplete and inaccurate. A Department of Justice survey found that twenty-six states and Washington, D.C., indicated that less than 70% of felony arrest records have been updated with the final case outcome. So that a young Black man who was arrested, but found not guilty – he’s the one who will get hurt by a fingerprint-based background check. The survey also found that more than half of law enforcement agencies still use ink and paper to collect fingerprints, even though this method has a near 1 in 3 rejection rates. Therefore, earlier this summer, twenty members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus came together to sign a joint letter expressing their concerns over this very issue. They argued that their communities, which were historically underserved by public and private transportation options until ridesharing came along, deserve a job application process free of the discriminatory practices that fingerprint-based background checks invite. Our leaders in Congress are right. We can do better. And the good news is that there are other options for background checks that resolve these issues. We need to consider the alternatives before making any decisions that disproportionately impact the lives of any citizens, especially Black men and women. Additionally, Alderman Beale’s proposal aims to limit surge fares during unexpected periods of peak demand to 150 percent of the average price of the ride. This proposal would take money directly out of driver’s pockets, many of whom have picked up ridesharing as a second or third job and an extra source of income. For drivers, surge pricing is a good thing – it means increased fares and a reliable stream of pickup requests. But a restriction on surge rates isn’t just anti-driver, it’s anticonsumer too. Surge pricing at its core is a supply and demand mechanism. It ensures that there is a driver available for every passenger who opens the app - even during high demand times like peak commute-hours or during late-night hours when other transportation options aren’t available for third shift workers. Services like Uber and Lyft have given careers to Black men and women throughout Chicago. They’ve also brought another transportation option to underserved areas on the South and West sides of the city. Fingerprint-based background checks and limiting surge pricing could change that. Before Chicago rushes to enact another ordinance on ridesharing, we need to look at what the city, and its minority population, stand to lose. Mr. Alford is the Co-Founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®.

A school choice silver lining By Natalia Castro

Hurricane Harvey has left Houston’s citizens displaced, damaged, and in need of an opportunity to rebuild. Luckily, the destructive hurricanes of our country’s past have left a model for recovery that Texas is prepared to utilize. With hundreds of devastated schools, Houston must look to New Orleans for proof that school choice can provide students and parents with bright prospects following the tragedy.

RINCIPALS and administrators reported working last Monday for the first time this school year, only to find dozens of buildings with severe flood damage. NPR reports this week that as many as 25,000 students could be displaced, while administrators scramble to find bookcases and computers in this expensive cleanup. But Houston does have options. The Texas Tribune explains the Texas legislature should make home schooling and virtual schooling a legitimate option for enrollment for students affected by the storm. While parents are transitioning students across districts and rebuilding their homes, a virtual classroom or

home schooling is one of few options to provide continuity in their child’s education. Because Texas has a part time legislature, this can only happen if Governor Abbot (R-Tex.) calls a special session. The next scheduled legislative session is not supposed to happen in Texas until January 2019. Houston’s school system has had problems for years; while suburban schools are improving, urban schools have been consistently under performing. This was a similar dilemma New Orleans had before Katrina. As U.S. News of Aug. 2015 writes, “When Hurricane Katrina surged through the Gulf of Mexico into Louisiana on August 29, 2005, the 56,000-student public school system here, already crippled by

corruption and incompetence, was wiped out…State authorities and school reformers saw an opportunity born of necessity. Even before the storm, Louisiana officials had set up a special state authority to take over the worst schools in a school system where only half the students earned diplomas. After Katrina, the Louisiana legislature turned over 80 percent of New Orleans’ 126 schools to the Louisiana Recovery School District with a mandate to recreate them as charter schools.” With tragedy ravaging all of the New Orleans school systems, charter schools provided a bright spot for hope and renewal. Just ten years after Katrina, the percentage of students passing standardized test nearly doubles to 62 percent, while the districts graduation rate climbed to 73 percent. The aforementioned U.S. News report explains, even in a city beset by poverty, the assistance of groups like Teach for America sparked new innovation into the charter schools, dramatically improving their performance. This increased prosperity and hope for parents across the state. A report from the Education Research Alliance found that

when parents were given the choice as to where they wanted their children to go to school, 86 percent chose to send their child to a school other than the nearest option. Parent’s want control over the schools their children attend, and when they have it the improved performance is clear. As Houston scrambles to find an education plan for thousands of students postHarvey, implemented reforms that promote school choice is a necessity. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has made school choice a pillar of her role, now she will finally have the chance to implement it. While Katrina was a tragedy, it taught the country that when parents are given the opportunity to educate their children in a way that works for them, they do it well. As Houston attempt to rebuild, looking to options such as homeschooling, virtual schooling, charter schools, and open districts provides the people hope for improvement a hope they desperately need right now. Natalia Castro is a contributing editor for Americans for Limited Government

Is Facebook facilitating violent Antifa? By Natalia Castro Facebook has become the gateway to information in the social media world, but with this popularity comes heavy responsibility. As Facebook attracts a global network of billions of users, speech which advocates violence has become prevalent across the site, raising questions on the role Facebook plays in moderation. Ultimately, Facebook is allowed to have an editorial bias under the First Amendment, just like any media outlet. The problem erupts when the “openness” model of Facebook promotes the growth of violent ideology; despite clear community standards against violence — Facebook says it “remove[s] content that expresses support for groups that are involved in the violent or criminal behavior” — these rules can be difficult to enforce, giving users the responsibility of reporting abuse. As Joe Newby and Adina Kutnicki explains in Banned: How Facebook Enables Militant Islamic Jihad, “In June 2014, Islam Exposed (The Truth about Militant Islam), was unpublished after Facebook claimed the page included pornographic content… Page administrators sent a letter to

Facebook that contained screen shots of the page to prove that no such content existed… Facebook yanked the page but restored it, claiming that it was the result of a mistake. At that time, page administrators received death threats from critics but those threats were dismissed by Facebook. Instead of dealing with the threats leveled at administrators, Facebook chose to tear the page down, citing ‘harassment.’ In short, Facebook punished the victims for being threatened.” This occurs consistently with groups in ranging ideologies. Newby and Kutnicki continue to explain that Britain First, a right of center political party with 1.1 million supporters, had their page pulled with no explanation. Facebook restored the page, only after the groups established “an immediate legal fund to drag Facebook through court” under the claim they violated their supporter’s freedom of speech and expression. Facebook has also come under fire after a 2016 Gizmodo report uncovered that Facebook algorithms and curators often suppress conservative sources in favor of “neutral outlets” like the New York Times and CNN, Facebook pledged the solve the problem and even donated $62,500 in cash to the

Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). While certain political viewpoints are running into problems - likely due to abuse of the reporting feature - others that appear to be violating Facebook’s own community standards against violent ideology are still allowed on Facebook. Newby and Kutnicki provided the example of a Facebook page promoting the beheading of infidels, stating, “When we Muslims take over America, you infidels will show respect or die.” Following public outcry, the page was eventually removed from Facebook. Yet due to the openness of Facebook groups that promote violence can continue to take advantage of the site as a tool for recruitment to their ideology and ultimately their cause. Some facets of Facebook can even help maintain their anonymity and protect these groups from exposure. Like Antifa. These groups are hiding in plain sight. Facebook has three types of groups: public, which anyone can see the group, its members, and their posts; closed, anyone can find the group and see who is in it but only members can view posts; and secret, only members

can find the group, see who is in it, and see posts. Despite Facebook’s model for open and interactive communication, these closed and secret groups can become a hotbed for fostering radical violent ideology without suppression or oversight. One Antifa group has a closed group with 4,824 members. The description explains that the group connects the international so-called “anti-fascist” community for easy communication and information sharing. Pages such as Berkeley Antifa even write on their page, “While we truly appreciate all the love shown to us through our Facebook page, we ask that our supporters refrain from liking or commenting on any of our posts… We hide all comments made to this page in order to minimize risk for all involved. If your comment is hidden, it will still be visible to you and your friends. We encourage you to continue to share our posts and pass them around to your friends… If your Facebook account is truly privatized, liking posts made to leftist/ antifascist pages is not nearly as much of a risk.” A number of other closed Antifa groups can be found rather easily on Facebook. Why

they are still there after all the violence is a good question. For example, considering 13 members of the group were just arrested at Berkeley University for charges ranging from assault with a deadly weapon to obstructing a police officer as part of an organized violent protest against peaceful conservative demonstrators, it is clear these closed groups are fueling violent principles under the radar. The American people are at a dynamic crossroads with this issue as well. A poll by the Center for Security Policy/ Eagle Forum/McLaughlin & Associates shows 85 percent of the American people support free speech, while 63 percent oppose Antifa for their violent acts against free speech. They don’t agree with shutting down unpopular views, even racist ones, with violence or censorship. This could put companies like Facebook in a delicate position. As Rick Manning, President at Americans for Limited Government explains, “The fact that the First Amendment maintains broad support across America clearly shows that freedom runs through the very DNA of the American people, and those who seek to undermine

basic freedoms or provide aid and comfort in that effort, do so at their own political peril. Private companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter and Paypal need to proceed cautiously as they consider becoming arbiters of appropriate speech on the Internet, because if Americans believe that they have relinquished their neutrality, they will lose their dominance to market alternatives.” This creates the compelling question in the information age as to where the responsibilities of Facebook begin and end. Do closed groups being used by violent actors like Antifa violate Facebook’s guidelines? It is hard how to see they don’t. As the publicly traded Facebook with over $490 billion market cap continues to grow, these questions must be addressed. In order for Facebook to remain credible it must continue proving that it is committed to being an unbiased and secure network where the marketplace of ideas can flourish. On the other hand, how it handles violent speech from radical groups is an ongoing question. How about addressing Antifa? That would be a good start. Natalia Castro is a contributing editor at Americans for Limited Government.

TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

NEWS US Immigrants continued from page 1

More than a dozen states from Maine to California have sued over the administration’s decision to phase out the program, alleging similar constitutional violations. So has the University of California system. The impact of Trump’s decision directly weighs on plaintiffs’ personal lives and decisions they made to advance their careers in the U.S. Viridiana Chabolla, a 26-year-old law student at University of California Irvine, said she does not know how she would repay a loan she took out to cover living costs or how she would afford books or food if her protection from the program known as DACA is rescinded. `Ì imagined in the years to come I’d be able to get a job and would be able to pay it back,’’ said Chabolla, whose parents brought her illegally to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 2. `Ì imagined I’d at least have DACA.’’ The lawsuit claimed that the administration’s decision violates the immigrants’ rights to equal protection and due process. The plaintiffs _ who are from Mexico and Thailand _ include teachers, a medical student and 34-year-old lawyer Dulce Garcia, who recently signed a lease for an office and hired employees believing she could stay and work in the U.S. under the program, said Gabriel, an attorney for the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Trump’s announcement on Sept. 5 came after 10 Republican attorneys general threatened to sue in an attempt to halt the program. Under Trump’s plan, those already enrolled remain covered until their two-year work permits expire, and some renewals are being allowed. But there will be no new applications. Department of Justice spokesman Devin O’Malley blamed the Obama administration for starting the program and said the agency will defend Trump’s decision. `Ìt was the previous administration’s arbitrary circumvention of Congress that got us to this point,’’ he said. ``The Department of Justice looks forward to defending this Administration’s position and restoring respect for the rule of law.’’ Immigrant advocates praise the program for protecting immigrants who were raised and educated in the U.S. despite their lack of legal immigration papers. The program’s opponents criticize it as too broad and said major changes to immigration laws need to go through Congress and cannot be enacted by the U.S. president alone.

What you should know continued from page 1

however, many observers, who have played a role in monitoring how effectively the CRA is enforced, wonder whether it will continue to offer broad access to affordable mortgage financing. James Perry, the chief executive officer of the Winston-Salem, N.C. branch of the Urban League, has nearly 15 years of experience in the area of fair housing, primarily with the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, where he served for 10 years as executive director. “The CRA has been an extremely valuable tool for providing access to mortgage financing for disadvantaged individuals, particularly African Americans and Latinos,” Perry said. “Unfortunately, it appears the act might be imperiled based on the rhetoric we hear from many in the current Administration, as well as in Congress.” Under the CRA, the federal government monitors how well banks and other lending institutions do in meeting the credit needs of the entire community, with the goal of making certain that neighborhoods which can be categorized as low- and moderate-income are not overlooked. Under provisions of the CRA, a bank’s application for new branches, relocation of existing branches, mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate activities are closely evaluated. Institutions that do not have a good record of CRA compliance can have these business activities constrained by officials with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which monitors CRA compliance. OCC uses a four-tier ranking system to measure compliance: outstanding, satisfactory, needs to improve and substantial noncompliance. Chris Rockey, community development market manager for the Greater Maryland for PNC Bank, said that CRA was enacted as a direct response to “redlining,” which was an unethical practice whereby banks and other lending institutions made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for residents of poor inner-city neighborhoods to borrow money, get a mortgage, take out insurance or access other financial services. Redlining did not take into consideration an individual’s qualifications and creditworthiness. The practice of redlining disproportionately affected Black borrowers. “Too often, inner-city problems have been viewed in silos, rather than strategically,” Rockey said. “You can’t consider such factors as access to affordable housing, elimination of blight, high levels of commercial vacancy, safety and availability of public transportation, individually and in isolation. Effective CRA programs look at the totality of how these issues impact a community and how they can all be addressed simultaneously.” Rockey discussed one such strategic program in Baltimore where PNC partnered with other institutions, including a competitor bank, to raise $10 million in capital to invest in a community development project. Rockey referred to working with other competitor banks on such projects to as “co-opetition.” Both Rockey and Perry agree that the CRA has, to some extent, been unfairly blamed for the housing crisis of 2008 and the subsequent loss of billions of dollars in home equity. “The rhetoric that the CRA was largely responsible for the housing crisis comes mostly from the ‘right,’” said Perry. “Actually the CRA requires lenders to make credit available in disadvantaged communities at the same rate as in majority communities.” “There is more than enough blame to go around for what caused the housing crisis,” Rockey explained. “There were many factors involved, including predatory lending, by unscrupulous banks and lending institutions and investors propping up subprime mortgages without a truthful and honest examination of what they represented.” Perry and Rockey are also in agreement that the way CRA compliance is currently measured does not fully recognize the rapidly changing nature of the banking industry. “The CRA predates the Internet,” Perry said, “and looks at such things as where a bank locates its retail branches and how many of those branches are in African-American and Latino communities.” “Where a bank has branches is still relevant to its obligations under the CRA,” said Rockey. “But as banking has become increasingly mobile, with more and more banking transactions being handled on smart phones and other digital devices, we are hopeful that new measures of CRA compliance would be considered. Perry and Rockey, although viewing the CRA from somewhat different perspectives, both support what is has accomplished for urban communities, as well as what it has the potential to continue to accomplish. “In terms of community development the CRA is a way for a bank to do well by doing good,” Rockey said.

Thousand Oaks Man continued from page 1

The 42-year-old was initially arrested in June after Thousand Oaks police said he gave three counterfeit checks totaling $12,000 to a car dealership as down payment on an SUV. The arrest came after a fourmonth investigation during which detectives discovered he allegedly passed counterfeit checks to several businesses. Frierson was released after posting bail. But police say they determined a counterfeit cashier’s check was used to post the bail and Frierson was rearrested July 19. It wasn’t clear on Wednesday if he has an attorney.

Dr. Aminta Hawkins continued from page 1

realize how very proud I am to get to this point,” Breaux said about serving as BSU’s first female president. “I have received so much positive feedback from faculty, students and staff and recognize that this is a huge responsibility that is very exciting and I wholeheartedly serve in leadership role with great distinction.” Breaux has only officially been in office since July 1, the former vice president for advancement at Millersville University in Pennsylvania has already started to outline new initiatives. Heavily involved with community building, Breaux noted that she wanted to enrich the neighborhoods surrounding the university while preparing students for the everchanging workforce. “Partnerships are going to be extremely important. We want to reach out to our business leaders and the rest of our community and help them see the value that our students

and faculty bring to this area,” Breaux said. “This campus is filled with rich opportunity and initiatives and strong academic programs, but we are also a part of a larger scheme. Initially, I want people to know that we are a part of this community...We want to begin looking at our business community, business leaders and partnering with businesses in the area to make sure that we are preparing our students for the workforce...not just for today, but for tomorrow.” Though the university is fullyequipped with state of the art facilities including a Fine and Performing Arts Center that opened in 2012 and an elaborate Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing that opened this year, Breaux said that this only just the beginning of a long-term focus on K-12 institutions and community colleges, as well. “I envision our students mentoring and bringing different K-12 and community college students to our campus,” said Breaux. “With state of

the art facilities, it is always good to let students see other role models at higher levels doing great things. You know, you have to give students that goal and let them see that they can get to that point.” Breaux continued: “I am looking forward to partnering with Prince George’s Community College, in particular, and reaching back to K-12 institutions in order to ensure that these students are prepared to come into our university and succeed.” In addition to her work at Millersville University, Breaux was also dean of students at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia from 2000 to 2008 and assistant provost of Drexel University from 1998 to 2000. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Temple University, a master’s degree in psychological services in education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in counseling psychology from Temple University. She is also a graduate of the Harvard Institute for Executive Management and the American

Association for State Colleges and Universities Millennium Leadership Institute. In his last days before his departure Burnim, Bowie’s ninth president also shared his vision for the university and wishes for the upcoming president. “I have expressed to Dr. Breaux that she is becoming president of one of the finest public comprehensive universities in America,” said Burnim. “Bowie State University is poised for further growth and progress. There are many people and organizations that want to see that progress and are willing to work with her to achieve it.” Founded in 1865, Bowie State University, located in Prince George’s County, Md. serves more than 5,600 undergraduate and graduate students and offering over 41 bachelor and master degree programs, two doctoral programs and 14 graduate and advanced study certificates. Areas of focus at the school include computer science, information technology, nursing, natural sciences and education.

garnered at least $1.2 million. Its academic performance has improved, but still lags behind the state average. Only 25 percent of St. Anthony students passed both math and reading assessments this year, versus about half of all publicly funded students on average at both private and public schools, according to the state’s education data from 2017. Last year, the state gave St. Anthony a C grade. Gina Fleming, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, said through a spokesman that “significant staff turnover” at St. Anthony’s “made for a difficult start these past two years.” As a result, the archdiocese “has been studying ways in which we can recruit, retain and reward high-quality teachers and leaders.” It has also “made shifts in scheduling, resources, diagnostic analyses and personnel to better accommodate the learning needs of our students.” In Fort Wayne, Indiana, two other charter schools went private. Both Imagine MASTer Academy and Imagine Schools on Broadway were associated with a national for-profit charter chain, Imagine Schools, which has been under scrutiny elsewhere. In 2012, the Missouri Board of Education shut down all six Imagine charter schools in St. Louis for financial and academic woes. In response to such setbacks, Imagine Schools has moved toward “an even deeper commitment to increasing the consistency of our network-wide performance,” said Rhonda Cagle, a spokeswoman for the chain. The two Fort Wayne schools performed well initially, but by the time their charters were up for renewal, they had some of the worst test results in the area, said Robert Marra, executive director of the charter office at Ball State University, which was responsible for the schools’ oversight. Imagine MASTer received a D grade from the state in 2013 and Imagine Schools on Broadway, an F. The data for the two schools “showed clear room for improvement but indicated consistent growth,” Cagle told ProPublica. In 2013, Imagine merged its two failing charters with a local parochial school, Horizon Christian Academy. Since then, the Christian academy’s enrollment has soared from 23 students to 492. About 430 students paid their tuition with the help of state vouchers last year, totaling about $2.4 million in public funds. While some of Imagine’s students and staff have stayed on, Cagle said that Imagine has no involvement in the merged academy, other than owning the building. “We could have allowed the buildings to just be empty, but we felt like if there was an interest by another entity for the purposes of education, that would be doing the right thing,” she said. Imagine “does not utilize vouchers for any of our schools,” she added. Academically, Horizon Christian is far below average. Only 7 percent of its students passed both state exams this year, according to state data. One of its campuses received a D grade last year, and its other two failed. The academy did not respond to questions. “Low-performing operators in Indiana and elsewhere have skirted accountability by converting their charter schools to private schools either right before or right after a charter revocation or nonrenewal,” said Brown, the former Indianapolis official. “I can say unequivocally that any attempt to keep a lowperforming school open by evading

rigorous accountability is not good for students, families, or the broader school choice movement.” As it awaits its first infusion of voucher funds later this month, the Orange Park Performing Arts Academy is strapped. The district has repossessed most of the former charter school’s instructional supplies, including 200 Chromebooks, 34 laptops, 27 iPads and hundreds of textbooks. The arts — the school’s core mission — have been cleaned out: ten easels, nine digital pianos, eight heartwood djembes and four conga drums, all gone. Once lined with silver bleachers, the walls of the cavernous gym are now bare. Many children have left, too. While the school had about 170 students last year, only 94 enrolled this fall. At least one quarter are kindergarteners, who didn’t attend the charter school. Tanya Bullard, who pulled her three daughters out of Orange Park, predicted it would slide further as a private school, because there will be “no one to keep an eye on it and issues will be swept under the rug.” The school’s new principal, Kelly Kenney, isn’t deterred. She said that she has already made significant strides to separate the school from its failed days as a charter. Most of the teachers and administrators are new hires, although half of the teachers are uncertified. Kenney plans to get the school accredited, and strengthen the board of directors. “It can’t be a board of friends,” she said. She has been working with each teacher individually to raise standards and improve curriculum. “Most people would have been defeated,” Kenney said. “Sometimes when you’re knocked down the hardest, you come back the hardest. And so for parents that have been skeptical, I’m like ‘This will be the best year of education your child will ever have. We’re going to be looking at every detail of their progress, every detail of their learning gap to make sure that we’re closing it.’” Even though it’s not required, Kenney intends to publish her students’ performance data on the school’s website. “It’s important for us to show how we did compared to last year,” she said. To recruit students this past summer, Kenney went door to door in nearby apartment complexes, hosting information sessions in laundry rooms. Believing that they couldn’t afford a private school, many families were reluctant to send their children to Orange Park — until Kenney told them about vouchers. For weeks, she and her staff have worked around the clock to sign up all the students in the voucher program, even helping them organize, fill out and fax in the necessary paperwork. Bria Joyce is a loyalist. When her son started kindergarten at the local public school, she says he was “bumping heads” with classmates and she worried that he wasn’t receiving enough attention from teachers. She transferred him to the Orange Park charter school, where he took piano lessons and played Grandpa Joe in a production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” When Joyce heard that the school was converting to a private school, she was nervous that she wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition. But the school reached out to her immediately and walked Joyce through the voucher process. Now Joyce’s son is starting fourth grade there. “They were prepared and made it as easy as they could, considering everything,” she said. “I believe in what they’re trying to get done.”

Failing Charter Schools continued from page 5

A recent Department of Education study compared students who attended private schools with vouchers in Washington, D.C., from 2012 through 2014 with those who qualified for the program but were turned down due to a lack of available slots. The private schoolers performed significantly worse than their public school peers in math, and no better in reading. According to a February 2017 analysis by Martin Carnoy, a Stanford University education professor, most studies of voucher programs over the past quartercentury found little evidence that students who receive the coupons perform better than their public school peers. The lack of evidence on the benefits of vouchers, Carnoy wrote, “suggests that an ideological preference for education markets over equity and public accountability is what is driving the push to expand voucher programs.” Across the Florida panhandle from Orange Park, another troubled charter school for the arts has reinvented itself as a voucherfunded private school. Founded in 2010, the A.A. Dixon Charter School of Excellence had the worst academic record in Escambia County, and the school board raised questions about its financial accounting. “Every month they came before the board and there was a problem,” said Jeff Bergosh, a school board member at the time, adding that he supports school choice. “They tried to make it work, but they didn’t. There were serious issues that jeopardized student safety, like sanitation issues and not having supervision [for the students].” After Dixon received two failing grades from the state — which triggers termination of a school’s charter under Florida rules — Reverend Lutimothy May, a Baptist pastor who chaired its board, appealed to state education authorities. They allowed the school to operate for at least one more year, but he began to seek other options. Around the same time, a local beverage distributor, David Bear of the Lewis Bear Company, told May that he was considering contributing to the state tax-credit program. If the Dixon school privatized, Bear told May, donations could help save it. In 2013, May turned the charter, which had recently been renamed the Dixon School of the Arts, into a private Christian arts academy located inside his church. Nearly all current students at Dixon receive the tax-credit vouchers, bringing the school more than $500,000 a year, according to the most recent data from the state’s department of education. “Our goal is still the same,” but the conversion has “untied some of the strings on education,” May said. Some of the untied “strings” to which May referred were state educational requirements. By converting from a charter to private status, Dixon and other schools largely shield themselves from accountability. For instance, while Florida requires all private schools to test students who receive vouchers, the schools face no consequences for weak academic performance. The University of Florida publishes an annual report analyzing the test scores of students that receive vouchers, but data from only a small fraction of the schools is made public. The report excludes many schools that don’t have test results for enough students in consecutive years. The latest report released the

academic performance of only 198 schools in 2014-15, out of the more than 1,500 schools that enrolled voucher-funded students that year. Most Florida families that receive vouchers do not have access to test data on their schools. The Dixon data was not published. Dixon’s principal, Donna Curry, maintained that the school has improved since its conversion from charter status, but declined to provide exam results to ProPublica, saying they were “for internal use.” Curry added that state test results are not necessarily reflective of student success. “I will not accept the fact that our children are not learning because they are not normalized on the state test,” she said. Her staff “knows more than what the test evaluates.” The state also has little control over how private, voucher-funded schools foster learning. There are no requirements on curriculum or teacher certification, other than the criminal background checks that are required for personnel at all private schools. Because Dixon receives more than $250,000 in voucher money, it does have to file a financial accountability report. Only about 40 percent of all voucher-funded schools met this threshold to undergo such an audit in 2016. The reports, including Dixon’s, aren’t publicly posted. Even an official at Step Up For Students, the largest nonprofit distributor of voucher money to Florida’s private schools, acknowledges the need for closer supervision of educational quality. “As the program matures and more students are enrolled and as inevitably we see some schools continue to have what most people would consider to be poor performance year-in and year-out, we will be having more and more discussions about whether there should be some kind of regulatory accountability mechanisms to respond to that,” said Ron Matus, the organization’s director of policy and public affairs. Indiana’s largest voucher program, unlike Florida’s, is directly backed by taxpayer dollars and has stricter accountability requirements. A private school that accepts vouchers can be sanctioned if its performance dips low enough. Last year, 10 schools lost their access to new vouchers, according to Adam Baker, the spokesman for the Indiana Department of Education. The tighter supervision, though, didn’t deter Padua Academy in Indianapolis. Originally a private Catholic school, Padua had become a “purely secular” charter in 2010, under an unusual arrangement between the local archdiocese and the mayor’s office. The school initially performed well, but soon sank from a solid A-rating to two consecutive F-ratings. “These performance issues sounded alarm bells at the mayor’s office,” said Brandon Brown, who led the mayor’s charter office at the time. Leadership issues with the school’s board and at the archdiocese, he added, caused the school to falter. After receiving $702,000 from a federal program that provided seed money for new charter schools, the school’s board relinquished its charter. In the meantime, Indiana had established a voucher program. So, instead of shutting down, the school rebranded itself as St. Anthony Catholic School, nailing its crucifixes back onto the walls and bringing the Bible back into the curriculum. Last year, more than 80 percent of its students were on vouchers, from which the school

TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

LEGAL NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF KATHY A. KING Case No. 56-2017-00500889-PRPWOXN To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of KATHY A. KING. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by ERIC KING in the Superior Court of California, County of VENTURA. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that ERIC KING be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. A HEARING on the petition will be held on October 5, 2017 at 9:00 AM in Dept. No. J6 located at 4353 East Vineyard Ave., Oxnard, CA 93036. IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Leonard E. Aron, Esq. SBN 65072 LAW OFFICE OF LEONARD E. ARON 58 N. ASH STREET VENTURA, CA 93001-2902 SchId:68344 AdId:22765 CustId:689 ---------------------------------------------------T.S. No. 044366-CA APN: 579-0-030785 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 10/2/2014. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER On 10/5/2017 at 9:00 AM, CLEAR RECON CORP., as duly appointed trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 10/9/2014, as Instrument No. 2014100900127357-0, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County, State of CALIFORNIA executed by: JEAN SYROTUCK WHITTLE, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, OR SAVINGS BANK SPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: Auction.com Room, Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort, 1050 Schooner Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 528 STONEY PEAK COURT SIMI VALLEY, CA 93065 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be held, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, condition, or encumbrances, including fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, to pay the remaining principal sums of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $392,745.19 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by

contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (800) 2802832 or visit this Internet Web site WWW. AUCTION.COM, using the file number assigned to this case 044366-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. FOR SALES INFORMATION: (800) 280-2832 CLEAR RECON CORP. 4375 Jutland Drive San Diego, California 92117 SchId:68364 AdId:22772 CustId:670 ---------------------------------------------------T.S. No. 043112-CA APN: 522-0-053035 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 9/3/2004. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER On 10/18/2017 at 11:00 AM, CLEAR RECON CORP., as duly appointed trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 9/17/2004, as Instrument No. 20040917-0253607, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County, State of CALIFORNIA executed by: STEVEN C. CHATTERTON, A MARRIED MAN WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, OR SAVINGS BANK SPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: AT THE MAIN FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER HALL OF JUSTICE LOCATED AT 800 S. VICTORIA AVE., VENTURA, CA 93003 all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 170 PRENTISS STREET THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91360 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be held, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, condition, or encumbrances, including fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, to pay the remaining principal sums of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $332,438.59 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (844) 4777869 or visit this Internet Web site WWW. STOXPOSTING.COM, using the file

number assigned to this case 043112-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. FOR SALES INFORMATION: (844) 477-7869 CLEAR RECON CORP. 4375 Jutland Drive San Diego, California 92117 SchId:68369 AdId:22775 CustId:670 ---------------------------------------------------APN: 077-0-082-380 TS No: CA07000349-17-1 TO No: 8701903 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE (The above statement is made pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(1). The Summary will be provided to Trustor(s) and/or vested owner(s) only, pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(2).) YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED July 28, 2015. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On October 24, 2017 at 11:00 AM, at the main entrance to the Government Center Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93001, MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps, as the duly Appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust recorded on August 4, 2015 as Instrument No. 20150804-00117861-0 1/15, of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Ventura County, California, executed by LEONARD C. KING, AN UNMARRIED MAN, as Trustor(s), in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS INC. as nominee for REVERSE MORTGAGE SOLUTIONS, INC. as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID DEED OF TRUST The property heretofore described is being sold “as is”. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 133 S DUNNING STREET, VENTURA, CA 93003 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is estimated to be $280,280.27 (Estimated). However, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary’s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the Trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. Notice to Potential Bidders If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a Trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a Trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same Lender may hold more than one mortgage or Deed of Trust on the property. Notice to Property Owner The sale date shown on this Notice of Sale may be postponed one or more times by the Mortgagee, Beneficiary, Trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about Trustee Sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call In Source Logic at 702-6597766 for information regarding the Trustee’s Sale or visit the Internet Web site address listed below for information

regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case, CA07000349-17-1. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. Date: September 7, 2017 MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA07000349-17-1 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 Phone: 949-2528300 TDD: 866-660-4288 Stephanie Hoy, Authorized Signatory SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.insourcelogic.com FOR AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: In Source Logic AT 702659-7766 Trustee Corps may be acting as a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained may be used for that purpose.ISL Number 34107, Pub Dates: 09/15/2017, 09/22/2017, 09/29/2017, TRI- COUNTY SENTRY SchId:68373 AdId:22776 CustId:669 ---------------------------------------------------T.S. No. 056776-CA APN: 165-0-176085 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 10/15/2002. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER On 10/18/2017 at 11:00 AM, CLEAR RECON CORP., as duly appointed trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 11/4/2002, as Instrument No. 2002-0271566-00, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County, State of CALIFORNIA executed by: WENDELL A. PRICE AND MARY CATHERINE PRICE, HUSBAND AND WIFE, AS JOINT TENANTS WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, OR SAVINGS BANK SPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: AT THE MAIN FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER HALL OF JUSTICE LOCATED AT 800 S. VICTORIA AVE., VENTURA, CA 93003 all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1875 DUNNIGAN ST CAMARILLO, CA 93010 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be held, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, condition, or encumbrances, including fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, to pay the remaining principal sums of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $44,203.50 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (844) 477-7869 or visit this Internet Web site WWW.STOXPOSTING.COM, using the file number assigned to this case 056776-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. FOR SALES INFORMATION: (844) 477-7869 CLEAR RECON CORP. 4375 Jutland Drive

San Diego, California 92117 SchId:68375 AdId:22777 CustId:670 ---------------------------------------------------T.S. No. 057045-CA APN: 104-0-220055 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 12/23/2004. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER On 10/11/2017 at 11:00 AM, CLEAR RECON CORP., as duly appointed trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 2/1/2005, as Instrument No. 20050201-0025201, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County, State of CALIFORNIA executed by: ENRIQUE M. SALAZAR AND ALICIA SALAZAR, WHO ARE MARRIED TO EACH OTHER WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, OR SAVINGS BANK SPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: AT THE MAIN FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER HALL OF JUSTICE LOCATED AT 800 S. VICTORIA AVE., VENTURA, CA 93003 all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 317 13TH ST S SANTA PAULA, CA 93060 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be held, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, condition, or encumbrances, including fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, to pay the remaining principal sums of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $116,039.19 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (844) 477-7869 or visit this Internet Web site WWW.STOXPOSTING.COM, using the file number assigned to this case 057045-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. FOR SALES INFORMATION: (844) 477-7869 CLEAR RECON CORP. 4375 Jutland Drive San Diego, California 92117 SchId:68379 AdId:22778 CustId:670 ---------------------------------------------------T.S. No. 057775-CA APN: 580-0-053245 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 5/15/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER On 10/18/2017 at 11:00 AM, CLEAR RECON CORP., as duly appointed trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 5/25/2007, as Instrument No. 20070525-

00106568-0, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County, State of CALIFORNIA executed by: CYNAIDO B ASIDERA A MARRIED MAN WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, OR SAVINGS BANK SPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: AT THE MAIN FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER HALL OF JUSTICE LOCATED AT 800 S. VICTORIA AVE., VENTURA, CA 93003 all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 21 ROBBINS COURT SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 93065 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be held, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, condition, or encumbrances, including fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, to pay the remaining principal sums of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $559,534.16 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (844) 4777869 or visit this Internet Web site WWW. STOXPOSTING.COM, using the file number assigned to this case 057775-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. FOR SALES INFORMATION: (844) 477-7869 CLEAR RECON CORP. 4375 Jutland Drive San Diego, California 92117 SchId:68390 AdId:22782 CustId:670 -----------T.S. No. 057775-CA APN: 580-0-053245 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 5/15/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER On 10/18/2017 at 11:00 AM, CLEAR RECON CORP., as duly appointed trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 5/25/2007, as Instrument No. 2007052500106568-0, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County, State of CALIFORNIA executed by: CYNAIDO B ASIDERA A MARRIED MAN WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, OR SAVINGS BANK SPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: AT THE MAIN FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER HALL OF JUSTICE LOCATED AT 800 S. VICTORIA AVE., VENTURA, CA 93003 all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST The street address and other

common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 21 ROBBINS COURT SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 93065 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be held, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, condition, or encumbrances, including fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, to pay the remaining principal sums of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $559,534.16 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (844) 4777869 or visit this Internet Web site WWW. STOXPOSTING.COM, using the file number assigned to this case 057775-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. FOR SALES INFORMATION: (844) 477-7869 CLEAR RECON CORP. 4375 Jutland Drive San Diego, California 92117 SchId:68393 AdId:22783 CustId:670 ---------------------------------------------------NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE TS No. CA-14-652044-HL Order No.: 100336291 NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED TO THE COPY PROVI DED TO THE MORTGAGOR OR TRUSTOR (Pursuant to Cal. Civ. Code 2923.3) YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 7/23/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 to the Financial C ode and authorized to do business in this state, will be held by duly appointed trustee. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE. Trustor (s): YAKOV LITINETSKY AND MARIA LITINETSKY, TRUSTEES OF THE LITINETSKY FAMILY TRUST OF 2004 Recorded: 7/31/2007 as Instrument No. 2007073100150517-0 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of VENTURA County, California; Date of Sale: 10/19/2017 at 11:00AM Place of Sale: At the main entrance to the Government Center Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009 Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $2,162,385.59 The purported property address is: 4126 HARBOUR ISLAND LN, OXNARD, CA 93035 Legal Description: Please be advised that the legal description set forth on the Deed of Trust is in error. The legal description of the property secured by the Deed of Trust is more properly set forth and made part Exhibit “A” as attached hereto. PARCEL NO. 1 LOT 59 (THE LOT) OF TRACT NO. 5266-8, AS SHOWN ON A SUBDIVISION MAP (MAP) RECORDED ON JULY 31, 2006, IN BOOK 156 AT PAGES 67 TO 70, INCLUSIVE, OF

TRI-COUNTY SENTRY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

LEGAL MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS (MAPS), IN THE OFFICE OF THE VENTURA COUNTY RECORDER. PARCEL NO. 2 NONEXCLUSIVE EASEMENTS FOR ACCESS, INGRESS, EGRESS, DRAINAGE, ENCROACHMENT, SUPPORT, MAINTENANCE, USE, ENJOYMENT, REPAIR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, ALL AS DESCRIBED IN THE DECLARATIONS. PARCEL NO. 3 A NONEXCLUSIVE EASEMENT APPURTENANT TO THE LOT FOR PEDESTRIAN ACCESS, INGRESS AND EGRESS OVER CERTAIN POINTS LOCATED ON THE PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE LOT SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE PASSAGE OF GRANTEE TO USE AND ACCESS THAT PORTION OF THE PRIVATE DOCK FACILITIES (AS DEFINED IN THE DOCK DECLARATION) APPURTENANT TO THE LOT. PARCEL NO. 4 AN EXCLUSIVE USE APPURTENANT EASEMENT FOR ACCESS AND USE OF THE PRIVATE DOCK FACILITY ASSIGNED TO THE LOT IN THE DOCK DECLARATION (DEFINED BELOW). PARCEL NO. 5 A NONEXCLUSIVE RECIPROCAL EASEMENT OVER THE ADJACENT LOT FOR PEDESTRIAN ACCESS, INGRESS AND EGRESS OVER THE REAR STAIRWAY WHICH SERVES BOTH THE LOT AND THE ADJACENT LOT CONSTRUCTED ON THE PROPERTY LINE, IF APPLICABLE, AS REASONABLY NECESSARY FOR ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC WALKWAYS ADJACENT TO THE LOT. GRANTEE AND THE ADJACENT LOT OWNER SHALL BE JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF SUCH STAIRWAY. EXCEPTING AND RESERVING FROM ALL CONVEYANCES, ALL PREVIOUSLY UNRESERVED MINERALS, OIL, GAS, PETROLEUM, OTHER HYDROCARBON SUBSTANCES AND ALL UNDERGROUND WATER IN OR UNDER OR WHICH MAY BE PRODUCED FROM THE ABOVEDESCRIBED LOT WHICH UNDERLIES A PLANE PARALLEL TO AND 500 FEET BELOW THE PRESENT SURFACE OF SUCH LOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROSPECTING FOR, THE EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION, EXTRACTION AND TAKING OF SUCH MINERALS, OIL, GAS, PETROLEUM, OTHER HYDROCARBON SUBSTANCES AND WATER FROM SUCH LOT BY MEANS OF MINES, WELLS, DERRICKS OR OTHER EQUIPMENT FROM SURFACE LOCATIONS ON ADJOINING OR NEIGHBORING LOT OR LYING OUTSIDE OF THE ABOVEDESCRIBED LOT, IT BEING UNDERSTOOD THAT THE OWNER OF SUCH MINERALS, OIL, GAS, PETROLEUM, OTHER HYDROCARBON SUBSTANCES AND WATER, AS SET FORTH ABOVE, SHALL HAVE NO RIGHT TO ENTER UPON THE SURFACE OR ANY PORTION THEREOF ABOVE SUCH PLANE PARALLEL TO AND 500 FEET BELOW THE PRESENT SURFACE OF SUCH LOT FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER Assessor’s Parcel No.: 188-0-300-035 NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sa le date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 916-939-0772 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this Internet Web site http://www. qualityloan.com , using the file number assigned to this foreclosure by the Trustee: CA-14-652044-HL . Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the property address or other common designation, if any, shown herein. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, including if the Trustee is unable to convey title, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return o f the monies paid to the Trustee. This shall be the Purchaser’s sole and exclusive remedy. The purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Trustor, the Trustee, the Beneficiary, the Beneficiary’s Agent, or the Beneficiary’s Attorney. If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy, you may have been released of personal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holders right’s against

the real property only. QUALITY MAY BE CONSIDERED A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Date: Quality Loan Service Corporation 411 Ivy Street San Diego, CA 92101 619645-7711 For NON SALE information only Sale Line: 916-939-0772 O r Login to: http://www.qualityloan.com Reinstatement Line: (866) 645-7711 Ext 5318 Quality Loan Service Corp. TS No.: CA-14-652044-HL IDSPub #0131548 9/22/2017 9/29/2017 10/6/2017 SchId:68396 AdId:22784 CustId:608 ---------------------------------------------------NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE TS No. CA-17-772315-BF Order No.: 730-1705239-70 NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED TO THE COPY PROVI DED TO THE MORTGAGOR OR TRUSTOR (Pursuant to Cal. Civ. Code 2923.3) YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 11/6/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 to the Financial C ode and authorized to do business in this state, will be held by duly appointed trustee. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE. Trustor(s): Daniel D Scarlett. Recorded: 11/14/2007 as Instrument No. 20071114-002099500 and modified as per Modification Agreement recorded 11/8/2016 as Instrument No. 20161108-001652980 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of VENTURA County, California; Date of Sale: 10/19/2017 at 9:00 AM Place of Sale: At the Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort, 1050 Schooner Drive, Ventura, CA 93001, in the Auction.com Room Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $477,413.86 The purported property address is: 1506 UPPINGHAM DRIVE, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91360 Assessor’s Parcel No.: 674-0-233-195 NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sa le date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 800-280-2832 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this Internet Web site http://www. qualityloan.com , using the file number assigned to this foreclosure by the Trustee: CA-17-772315-BF . Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the property address or other common designation, if any, shown herein. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, including if the Trustee is unable to convey title, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return o f the monies paid to the Trustee. This shall be the Purchaser’s sole and exclusive remedy. The purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Trustor, the Trustee, the Beneficiary, the Beneficiary’s Agent, or the Beneficiary’s Attorney. If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy, you may have been released of personal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holders right’s against the real property only. QUALITY MAY BE CONSIDERED A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

Date: Quality Loan Service Corporation 411 Ivy Street San Diego, CA 92101 619645-7711 For NON SALE information only Sale Line: 800-280-2832 O r Login to: http://www.qualityloan.com Reinstatement Line: (866) 645-7711 Ext 5318 Quality Loan Service Corp. TS No.: CA-17-772315-BF IDSPub #0131544 9/22/2017 9/29/2017 10/6/2017 SchId:68399 AdId:22785 CustId:608 ---------------------------------------------------NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF JAY A. SKIDMORE Case No. 56-2017-00500671-PRPWOXN To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of Jay A. Skidmore. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Paul M. Candelaria in the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Paul M. Candelaria be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will be held on October 5, 2017 at 9:00 AM in Dept. J6 located at 4353 East Vineyard Ave., Oxnard, CA 93036. IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Byron J. Wedemyer, Esq. SBN 44682 110 South A Street, Ste. A Oxnard, CA 93030 (805) 486-8331 SchId:68413 AdId:22787 CustId:692 ---------------------------------------------------File No.: 20170905-10017601-0 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON(S) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: 1.) VXS TRANSPORTATION 28 Holt Street Ventura, CA 93001 VENTURA COUNTY Full Name of Registrant Victor Cibrian 28 Holt Street Ventura, CA 93001; Sylvia Cibrian, 28 Holt Street Ventura, CA 93001. This Business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares information as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) /S/Victor Cibrian 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 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 residence address or 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). THIS STATEMENT WAS FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK OF VENTURA ON 08/02/2017. MARK A. LUNN By: Deputy County Clerk SchId:68409 AdId:22788 CustId:517 ---------------------------------------------------File No.: 20170911-10017898-0 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON(S) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: 1.) STEPHEN H. JOHNSON COMPANY 3321 Big Cloud Circle,

Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 VENTURA COUNTY Full Name of Registrant Stephen H. Johnson, 3321 Big Cloud Circle, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. This Business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on August 18, 1999. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares information as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) /S/Stephen H. Johnson 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 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 residence address or 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). THIS STATEMENT WAS FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK OF VENTURA ON 08/02/2017. MARK A. LUNN By: Deputy County Clerk SchId:68416 AdId:22789 CustId:693 ---------------------------------------------------APN: 040-0-120-075 TS No: CA08000400-17-1 TO No: 170113780 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE (The above statement is made pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(1). The Summary will be provided to Trustor(s) and/or vested owner(s) only, pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(2).) YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED April 5, 1990. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On October 19, 2017 at 11:00 AM, at the main entrance to the Government Center Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93001, MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps, as the duly Appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust recorded on April 11, 1990 as Instrument No. 90-054051, of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Ventura County, California, executed by CHARLES C. CHANEY AND DOROTHY P. CHANEY, WHO ARE MARRIED TO EACH OTHER, as Trustor(s), in favor of BANK OF AMERICA NT&SA, A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID DEED OF TRUST The property heretofore described is being sold “as is”. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 3622 OJAI RD, SANTA PAULA, CA 93060 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is estimated to be $9,623.06 (Estimated). However, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary’s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the Trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. Notice to Potential Bidders If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a Trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a Trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and

size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same Lender may hold more than one mortgage or Deed of Trust on the property. Notice to Property Owner The sale date shown on this Notice of Sale may be postponed one or more times by the Mortgagee, Beneficiary, Trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about Trustee Sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call In Source Logic at 702-659-7766 for information regarding the Trustee’s Sale or visit the Internet Web site address listed below for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case, CA08000400-171. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. Date: September 12, 2017 MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA08000400-17-1 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 Phone: 949252-8300 TDD: 866-660-4288 Myron Ravelo, Authorized Signatory SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.insourcelogic.com FOR AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: In Source Logic AT 702659-7766 Trustee Corps may be acting as a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained may be used for that purpose.ISL Number 34223, Pub Dates: 09/22/2017, 09/29/2017, 10/06/2017, TRICOUNTY SENTRY SchId:68431 AdId:22794 CustId:669 ---------------------------------------------------NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Karen Blackmore Zitting Case No. 56-2017-00496210-PRLAOXN To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of Karen Blackmore Zitting aka Karen Blackmore aka Karen Zitting. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Arthur R. Blackmore, Jr. in the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura County. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Arthur R. Blackmore, Jr. be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent (Successor Administrator). THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will be held on 10/25/2017 at 9:00 AM in J-6 located at 4353 E. Vineyard Avenue, Oxnard, California 93036. IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Ruth D. Morrow, Esq. (SBN 077507) Law Offices of David A. Esquibias 2625 Townsgate Road, Ste. 330 Westlake Village, CA 91361 (805) 267-1141 SchId:68464 AdId:22805 CustId:694 ---------------------------------------------------File No.: 20170920-10018603-0 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON(S) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: 1.) ELEGANT ENVELOPES & MORE, 5284 Lafayette Street, Ventura, CA 93003. VENTURA COUNTY Full Name of Registrant: Katherine A. Villegas, 5284 Lafayette Street, Ventura, CA 93003. This Business is conducted by: an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on September, 19, 2017. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares information as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that

the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) /S/Katherine A. Villegas 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 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 residence address or 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). THIS STATEMENT WAS FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK OF VENTURA ON 09/20/2017. MARK A. LUNN SchId:68467 AdId:22806 CustId:693 ---------------------------------------------------NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF ALICE ANN STUMP AKA ALICE STUMP AKA ALICE ANN LEWIS Case No. 56-2017-00501655-PR-PLOXN To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of ALICE ANN STUMP AKA ALICE STUMP AKA ALICE ANN LEWIS. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Susan Marie Cox in the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura County. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Susan Marie Cox be appointed as administrator with will annexed to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. A HEARING on the petition will be held on 10/26/2017 at 9:00 AM in J6 located at 4353 E. Vineyard Avenue, Oxnard, California 93036. IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Raymond L. Stuehrmann Law Office of Raymond L. Stuehrmann 100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Ste. 231 Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 (805) 230-1288 SchId:68471 AdId:22807 CustId:695 ---------------------------------------------------File No.: 20170814-10015000-0 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON(S) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: 1.) TJ AUTO CARE, 534 Montgomery, #303, Oxnard, CA 93036. VENTURA COUNTY Full Name of Registrant: Tania Romero Vega, 1170 W. Hemlock St., Oxnard, CA 93033. This Business is conducted by: an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares information as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) /S/Tania Romero Vega 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 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 residence address or 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). THIS STATEMENT WAS FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK OF VENTURA ON 08/14/2017. MARK A. LUNN SchId:68474 AdId:22808 CustId:693 ---------------------------------------------------File No.: 20170915-10018338-0 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

THE FOLLOWING PERSON(S) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: 1.) Dairy Queen of Oxnard, 1941 North Rose Ave., Ste. 720, Oxnard, CA 93030. VENTURA COUNTY Full Name of Registrant: Caroline V. Salgado, 731 Halyard St., Port Hueneme, CA 93041. This Business is conducted by: an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares information as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) /S/ Caroline V. Salgado 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 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 residence address or 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). THIS STATEMENT WAS FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK OF VENTURA ON 09/15/2017. MARK A. LUNN SchId:68478 AdId:22809 CustId:693 ---------------------------------------------------File No.: 20170914-10018275-0 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON(S) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: 1.) PLUG LORDZ; 2) PLUG LORDZ MEDIA, 1353 Calle De Oro, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. VENTURA COUNTY Full Name of Registrant: 1) Jennifer Harrison, 1353 Calle De Oro, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. 2) Edwin Henriquez, 1353 Calle De Oro, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. This Business is conducted by: a general partnership. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on April 1, 2017. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares information as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) /S/ Jennifer Harrison 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 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 residence address or 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). THIS STATEMENT WAS FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK OF VENTURA ON 09/14/2017. MARK A. LUNN SchId:68482 AdId:22810 CustId:693 ---------------------------------------------------File No.: 20170914-10018292-0 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON(S) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: 1.) SOMETHINGPRO 77, 409 Cresthill Drive, Oak Park, CA 91377. VENTURA COUNTY Full Name of Registrant: 1) Sohrob Parsa Keynejad, 409 Cresthill Drive, Oak Park, CA 91377. This Business is conducted by: an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on September 14, 2017. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares information as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) /S/ Sohrob Parsa Keynejad 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 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 residence address or 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). THIS STATEMENT WAS FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK OF VENTURA ON 09/14/2017. MARK A. LUNN SchId:68486 AdId:22811 CustId:693

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