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News Observer Bakersfield

Volume 47 Number 33

Serving Kern County for Over 47 Years

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Black Ministers on J&J Vaccine Pause:

Transparency Needed to Regain Public Trust Bo Tefu California Black Media Some Black ministers in Southern California say authorities failed to keep them up to speed with developments before halting administration of the J&J vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed blood clots, called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, during clinical trials.

One of the women died.

“This is alarming,” said the Rev. K.W. Tulloss, president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles and Southern California. “People were already leery. But we put our name out there to help get people vaccinated. Many of us thought the one-shot J&J vaccine was the best for people in our community.”

Tulloss said the week before the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) decision to pause the vaccine, the Baptist Minsters Conference hosted a site for the governor’s emergency team and FEMA. Over 2300 people were vaccinated through the program.

“No one reached out to us. I had to hear about his on the news,” said Tulloss. “We were left in the dark, blind -not able to share with those concerned what was the next step and how this is happening. It will cause a greater harm for African Americans and our community as a whole.

People were not trusting these vaccines. Supervisor Holly Mitchell was the only one who convened a conversation with the ministers to let us know what was going on. She’s

the only one we heard from.”

Many Black Public health experts agree that there needs to be more transparency.

“We’ve got to be fully transparent because when something goes wrong, it looks like we have targeted this particular community, whether it’s Black, Latinx, or the Asian community. When it comes out that something’s wrong with this vaccine it’s going to look malicious, even if it’s not,” said Dr. Kim Rhoads Director Office of Community Engagement at the University of California, San Francisco.

The same day the CDC announced the pause, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), announced that it is adhering to the CDC’s advice.

“Today, the CDC and FDA have recommended a temporary pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution.

Of over 6.8 million doses administered nationally, there have been six reported cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot with symptoms occurring 6 to 13 days after vaccination,” said Dr. Erica Pan, a leading California state epidemiologist.

“California is following the FDA and CDC’s recommendation and has directed health care providers to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until we receive further direction from health and safety experts,” Pan continued.

On Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical adviser, said he expects the federal government to make an announcement about whether it will proceed with or permanently halt the J&J vaccine by the end of this week.

Everett K. Sands, Lendistry’s founder and CEO. “During the initial funding rounds, we successfully connected small businesses and nonprofits with grants across all 58 counties in California, and we’re eager to use our platform to swiftly deploy this critical, additional funding so business owners can keep their lights on and serve their communities during this trying time.”

The California legislature recently approved this latest round of funding in the relief program administered by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

Since the initial launch of the funding rounds more than 40,000 grantees in all areas of the state have been awarded funding. More than 350,000 grant applications have been successfully submitted, and 87% of selected applicants represent underserved and disadvantaged small businesses. According to the governor’s office, demand for grant funding has far surpassed supply, and this latest round of financing presents one more opportunity for eligible companies to receive relief that will help keep their doors open.

The J&J vaccine first grabbed national attention when it was hailed as the “one-and-done” shot, the country’s only one-dose vaccine, allocated to some segments of California’s underserved communities, such as the homeless population.

Faith-based leaders working closely with the state to administer vaccines in these communities said the pause is a setback for vaccine equity.

But last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom sounded confident.

Continued on page A2

“I was so glad to finally see that our company had been selected for a business grant in the third round of the CA Relief grant program,” said Pleshette Robertson, founder, CEO and Chief Editor of Sac Cultural Hub, a print and digital magazine that serves a largely African American readership across Northern California.

“I was getting so discouraged but was jumping for joy when I received the email notification,” Robertson continued. “My business was hit hard by this COVID-19 pandemic and the grant was a huge help for contributing towards meeting payroll and our monthly office lease.

As a Black-owned, woman-owned business, it has been difficult meeting all operating expenses and keeping the business going.”

Grants, the state says, will not be issued on a firstcome, first-served basis. Instead, the selection of grantees will be based on the “program’s priorities.”

For application assistance and more information on application deadlines, grant requirements, eligibility criteria, instructional videos, and more, visit CAReliefGrant.com.

I Just Want My Baby Home Says Distraught Mom of Unarmed Black Man Killed by Police

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Katie Wright, the mother of the 20-year-old African American man shot and killed by police a short distance from a Minneapolis courtroom where former cop Derek Chauvin stands trial for the murder of George Floyd, is searching for answers.

Wright, and a frustrated community that still has not wrapped its head around Floyd’s very avoidable murder, said there was no reason for officers to shoot Daunte Wright, Sr. “My son was 20-years-old,” Katie Wright reminded journalists and community members, just hours after her son’s fatal police encounter.

“He got pulled over for having air fresheners in the car that I just gave him,” she forcefully explained. “All he did was have air fresheners in the car, and they told him to get out of the car.”

Brooklyn Center police officials claimed officers pulled Wright over for a traffic violation.

The incident occurred at about 2 p.m. in the 6300 block of Orchard Avenue in Brooklyn Center.

Police officials said Wright, the father of a one-yearold son, had an outstanding warrant.

When they attempted to arrest him, Wright retreated inside his vehicle.

“One officer discharged their firearm, striking the driver, and the vehicle traveled several blocks before striking into another vehicle,” authorities wrote in a statement, which failed to address why police shot the unarmed Wright.

A female passenger in Wright’s vehicle reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“People in the Twin Cities, especially young Black people, are outraged by the police killing of Daunte Wright,” Mel Reeves, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

editor, declared.

The Spokesman-Recorder, one of the 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies represented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), has continued to cover the trial of Chauvin, who faces multiple counts of murder in the death of Floyd last May. “Wright was unarmed, and there is no apparent or logical reason why Brooklyn Center police would have shot him during a traffic stop,” Reeves remarked.

Al McFarlane of Insight News also expressed concern about the latest incident.

Insight News also is a member of the NNPA. McFarlane said his newspaper is monitoring the matter and he also plans to discuss it on his “Conversations with Al McFarlane” radio program that airs at 1 p.m. daily in the Twin Cities.

Katie Wright said as officers pulled her son over, he called her. “I heard someone say ‘Daunte, don’t run,’” she recalled.

Wright said her son’s girlfriend answered the phone when she called back.

“He got out of the car, and his girlfriend said they shot him,” Wright uttered as her voice trailed. “He got back in the car, and he drove away and crashed, and now he’s dead on the ground. Nobody will tell us anything. Nobody will talk to us. I asked them to please take my son off the ground, he’s been there since 1:47 this afternoon.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he would closely monitor the situation as National Guard troops arrived to quell potential conflict between police and a still-on-edge community.

“Gwen and I are praying for Daunte Wright’s family as our state mourns another life of a Black man taken by law enforcement,” the governor tweeted.

As frustrated individuals from the community

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

EXPLAINER: Can Cops Stop Drivers for Hanging Air Fresheners?

By DENISE LAVOIE Associated Press The mother of a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by Minnesota police this week says it all started when police pulled her son over for having air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror.

How, some might ask, can air fresheners be the basis for a traffic stop? The answer: Minnesota is one of a number of states with laws that prohibit drivers from hanging objects from their rearview mirrors on the grounds that the items could obstruct their view.

The laws have led to vehement complaints from civil rights advocates who say police can use them as a pretext for stopping Black motorists.

Daunte Wright was pulled over Sunday by police in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center. Police said he was stopped for having expired car registration tags, but Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, said he called her just before he was shot and said he’d been pulled over because of the air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror.

Police tried to arrest Wright after realizing he was wanted on an outstanding warrant. In the ensuing scuffle, Officer Kim Potter shot him. The city’s police chief, who resigned Tuesday, said he believed Potter meant to fire her Taser, not her gun.

Potter, who also resigned, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter.

HOW MANY STATES PROHIBIT DRIVERS FROM HANGING OBJECTS FROM THEIR MIRRORS AND WINDSHIELDS?

Final Round: Small CA Businesses Can Apply for Up to $25,000 in New COVID Grants Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media Lendistry, a Black-led-and-operated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), will be accepting applications April 28 through May 4 for a fifth round of funding in the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

Late last year, the state selected the Los Angeles-based company to administer $2.075 billion in grants to small businesses, nonprofits, and cultural institutions impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

This round of funding reflects an increase in the grants made available through the program. Like previous cycles, individual payments will range from $5,000 to $25,000.

According to Lendistry, new applicants must meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com. Eligible small businesses and nonprofits not selected in Rounds 1, 2, or 3 that have been waitlisted do not need to re-apply.

“The demand for funding has been immense, with small businesses and nonprofits reaching out for relief and support as they endure through this pandemic,” said

Free!

Katie Wright said as officers pulled her son over, he called her. “I heard someone say ‘Daunte, don’t run,’” she recalled.

shouted and chanted their displeasure with police, officers donned riot gear, fired flashbangs, and sprayed chemicals on protestors who marched toward the Brooklyn Center Police Department headquarters.

“He was only 20 years old, and he didn’t deserve to be shot and killed like this,” Katie Wright demanded. “I don’t want all of this, all of this. I just want my baby home.

That’s all I want is I want him to be home. I don’t want everybody out here chanting and screaming, yelling, I just want him home, that’s it.”

At least five other states _ California, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas and Illinois _ have such laws, but the total number is unclear. The National Conference of State Legislatures does not track such legislation. The American Civil Liberties Union, which has sharply criticized such traffic stops, was unsure how many states allow them.

Minnesota’s law does not specifically mention air fresheners, but says a person shall not drive or operate a motor vehicle with “any objects suspended between the driver and the windshield,” with certain exceptions, including sun visors, rearview mirrors and electronic toll collection devices.

In Virginia, it is still illegal to hang objects in a way that could obstruct a driver’s view, but last year state legislators changed the law so that police can no longer stop a vehicle solely for that offense. Under the new law, police must have another primary reason to first stop a driver.

Brad Haywood, executive director of Justice Forward Virginia, an advocacy organization for criminal justice reform, said as a public defender, he’s represented dozens of people who have been pulled over for having items dangling from their rearview mirrors, including air fresheners and rosary beads.

“I do not remember in my career as a defense attorney representing someone stopped for an obstructed view who was white,” he said. “It’s just been Black and brown people.”

WHAT DO POLICE SAY ABOUT THESE LAWS? Police say traffic stops for minor violations have helped them solve more serious crimes, including drug trafficking, illegal firearms possession and shootings.

They often cite the case of Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, who was stopped by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper for driving without a license plate about 90 minutes after the 1995 explosion that killed 168 people and injured hundreds more.

Joe Gamaldi, a police sergeant in Houston who is the national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he would be “hard-pressed” to find a police officer he’s worked with who has stopped a motorist simply for having air fresheners dangling from the rearview mirror.

But he said traffic stops for minor violations can lead to police finding evidence of other crimes.

“There are times where we simply stop someone because they have a taillight out and then that leads to an investigation of drugs, guns _ and that gun is about to be used in a drive-by shooting _ and because we are able to stop that car, we are able to prevent that,” he said.

“If you don’t want someone stopped for an air freshener or even a (motor vehicle) equipment issue, you need to go to your legislature and have the law changed,” he said.

ARE THERE OTHER CASES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN STOPPED FOR AIR FRESHENERS? In Arizona, La Paz County Sheriff’s Deputy Eli Max was fired about five months after he pulled over a 22-year-old Black man in September 2019 for having an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror.

The Phoenix News Times first reported the encounter between the sheriff’s deputy and Phillip Colbert. In a video recorded by Colbert and later posted on YouTube, Max can be heard telling Colbert he pulled him over because of a small pine tree air freshener. Max asks Colbert repeatedly whether he smokes marijuana, and whether he has any cocaine or heroin. Colbert was not arrested and did not receive a ticket.

In Bakersfield, California, the city agreed to a $60,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by a Black man who alleged he was arrested in 2017 when he refused to answer questions after police stopped the car he was riding in for trivial reasons, including air fresheners hanging from the rearview mirror. The lawsuit said the man was jailed for 12 hours but was never charged with a crime. The city made no admission of liability.

In Chicago, police pulled over two Black men in September 2018 for having an air freshener hanging from a rearview mirror. Officers found weapons in the vehicle, and charged the men with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

The men argued that the evidence should be suppressed because the air freshener was not sufficient probable cause for the traffic stop. A federal appeals court found that the stop was lawful, saying police had reasonable suspicion to suspect that the tree-shaped air freshener obstructed the driver’s view in violation of the city municipal code.

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BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

World & Nation

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

COVID-19 Pandemic Leads to Drop of Maternal Health Care in Africa

Raising Fears of Increased Mortality

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent While almost every country has experienced disruption to its health services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries in Africa have been severely impacted, leading to the suspension of maternal, neonatal, and child health care.

Project HOPE, the nonprofit that has worked to save women and babies’ lives worldwide since 1985, issued a news release warning that decades of progress made to prevent maternal complications and deaths across the continent could be reversed.

The organization calls on countries to develop public health responses that ensure women’s health services during times of emergency.

“Globally, and in many African countries, women have borne the brunt of the harmful effects of the pandemic.

They have had limited to no access to essential maternal and child health services for a significant time period as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and scarce resources in already overstretched hospitals and health centers,” Eden Ahmed Mdluli, Senior Technical Officer for Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health at Project HOPE, wrote in the release.

In 2020, the United Nations announced that about 10,000 health workers would receive training to support mothers and newborns in Africa.

The training would occur through a partnership between the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and Laerdal Global Health, the nonprofit arm of a Norwegian company that provides innovative training, educational and therapy solutions for emergency medical care and patient safety.

The five-year program aims to improve maternal and newborn health in some communities with the highest mortality rates in Eastern and Southern Africa.

UN officials said it would start the program in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Kenya and later expand to other countries in the region.

According to UNICEF, despite recent and promising progress in maternal and neonatal health over the past

Project HOPE calls on countries to strengthen qualitative data collection to identify the exact cause(s) of death during pregnancy and childbirth recorded during the pandemic. (iStockphoto / NNPA)

month.

In countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, this would add 1,280 and 6,700 maternal deaths to the already staggering 16,000 and 67,000 respective maternal deaths each year, Project HOPE officials noted.

“These numbers echo a recent warning from the World Health Organization in Africa, which reported a rise in maternal deaths in 10 countries with the highest increases recorded in Comoros, Mali, Senegal, and South Africa,” the officials wrote in the release.

They reported that in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, curfews imposed in certain African countries made it difficult for pregnant women to reach clinics and/or hospitals after curfew time.

Many health centers, which offer free or low-cost services, also closed during the pandemic, especially if the virus had infected one staff or more.

Many hospitals also had to rearrange their units to accommodate COVID-19 patients. In many cases, it meant diverting resources for existing medical needs to COVID-19 needs, leaving pregnant women and new mothers without access to adequate care.

“People are extremely vulnerable during a pandemic.

That’s why it is even more critical to ensure the continuation of quality and safe women’s health services during times of emergency. Countries must develop a public health response that ensures maternal and child health services in such critical times. Pandemics should not present either-or propositions,” Ahmed Mdluli stated.

Project HOPE also calls on countries to strengthen qualitative data collection to identify the exact cause(s) of death during pregnancy and childbirth recorded during the pandemic.

The organization noted that such action would help ensure the proper steps are taken to prevent similar deaths in the future.

“Before the pandemic, significant strides were made in ensuring healthy lives and reducing some of the common killers associated with maternal and child mortality,” Ahmed Mdluli continued.

“Today, the world’s ability to meet the important Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 requires taking stock of the challenges faced during the pandemic and ensuring equitable health care access for the most vulnerable populations.”

decades, maternal and newborn mortality rates in the Eastern and Southern Africa region remain alarming.

In 2017, roughly 70,000 women in those regions died due to complications during pregnancy and birth, while in 2019, more than 440,000 newborns died in the first 28 days after delivery, UNICEF officials noted.

Project HOPE officials noted that while more data is needed to fully document the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on women and children across Africa, some preliminary numbers have shown a drop in utilization

of essential reproductive, maternal, and neonatal health services.

According to findings by the Global Financing Facility, the number of women who attended the recommended medical visits during pregnancy dropped by 18 percent in Liberia, and the initiation of women seeking medical care during pregnancy fell by 16 percent in Nigeria.

Additionally, a recent modeling study across 118 of the world’s countries estimated that between 8.3 percent and 38.6 percent more pregnant women could die each

by an 85-34 vote.

“When the telegram industry died because communication methodologies changed, government didn’t step in and require people to continue to send telegrams,” a cynical GOP Rep. Randy Fine, the bill’s primary sponsor, argued.

Fine called payments to newspapers an unnecessary subsidy and said the government should not save the “dying industry.”

The 60-page bill notes, in part, that if a governmental agency publishes a legal notice in a newspaper, each legal notice must be posted on the newspaper’s website on the same day that the printed notice appears in the newspaper, at no additional charge, also in a separate web page titled

“Legal Notices,” “Legal Advertising,” or comparable identifying language.

The measure continues: “A link to the legal notices web page shall be provided on the front page of the newspaper’s website that provides access to the legal notices. If there is a specified size and placement required for a printed legal notice, the size and placement of the notice on the newspaper’s website must optimize its online visibility in keeping with the print requirements.

“The newspaper’s web pages that contain legal notices must present the legal notices as the dominant and leading subject matter of those pages. The newspaper’s website must contain a search function to facilitate searching the

legal notices. A fee may not be charged, and registration may not be required for viewing or searching legal notices on a newspaper’s website if the legal notice is published in a newspaper.”

The Senate version of the legislation, SB 402, is scheduled to be heard in its first Senate committee next week.

“There may be an asteroid out there somewhere, and it may be hurtling towards us right now. But until it hits, there’s still some dinosaurs like me left walking around,” Democratic Rep. Joe Geller countered during a Floor argument. “We’re not as comfortable with what you’re proposing as you are.”

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, April 14, plans to hold the first-ever markup of H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. The 10 a.m. session on Capitol Hill will help advance legislation first introduced about three decades ago that establishes a commission to examine slavery and discrimination in the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies.

“Why is this significant now to have a markup in this historic moment in our history? The bill was introduced a year after the Civil Liberties Act that provided reparations for our Japanese-Americans, and we as African Americans supported it,” Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) said during a news conference with African American media members.

“The bill would allow the country to finally confront the stark social disparities occurring in the African American community today and provide solutions,” Jackson-Lee, the bill’s lead sponsor, stated.

The historic markup of H.R. 40 is intended to continue a national conversation about how to confront the brutal mistreatment of African Americans during chattel slavery,

Jim Crow segregation, and the enduring structural racism that remains endemic to American society today added House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DNY).

“Long after slavery was abolished, segregation and subjugation of African Americans was a defining part of this nation’s policies that shaped its values and its institutions,” Nadler remarked.

“Today, we still live with racial disparities in access to education, health care, housing, insurance, employment, and other social goods that are directly attributable to the damaging legacy of slavery and government-sponsored racial discrimination,” Nadler remarked.

“The creation of a commission under H.R. 40 to study these issues is not intended to divide, but to continue the efforts commenced by states, localities and private institutions to reckon with our past and bring us closer to racial understanding and advancement.”

While a specific monetary value on reparations isn’t outlined in the bill, it does focus on investigating and presenting the facts and truth about the unprecedented centuries of brutal enslavement of African people, racial healing, and transformation.

The bill would fund a commission to study and develop proposals for providing reparations to African

Americans.

The commission’s mission includes identifying the role of federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, forms of discrimination in public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants, and lingering adverse effects of slavery on living African Americans and on society.

“Since its introduction in 1989 by the late Chairman John Conyers, and now through its continued introduction, H.R. 40 has galvanized governmental acknowledgment of the crime of slavery and its continuing societal impact,” Jackson Lee maintained.

“The markup of H.R. 40 by the Judiciary Committee is a major step toward the creation of a long-overdue national commission to study and develop reparation proposals.

“Through this legislation, we will finally be able to confront the stark societal disparities occurring in the African American community today and provide solutions.

“By passing H.R. 40, Congress can also start a movement toward the national reckoning we need to bridge racial divides. Reparations are ultimately about respect and reconciliation — and the hope that one day, all Americans can walk together toward a more just future.”

American community to establish trust that can grow at a good pace.

“We don’t build relationships, we think of outreach – which is not a relationship,” said Rhoads.

“If you don’t have a relationship with the community, then you’re not going to have trust,” she said.

Healthcare policy and advocacy groups hosted virtual discussion forums to address the rising doubts in the Black community nationwide since the FDA and CDC announced the J&J vaccine pause. The California Black Health Network was among the various organizations to lead discussions on vaccine hesitancy and health equity with medical experts including the Surgeon General of California Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.

Burke Harris stressed the importance of vaccines for public safety and encouraged people who received the J&J vaccine to consult healthcare providers to mediate their concerns.

“The reasons why the CDC and the FDA decided to put a pause on the use of the vaccine and issue this health alert is also to help healthcare providers know what to look out for,” she said.

Harris said that the state is dedicated to being more transparent about vaccine efforts to keep the public safe.

“The key piece is that we want to maintain public confidence in our process, and in the safety and efficacy

of our vaccines, and in our ability to be transparent,” said Harris.

According to the CDC, COVID-19 is a novel virus which means that the human body does not have the natural ability to produce antibodies that can fight the virus. Scientific research also shows that people who have tested positive for COVID-19 still need to get vaccinated.

Recent studies have shown that pregnant women who get vaccinated are the first to birth babies with immunity to COVID-19.

The advocacy work of African American faith-based leaders has led to a statewide partnership between the state and 200 places of worship to boost vaccine equity.

So far, the state has provided close to 40,000 vaccines at the pop-up sites hosted by faith-based organizations. The state plans to stand up the pop-up sites with at least 25,000 vaccines to immunize people in underserved communities.

State officials confirmed that the California Governor’s Vaccine Task Force is working closely with the CDC and FDA to discuss plans to reopen the state by June this year.

“This pandemic disease remains deadly. The way we defeat this disease is to get vaccinated. The sooner we get vaccinated, the sooner we open up our businesses,” said Gov. Newsom.

Florida GOP Lawmakers Vote to Strip Newspapers of Legal Advertising Revenue

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Florida lawmakers are acting like alligators who smell blood – they are out for the kill.

Their sights set on the struggling newsprint industry, the Florida House passed a bill that would strip the state’s newspapers of desperately needed legal advertising revenue.

House Bill 35 repeals part of the law that requires placement in newspapers, announcements about tax increases, special elections, and other public notices.

Estimates suggest that such notices provide the state’s 100-plus newspapers with millions of dollars in annual revenue.

The Republican-sponsored measure passed this week

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Session on Reparations Legislation

Transparency Needed to Regain Public Trust Continued from page A1

He told Californians that J&J vaccines accounted for only 4% of California’s total supply that week. The governor is among the millions of people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“It will not materially impact our ability to fulfill our expectations and commitment to provide enough vaccines to fully vaccinate all those that seek to get vaccinated, so that we can begin to fully open our economy by June 15,” said Gov. Newsom, referring to the pause.

But Black health experts are stressing that, now more than ever, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions need to be transparent about the vaccine science. They say that is critical to counteracting vaccine hesitancy.

Rhoads, who is also the founder of Umoja Health, a Bay Area community healthcare organization, helped pioneer the pop-up site model currently used by the state as a template for setting up mass vaccine sites in an effort to promote equity in vaccine distribution.

“I want to emphasize where we as academic institutions keep going wrong is a lack of transparency, we want to paint a rosy picture, we want to convince people to get vaccinated instead of giving people information to make their own decisions,” she said.

The medical and public health expert emphasized that the state needs to build a relationship with the African

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Entertainment

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER A3

Five Years After His Death, New Music Arrives from Prince “Welcome 2 America is a document of Prince’s concerns, hopes, and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation, and a renewed fight for racial justice,” Prince’s estate noted in a statement.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Five years after his sudden death, the icon Prince’s estate is releasing brand new music that is sure to excite his still loyal fanbase.

The new “Welcome 2 America” CD marks the first time Prince’s estate is releasing never-before-heard music from the megastar’s famous Paisley Park vault.

Fans got a preview on CBS’s Minutes, and Prince’s longtime guitarist, Brown Mark, sat for a special interview with the Black Press at 7:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, April 15.

The 12-track disc was recorded in 2010 to accompany a tour of the same name but never released.

The estate plans to debut the new music on July 30.

“Welcome 2 America is a document of Prince’s concerns, hopes, and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation, and a renewed fight for racial justice,” Prince’s estate noted in a statement.

Never a big fan of social media, Prince sings about how superficial social media could be, corporate monopolies in

music and reality television.

On the title track, Prince sings: “Welcome 2 America, the land of the free – home of the slave.”

Prince fans know that track is reminiscent of his 1985 song, “America,” from his “Around the World in a Day” album.

In that song, the Purple One sings: “Aristocrats on a mountain climb, making money, losing time/Communism is just a word, but if the government turn over, it’ll be the only word that’s heard/America, America/God shed his grace on thee/America, America Keep the children free.”

Songs from the new CD include “Running Game (Son of a Slave Master),” “Born 2 Die” and “One Day We Will All B Free.”

Prince also sings about “Distracted by the features of the iPhone/Got an application, 2 fix Ur situation.”

During the “Welcome 2 America” tour, which lasted for three years beginning in 2010, Prince performed over 80 shows. The estate doesn’t explain why he never released the accompanying CD. Prince died on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57.

By GARY GERARD HAMILTON Associated Press New York (AP) – Issa Rae remembers what life was like when she was starting out in Hollywood: no money, and just hoping for a chance to be discovered.

“It was about `I just want the exposure. I need the right person to see me and see my work' and I feel like I can deliver from there,” she said. “And then it was, `I'm broke as hell.' If I could just have a certain amount of money to help me continue to do my work, then I'd be good.”

It was a decade ago that the first episode of her viral webseries “Awkward Black Girl” launched. She ran out of money, then was saved by a Kickstarter campaign.

So Rae, now an aspiring entertainment mogul with a reported new $40 million WarnerMedia deal, wants to lighten the load for others hoping to climb the entertainment ladder.

She's teaming up with LIFEWTR, PepsiCo's bottled water product line, and its “Life Unseen” campaign. They're hoping to shed light on 20 up-and-coming creatives in fashion, film, music and visual art from underrepresented communities.

Their content will be featured at LIFEWTR.com and their individual artwork will also be displayed on a collection of 20 bottles starting next month. There's also a (hash)LifeUnseenContest on Instagram which includes a chance for five more artists to be mentored by Rae and provided $10,000 each for future projects.

“It's always been a mission to make sure that people have a place within this industry,” said the “Insecure” creator and star. “It's about opening the door, and even the talent that we selected, we hope that that will be their mission as well.”

The campaign aligns with what Rae already does: extending her hand to pull others up. Industry colleagues and co-workers often sing her praises for offering opportunities in what's perceived as a ruthless industry.

Last season on “Insecure,” she tapped several young directors to lead episodes, like rising filmmaker Thembi Banks and Rae's own co-star, Jay Ellis.

“If you have the opportunity to give people the chance that they're looking for, then why not provide that opportunity? I have nothing to lose and I have only things to gain by watching passionate people deliver,”

On the title track, Prince sings: “Welcome 2 America, the land of the free – home of the slave.” Prince fans know that track is reminiscent of his 1985 song, “America,” from his “Around the World in a Day” album.

(Photo: Prince playing at Cochella, 2008. / Wikimedia Commons)

Issa Rae Gives New Creatives a Hand

Tarana Burke (Courtesy Photo)

said Rae, who recently won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding actress in a comedy series.

Rooting for others to succeed, especially Black people who have been historically underrepresented in Hollywood, has been Rae's mantra. Her viral “I'm rooting for everybody Black” response during a 2017 Emmys red carpet interview was something she said off the cuff and is now found on T-shirts, stickers, pins and other trinkets.

“I still think about leaving the carpet that day and my publicist being like, `Oh my God, you're everywhere!' And I was like, `They didn't like the dress?”` she said, with a huge belly laugh. “'Then she told me, `Oh, no, everybody's saying this phrase.”` Rae's Hoorae production company is now focused on the final season of “Insecure.” Serving as co-creator, executive producer and lead, Rae says it's time to close this novel – even if the fans aren't ready.

“That's like being mad that you're reaching the end of a book. And I understand that sentiment – it's a compliment that people want it to continue. But you bought this book and you saw the length of it, and we're at the end of it.”

But does she feel pressure to end the show in a way

that's pleasing to both her and her loyal viewers?

“I have no doubt that if people don't like the ending, they're going to make it clear to me and make it known for the rest of my life,” she laughed. “So in that way, yes, there is pressure, but I'm happy with where things are ending. I like stories ending.”

Up next for Rae is “Rap Sh(asterisk)t,” a series loosely based off the firecracker female rap duo City Girls, as well as a remake to the cult classic “Set It Off.” She's also completed her first script for a movie she hopes to film soon. Hoorae is said to be juggling more than a dozen projects in various stages.

With magazine cover shoots and glamourous red carpet looks, Rae is far from those early lean years despite still hustling like one. So what would she go back and tell that awkward Black girl?

“She should not be afraid to dream big and to possibly dream even bigger,” said Rae. “And you're still going to be awkward, so just embrace it.”

By JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer It's been more than three years since the (hash)MeToo movement launched a culture-shifting conversation about sexual violence. But Tarana Burke, the activist who gave the movement its name, says concrete change has been incremental at best – and especially for Black survivors.

Now, Burke is part of a new initiative – called “We, As Ourselves” – in which three prominent groups are focusing on those survivors, who she says often feel that (hash) MeToo has passed them by.

In an interview, Burke said that when (hash)MeToo exploded into view in 2017, a result of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, “Black women just kept saying, `Where are WE? Where ARE we? Where do we show up?”'

“The world was changing but we weren't being swept up in those changes,” she said. “It's almost like trickledown theory: `Let's just hope some of this goodness will trickle down to Black folks and they will benefit from it.'

Well, that's not going to happen unless we are intentional” about addressing the issue.

The initiative, announced Wednesday, is a collaboration between `me too.' International, the group founded by Burke; the National Women's Law Center; and the TIME'S UP Foundation.

In a statement, the groups said they were working together to create safe spaces for Black survivors; to confront narratives “that harm and silence Black survivors;” and lastly to come up with new practices that will help get Black survivors “believed, heard, and supported.”

Burke said the most important immediate impact will simply be that a national conversation is being had.

“The biggest part is there IS an initiative,” Burke said.

“There's been work done on local levels, by grass-roots community organizations. But we've never had a national campaign specific to Black survivors of sexual violence.”

She added that few people realize just how little the issue is spoken about in the Black community. “So raising the flag and having decided to talk about it alone is a big deal.”

Among the initiative's concrete plans: narrative

research; conversation guides; a five-part event series; and “rapid-response tools” to support Black survivors who come forward. A week of action is planned for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April. The coalition also released a “Love Letter to Survivors,” a video tribute from activists and celebrities like Gabrielle Union-Wade, Jurnee Smollett, Tamron Hall and Valerie Jarrett, the former adviser to President Barack Obama.

“The labor of Black women lies at the core of our culture, our economy, and our democracy, yet our voices and our needs are continually sidelined and ignored both by the media and our institutions writ large,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, in a statement. “Safety begins by listening to Black survivors and trusting them to know the conditions that will allow them to rise to the fullest of their potential, above the harm and trauma that continually tries to silence them.”

Added Monifa Bandele, chief operating officer for TIME'S UP Foundation: “For generations, Black women have been excluded from the conversation and, when they are included, the narratives created around Black survivors, women, and girls are dangerous, destructive, and undermine their credibility and experiences at every turn ...

We will no longer allow this to happen under our watch.”

Burke noted that one of the main obstacles for Black survivors of sexual violence is the fact that conversation is dominated in the media by accusations against powerful and famous men – and little else.

“We had the R. Kelly documentary, the Russell Simmons documentary,” she said, “and we were, like, `OK that's not really our stories. That's A story, but it's not representative of most people's lives and experiences.”

She also said that during the conversations about racial equality that dominated the national stage in recent months, there had been little mention of sexual violence, and that when she tried to raise it she was told by some: “This is not the time.”

“We tend to segment things,” she said, but “these things are inextricably linked to me.”

Left Out of MeToo: New Initiative Focuses on Black Survivors

A4

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1329 Doing business as: RUSTY’S DOGGY DAYCARE at 8109 Wellstone Way, Bakersfield, Ca. 93313 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: MELISSA ORTIZ, 8109 Wellstone Way, Bakersfield, Ca. 93313 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: MELISSA ORTIZ The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 17, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 17, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Mar 31, Apr 7, 14, 21, 2021 �������������������������������

court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro.

Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Superior Court of California, County of Kern, 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, California 93301 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): THE DUNNING LAW FIRM APC Donald T. Dunning (144665) James MacLeod (249145) 4545 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 200 San Diego, Ca. 92123 Telephone: (858) 974-2556 DATE (Fecha): 04/22/2020 TAMARAH HARBER-PICKENS, Clerk (Secretario), LAURA PASOS, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Mar 31, Apr 7, 14, 21, 2021 �������������������������������

Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Superior Court of California, County of Kern, 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, California 93301 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Alana B. Anaya, Esq. SBN: 195758 Anaya Law Group 2629 Townsgate Road, Suite 140 Westlake Village, Ca. 91361 Telephone: (805) 230-9222 (805) 230-9221 DATE (Fecha): 01/12/2021 TAMARAH HARBER-PICKENS, Clerk (Secretario), SOPHIA MUNOZ ALVAREZ, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant.

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Mar 31, Apr 7, 14, 21, 2021 �������������������������������

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1111 Doing business as: SANTA RITA DENTAL BY DR. SIADATIE at 3873 Stockdale Hwy., Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: SIADATIE A PROFESSIONAL DENTAL CORPORATION, CA, 1322 Bell Ave. #7C, Tustin, Ca. 92780 The business is conducted by: Corporation SIGNED: TISA SIADATIE, CEO The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 5, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 5, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Mar 31, Apr 7, 14, 21, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1312 Doing business as: SUNLESS CHARM at 702 Douglas St. Apt. E, Bakersfield, Ca. 93308 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: JAZMIN ZAMORA, 702 Douglas St. Apt. E, Bakersfield, Ca. 93308 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: JAZMIN ZAMORA The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 16, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 16, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Mar 31, Apr 7, 14, 21, 2021 ������������������������������� SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BCL-20-012200 NOTICE TO DEFENDANTS (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): JAY NGUYEN, an individual; YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF OMAHA, a National Banking Association NOTICE! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BCV-21-100067 NOTICE TO DEFENDANTS (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): RICARDO CASTRO JR; RICHELLE LINN CASTRO and DOES 1 through 40 inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): ALTA ONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NOTICE! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1028 Doing business as: YOUNG-WOO PARK, CPA at 3409 Calloway Dr., Suite 502B, Bakersfield, Ca. 93312 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: YOUNG-WOO PARK, 10205 Ascot Crossing St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: YOUNG-WOO PARK The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 02/12/2003 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 3, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 3, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Mar 31, Apr 7, 14, 21, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1155 Doing business as: SWEET TREE FARMS at 306 Oleander Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93304 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: ANN FLORENDO, 306 Oleander Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93304 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: ANN FLORENDO The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 06/01/2005 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 8, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 8, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1352 Doing business as: WASCO PIZZA FACTORY at 2325 Highway 46, Wasco, Ca. 93280 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 989, Oakhurst, Ca. 93644 County: Kern Full name of registrant: RIVA PARTNERS, LLC, CA, 42722 Lulniu, Ahwahnee, Ca. 93601 The business is conducted by: Limited Liability Company SIGNED: MARY JANE RIVA, Member The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 17, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 17, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1381 Doing business as: AB AND N GARDENING SERVICES at 5807 Karen Pl., Bakersfield, Ca. 93307 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: ABEL BAUTISTA MARTINEZ, 5807 Karen Pl., Bakersfield, Ca. 93307 Full name of registrant: NOELIA ROCHA, 5807 Karen Pl., Bakersfield, Ca. 93307

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

The business is conducted by: Married Couple SIGNED: ABEL BAUTISTA MARTINEZ The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 01/10/2020 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 18, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 18, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 ������������������������������� AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER BCV-20-102832 Superior Court of the State of California, for the county of Kern, 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301 PETITION OF: DONNELL FOSTER FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: JONES for a decree changing names as follows: Present name JONES Filed a petition with this court Proposed name DONNELL FOSTER THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: June 1, 2021 Time: 8:30 a.m.

Dept: 12 The address of the court is: Same as noted above.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER Other: Petitioner to provide proof of service on DCDR and on law enforcement as required per CCP Sec. 1279.5(c) and (e).

Date: March 25, 2021 Linda S Etienne COURT COMMISSIONER Andrea Sanders DEPUTY Petitioner: Jones 3109 N. Half Moon Dr. #A Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 Phone: BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 ������������������������������� ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER BCV-21-100643 Superior Court of the State of California, for the county of Kern, 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301 PETITION OF: ANA BERTHA MEDINA MACIAS FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: ANA BERTHA MEDINA MACIAS for a decree changing names as follows: Present name JULIO MATIAS Filed a petition with this court Proposed name JULIO MATIAS MEDINA THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: June 3, 2021 Time: 8:30 a.m.

Dept: 12 The address of the court is: Same as noted above.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER Other: Non-petitioning parent to be served as required by CCP Sec. 1277 Date: March 26, 2021 Linda S Etienne COURT COMMISSIONER Andrea Sanders DEPUTY Petitioner: Ana Bertha Medina Macias 6012 Gwendolyn St. Bakersfield, Ca. 93304 Phone: (661) 330-7799 E-Mail Address: amedina395@gmail. com BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 ������������������������������� SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BCV-21-100121 NOTICE TO DEFENDANTS (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): KANON FRANKLIN SAWYER III aka KANON F. SAWYER and DOES 1 through 50 inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): ALTA ONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NOTICE! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro.

Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Superior Court of California, County of Kern, 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, California 93301 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Alana B. Anaya, Esq. SBN: 195758 Anaya Law Group 2629 Townsgate Road, Suite 140 Westlake Village, Ca. 91361 Telephone: (805) 230-9222 (805) 230-9221 DATE (Fecha): 01/19/2021 TAMARAH HARBER-PICKENS, Clerk (Secretario), SOPHIA MUNOZ ALVAREZ, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant.

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 �������������������������������

County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 11, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021

does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 1, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021

Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 25, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021

ORDER ON REQUEST TO SERVE BY PUBLICATION CASE NUMBER: ADHE 2100533 Superior Court of the State of California, for the county of Riverside, 880 N. State St., Hemet, CA 92543 PETITION OF: BRANDEN DAVID SCHOCK Hearing Date and Time: 05/06/2021 Dept: S202 The court finds that RICHARD RIVERA cannot be served in any other manner specified in the Callifornia Code of Civil Procedure 415.50. The court orders that the Citation be served by publication, at least once per week for four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the County of Riverside.

Additionally, Petitioner must serve the relatives listed on the Request to Serve by Publication and Declaration of Due Diligence and Declaration Regarding Relatives to be Served under Family Code 7881(a).

IT IS SO ORDERED Dated: BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1276 Doing business as: NILES CARE PHARMACY at 6700 Niles St. Suite 100, Bakersfield, Ca. 93306 Mailing Address: 3704 Windermere St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 County: Kern Full name of registrant: KRISHNAOM CORPORATION, CA, 3704 Windermere St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 The business is conducted by: Corporation SIGNED: SERENA KIM, Chief Executive Officer The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 11, 2021 MARY B BEDARD

������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1205 Doing business as: KNIGHTS LAZER at 4304 Eakins Ct., Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: BRENNA MEDINA MEJICANO, 4304 Eakins Ct., Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: BRENNA MEDINA MEJICANO The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 10, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 10, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1636 Doing business as: SPEECH FOR ALL GROUP LLC at 4550 Panama Lane #A, Bakersfield, Ca. 93313 Mailing Address: 2205 Gambel Oak Way, Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 County: Kern Full name of registrant: SPEECH FOR ALL GROUP LLC, 4550 Panama Lane #A, Bakersfield, Ca. 93313 The business is conducted by: Limited Liability Company SIGNED: BIDYARANI SHAMURAILATPAM, President The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 1, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 1, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1477 Doing business as: KERN ISLAND INSURANCE SERVICES at 1830 Truxtun Ave Ste 218, Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2720, Bakersfield, Ca. 93303-2720 County: Kern Full name of registrant: BXB LTD, CA, 1830 Truxtun Ave Ste 218, Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 The business is conducted by: Corporation SIGNED: STEPHEN SNITCHLER, President The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 12/01/1986 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 26, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 26, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1610 Doing business as: LMA’Z at 4201 California Ave #40, Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: LATASHA ABRAHAM, 4201 California Ave #40, Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: LATASHA ABRAHAM The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 1, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement

������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1483 Doing business as: C & R HONEY FARMS at 9801 Sunset Blvd, Bakersfield, Ca. 93307 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: ROCIO CALDERON, 9801 Sunset Blvd, Bakersfield, Ca. 93307 Full name of registrant: CARLOS A. VILLALPANDO, 9801 Sunset Blvd, Bakersfield, Ca. 93307 The business is conducted by: CoPartners SIGNED: ROCIO CALDERON The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 01/05/2021 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 26, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 26, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1640 Doing business as: TULE ADVENTURE CO at 11205 Cave Ave, Bakersfield, Ca. 93312 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: HEATHER WEST, 11205 Cave Ave, Bakersfield, Ca. 93312 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: HEATHER WEST The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 1, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 1, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1493 Doing business as: LEGACY HEARTH at 708 Elsey St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: TMMR, INC., CA, 708 Elsey St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 The business is conducted by: Limited Liability Company SIGNED: MARISA BANKS The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on:12/30/2019 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 29, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 29, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 �������������������������������

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1474 Doing business as: THE WRIGHT INSPECTION at 319.5 Sycamore Dr., Bakersfield, Ca. 93308 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: SHANE RAYMOND WRIGHT, 319.5 Sycamore Dr., Bakersfield, Ca. 93308 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: SHANE RAYMOND WRIGHT The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 25, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this

������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1500 Doing business as: VALLEY TEAK PROS at 11116 Grand Prairie Dr., Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: MICHEAL ANTHONY SMITH, 11116 Grand Prairie Dr., Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: MICHEAL ANTHONY SMITH The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 29, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 29, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1619 Doing business as: TM MOTORSPORTS at 9004 Cinnabar Ct., Bakersfield, Ca. 93312 Mailing Address: PO Box 615, Edison, Ca. 93220 County: Kern Full name of registrant: JERMAINE ROLLINS, 9004 Cinnabar Ct., Bakersfield, Ca. 93312 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: JERMAINE ROLLINS The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 1, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: R ROBERTS-MARTIN, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 1, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1687 Doing business as: LISA VEASEY HAIRCARE at 2408 Valentine St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93304 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: LISA VEASEY-BRIAN, 2408 Valentine St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93304 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: LISA VEASEY-BRIAN The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 3, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 3, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1665 Doing business as: MAS RADIOLOGIC CONSULTANTS at 2105 19th Street, Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: MICHAEL SLADICH, 2105 19th Street, Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: MICHAEL SLADICH The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 2, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 2, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER A5

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

FILE NO: 2021-B1676 Doing business as: THE STEPHENS WORKSHOP at 703 Graham Peak Drive, Bakersfield, Ca. 93314 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: GLEN STEPHENS, 703 Graham Peak Drive, Bakersfield, Ca. 93314 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: GLEN STEPHENS The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 4/1/2021 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 3, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: R ROBERTS-MARTIN, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 3, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021 �������������������������������

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021

business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 8, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1473 Doing business as: JAVI’S MOBILE NOTARY at 10435 Avignon Way, Bakersfield, Ca. 93306 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: JAVIER MENCHACA ACUNA JR, 10435 Avignon Way, Bakersfield, Ca. 93306 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: JAVIER MENCHACA ACUNA JR The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 4/1/2021 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: March 25, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on March 25, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1884 2021-B1885 Doing business as: SHAUNYCAKES / BROWN SUGA BAKERY at 1300 R St. Unt 16, Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: DASHONDA SPRATLEY, 1300 R St. Unt 16, Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: GLEN STEPHENS The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 8, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: R ROBERTS-MARTIN, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 8, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1889 Doing business as: DILIGENTMINDSET at 430 A St. Apt #B, Bakersfield, Ca. 93304 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: MANUEL FLORES JR, 430 A St. Apt #B, Bakersfield, Ca. 93304 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: MANUEL FLORES JR The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 3/29/2021 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 8, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: R ROBERTS-MARTIN, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ.,

������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1635 Doing business as: TACO BROS at 4521 Ming Ave, Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: N M FOOD INC, CA, 135 Kayden Ct., Bakersfield, Ca. 93305 The business is conducted by: Corporation SIGNED: ISLAM EL GAFY, President The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 1, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: N FRANCO, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 1, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021 ������������������������������� FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1934 Doing business as: JJ’S BBQ at 6410 Olive Dr., Bakersfield, Ca. 93308 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: JONATHAN JONES, 6410 Olive Dr., Bakersfield, Ca. 93308 The business is conducted by: Individual SIGNED: JONATHAN JONES The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 10, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 10, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021 �������������������������������

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021-B1988 Doing business as: KINDER PEDIATRIC DENTAL SPECIALIST at 3130 Union Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93305 Mailing Address: Same County: Kern Full name of registrant: MR RAYMOND DENTAL CORPORATION PC, CA, 3130 Union Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93305 The business is conducted by: Corporation SIGNED: RACHEL PAFAHL, Manager The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 02/22/2021 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: April 12, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. 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 to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on April 12, 2026 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021 ������������������������������� STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE NO: 2016-B7176 Business Name you wish to abandon: KINDER PEDIATRIC DENTAL SPECIALIST Street address of business: 3130 Union Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93305 County: Kern Mailing address of business: Same Registrant(s) whose wish to abandon the business name: EDWARD E. DOVE, DDS, 11442 E. Bella Vista Dr., Scottsdale, Az.. 85259 I declare that all information in this

PUBLIC NOTICE

Statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information, which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.)

Business was conducted by: Corporation SIGNED: RACHEL L. PAFAHL, General Manager This statement of abandonment filed on: April 1, 2021 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ Deputy BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021 ������������������������������� SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BCL-21-010167 NOTICE TO DEFENDANTS (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): JOSHUA ESTES FRANKS and DOES 1 through 40 inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): ALTA ONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NOTICE! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra

PUBLIC NOTICE sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro.

Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Superior Court of California, County of Kern, 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, California 93301 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Alana B. Anaya, Eq. SBN: 195758 Anaya Law Group 2629 Townsgate Road, Suit 140 Westlake Village, Ca. 91361 Telephone: (805) 230-9222 DATE (Fecha): 01/13/2021 TAMARAH HARBER-PICKENS, Clerk (Secretario), GINA SALA, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE ������������������������������� SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BCL-20-013121 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): DOE 1, JASON SCOTT ALVAREZ, and Does 2 to 10 YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): ANCHOR GENERAL INSURANCE CO NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda

PUBLIC NOTICE de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF KERN 1415 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield CA 93301 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Harlan M. Reese, 118226 Joseph M. Pleasant, 179571, Dana N. Meyers 272643, James E. Delaney 292600, 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/842-5850 (File No. 286540) DATE (Fecha): 07/21/2020 Tamarah Harber-Pickens, Clerk (Secretario), by Evan Moran, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served as an individual.

4/21, 4/28, 5/5, 5/12/21 CNS-3461977# BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 2021

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A6

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

Features

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Wells Fargo Expands Commitment to Black-owned Banks

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Wells Fargo & Company announced equity investments in five African American Minority Depository Institutions, or MDIs, as part of a 2020 pledge to invest up to $50 million in Black-owned banks.

The banking giant said it is also offering access to a dedicated relationship team that can work with each MDI on financial, technological, and product development strategies to help each institution strengthen and grow.

“Wells Fargo is really committed to helping foster a more inclusive world, quite frankly, and we want to make sure that we are reaching into the economically disadvantaged communities as well as serving all of our customers and constituents across the footprint of the enterprise,” Georgette “Gigi” Dixon, head of External Relations for Wells Fargo, told NNPA Newswire.

“This past year has been a terrible year for all of us, and it makes it extra-special that we can provide this investment at this time,” Dixon, the 27-year banking veteran, stated.

“I’ve never seen this type of approach to ensuring the legacy like MDIs and, more specifically, Black-owned banks to be preserved and promoted nationally the way Wells Fargo is taking with this position,” she continued.

Dixon added that Wells Fargo began working on the initiative one year before the pandemic and before the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“We started meeting with each one of the MDIs, and we partnered with the National Banking Association,” Dixon revealed.

“We had these meetings with the banks and said, ‘let’s walk through your strategic plan and the things you need to stabilize and or grow the institution so that you are better able to serve your constituents.’ When all these banks are thriving and, in a position, to grow, that helps everybody.”

With that, Wells Fargo decided to provide what Dixon called an injection of equity that gave the MDIs opportunities to maintain their positions as majority

owners.

Wells Fargo then created a relationship management team that focused on understanding what the MDIs needed.

Throughout the process, Wells Fargo remained engaged by providing resources from various factions of the banking organization.

“We reached across all our lines of business and said, ‘we have these great MDIs who are sustaining, stabilizing, growing, and expanding, and we want to make ourselves available through subject matter expertise,’” Dixon recalled.

“I’m so excited about this.”

Wells Fargo’s latest announcement includes investments in Carver State Bank in Savannah, Georgia; Citizens Trust Bank in Atlanta; First Independence Bank in Detroit; Liberty Bank in New Orleans; and Unity National Bank in Houston.

The investments follow Wells Fargo’s Feb. 8 announcement regarding its investments in six African American MDIs and take its total investment to 11 MDIs overall.

Additionally, Wells Fargo plans to make its nationwide ATM network available for customers of the 11 MDIs to use without incurring fees.

The company announced that its financial commitments are in the form of critical equity capital, which is foundational to the MDIs’ ability to expand lending and deposit-taking capacity in their communities.

“The thing that impressed us the most is that these are solid institutions,” Dixon voiced.

“They all unequivocally, across-the-board, have a huge mission to provide financial help to their community and customers. These communities are disproportionately not in the banking system and are not necessarily taking full advantage of the wide range of financial products and services available.

“These MDIs are trusted, and that’s important for all to realize that, when you have trust and credibility, you are going to be able to reach communities that others cannot.

Their mission is focused, and it’s all about the financial health in the community and about expanding access to financial products and services.”

The Lookout: CA Bill Aims to End Homelessness; Make Housing a Basic Human Right Reopening School: Key to Bouncing Back is Being Back

By Dr. Margaret Fortune Reopening school after a year of being in a COVID-19 closure is hard. But, I can tell you first hand, after having reopened my schools on April 5, there is nothing better than seeing students and teachers in classrooms again. The key to bouncing back is being back.

What planning goes into reopening and what does it really mean for families?

I lead a K-12 public school system of nearly 2,300 students, nine schools and about 300 employees across three cities and two counties in California. My students are 64 percent Black, 25 percent Latino and 78 percent low income. We have been very attentive to the needs of our students and enrollment has gone up during the pandemic, not down. We have a 96 percent attendance rate and 94 percent of our students who were enrolled on the first day of school are still enrolled. This is a high rate of student persistence at a time when the narrative for many large urban school systems is scores of students gone missing.

While large urban schools dominate the headlines, small school systems like mine, with under 5,000 average daily attendance, make up two-thirds of the school districts in California.

It was good that the Governor and the Legislature gave guidance for schools to reopen by April 1. At Fortune School, we surveyed parents and found 53 percent wanted to return their children to in-person learning. That’s up from 46 percent who asked to return in November 2020 when we had plans to reopen but couldn’t because infection rates increased.

As I talk to educators from other states, I am learning that California stayed shuttered for an unusually long time.

Was it politics or public health that kept schools closed for so long? I’m not sure.

What I do know is that while our buildings were closed to students, my schools put every safety measure in place from expensive hospital grade air filtration systems to plexi-glass. Our staff got vaccinated, has ongoing access to surveillance testing and we have systems for contract tracing.

On reopening day, a long line of cars wrapped around the corner for morning drop-off. Crews of educators checked kids’ temperatures at the car door and welcomed them to their pre-assigned, small pod of classmates with whom they will spend the rest of the school year. Inside a typical classroom we can fit 10 students and two teachers socially distanced 6 feet apart. With this configuration, we are able to offer school in-person five days a week from 7:30AM – 1PM. The CDC guidance about desks being 3 feet apart came too late to be implemented this school year, but could be a game changer for the fall.

Currently, schools are required to offer families the option for distance learning. Governor Gavin Newsom has said he expects for California to be re-opened by June 15, allowing schools to be back to full in-person instruction with safety precautions. If that is the case, the state should re-establish the expectation that come fall, in-person school attendance is mandatory for students enrolled in classroom-based programs. Right now teachers are providing live instruction to students in-person and online simultaneously. It’s not sustainable.

The Governor is on the right track providing strong guidance to public schools, backed by the authority of the state and funding to implement his expectations. He should keep it up. I’ve spoken to plenty of students and teachers who are definitely glad to be back.

Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media Watching your tax dollars, elected officials and legislation that affects you.

While some might debate if shelter is a basic human right, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who would argue that it isn’t essential to an individual’s quality of life. And in California, where just about every aspect of the nation’s housing crisis is on full display, housing laws become all the more consequential. Especially during a global pandemic.

In the California Legislature, there are a few bills being proposed to curtail – if not finally end -- some of the most pressing housing issues over the course of the next few years.

For those in need of immediate shelter, Assembly Bill (AB) 1372 would “require every city, or every county in the case of unincorporated areas, to provide every person who is homeless, as defined, with temporary shelter, mental health treatment, resources for job placement, and job training -- until the person obtains permanent housing, if the person has actively sought temporary shelter in the jurisdiction for at least three consecutive days and has been unable to gain entry into all temporary shelters they sought for specified reasons,” according to the language of the bill.

AB 1372, which Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) introduced, has been submitted to both the Judiciary and the Human and Community Development committees for review. No hearing has been announced yet.

On March 25, a number of unhoused individuals were cleared out of Echo Park in Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) put a fence around the area where many of them had set up tents. The action by law enforcement was met with spirited protests from community members looking to protect the homeless population seeking shelter in the area.

“The biggest pandemic in years actually turned out to be a blessing for us,” the Echo Park Tent Community said in a statement. “Without the constant LAPD and city harassment uprooting our lives we’ve been able to grow... to come together as a community, not just unhoused but housed as well and work together for the mutual aid and benefit of each other.”

AB 1372 will also require counties and cities to put forth a plan to temporarily shelter unhoused individuals.

“This bill would require every city, county, and city and county to adopt a plan, subject to approval by the Department of Housing and Community Development, to provide for temporary shelter for persons who are homeless in its jurisdiction, as specified,” the bill reads. “By imposing additional duties on cities and counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.”

Speaking of putting forth plans, another bill being proposed to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis is Assembly Bill (AB) 816. This legislation would require the state to put together an analysis in order to build a financial plan to meet certain annual benchmarks with the end goal of reducing homelessness by 90% by the year 2029.

Proposed by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), this ambitious bill would, if passed, go into effect on or before Jan. 1, 2023. In February, the legislation was referred to the Assembly committee on Homelessness and Community Development for review.

“We need everyone to pull their weight,” Chiu told the Sacramento Bee. “We want to make the system very clear that there is accountability.”

According to a federal report by The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Community Planning and Development, California accounted for 51% of the entire nation’s homeless population in 2020. The study also found that almost 40% percent of the nation’s homeless population in January of 2020 were Black or African American.

AB 816 would also provide a governor-appointed homelessness inspector general.

Transitioning from homelessness to another housingrelated issue, transportation, Assembly Bill (AB) 1401 would prohibit local governments from imposing or enforcing minimum parking requirements on residential developments if said development is within walking distance of public transit.

As it currently stands, there are cities where the law mandates there be a certain amount of parking spaces for housing units or other residential properties.

These parking space requirements take up space that some experts believe could be utilized for affordable housing.

For example, in San Diego, there must be at least one parking space per bedroom or housing unit by law, which could cost up to $90,000 per space. That was until the San Diego City Council voted to remove these parking requirements on March 4.

AB 1401, which Assemblymembers Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), Alex Lee (D-San Jose), Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) cosponsored, would take that mandate statewide.

In the upper house of the State Legislature, Senate Bill (SB) 15 would incentivize local governments, by way of grants, to rezone idle building sites intended for retail or commercial projects to instead be used for housing.

The bill also goes into detail about how cities would qualify for the grants.

“In order to be eligible for a grant, the bill would require a local government, among other things, to apply to the department for an allocation of grant funds and provide documentation that it has met specified requirements, including certain labor-related requirements,” the bill reads. “The bill would make the allocation of these grants subject to appropriation by the Legislature in the annual

Budget Act or other statute.”

There is no doubt that California’s housing crisis is dire, justifying these bills, and the many others, being presented to handle this behemoth. While a house is not always a home, a roof is always a blessing, and it is the hope of many that sweeping legislation might go a long way in securing that blessing for more Californians.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER A7

Local

‘Give B-I-I-I-G!’ to Local Nonprofits on givebigkern.org Throughout April, the Bakersfield News Observer will continue to feature stories contributed by local nonprofits participating in the Give Big Kern online fundraising campaign hosted by Kern Community Foundation.

Consider giving locally to the charities featured in the pages of the Bakersfield News Observer this week and through the end of the month. Simply go to givebigkern.org, use the search bar to find a nonprofit you care about, and give. The minimum donation is just $5. The Give Big Kern campaigns continues till May 4.

You Can Pledge Volunteer Hours, Too! You can also pledge volunteer hours to the organization of your choice by using the menu at the top of the page on the Give Big Kern website and choosing the “Volunteering” option. Fill out a brief form online, choose the agency you would like to support through volunteering from the drop-down menu, and your contact information will be provided to them so they can get in touch with you when public health protocols allow. Since this week, April 18-24 is National Volunteer Week, this is a perfect opportunity for you to pledge volunteer hours to a nonprofit you feel passionate about For more information, write to us at info@kernfoundation.org.

Give Big Kern, an online fundraiser to support local nonprofits, lasts from April 4 to May 4. Just go to givebigkern.org, find a nonprofit you feel passionate about, and, as Mascot Billy the Give Big Goat likes to say, “Give B-I-I-I-G!”

Students working during the Bakersfield Museum of Art (BMoA) Summer Art Camp. (Photo courtesy of the Bakersfield Museum of Art) Ed Clark, left, says, “I volunteer as a mentor with Bakersfield Angels for the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of youth in my community.” With him is Robert Davis, a foster youth he mentors. (Photo courtesy of Bakersfield Angels)

Bakersfield Museum of Art

By Amy D. Smith Executive Director Bakersfield Museum of Art (BMoA) inspires and engages audiences through the exhibition and preservation of fine art, educational programs, community outreach, and special events. During our more than 60-year history, we have accessioned more than 350 works on paper, sculptures, photographs and paintings created by 20th and 21st century California artists. Additionally, as part of our mission, we provide arts education programs to more than 10,000 children annually through programs including Museum on the Move, Saturday Studio and ArtReach.

Like so many organizations, the COVID19 pandemic forced us to close our doors in March 2020. We wondered when we could return to normal operations, and how we could continue bringing visual arts experiences to our community. A social media campaign we launched, #bmoachalkyourwalk, told us that even though we were closed to the public, the public still needed BMoA. To meet that need, we made several adjustments to our exhibits and events calendar. · Created our Museum at Home initiative (bmoa.org/ museumathome): a series of online essays, downloadable art projects, interviews, and podcast episodes, each sharing from our permanent collection and exhibits with our community. · Transformed our 2020 Spring fundraiser, ARTMIX, into an online art exhibition with grab-and-go food and drink specials from local restaurants. · Launched our first virtual exhibition featuring our Artworks Class of 2020, a group of16 gifted high school art students whose work was featured in an online BMoA exhibition. · Partnered with Donahue Schriber and the Kern County Department of Public Health to produce our annual Via Arté Italian Street Painting Exhibition at The Marketplace in October 2020, complete with masks, attendance limits and social distancing.

We’re open to the public again, but the impact on our financial wellbeing remains. Our need for your support is greater than ever. Consider making a donation by visiting givebigkern.org between now and May 4, then searching for “bmoa.”

In this pre-COVID photo, students in Bakersfield Ivy Legacy Foundation’s Ascend Program came together to plant a vegetable garden in Downtown Bakersfield. (Photo courtesy of Bakersfield Ivy Legacy Foundation)

Bakersfield Ivy Legacy Foundation

By Raquell Jones President The Bakersfield Ivy Legacy Foundation (BILF) is a proud supporter of the Give Big Kern fundraising campaign. This is an exciting opportunity for the BILF to partner together with the Bakersfield community to raise money to support our philanthropic targets: education, health awareness, environmental sustainability and other issues affecting the African American community.

We are an African American organization that is committed to helping our youth, especially young girls and women, to reach their full potential. We seek to extend the circle of support through educational forums, field trips, workshops and videos highlighting how our youth can prepare for college entry; also, we engage in projects with Dignity Health, the Kern High School District and other similar community and educational organizations, which help us touch the lives of over 500 students each year. Visit www.bakersfieldivylegacy.org for more information on all our programs, or email us at info@bakersfieldivylegacy.org Every dollar that we raise together through the Give Big Kern fundraiser makes a 100% impact on our mission.

Together we must elevate, empower, and embrace our community through education, health awareness, and economic and environmental sustainability. Donate to us by visiting givebigkern.org between now and May 4, then searching for “Ivy.” Thank you.

Bakersfield Angels

By Denise Reynen Director of Programs May 4 is not only Give Big Kern, but also National Foster Care Day, an especially significant time of year for us at Bakersfield Angels. We are a local chapter of a national organization that wraps support around children, youth and families experiencing foster care. Last year was our inaugural year and partnering with Give Big Kern was incredibly successful: We raised over $62,000 with help from a generous matching donor.

This year our goal is twofold: to raise money to further our reach and impact, and more importantly, to rally our community around our mission to make a difference in the life of each child and youth experiencing foster care locally.

The reality is that many of the issues plaguing our county--homelessness, incarceration, sex trafficking, unemployment--are disproportionately populated with foster or formerly foster youth. Our programs help change the trajectory of the lives of the more than 2,000 children and youth in foster care in Kern County, thereby stemming the prevalence of these issues.

Our programs, launched in September of 2020, are already producing life-giving relationships for our volunteers as well as the children and families we serve. The Love Box program pairs local foster families with volunteers who are matched based on compatibility and needs. The Dare to Dream program is a one-on-one mentorship program for foster children and youth ages 11-24.

We are calling on our generous community to consider stepping up to make a difference. Not everyone is called to foster, and not everyone is called to adopt, but EVERYONE can make a difference in the life of a child.

Donate to us through givebigkern.org by searching for “angels.” To learn how to get involved with Bakersfield Angels, visit our website bakersfieldangels.org, Facebook @ BFieldAngels, or Instagram @bakersfield_angels. E-mail us at info@bakersfieldangels.org.

The Bakersfield Center for Pastoral Counseling, an outreach ministry of the Free Anglican Church of Emmanuel USA, offers peer-led support groups that are “warm and inviting.” (Photo courtesy of Bakersfield Center for Pastoral Counseling)

Bakersfield Center for Pastoral Counseling

By Sarah Drake Executive Assistant The Bakersfield Center for Pastoral Counseling is an outreach ministry of the Free Anglican Church of Emmanuel USA (FACE-USA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Originally founded in 2013 by Dr. Abraham David Parker in Phoenix, Arizona, FACE-USA operates in Kern County as the Free Anglican Diocese of California and is a member organization of the Worldwide Anglican Church in North America (WAC-NA).

At the Bakersfield Center, we provide free or lowcost pastoral, professional, and peer counseling services to Kern residents in need. Our pastoral counseling staff includes diaconal candidate Dr. Nicole Allen and our Center founder Dr. Abraham David Parker. Both pastoral counselors have received graduate training in either counseling psychology or pastoral psychotherapy, and Dr. Parker’s personal experience and pastoral expertise stretch back 17 years to his ordination in 2004.

The Center’s professional counseling services are facilitated by our Executive Director, Mesha Muwanga, LMFT. As a California-state Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Mesha offers professional counseling services to individuals, couples, and families, that seamlessly blend counseling theory together with biblical principles.

Of course, Mesha and all the counselors on staff here at the Center gladly offer their services to all without discrimination!

Our Center prides itself as a safe space for Kern residents living with mental illness or emotional difficulties to care for each other through a variety of peer-led support groups including Emotions Anonymous and our National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Support Group which is held on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month. We also distribute bags of food to our Center clients challenged with food insecurity. In addition to our pastoral, professional, and pastoral counseling services, the Center also provides referrals to other agencies as needed for the benefit of the client. Help spread the word, donate, or sign up as a volunteer at GiveBigKern.org! Search for “pastoral.”

A8

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

Local

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Local Pastors, Law Enforcement, Community Leaders, and More, Came Together Holding a Prayer Vigil in Response to the Fatal Police Shooting of Daunte Wright BAKERSFIELD, Ca – The MLKcommUNITY Initiative & CRIME Task Force held a prayer vigil with the intent to bring hope, unity, and awareness to our community.

One week following Daunte Wright, a 20 year old Black man, being fatally shot by a police officer, Local Pastors, Community Leaders, and more came together alongside The Bakersfield Police Department. During a Prayer Vigil, community members gathered on the steps of the Bakersfield Police Department at 1601 Truxtun Avenue, on Sunday, April 19th at 5:00pm, in efforts to spread a message of love and hope.

The word “love” was echoed in prayer and messages of change were delivered by Pastor Jordan, Dr. Greg Tatum, Isaiah Crompton, Community Leader Arleana Waller, Pastor Angelo Fraizer, Pastor Darlene Williams, Mayor Karen Goh, and Bakersfield Police Department Chief Terry.

Standing in solidarity to support our police, Pastor Tatum, suggested that we get a jumpstart and attempt to prevent potential problems before they occur. “What we have to do is bring unity in prayer, and be more proactive ahead of the George Floyd outcome and the Daunte Wright situation.” Tatum in prayer goes on to say, “Let

Bakersfield become a model city of unity ; that police, community leaders, people of color, and people with diverse backgrounds could work together.”

When speaking on working with the Sheriff and Police Department and trying to bring about change in this community, Isaiah Crompton believes transparency has allowed for progress to be made. In that same light, Pastor Angelo Frazier quotes, “Ephesians 4:25, which simply says we need to speak truth to each other. We need to be kind to each other. We need to forgive each other [...]

Love is what we need!”

Bakersfield Police Department Chief Terry proclaimed, “As chief I declare that we are going to serve with compassion, accountability, and professionalism.

When it’s not right, we’re going to do better, we’re going to make it right.” In prayer, he persisted, “I pray also as we serve our community, help us to serve with open hearts, having compassion, helping those that are in need and building trust where there is none.”

In the midst of civil unrest in the country, Bakersfield leaders wanted to have an opportunity to have an intimate time in prayer and be a beacon of light to the rest of the world. Arleana Waller encourages, “Fall on your face before God and ask him to heal our nation. Pray like you’ve never prayed before.” A hopeful Pastor Jordan adds, “We can heal the city and we can come together with the police department to form unity, love, and peace.”

Bakersfield Police Department Chief Terry. (Photo: Carrington Prichett)

Change Community Church Pastor Gregory Tatam.

(Photo: Carrington Prichett)

By Autumn Nichols Contributing Writer

The MLKcommUNITY Initiative & CRIME Task Force founder Arleana Waller. (Photo: Carrington Prichett)

MLKcommUNITY Initiative & CRIME Task Force activist Isaiah Crompton. (Photo: Carrington Prichett)

The Vibrant City Church Pastor Darlene Williams.

(Photo: Carrington Prichett)

Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh. (Photo: Carrington Prichett)

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER A9

Local

Free First 5 California Kit Remains Essential to New Parents, Especially Now Kit Enters Digital Age with Online Version of Resource-Packed California Parent Guide Sacramento – In 2001, First 5 California debuted its informative and resource-packed Kit for New Parents to millions of families and caregivers throughout the state.

However, many parents of young children, especially families from under-resourced neighborhoods, are not aware of this free and valuable tool.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of children under the age of 5 who face barriers of literacy, poverty or disability experience difficulty accessing valuable information and resources that are essential during this time,” said First 5 California Executive Director Camille Maben. “The Kit for New Parents fills that gap by delivering essential parenting resources right to their doors.”

The Kit contains everything from practical advice and parenting tips to child development and finding child care information. It also includes information about health and safety best practices during the current global pandemic.

The Kit’s contents include:

· California Parent Guide · What to Do When Your Child Gets Sick book · Numbers Touch and Feel children’s board book · California Poison Control brochure and magnet · Colorful, reusable First 5 California “Talk. Read.

Sing.” tote bag First 5 California developed the Kit as an innovative evidence-based approach to reach new families with information about parenting practices and community resources. Over the years, it has evolved with technology and the needs of parents and is continuously updated to include information relevant to today’s families and childcare providers. For example, the California Parent Guide is now available online at parentguide.first5california.com for parents to access with their smartphones and mobile devices.

Parents and organizations can receive the physical Kit by visiting First 5 California’s ordering page at https://apps. ccfc.ca.gov/First5ParentingKits or by contacting their local First 5 county commission.

To date, First 5 California has distributed more than 5 million Kits for New Parents, including approximately 145,000 in 2020. To learn more about First 5 California, visit ccfc.ca.gov.

CDC Ranks CA 44th in Vaccinating Residents

By Celeste Ramos South Kern Sol Last month, a CDC report measured the county’s vaccine rollouts with regards to “social vulnerability.” It examined COVID-19 doses distributed from December 14, 2020 through March 1 and ranked California 44th in vaccinating residents in the most vulnerable communities.

Communities at Risk Governor Newsom has since announced that all counties set aside 40 percent of vaccine doses for the hardest-hit communities and established a vaccine equity metric. These communities include Latinos, Pacific islanders, Blacks, and those that have high socioeconomic risks.

For communities with a median income of less than 40K, the COVID-19 case rate is 37 percent higher than case rates statewide, according to the CDC. The CDC also reported, the death rate of Latinos is 22 percent higher than statewide when contracting COVID-19. For Black people, the death rate is 7 percent higher statewide.

Despite COVID-19 disproportionately affecting these communities, the CDC reports that approximately 22 percent of those in the lowest quartile, or in the lowest healthy community condition are fully vaccinated in California. Furthermore, only 3.2 percent of Blacks and 22.4 percent Latinos have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Public health officials still are questioning how can they reach these individuals so that they can get vaccinated when they become eligible.

Vaccine Inequity Dr. Kupiri Ackerman-Barger, a clinical professor at UC Davis, states the first step in the race to vaccinate

California’s most vulnerable populations is to understand what health inequity is. Dr. Barger identifies the 4 main factors that affect access to healthcare to be: the ability to pay, the ability to physically get to locations that provide care, utility, and quality.

Dr. Barger states, the public relies on their most recent experiences in healthcare to make the decision to continue that care, so healthcare providers must strive for quality care before a crisis occurs. She expressed the importance of California continuing to make the vaccine to be free or little to no cost so that the public can be encouraged to get their vaccine.

Dr. Barger further explained vaccine inequity is created through vaccine and location disparity. In other words, how many vaccines are available and how many providers can give the vaccine. A lack of access is created if vaccines are not distributed to communities that need it.

Due to a lack of trust, the choice to not access available care is also a contributor to this inequity.

Trust in Medical Providers Establishing trust as medical providers is important in

getting the public to trust the vaccine states, Dr. David T Cooke, a thoracic surgeon at UC Davis Health.

“I anticipated that there would be vaccine hesitancy and appropriate vaccine hesitancy based on historic interactions between black and brown communities in healthcare, as well as the current structural racism in healthcare.” Therefore, Dr. Cooke participated in the clinical trials of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

He further explained that he knew and worked with those that conducted the trial and trusted their ethics and commitment to their patients, thus he is able to build trust with his own patients through by the efficacy rate of the vaccines available. He also points out that if patients wanted to, they can go to the FDA website to find raw data from each vaccine trial to make a better educated decision to take the vaccine.

Dr. Zola Afua Mansa Chihombori Quao (MD), adds that for the medical community to best work and build trust with communities of color is to understand their patients’ concerns, educate themselves on potential issues that the public will have in regards to the vaccination, and to be a true resource to their patients.

She explains that offering support or providing information on resources available that patients can use is vital. In her experience, taking her mother to get her vaccine appointment took a village. Dr. Chihombori Quao recognizes others may not have the same support system so consistent physical outreach is important, like calling or going door to door to vulnerable communities and telling them about the COVID-19 hotline, locations near them that offer the vaccine, and who is eligible to get a vaccine.

California Outreach Efforts In addition to the 40 percent vaccine allotment reserved for vulnerable populations, Dr. Anthony Iton

(MD, JD, MPH), senior Vice President of Healthy Communities at the California Endowment states, “[In California,] 20 philothranpic foundations give grants to community-based organizations that have good relations to vulnerable populations.”

These populations include elders, the homeless, and non-english speakers. The CBOs have the ability to track and have designated codes to make appointments for those populations.

The U.S Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Many believe that the U.S had a poor emergency response. Messages on masks and other approaches differed, there was a slow response at starting testing, and slow on vaccines rollout compared to other countries.

Dr. Barger stated, “We have forgotten sometimes what it means to look out for each other, to be community based, getting the vaccine, wearing the masks is not about the individual, it is about us as a community and its about us as a society.” She hopes that the future generation will look back and make sure they don’t make the same mistake and think to themselves, “Remember when we forget to do that, let’s make sure that we do that for the welfare of everybody.”

She adds that pandemics like COVID-19 may become a new normal, and it will be highly unlikely the world will see this again in a century. Instead, much sooner.

Dr. Cooke expresses a hopeful future response by acknowledging that the mRNA vaccines were not made from new technologies, but the work of many years. The vaccine was created within a year because, “We are capable,” stated Dr.Cooke. In comparison to the flu vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccines are much more effective with a range of 70-95% efficacy compared to 40-60% efficacy of the flu vaccine.

A10

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

Local

Wednesday, April 21, 2021