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From all of us at The Valley’s News Observer

News Observer The Valley’s

Volume 33 Number 8

FRREEEE!!

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Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Embracing Tradition and Culture

Kwanzaa

By Bakari Sanyu What is the mass appeal of Kwanzaa? Fundamentally, it is the annual tradition’s emphasis on renewing, embodying, and maintaining culturally grounded ethical values that reinforce and empower the intertwined, indivisible, and cherished bonds of family, community and culture. For as our esteemed Ancestor, Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer demonstrated with her life’s legacy, “there are two things we should always care about, never to forget where we came from and always praise the bridges that carried us over”.

Kwanzaa, celebrated from December 26th to January 1st, was created and framed within the midst and context of the 196o’s African American Freedom Movement by Dr. Maulana Karenga in Los Angeles, California. Its foundational message is to always honor the moral responsibility and duty of remembering our known and unknown esteemed Ancestors, who through their love, labor, and struggle laid the foundation for us, and pushed our lives and history forward, and on whose collective shoulders we now stand. Kwanzaa is a self-conscious expression of our ethnicity as a people of African descent, and it establishes a cultural tradition for the shared expression of African heritage and cultural origin at the same time of year.

Since the 1960’s, families and communities across the USA and global African diaspora have continued to collectively present Kwanzaa as an expression of African identity and culture connection, as well as a dignity-affirming cultural tradition legacy for future generations to continue. During the Kwanzaa season, our community in its historical, geographical, and current diversity, shares the beauty of culture, its values, insights, and instructive practices, so that we can deeply rejuvenate our lives.

The annual tradition showcases the richness and festive cultural ambiance of traditional ethnic artwork, dance, drumming, folktales, music, poetry, literature, cuisine, and the beauty of heritage clothing, jewelry, heirlooms, hairstyles, and creative productions.

The heart and soul of Kwanzaa revolves around seven ethical cultural values collectively known as the Seven Continued on page A3

Black Women, Democrats Played a Roll in Getting Doug Jones Elected

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor A heavy African American turnout in Alabama’s special election propelled underdog Democratic candidate Doug Jones to victory, in a hotly-contested race against the flawed, yet heavily-favored, Republican candidate Roy Moore.

The New York Times reported that Jones defeated Moore 49.9 percent to 48.4 percent for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ vacated United States Senate seat.

According to CNN exit polling, 68 percent of White voters, including 72 percent of White men voters and 63 percent of White women voters, supported Moore, an alleged child predator.

Meanwhile, 96 percent of Black voters supported Jones, including 93 percent of Black men voters and 98 percent of Black women voters.

Blacks accounted for a 29 percent share of all voters in the special election in Alabama.

Black voter turnout played a key role in getting Jones elected as Alabama voters were forced to choose between a Republican who’s perceived as a racist and accused of child abuse and a Democrat who has earned his chops prosecuting the Ku Klux Klan.

The contest also was viewed, by many, as a test of racial progress in the Deep South, and the power of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric to sway voters.

Trump campaigned hard for Moore, recording a robocall for the former judge, and convincing the Republican National Committee (RNC) to back the man who was possibly banned from the local mall in Gadsen for badgering young women, according to “The New Yorker.”

On the day of the special election, #RoyMoore trended all day on Twitter with some straight-forward and emotional posts.

“That White Supremacist #RoyMoore rode in on a horse to vote. Kudos to him,” tweeted Greg Carr, chair of Howard University’s Department of Afro-American studies and frequent guest on “NewsOne Now” on TV One. “As White Supremacy dies, this is what it looks like. It won’t go without a fight. Bannon. Trump.

Moore. All of their comrades and enablers. They’re daring humanity to respond.”

One of Wisconsin Representative Gwen Moore’s posts was retweeted more than 30,000 times: “Another #RoyMoore supporter just called my office posing as an @AP reporter. Once their cover was blown they started screaming and called me and my staff the n-word and other racial slurs. I won’t be intimidated. I won’t stop speaking out. You will not shut me down. Believe it.”

Already facing numerous accusations of sexual misconduct with children, Moore, in recent weeks, further aligned himself with the old South with his racially insensitive comments.

When asked by a reporter to explain the last time Continued on page A2

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Los Angeles Police Say Over the Past 3 Years One Man Raped 12 Prostitutes

By MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Investigators are searching for a man they believe has sexually assaulted at least a dozen female sex workers at gunpoint in the Los Angeles area since 2014, police said Friday.

The most recent attack occurred Friday morning in the Compton neighborhood and detectives have linked that to 11 other cases being investigated by both Los Angeles police and the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department, police Capt. William Hayes said.

The man has approached each of the women while they are working as prostitutes in south Los Angeles and solicited them for sex. Once they get into his car, he pulls out a gun, drives them to a remote area and sexually assaults them, Hayes said.

The suspect threatened to hurt the women and in at least one case beat a victim who fought back, he said.

The victims have ranged in age from 15 to 46 years old.

Detectives linked the cases in May after DNA from a sexual assault investigation matched a DNA that was on file from a sheriff’s department case in December 2014.

As they began investigating, they soon found a unique pattern and began linking other cases, Hayes said.

“We are concerned about the safety of the young ladies involved in these crimes,’’ Hayes told reporters.

He said detectives are reaching out to commercial sex workers and outreach organizations to warn them.

Investigators have only a vague description of the suspect, who they believe is a black man, who is between 5-feet-8 (1.5-meters) and 6-feet (1.8-meters) tall and weighs between 180 (82 kilograms) and 220 pounds (100 kilograms), Hayes said. The victims have said the suspect is bald and has a salt-and-pepper goatee and is believed to be between 30 and 50 years old.

Man Gets Stuck in Chimney During Burglary Attempt

CITRUS HEIGHTS, California (AP) _ Authorities say a Northern California man tried to burglarize a business by entering through the chimney only to become stuck.

Police in the Sacramento-area city of Citrus Heights said Friday that 32-year-old Jesse Berube was uninjured but now faces one count of burglary.

According to police, Berube slid down the chimney of the business Wednesday and then found himself lodged inside.

The Rocklin man was able to reach his cellphone and dial 911 for help.

The Sacramento Fire Department responded and used special equipment to extricate him.

Police called Berube a “criminal Santa’’ who “does not have the same skills as the real deal.’’

California Parents Accused of Selling Two Kids for Drugs Jamaica-born Lowell Hawthorne, CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill is credited for helping to bring Jamaican food such as jerk and curried goat into the American mainstream. Hawthorne died on December 2, 2017. (eurweb. com courtesy photo)

Golden Krust Founder Dies at 57

By Howard Campbell Westside Gazette/NNPA Member The funeral service for Lowell Hawthorne, the CEO of the iconic Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill was held on December 18 in the Bronx, New York. Hawthorne is survived by his wife, four children and grandchildren.

At 57, Hawthorne was living the American Dream.

Originally from rural Jamaica, he migrated to the United States in the 1980s, served on the police force and attended college, before launching the ultra-successful Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill restaurant franchise with relatives.

But 120 outlets in nine states and respect among his peers were not enough to prevent Hawthorne from taking his life on December 2 at the Golden Krust factory in the Bronx, New York; that’s the borough where the first Golden Krust opened in 1989.

Less than a week after Hawthorne was found dead, The Journal News reported that two Golden Krust factory workers filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the business.

“The new suit was filed in Manhattan on behalf of two employees at Golden Krust facilities in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and claims they were not paid overtime, had to pay to clean their own uniforms, and were denied tips kept in a tip jar for employees,” according to The Journal News.

As investigators search for the truth, the tributes for Hawthorne rolled in. From the Prime Minister of Jamaica to members of the Jamaican diaspora in the U.S., he is remembered as the immigrant success story.

“My condolences to the friends, family and employees of Jamaica-born Lowell Hawthorne, CEO of Golden

Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill. He headed the largest Caribbean franchise chain in the US, with more than 120 stores,” Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, also saluted the businessman. He tweeted, “We are shocked and saddened by the death of Lowell Hawthorne.”

Hawthorne and Golden Krust’s remarkable rise was covered extensively in West Indian publications and mainstream magazines like Forbes. He was credited for helping to bring Jamaican food such as jerk and curried goat into the American mainstream.

However, the establishment’s staple product was the patty, a meat-filled mini pie that has been popular with Jamaicans at home and abroad for over 50 years. In many interviews, Hawthorne said his main goal was to make the patty as big as the Big Mac by 2020.

Most of Golden Krust’s restaurants are in New York City where there are massive Jamaican and West Indian communities. Hawthorne and his team have 30 outlets in South Florida, where it is estimated over 300,000 Jamaicans live.

Wayne Golding, an Orlando-based attorney, is president of the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board’s Southern United States, which represents Jamaicans living in 13 states. He described Hawthorne as “a Jamaican diaspora success story that made us proud and provided a model worthy of emulation.”

The Westside Gazette is a member publication of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Learn more about becoming a member at www.nnpa.org.

LANCASTER, Calif. (AP) _ Los Angeles County authorities say two parents have been arrested on suspicion of trying to sell their two sons for drugs.

Sheriff’s officials said Monday that deputies responded last week to a home in the Mojave Desert city of Lancaster following reports of possible child abuse.

Officials say investigators determined 38-year-old Vincente Calogero and 32-year-old Sarah Nilson attempted to exchange their two sons for money or drugs.

Calogero and Nilson could face charges including felony child endangerment, child neglect, and being under the influence of a controlled substance. It wasn’t immediately known if they have attorneys.

The boys are in custody of the county’s Department of Children and Family Services.

Officials did not provide the ages of the boys.

Storm to Bring Rain to California

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ A speedy cold front is expected to bring a small amount of overnight rain and some mountain snow to Northern California while the San Joaquin Valley faces freezing temperatures.

The National Weather Service says rain and snow will spread into far northern counties Tuesday afternoon and move south.

The system is expected to pass through the San Francisco Bay Area before dawn Wednesday, with showers giving way to blustery winds. The front will be equally fast as it moves through the Sacramento Valley.

Winter weather advisories will be in effect in the northern Sierra from late Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon.

A hard freeze watch will got into effect in the San Joaquin Valley late Wednesday.

Rain isn’t expected to reach as far south as the Santa Barbara County wildfire area.

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World & Nation THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday December 21, 2017

NASA Celebrates Legacy of First Black American Astronaut

By Erick Johnson Chicago Crusader/NNPA Member Fifty years ago, a tragic accident ended the groundbreaking career of Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., a Chicago native and stellar Air Force pilot who became America’s first Black astronaut.

On December 8, 2017—the 50th anniversary of his death—NASA honored his often-ignored legacy and contributions to the agency.

Earlier this year, the Chicago Crusader reported about the lack of visibility of NASA’s first Black American astronaut and helped to raise awareness about Lawrence’s incredible journey.

In planning a story for its annual Black History Month edition, Chicago Crusader staffers discovered that little was being done to honor Lawrence, while NASA held memorials to mark the 50th anniversary of three, White astronauts who perished in a fire aboard the Apollo 1 space module, during a preflight test.

The Crusader story lauding Lawrence’s achievements was published in dozens of Black newspapers after the National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA) carried it on its newswire.

Born in 1935 to the late Gwendolyn Duncan and Robert H. Lawrence, Sr., the future Air Force pilot was a man ahead of his time. Long before magnet and STEM programs were part of the high school curriculum, Lawrence excelled in math and science.

At 16, he graduated with honors from Englewood High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Bradley University. He married the late Barbara Cress from the prominent Chicago Cress family and entered the Air Force at age 21 before earning a doctorate in physical chemistry from Ohio State University, becoming the first astronaut at NASA to earn a doctorate degree.

As a United States Air Force pilot, Lawrence accumulated over 2,500 flight hours. In June 1967, Lawrence graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (Class ‘66B) at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. In that same month, he was selected by the USAF as an astronaut for

Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr. was the first African American astronaut. (USAF/Wikimedia Commons)

Members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity join NASA in marking the 50th Anniversary of the death of Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on December 8. (Erick Johnson/Chicago Crusader)

science, technology engineering and mathematics

The Oil and Natural Gas Industry Offers Higher Wages

(From left-right) Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA; Dr. Calvin Mackie, a motivational speaker and founder of STEM NOLA; Spencer Overton, the president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; and Jack Gerard, the president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, pause for a photo a during a panel discussion about diversity and inclusion in the oil and natural gas industry at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

By Freddie Allen NNPA Newswire Editor-In-Chief When it comes to preparing the next generation for careers in science, technology engineering and mathematics, also known at “STEM,” Jack Gerard, the president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, said that leaders in the oil and natural gas industry have to answer the “awareness question.”

“There are many people out there, today, that don’t really understand the oil and natural gas industry or the opportunities that it can present for them, their families

and for well-paying careers,” said Gerard. “It’s incumbent upon us, as an industry, to have this dialogue more often and to intensify this discussion, so that people really understand,” the connection between the oil and natural gas industry and their everyday lives.\ The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, recently hosted a panel discussion focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM careers and in the oil and natural gas industry. API, the only national trade group representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, according

to the group’s website, supports 10.3 million jobs in the United States and nearly 8 percent of the U.S. economy.

The panel discussion coincided with the release of a new RAND report titled, “Postsecondary Education and STEM Employment in the United States.” The report, which was prepared for API, examined national education trends and the relationship between degree attainment and employment and wages, specifically in STEM fields.

“Many of tomorrow’s best paying careers, at all levels, will require some kind of training or education in a STEM discipline,” said Gerard.

STEM degrees can lead to higher earnings and can help to close the wage gap between Blacks and Whites.

Those higher earnings are even more pronounced in the oil and gas industry.

Blacks with STEM bachelor’s degrees earn $45.15 in hourly wages in the oil and natural gas industry, compared to Blacks with non-STEM bachelor’s degrees, who make $28.10 per hour, according to the RAND report.

Whites with STEM bachelor’s degrees make slightly more per hour than Blacks with STEM degrees working in the oil and natural gas industry ($45.26 vs. $45.15).

The hourly wage gap is higher between Whites and Blacks with non-STEM degrees that work in the oil and gas industry ($37.73 vs. $28.10).

According to the 2016 report titled, “Minority and Female Employment in the Oil & Natural Gas and Petrochemical Industries, 2015-2035” by IHS Global prepared for API, “nearly 1.9 million direct job opportunities are projected through 2035 in the oil and natural gas and petrochemical industries” and “African Americans and Hispanics will account for over 80 percent of the net increase in the labor force from 2015 to 2035.”

Dr. Calvin Mackie, a motivational speaker and founder of STEM NOLA, a program that exposes students from underserved communities to STEM careers, said that if the oil and natural gas industry is going to recruit minorities to fill some of those 1.9 million jobs, industry leaders “have to go where most people don’t want to go” and that’s into Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

Mackie continued: “We have to make sure that we expose every kid to the possibility of STEM, because the future will belong to those that can play in it and create it and all of our kids deserve that possibility.”

Black Women and Democrats Get Jones Elected Continued from page A1

Democrat Doug Jones (Wikimedia Commons)

America was great, Moore didn’t hesitate to respond with stunning clarity with an answer that seemed to outTrump the president’s comments when he was on the campaign trail.

“I think it was great at the time when families were united—even though we had slavery. They cared for one another,” Moore said. “People were strong in the families.

Our families were strong. Our country had a direction.”

Later, he added: “The greatness I see was in our culture, not in all our policies. There were problems. We had slavery; we’ve overcome slavery. We’ve had prejudice; we still have prejudice, but we’ve turned the tide on civil rights. We’ve done a lot of things to bring this country around, and I think we can still make it better.”

Moore’s wife, Kayla, even got into the controversial fray.

One day before the election, Kayla Moore argued that her husband isn’t a bigot.

“One of our attorneys is a Jew,” she said. “Fake news would tell you that we don’t care for Jews. And I tell you all this, because I’ve seen it and I just want to set the record straight, while they’re here,” she said gesturing to mainstream media outlets that were in the room. “One of our attorneys is a Jew. We have very close friends that are Jewish, and rabbis, and we also fellowship with them.”

Moore has never been one to stay above controversy.

Even before the allegations that he pursued sexual relationships with teens, Moore was the most controversial major-party U.S. Senate nominee in recent memory, according to CNN. He was booted off the Alabama Supreme Court bench when he served as chief justice for refusing to remove a two-ton statue of the Ten Commandments that he’d ordered placed on state property. He was elected back to the job, but ousted again in 2016 for refusing to abide by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

Moore said that homosexual activity should be illegal

and argued against removing segregationist language from the state constitution.

One of Moore’s accusers said he molested her when she was 14; another said that he tried to rape her and she fought him off. Still, Trump and the RNC threw their support behind him.

Fifty percent of voters said the allegations against Moore were definitely or probably true, while 44 percent saw them as definitely or probably false, according to preliminary exit poll results reported by ABC News.

A majority of voters (54 percent) said the allegations were a minor factor or not a factor at all.

Chris Cillizza wrote that, “Jones’ victory means that for now Democrats are only two seats away from the majority—Vice President Mike Pence casts the tie-breaking vote when it is 50-50. While a Democratic move into the majority still looks like a long shot, it’s now not out of the question.”

Jones, an attorney and prosecutor, served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, and won acclaim for prosecuting the remaining Klansmen responsible for the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four African American girls in 1963.

Shortly after mainstream news outlets predicted that Jones had won the special election, he took to Twitter to celebrate the victory.

“Thank you Alabama,” Jones tweeted the night of the election.

In a statement about the Alabama Senate race, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said that a coalition of Black and White voters spared Alabama from international shame and disgrace by electing Jones to be the state’s next United States Senator.

“The coalition that pushed Jones over the finish line can win and redeem the whole South,” said Jackson. “It is a stinging repudiation of the divisive politics of Moore, President Donald Trump and strategist Steven Bannon and bodes well for Democrats looking at House and Senate congressional races in 2018.”

their Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL) program, thus becoming the first List of African-American astronauts” Black astronaut.

Lawrence died while training another pilot, Maj. John Royer, to perform the “flare” maneuver—an operation that Lawrence had already mastered— in the F-104 Starfighter.

According to NBC News, “Lawrence’s memory languished in obscurity” partly due to the fact that, the Pentagon only recognized someone as an “astronaut” if they actually flew to an altitude above 50 miles.

However, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Va.) mounted a campaign that forced NASA to put Lawrence’s name on the Space Mirror Memorial in 1997—thirty years after Lawrence’s death.

“On Dec. 8, 1997, on the thirtieth anniversary of his death, Lawrence had his name unveiled on the Florida memorial,” NBC News reported.

The ceremony recognizing Lawrence, earlier this month—although spirited, at times—was a somber one for the 300 guests that included decorated NASA astronauts, dignitaries, relatives, and friends, who had flown and driven miles across the country to honor Lawrence at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Lawrence’s older sister, Dr. Barbara Lawrence, attended and spoke; another prominent Chicago resident who was present was E. Dawn Griffin, the oldest daughter of Ernest Griffin, founder of Griffin Funeral Home in Bronzeville. The Griffin Funeral Home, which closed in 2012, handled the funeral arrangements for Lawrence.

Members from Lawrence’s college fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, also attended to honor one of their own. On the sprawling grounds of the NASA facility, they participated in a two-and-a-half-hour ceremony that began at the Center for Space Education and culminated with an emotional wreath-laying ceremony at the base of the national Space Mirror Memorial, a massive black granite structure where Lawrence’s name is among those of 20 astronauts who either died in flight or in training.

The ceremony brought out some of NASA’s astronauts and biggest officials. Charles Bolden, America’s first Black NASA chief administrator, and Stephanie Wilson, the second Black female astronaut, attended the service. Another Black astronaut, Winston Scott, played the trumpet in a band that performed various jazz songs, including, “Fly Me to the Moon.” Reportedly, jazz was one of Lawrence’s favorite musical genres.

Dr. Herman B. White Jr., a physicist and lecturer at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., Lawrence’s alma mater, gave a presentation where a memorial scholarship and a conference room bear Lawrence’s name. Recently, Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio renamed a dormitory in Lawrence’s honor.

Bolden, who piloted the space shuttles Columbia and Discovery, praised Lawrence for his spirit. “He took that first step,” Bolden said. “If he had lived, he would have been flying on that space shuttle also.”

Col. Robert Cabana, who flew on four shuttle missions, agreed.

“Major Robert H. Lawrence truly was a hero,” said Cabana. “He set the stage for what was to come.”

Dr. Barbara Lawrence shared her experiences with her brother as they grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She said, when Robert was young, he was a very disciplined student and dedicated to learning.

“I’m truly proud to have been his sister,” she shared.

“He wasn’t interested in being the first Black astronaut. He was only interested in being given the opportunity to do what he wanted to do. I’m sorry he wasn’t here a little longer, but I think his job was one that was well done.”

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Thursday December 21, 2017

Features

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER A3

Kwanzaa: Embracing the Essence of Tradition and Culture Continued from page A1

Principles. The Swahili term for all Seven Principles is the Nguzo Saba. This minimum set of ethical values addresses what cultural integrity challenges our community faces and how to successfully deal with the challenges. The Nguzo Saba provides a model of priorities by which excellence and possibility can be achieved when the ethical cultural values are persistently applied. The Nguzo Saba is listed as follows in Swahili and in English, along with a brief explanation.

UMOJA (UNITY) - is a call to rise, focus, and purposely choose to act and commit to persistently practice working harmoniously together in the family, community, and culture for collective empowerment.

KUJICHAGULIA (SELF-DETERMINATION) – is a call to persistently value, respect, embrace, and embody our history, heritage and culture so that we can think for, define, and develop ourselves in our own image and according to our needs.

UJIMA (COLLECTIVE WORK & RESPONSIBILITY) – is a call to commit to each other in destiny and duty, and consistently work towards improving and better sustaining our family, community and cultural conditions for a more secure future.

UJAMAA (COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS) – is a call to build, expand, and persistently patronize community vendors, stores, shops, businesses, entrepreneurs, companies, farms, and small banks to establish a vital financial base for funding collective development.

NIA (PURPOSE) - is a call to commit to an overarching dedication directed towards embracing, embodying, and practicing building family, community, and culture unity as a way of life to restore widespread self-respect, progress, trust, wellbeing, and productivity for a return to traditional greatness.

KUUMBA (CREATIVITY) - is a call to introduce and develop original, innovative, and inventive productions that are socially purposeful, dignity-affirming, restorative, and uplifting.

IMANI (FAITH) – is a call to rise and purposely act to become a transformative agent of change and manifest service, empathy, healing, goodness, and inspiration as a way of life to create a better and more beautiful world than what we have inherited.

The essence of Kwanzaa is to continually strive to build, strengthen, and re-affirm a collective practice directed towards uplifting and expanding dignity, progress, trust, productivity, interdependence, cooperation, and self-agency within our family, community and African culture.

Kwanzaa is widely embraced because it continues our Africana tradition in thought and action of practicing ethical cultural values, so that we can take control of our destiny by self-consciously working to shape it in our own image and according to our needs.

Catch or No Catch Dez’s attempted catch was controversially ruled no catch as refs said he lost control of the ball. (cbssports.com)

The Steelers go ahead TD taken away as James stretched the ball across the goal line. (Lohud Pictures)

By Cam Buford whatsgoodinsports.com Amidst the scrutiny received from moderate sports fans outside the league, the NFL has garnered a number of concerns for the them to focus, and improve upon, on during this offseason. Whether it’s the issues concerning the peaceful protesting that was prevalent in the beginning of the season or the CTE Concerns and the subsequent modification of the illegal contact rule changes that were implemented. It’s time for the leagues competition committee to address the “catch, no catch” rules and how it impacts the viewership of games and more importantly outcomes of highly competitive football games.

The induction of Instant Reply into the NFL was supposedly meant to address to the missed call on scoring plays, out of bounds plays and the catch or no catch plays.

We now have seen multiple calls over the past several years which the “catch or no catch” play continues to impacted wins and losses. In the most critical moments of games we have seen multiple plays where the receiver makes a catch, only for it to be overturned by the referee after viewing the play via instant replay.

One of the initial overturned catch that caught the ire of football players, and fans alike, was when Calvin Johnson seemingly caught a game winning TD versus the Chicago Bears in 2011. On that play Johnson was in the end zone fighting of a defender, as the ball approached. Being a 6’ 5” receiver, it was fairly easy for him to out jump the defender for the ball. Once he caught the ball he then fell to the ground, after getting booth feet down and a knee down in the end zone. In his zest to celebrate with his teammates and the ball in his right hand, in a continuous motion the ball hit the ground as he popped up off the ground running to his teammates leaving the ball on the ground. It was at the point that the refs convened in the end zone and the TD was subsequently taken away. To the dismay of Johnson, his teammates and fans all across the NFL. There is no doubt that Calvin Johnson had control of the ball as he hit the ground with booth feet in the end zone and this play should’ve ended in a win for the Detroit Lions.

The 2014 Divisional Playoffs matched the Tony Romo led Dallas Cowboys were competing against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in historic Lambeau field. In the final moments of this game, Tony Romo hit his favorite Wide Receiver Dez Bryant on a sideline pass. As Bryant outjumped the defender, at the 10-yard line, he took the ball out of the air at the 5-yard line, as he landed he took three steps, then dove over the defender for the end zone.

As he dove for the end zone he came short by about a half yard. As his extended hand landed about the ½ yard line the ball popped out and rolled into the end zone as he regained possession of the football in the end zone. At worst, this play should have resulted in a first down at the ½ yard line for the Cowboys. Instead the catch was ruled not a catch and the Cowboys ended up losing that game.

Most recently the Pittsburg Steelers were driving, in the final seconds of the game, against the New England Patriots. Ben Roethlisberger threw his Tight End Jesse James what appeared, to most fans outside the New England market, to be a game winning touchdown pass. Jesse James caught the ball going to the ground on the 1-yard line.

In one motion, he caught the ball and brought it into his chest, as his knee hit the 1-yard line. Realizing how close he was to the goal line without being touched, James stretched the ball out across the goal line, with his knee and now elbow down, before he bobbled the ball as it simultaneously hit the ground. This no doubt this should have been a touchdown and at worst a fumble, which James ultimately recovered in the end zone. Yet again the Steelers game winning touchdown overturned.

These were a few of the memorable instances where the refs overruled touchdowns that should’ve been called TD’s on the field. What ever happened to “the ground can’t cause a fumble?” This was an easy rule football fans have lived by for many years. As much as we all love the NFL, it is imperative that they revisit the “catch, non-catch” scenario… for the sanity of their fans across the nation. Which plays if any do not agree with me on, let me know in the comment section below of whatsgoodinsports.com.

Legal Notices/News

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LIEN SALE

Thursday December 21, 2017

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Actor, Activist and Father: Ossie Davis Remembered Ossie Davis Would Have Turned 100 This Year. His Children Remember his Life.

Entertainer and activist Ossie Davis would be 100 years old if he were alive today. (Family of Ossie Davis)

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor Entertainer and activist Ossie Davis would be 100 years old if he was alive today. Yet, it’s impossible to celebrate his life without also honoring the storied career of his wife and life partner, Ruby Dee. Given the heightened racial tensions in America, it’s also hard to ignore that Davis and Dee always stood out as dedicated activists for freedom, justice and equality. “We raised them well,” joked Nora Davis Day, one of the couple’s three children.

Nora joined her sister, Hasna Muhammad, and her brother, Guy, for an interview with the NNPA Newswire to honor their mother and father for his birthday. “I’ve always thought of being their children as ‘ordinary and extraordinary,’” said Day. “On Saturday, we did our chores, scrubbed the bathroom and we did our homework. They were serious about parenting, not unlike many homes.”

While Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee were famous actors, their children said that they never felt they had anything to brag about around the neighborhood. “Many of our friends were in the same position,” Muhammad said. “We played with Sidney Poitier’s children, Harry Belafonte’s children and the children of other activists and actors. We were all in the same position, so it’s wasn’t about, ‘Hey, my dad was on TV last night,’ because everybody’s dad was on TV last night.” A host of stars lived in and around the family’s Mount Vernon, N.Y. enclave, including Poitier, writer E.B. White, producer Dick Clark, actor Art Carney and boxer Floyd Patterson.

“As an adult and a parent myself, I came to discover just how wonderful and amazing our parents were and how thoughtful they were,” said Guy Davis, an accomplished blues musician.

Guy Davis pointed toward his parents’ activism and their deep friendships with folks like Paul Robeson and Malcolm X. Ossie Davis ultimately would give the eulogy at Malcolm X’s funeral.

Davis said his parents taught lessons even while administering

discipline. “They were like Joe Louis’ boxing gloves, the left and the right,” said Guy Davis. “One was the punisher and the other was the educator. They worked well together.” Guy Davis continued: “When I got into trouble, dad would make me stand there with my palms facing up and he’d look me in the eye and tell me what I did wrong and take his belt off and ‘Wham!’ [hit my hands with the belt]. He could hurt you without ever harming you.”

Meanwhile, Ruby Dee, “could light you up and your knees would be buckling, before you were hit.”

Mostly, the lessons taught by Davis and Dee were about life—particularly life as an African American. One lesson involved boycotting Christmas after the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four little Black girls; others involved planning direct actions following the assassinations of Medgar Evers and John F. Kennedy.

Davis and Dee were prominently involved in the Civil Rights Movement and together they planned marches, sit-ins and other acts of civil disobedience and protests.

The children remembered making papier-mâché cut outs and refraining from commercial activity to protests racial inequality and injustice. Later, the family would protest Coca-Cola, because of a connection the company had with the racist John Birch Society and its stand on Apartheid.

“We’ve been Black a long time and what you see happening today…none of this is new,” Nora Davis said.

Davis was a central figure among Black performers and he and Dee celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1998 with the publication of a dual autobiography, “In This Life Together.”

Both had key roles in the television series “Roots: The Next Generation” in 1978, “Martin Luther King: The Dream and the Drum” in 1986, and “The Stand” in 1994. Davis appeared in three Spike Lee films, including “School Daze,” “Do the Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever.” Dee also appeared in the latter two; among her best-known films was “A Raisin in the Sun,” in 1961.

The couple shared billing in 11 stage productions and five movies during their long careers and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004. “Of the two of them, mother was just a pure force of nature when it came to acting,” Guy Davis said. “Father was more of a writer. He acted, but he enjoyed writing.” Davis died on February 4, 2005 at 87. Dee died on June 11, 2014 at 91.

Both, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, always saw the bigger picture and, if they were still alive, they would still be active in the fight for freedom, justice and equality, their children said.“I learned from my parents that, sometimes, sacrifice is necessary,” said Guy Davis. “Once they were on a train to go to work at a theater on Broadway, when they were doing the play ‘Purlie Victorious.’ Here they were, making a successful living but, because there were no Black conductors on the train, they decided to protest and they didn’t go on stage that night.” Davis continued: “They stepped up and had to sacrifice in order to make change and today, you don’t even think twice about seeing a Black conductor or bus driver.” Day said that her parents taught her to appreciate different cultures, languages and people.“They taught us to love our people and to speak up for our people,” said Day. “When needed, answer the call.”

Antonion Brown flexing after making a big play. (clutchpoints.com photo)

2017 NFL MVP Candidates

By Cam Buford whatsgoodinsports.com We are down to 2 games left in the 2017 NFL Season.

This year we have seen some outstanding performances from multiple players. For some of these players their play has become has become common place, for other players we have been pleasantly surprised by their play throughout this season. The brain trust at www.whatsgoodinsports. com has listed the players we believe to be legitimate contenders for the leagues MVP for the 2017 season: Through this point of the season listed below is our NFL MVP contenders, in no particular order: La ‘Veon Bell- As the Pittsburg Steelers Running Back Bell is the engine of that potent offense, once again he is among the leagues leaders in yards from scrimmage. For the second straight season he will gain more than 1200 yards rushing and 600 yards receiving and is likely to finish with double digit TD’s.

Antonio Brown- He has been, arguable, the best Wide Receiver in the league for the past few seasons now. By being virtually un-guardable Brown has racked up 1000 yards receiving in his 6 of 8 years in the NFL, and he has already recorded his 5TH consecutive season over 100 receptions and 1220 yards. receiving.

Tom Brady- Coming of his 5th Super Bowl win last season at 40 years old Tom Brady is playing exceptional football. With 2 weeks remaining in the season, Brady is

poised to have his 3rd consecutive season with a Quarterback Rating of over 100. He has led the Patriots to another AFC East title and is a favorite to return to their 3rd Super Bowl in 4 years.

Russell Wilson- Though their record isn’t indicative of his performance. Russell Wilson is the sole reason the Seahawks have earned 8 wins this season. Not Since Donovan McNabb has a QB led his team in passing yards and rushing yards. Because their stable of running backs haven’t worked out and they have no major threat on offense Russell is the only offensive threat on the Seahawks for any opponent to be concerned.

Carson Wentz- Prior to his torn ACL, this 2nd year QB, has had an extraordinary season that puts his team in position to claim the #1 seed going into the 2017 playoffs.

His 33 TD Passes through Week 14 leads the NFL and he has brought big plays back to the Eagles offense. He also finishes his injury shortened season with a 101 QB rating.

These are our clubhouse leaders for the NFL MVP trophy this season. As we know some things may change, though to this point these are the payers that have stood out to us. Do you agree or disagree with our list and who might you have winning the 2017 NFL MVP. Please let us know if we have left anyone out, or shar your thoughts on our list by responding to this article on whatsgoodinsports. com.

Carson Wentz threw four touchdown passes in leading the Eagles to a 51-23 win over the Broncos on Sunday. Philadelphia has the best record in the NFL at 8-1. (JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES)

LeBron Wears 1 Black Shoe, 1 White Shoe and Speaks About President Trump

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James’ shoes are emblazoned with “EQUALITY” on both heels during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, in Washington. (Nick Wass/AP)

(The children of Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. (From left-right) Nora Davis Day, Guy Davis and Dr. Hasna Muhammad. (Family of Ossie Davis)

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By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) _ LeBron James made a statement during an NBA game with his shoes _ one black, one white, with the word “equality’’ in capital gold letters on the back of each.

Then, after the game, James made a statement about President Donald Trump, saying: “This is a beautiful country and we’re never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are.’’

The four-time NBA MVP was asked about his choice of footwear for the first half of his Cleveland Cavaliers’ 106-99 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night at an arena about a mile from the White House.

“Obviously, we know where we are right now,’’ James began.

“And we know who’s at the helm here.’’

He continued, speaking about the importance of “having equal rights and being able to stand for something and speak for something and keeping the conversation going.’’

James then referred to his past discussions of Trump, saying: “Obviously, I’ve been ... very outspoken and well-spoken about

the situation that’s going on at the helm here. ... Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men and as women, black or white or Hispanic. It doesn’t matter your race.’’

Earlier this year, James called Trump “a bum’’ on Twitter and also said at Cleveland’s preseason media day: “He doesn’t understand how many kids, no matter the race, look up to the president of the United State for guidance, for leadership, for words of encouragement. He doesn’t understand that, and that’s what makes me more sick than anything.’’

Then, for Cleveland’s first regular-season game, James donned a pair of black sneakers with the “equality’’ message. But this was the first time James chose to wear one white and one black shoe.

At halftime Sunday, he changed into other sneakers. James finished the game with 20 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds.

“I didn’t play well in the first half, and I’m very superstitious, so I took `em off,’’ James explained, before joking: “I didn’t play well in the second half, either, so if there was a third half, I would have took those off.’’

Entertainment

Thursday December 21 , 2017

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Daisy Ridley stars in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” (Lucasfilm)

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John Boyega stars in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” (Lucasfilm)

Film Review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Wow! This is the event movie of the year. So much action; so much haunting drama and raw emotion. And it doesn’t just build to one climax; it crescendos from one climax, to the next and the next, ratcheting up the tension every time. Action/adventure fans will be dancing in the aisles. There is something biblical about “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” There’s the Old Testament: Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew); the New Testament: Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac); Devils: Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and Kylo Reb (Adam Driver); there’s temptation; a hunt for the “Promised Land”; and a desperate escape from the wicked.

On a desolate, mountainous isle, the young warrior Rey begs the aged Luke Skywalker for guidance and help for The Resistance’s fighters. “We need you. We need the Jedi order back. We need Luke Skywalker,” pleads Rey. She delivers that message from Princess Leia, but the old Jedi is not moved. Meanwhile in outer space, the Resistance is under attack by the First Order and trying to evade them.

Finn and Poe go rogue to save the day. Snoke, Hux and Reb are out to crush the rebels. The very heady, ethereal script by writer/director Rian Johnson (“Looper”) unearths many questions and is stingy with the answers. Your curiosity will drive you crazy. Only when you are stumped and at wit’s end will you find closure. Just know that the wait is worth it. The editing by Bob Ducsay (“Looper”) and Johnson’s inventive direction, measure the drama, action and rescue attempts out in a rhythm that is almost spiritual, like the rhythm of life. Help comes when it is preordained. Characters enter, they embark on divergent paths and head out on enthralling missions. Scenes flow smoothly and have a similar feel, unlike 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,”

when energizing action sequences butted up against too many stagnant moments.

There are some slower passages, but they are never boring. Use these opportunities to gather your thoughts, digest what you’ve seen and take a deep breath. You will need the rest. Your attention will be overpowered by a force that doesn’t let you decompress, substantially, for 2 hours and 32 minutes. There are moments when you might think, “This is so overwrought. So melodramatic.” Then a glib line is rendered or a wacky scene (wide-eyed urchins screeching) breaks the spell. You laugh for a moment or smirk. Then you jump back into the conflict again, just as a laser slices a villain in half, as a courageous fighter goes down in flames or as two individuals have an intimate telepathic conversation even though they are eons away from each other. The script, direction and acting are excellent.

The imagery is even better. Some visions will be engraved on your pupils forever. Scenes in Snoke’s throne room with blood red walls, warriors in similarly colored uniforms and his gold brocade robe (designed by Michael Kaplan, “Blade Runner”) are indelible. Rickety old fighter planes sand surfing over white salty terrain, leaving a trail of poinsettia red gashes and the sight of galloping alien horse-like creatures will also stay with you. The work by art directors Andrew Bennett and Neal Callow, production designer Rick Heinrichs and cinematographer Steve Yedlin is exquisite.

These are the kind of visuals you see in a Yimou Zhang art film (like his “Hero” or “Raise the Red Lantern”), not in an action/adventure movie. Ridley, Bodega, Isaac and Driver provide an unbridled energy. Yet, it’s the heavyweights, the late Carrie Fisher and gray-haired Mark Hamill, who lend a gravitas that stabilizes this fantasy in an altered reality that’s become the heart of the Star Wars saga. There is a mystical presence that is almost cleansing. That essence has endeared this venerable space opera to audiences for 40 years.

For the Star Wars novice, this chapter will be a great

introduction. It’s easy enough to distinguish the protagonists from the antagonists and the storylines are easy to track, too. For Star Wars aficionados, this entry is one of the most galvanizing, from beginning to end. What an Odyssey. What a crowd pleaser. Wow!

Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. As a film critic, he regularly attends international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and the American Black Film Festival. Read more movie reviews by Dwight Brown here and at DwightBrownInk.com.

Walmart, Book Distributor Suspend Ties with Tavis Smiley

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By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) _ Walmart and a book distributor distanced themselves from Tavis Smiley on Thursday after PBS said an investigation found “troubling allegations” of sexual misconduct by the radio and TV host.

The moves came a day after PBS said it was suspending Smiley following an independent investigation by a law firm. PBS said the firm uncovered “multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS.” His show's page at PBS was scrubbed on Thursday.

Smiley has denied any wrongdoing.

Walmart, which had been a sponsor of Smiley's talk show and an upcoming touring theatrical show, cut ties with him. “We take these issues very seriously and are troubled by the recent allegations,” the retail giant said in a statement. “As a result, we are suspending our relationship with Mr. Smiley, pending the outcome of the PBS investigation.”

Hay House, which distributes the Smiley Books imprint, said all Smiley projects were “on hold” pending an internal review. Smiley had planned in September to release “Leading by Listening: Connecting through Conversation to Transform Your Relationships and Your Business.”

Smiley responded to the allegations on Facebook, saying PBS “overreacted” and calling it “a rush to judgment.”

He said he has never harassed anyone and claimed one relationship the network uncovered was consensual.

“If having a consensual relationship with a colleague years ago is the stuff that leads to this kind of public humiliation and personal destruction, heaven help us,'' he said.

“This has gone too far. And, I, for one, intend to fight back.

PBS responded to Smiley's accusations by saying it stands by the integrity of the investigation. “The totality of the investigation, which included Mr. Smiley, revealed a pattern of multiple relationships with subordinates over many years,'' a PBS spokesperson said.

The ouster comes weeks after PBS cut ties with anchor and talk show host Charlie Rose, citing “extremely disturbing and intolerable behavior'' by him toward women at his PBS talk show.

Smiley brought rare diversity to late-night TV and has drawn the ire of conservatives and liberals alike for some

of his views. He has worked for six networks over a 30year career and his radio program “The Tavis Smiley Show” was distributed by Public Radio International from 2005 to 2013. He has been with PBS for 14 seasons and some 3,000 episodes.

Smiley also has a development deal with Warner Bros.

Television and was working with J.J. Abrams to turn his new book about Michael Jackson's last days and death into a limited TV series. He also has a podcast via PodcastOne. Smiley next month is expected to launch a nationwide 40-city tour of a theatrical production focusing on the last year of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. “Death of a King: A Live Theatrical Experience” is based on Smiley's 2014 book of the same title and was to start Jan. 15, King's birthday.

“Death of a King” is being produced by Mills Entertainment, which did not respond Thursday to requests for comment. Several of the venues slated to host the show did not respond to queries about whether the show would play as scheduled. One that did, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, said: “We just learned of these allegations and at this time will reserve comment.”

Smiley also oversees the publishing imprint Smiley Books and has written more than a dozen books, including his memoir “What I Know for Sure'' and “The Covenant With Black America.”

The dismissals of Smiley and Rose at PBS follow dozens of firings and suspensions of prominent men who have been accused of sexual misconduct or harassment. The wave began this fall with allegations lodged against Harvey Weinstein and has impacted numerous high-profile TV and media figures, with Matt Lauer, Garrison Keillor, journalist Mark Halperin, NPR news chief Michael Oreskes, reporter Glenn Thrush and New Republic editor Leon Wieseltier all felled, among others.

According to Variety, the investigation found Smiley found that he had engaged in sexual relationships with multiple subordinates and created “a verbally abusive and threatening environment.”

Smiley in his Facebook post claims PBS “refused to provide me the names of any accusers, refused to speak to my current staff, and refused to provide me any semblance of due process to defend myself against allegations from unknown sources.”

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THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

The Music Center Gets the Green Light to Renovate

The Music Center Plaza

Thursday December 21, 2017

Recipe of the Week Mumbo Jumbo w/Jasmine Rice

LOS ANGELES (December 19, 2017) – The Music Center today announced approval by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors of the performing arts center’s plan to transform The Music Center Plaza into a highly accessible, welcoming outdoor urban venue in the heart of the LosAngeles Civic Center. With a new plaza, The Music Center will provide a place where Angelenos will not only gather prior to and after performances on its campus, but also come together to share new experiences in a completely refreshed venue with more programming, activities and events, and multiple foodservice options at varying price points. The new design addresses the aesthetic, functional and accessibility aspects of the plaza by updating the 53-year-old space and providing new amenities and the necessary infrastructure to appeal to even more Los AngelesCounty residents and visitors. This is the first renovation of the plaza since The Music Center opened in 1964. The award-winning and LosAngeles-based multidisciplinary architecture and design firm, Rios Clementi Hale Studios, which also designed Grand Park and Grand Avenue Streetscape, and led the renovation of The Music Center’s Mark Taper Forum, is at the helm of the plaza redesign. Funding for the project includes $30 million from the County of Los Angeles and $10 million in capital support from The Music Center; The Music Center will also raise $5 million for free and low-cost public programming, which will take place in the new space.

“We are grateful to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and to our many donors and funders for their support for this critically important project to renovate one of the county’s crown jewels,” said Lisa Specht, chair, The Music Center Board of Directors. “Once again, much like in the early days of The Music Center, a public-private partnership is making it possible to realize the dream of creating a place where people can enjoy free programming and the opportunity to share and delight in new experiences,” she added.

According to Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, the renovation of The Music Center Plaza will create a destination that appeals to even more Angelenos within the diverse communities of Los Angeles County. “This new plaza will become a much-sought-after gathering space – Los Angeles’s town square – for all of our county residents,” Supervisor Solis said. “This warm and inviting space builds upon our collective desire to make the arts both inclusive and accessible while extending a welcoming message: this is everyone’s Music Center.”

With a new plaza, The Music Center effectively adds a true front door for The Music Center and a fifth venue to its campus. The plan calls for the widening and flattening of The Music Center’s Grand Avenue pedestrian entry, adding escalators that will take guests from Grand Avenue up to the plaza, and raising the “sunken” portion of the plaza, making it possible for The Music Center and its resident companies to significantly increase free and lowcost programming with much larger capacities than currently possible. The Jacques Lipchitz-designed Peace on Earth sculpture, which is currently located in the center of the plaza’s fountain, will be moved due west to allow for more contiguous use of the space. In fact, the plaza design doubles the capacity of the space from 2,500 to 5,000 people.

“The new plaza is a physical manifestation of The Music Center’s commitment to access and inclusion, making it possible for us to present artists, festivals and special events that will engage audiences of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, personal resources and age,” said Rachel Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “We are excited about the opportunity to ensure The Music Center not only has something for everyone, but also celebrates how the arts can enrich and transform lives,” she added.

In developing the design, Rios Clementi Hale Studios paid homage to the original 1964 plaza project by landscape architecture firm Cornell, Bridgers and Troller, in association with Welton Becket, architect for The Music Center campus. Rios Clementi Hale Studios updated the space with new amenities, including five buildings – a full-service restaurant, a wine bar, a coffee house/grab-and-

go, a welcome center and permanent restrooms that will replace the temporary facility currently adjacent to The Music Center’s Mark Taper Forum. These new features will enhance the guest experience when seeing a performance, participating in public programming or enjoying the plaza as a central gathering space. The design is a natural extension of the Grand Avenue Project and will greatly enhance the Grand Ave. Arts corridor. It will visually connect The Music Center to Grand Park and improve visibility to and from The Music Center, helping to leverage the synergies between two major county assets. In its design approach, Rios Clementi Hale Studios will create lush, landscaped vistas that will overlook Grand Park on the eastern end of the plaza. In addition, ADA access to the plaza will be substantially improved. “Playing off our design experience of Grand Park and the Grand Avenue Streetscape, our objective is to redesign the plaza to create a cohesive feel throughout the space,” said Bob Hale, partner at Rios Clementi Hale Studios. “Our goal in adding these new amenities was to create a welcoming gathering place where visitors can have memorable and exciting experiences while enjoying the rich and diverse programming that is offered

by The Music Center.”

According to Moore, The Music Center wanted to provide many more food options to those who visit the plaza and its theatres. “Our new full-service restaurant, Abernethy’s, will feature a rotating focus on local up-andcoming Los Angeles chefs from throughout the County who will provide food options in response to the tastes and interests of the community. The coffee bar will feature an artisanal coffee brand along with convenient, low-priced food items, while the wine bar, Mullen’s, will feature wines and cocktails created and curated by local mixologists that thematically connect to the chef ’s creations at Abernethy’s,” she explained. In addition, for the first time, The Music Center will greet guests with an on-site welcome center, the Lisa Specht Welcome Center, which will provide information and personalized guidance for county residents and guests along with the many tourists who visit The Music Center every day.

Working closely with Rios Clementi Hale Studios, Matt Construction and Cumming Corporation, The Music Center conducted extensive due diligence for the plaza renovation since the county approved $2 million for design, environmental documentation and preconstruction activities in July 2016. That work uncovered the need to increase construction costs from the original preconstruction estimate of $30 million to $40 million. As a result, the County agreed to increase its contribution to $30 million, while The Music Center will increase its capital contribution to $10 million. “We conducted extensive due diligence far beyond the standard for projects of this nature with the intent of covering all bases. That was a critical step to ensuring the total viability of small- and large-scale events at our new plaza and, therefore, the soundness of the actual projected cost for this project,” Moore said. “The timing is right for the renovation of our plaza as Los Angeles begins to ready itself for its role as host of the 2028 Olympic Games, and we anticipate the opening of the Grand Ave. Arts Metro stop,” she offered.

The Music Center has raised $6.8 million in capital for the plaza renovation and $2 million for programming to date. Plaza supporters include Bob Abernethy, vice chair, The Music Center; The Ahmanson Foundation; Kiki and David Gindler, board members, The Music Center; Cindy Miscikowski, vice chair, The Music Center; Peter Mullin, chairman, The Music Center Foundation and Merle Mullin; The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; Lisa Specht, chair, The Music Center; The Blue Ribbon of The Music Center; and Marc Stern, board member, The Music Center, and Eva Stern.

The vote for plaza funding also included the authorization for the county to enter into a long-term operating lease with The Music Center through 2064 for the 12-acre Music Center campus that includes the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre and Walt Disney Concert Hall, as well as the plaza.

More information about the plaza renovation can be found at musiccenter.org/plaza.

It’s that time of the year when a good heaping bowl of Gumbo & Jasmine rice is sure to warm the soul! So lets get started!

What you will need: 1. In an 8-quart Stockpot, heat oil over medium heat for about 6 minutes; add flour, and stir together to form a roux.. then add about a quart of water, one can of beef broth, or two cubes of beef boullion. Stirring constantly until the roux becomes a dark chocolate color, being careful not to allow mixture to burn if this should happen then you will have to start all over again, because your gumbo will have a burnt flavor which isn’t tasty at all.

2. In a large skillet add oil and sautee an onion, bell pepper (optional), however, it only adds to the flavor, celery, garlic, in same skillet brown shredded chicken thighs or any other part of the chicken you’d like. For at least five minutes remove chicken and set aside, then add cut up chicken hotlinks or whatever kind you’d like and sautee for a couple of minutes In the same skillet.(you can also add fish, oysters, crabmeat if you like it’s totally up to you. But for me I just like mines flavorful and simple!

4. After roux has become to desired color and consistency, now you can add stewed tomatoes along with the remaining ingredients and cook for about fifteen minutes then at the last five minutes add okra has cooked then add desired amount of shrimp until no longer pink.

5. Serve with rice, can garnish with green onion, if desired.

This has been another recipe from Yolanda Prichett the creator of The Creative Kitchen!

Enjoy!

LA Library Debutes New Student Card Librarians will visit third grade classrooms countywide to teach about library offerings and equip students with library cards LOS ANGELES COUNTY (December 19, 2017)— LA County Library is rolling out a new student card as part of the Library Card Challenge, a national effort to ensure that every child enrolled in school has access to the books and valuable learning resources of America’s public libraries. The Challenge was launched in 2015 by President Obama and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, with support from the Urban Libraries Council and American Library Association, and encourages libraries nationwide to get library cards into the hands of local students.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors accepted this Challenge in November 2016.

The new LA County Library student card is for students 17 years old and under. It allows students to check out a maximum of three print items at a time, fine-free, and offers full access to online resources, like free online tutoring, language classes, and various databases. The card expires after three years.

For the initial phase of the Challenge, LA County Library will be issuing cards to third grade students attending schools within the LA County service area. This was selected as a key age for reading development, as only 41 percent of third graders in LA County are currently reading at grade level. (Source: Children Now, 2016-17 California County Scorecard.)

“In a continued effort to remove barriers by providing greater access to services and resources in underserved communities, staff at all of our libraries will soon be reaching out to local schools to arrange classroom visits, and speak briefly about the student card, and what the LA County Library provides,” said LA County Library Director Skye Patrick.

“Our librarians will answer questions and distribute library cards with a free book cover and book mark to each student.”

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General Terms: TV: TV equipment required and is extra. Account credentials may be required to stream some TV content online. Apps are free with corresponding level of service. Must subscribe to HBO® and CINEMAX® to receive their online service and apps. You must be a subscriber of SHOWTIME to receive SHOWTIME ANYTIME. INTERNET: Available Internet speeds may vary by address.

Speeds compared to 3Mbps DSL. WiFi: Equipment, activation and installation fees apply.

VOICE: Unlimited calling includes calls within the U.S., to Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and more. Taxes and fees included in price. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2017 Charter Communications. All rights reserved.