Ve 12 28 17 4c

Assemblyman Announces Resignation

2017 Will Not Be Forgotten

News Observer See Page A6

See Pages A1 and A4

The Valley’s

Volume 33 Number 9

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Rams Host Hams for Hunger

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Thursday, December 28, 2017

Palms Springs to Remove Trees Obstructing Black Neighborhood

PALM SPRING, Calif. (AP) _ Palm Springs will remove a row of tall tamarisk trees which residents say has segregated a historically black neighborhood.

The Desert Sun reported Monday that Mayor Robert Moon, council member J.R. Roberts and other city officials promised neighborhood residents that they would remove the trees and a chain link fence along property lines as soon as possible at an informal meeting.

Many longtime residents told the paper that they believe the trees were planted for racist reasons in the 1960s.

Residents say not only do the tall trees block their view of a city-owned golf course and the San Jacinto mountains, they also artificially depress property values, preventing black families from accumulating wealth in their property for the past half century.

Rams Players and Cheerleaders at their Hams for Hunger community event. (whatsgoodinsports.com photo) Rams Players and fans at their Hams for Hunger community event. (whatsgoodinsports.com photo)

By Cam Buford whatsgoodinsports.com In true holiday spirit the Los Angeles Rams in conjunction with the Hormel Foods and Albertsons/ Safety/ Vons partnered up to donate Ham for local needy families. This event was held at the Inglewood Von’s, which is a subsidiary of Safeway, Albertsons and Von’s collaboration. Also, there to support the event were the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders, representatives from Hormel and Officers from the Inglewood Police Department. Local families were invited out to meet Rams Players and Cheerleaders, their local Police Officers in addition to getting their faces painted, if the so desired, while receiving a free ham.

Second year Tight End, from South Carolina State Temarrick Hemingway, first year Cornerback out of Oklahoma State, Kevin Peterson and former Syracuse Linebacker Cameron Lynch were the Los Angeles Rams players in attendance at this event. Each of these players mentioned that they enjoyed participating in these types of events as this allowed them an opportunity to mingle with the local kids, while giving them someone to look up to. Additionally, their message of hard work and de-

termination are the messages they heard as children and wanting to be sure to reciprocate.

Not only did they provide words of encouragement for the children, they also participated in many of the latest dance steps with the children in attendance. Another responsibility bestowed upon the players and players was to judge the Ne Ne dance contest among the kids. The Inglewood Police department offered a modest purse for the competing children that participated.

On this day Hormel in union with Albertsons/ Safeway/ Vons gave away more than 1400 hams. These hams will undoubted serve over 17,000 individual meals.

Through the course of the year, Hormel will actually be giving over 38,000 hams via the partnership across the United States, at a cost of nearly $300,000. This partnership will certainly be appreciated by the multitude of needy families that are set to receive these hams.

This is one of many community events that the Los Angeles Rams have and will participate in around their, old but, new market. These events certainly increase their fan base while cementing their presence in the market. As such an event unites local business’s, fans, and the Rams together. How effective do you think these events are in growing the fan base within their community? Please share your responses in the comment section below or by visiting www.whatsgoodinsports.com.

#47 Kevin Peterson and #55 Cameron Lynch pose with families at the Rams Hams for Hunger community event. (whatsgoodinsports.com photo)

2017 Won’t Be Forgotten A Year In Review:

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor Love it or hate it, 2017 will be a year not soon forgotten.

Barack Obama, a constitutional law professor, Nobel Peace Prize winner and the nation’s first Black president, graciously handed the keys to the White House to a reality TV star who has been accused of sexual assault.

Civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., recently announced that he has Parkinson’s disease. This photo was taken during the recent 2017 Rainbow PUSH Coalition Global Automotive Summit. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

Shortly after his inauguration, President Donald Trump began signing dozens of executive orders that threatened to rollback much of the progress that was made during the previous eight years under the Obama Administration.

And, it was the Trump Administration that not only slashed funding for advertising during the open enrollment of the Affordable Care Act, but also cut the enrollment period for signing up for coverage through the federal healthcare exchange from 90 days to 45 days.

Despite those challenges, the ACA, also known as “Obamacare,” is still the law of the land and, this year, nearly 9 million people signed up for coverage through the federal healthcare exchange.

With the GOP tax reform bill, which was endorsed by Trump, the Republicans scored a win for corporations at the expense of nearly everyone else.

According to CNN Money, “The final bill still leans heavily toward tax cuts for corporations and business owners. But it also expands or restores some tax benefits for individuals relative to the earlier bills passed by the House and Senate.”

CNN Money article continued: “The individual provisions would expire by the end of 2025, but most of the corporate provisions would be permanent.”

In February, when NSA chief Mike Flynn was forced to resign after lying to Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said to then-FBI Director James Comey, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.”

As a highly-politicized investigation into whether or not Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election began to heat up, Trump fired Comey. Later, Flynn cut a deal to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into

MC Lyte, hip-hop legend and national spokesperson for the NNPA Discover The Unexpected Journalism Fellowship program, poses for a photo with the 2017 NNPA DTU Journalism Fellows. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

Peaches and Moonpies to Help Ring In the New Year in the South

ATLANTA (AP) _ There will be a new site this year for Atlanta’s New Year’s Eve Peach Drop, one of several large events planned across the South.

The Atlanta mayor’s office announced that for the first time, the peach will drop from the 120-year-old Flatiron Building downtown on Dec. 31. The new site is a few blocks from Underground Atlanta, where the Peach Drop has been held in recent years.

In Alabama, the “Moonpie Over Mobile’’ New Year’s Eve celebration in downtown Mobile will feature entertainment by funk musician George Clinton.

In New Orleans, the “Dick Clark Rockin” New Year’s Eve’’ production will host its Central Time Zone party in the city.

Other events planned across the region include the New Year’s Eve Oyster Ball Drop at the Maritime and Seafood Museum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

New Year’s Eve Concert Celebrates African American History

BOSTON (AP) _ An annual New Year’s Eve concert in Boston is celebrating African American history.

The Handel and Haydn Society and the Museum of African American History say their sixth annual Jubilee Day Concert on Dec. 31 will include “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, “We Shall Walk in the Valley of Peace,’’ and selections by composers Mendelssohn, Bach and Handel to be performed by the renowned chorus and ensemble.

The program also features poet Regie Gibson delivering readings from President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of Jan. 1, 1863 that declared all slaves in Confederate states free.

The afternoon event takes place at Trinity Church in Copley Square and is free to the public on a first come basis. It’s part of Boston’ s First Night festivities to ring in the New Year.

Civil rights activist and groundbreaking comedian Dick Gregory died on Saturday, August 19. This photo was taken during a panel discussion on the protests in Ferguson following the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

Russian election meddling. Federal prosecutors charged Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort, campaign adviser Rick Gates and former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos with various crimes, including lying to the FBI and money laundering.

During “Black Press Week” in March, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), expressed a desire to draft articles of impeachment over Trump’s actions in the White House and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called on the real estate mogul to resign.

Meanwhile, the Black Press celebrated its 190th anniversary and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) elected a new national chairman, Dorothy Leavell, the publisher of the Crusader newspapers in Chicago and Gary, Indiana.

“We are suffering and with a new administration in the White House, it will take someone who isn’t afraid, someone who will raise a lot of hell,” the fiery Leavell said after she was elected.

In 2017, Carolyn Bryant, the woman who accused young Emmett Till of grabbing and verbally harassing her 62 years ago, finally admitted that she lied during the trial of Till’s murderers. An all-White jury found her husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother JW Milam not guilty of the crime.

The Guardian reported that Bryant said Till had Continued on page A4

Los Angeles Rams Announce Play-Off Ticket Information

The Los Angeles Rams today announced the process for fans to purchase tickets to their home Wild Card Playoff game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum scheduled for either Saturday, January 6 or Sunday, January 7, 2018. The date and time of the game will be announced by the National Football League during Week 17. · Starting Tuesday, December 26 at 1:00 PM PT, Rams 2017 Season Ticket Members have the opportunity to buy two additional seats beyond their regular season allotment. · Beginning Thursday, December 28 at 10 AM PT, Rams 2018 Season Ticket Deposit Holders and 2017 Flex Plan Holders will have the opportunity to purchase four tickets per account. Fans must join the 2018 Season Ticket Deposit list by Tuesday, December 26 at 5 PM PT to be part of this presale. · Starting Thursday, December 28 at 1 PM PT, fans on the Rams Deposit List for the New LA Stadium will have the opportunity to purchase four tickets per account. · On Friday, December 29 at 10 AM PT, the Rams will make a limited number of tickets available to the general public at therams.com/playoffs.

Fans may visit www.therams.com/playoffs for more information. For questions regarding the ticket process, fans may contact the Rams Ticket Office at 818-3380011 or info@rams.nfl.com.

World & Nation Changing Laws Make Sex a Dangerous Proposition A2

By Jerome Horton Special to CBM Having sex with a person with the specific intent of infecting them with the HIV/AIDS virus is a felony punishable by imprisonment for 3, 5, or 8 years. At least that was the case until this year, when the California legislature reduced the penalty for intentionally exposing someone to HIV without telling them, or for deliberatively donating blood contaminated with the HIV/AIDS virus, from a felony to a misdemeanor punishable by county jail time of not more than 6 months. However, under California Penal Code Section 502(c) a person can be fined up to ten thousand dollars and/or sentenced to state prison for up to three years for intentionally contaminating a computer with a virus. Go figure!

As recently as 2015, California was 2nd in the U.S. in annual HIV infections, according to the California Department of Public Health. Thankfully, California is making progress in its fight against HIV and AIDS and the number of new infections is declining. Equally significant, every drop of blood donated in the United States (U.S.) since 1985 has been tested for HIV, according to

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

the American Red Cross. The last known case of someone contracting HIV from a blood transfusion in the U.S. was in 2008, according to the Center for Disease and Control Prevention.

Studies show that decriminalizing the act of intentionally donating HIV-infected blood may actually increase the occurrence. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the success in reducing the incidence of donated blood being infected with HIV is attributable in part to the ban on collecting blood from certain people.

Further, according to FDA, there would be greater risk involved with relying solely on the testing system to prevent transmission, suggesting that without the donor ban an additional 31 units of HIV infected blood would slip past the screening annually, potentially exposing as many as 54 people.

Supporters of the legislation have argued the opposite: that criminalizing the act of intentionally, deliberatively, and purposefully donating infected blood would increase the risk of the infection through donated blood. The primary concern about HIV-positive blood entering the donor system is the lag between when a person becomes in-

New EDF California Program Director Wants Black Voters to See Importance of Green Issues

By Manny Otiko California Black Media In July Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law the aggressive climate change legislation AB 398 which extends and improves the Cap-and-Trade Program. The program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which will enable the state to meet its 2030 emission reduction goals in the most cost-effective manner. Extending Cap-andTrade is expected to provide billions of dollars to invest in communities across California. This legislation also had a companion bill, which establishes a groundbreaking program to measure and reduce air pollution from mobile and stationary sources at the neighborhood level in the communities most impacted by air pollutants. The program also requires the Air Resources Board to work closely with local air districts and communities to establish neighborhood air quality monitoring networks and to develop and implement plans to reduce emissions.

Legislation like this has primarily been guided by environmental activists, who are often not people of color. But now with many promises to reach minority and disadvantaged communities, the hiring of Quentin Foster may be a big win for those communities.

When Foster, the new program director of California Climate for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF,) was young, he learned a valuable lesson about how environmental policy issues affect people of color.

Foster grew up in foster care, and every year he went to a summer camp. At the camp, he noticed the air was

cleaner, and the environment was less polluted than where he grew up in urban Los Angeles.

“I remember going into the mountains and going into the forest, and there was pristine air, and the environment was gorgeous. It wasn’t until I returned homed that I realized there was something wrong. The environmental degradation in my community became starker,” said Foster in an interview with California Black Media. “So I incorporated that experience into my professional career.”

A few decades later, Foster works with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF,) an organization that specializes in using economics and science to provide recommendations to decision makers on environmental policy. Before he joined EDF, he was with California Environmental Justice Alliance, where he worked on social justice issues that relate to environmental policy.

Today, communities of color tend to be some of the most polluted.

“California has many communities that suffer disproportionately from poor air quality caused by major emitters.

As someone who grew up in South Los Angeles, I understand the impact dangerous air pollution has on daily life.

Like much of San Joaquin Valley, many of California’s most vulnerable communities struggle with some of the worst air quality in the country,” said Foster in a blog post.

Foster also admits that environmental issues are not high on the list of priorities for Black communities.

fected and when the infection is detectable, which is what scientists refer to as the “window period.” Proponents of the legislation also suggest that as of 2017, laws that criminalize infecting someone with HIV are not based on modern scientific data, as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that those persons who are treating the virus with medication decrease their chance of transmitting the virus by over 95%.

According to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the U.S. has a concentrated HIV epidemic, primarily among men who have sex with men (MSM) and injection drug users, and it has greatly affected the economically disadvantaged in many urban areas. Indicative of this impactful, the cost of HIV/AIDS medication can range from $2,000 to $5,000, which is especially challenging for poor to middle-income Californians. Thus, the reason many argue that the recently signed legislation is inherently discriminatory is because if a person intentionally, purposely, and deliberatively infects a low- to middle-income person who cannot afford the cost of the medicine, the victim will effectively get a death sentence while the perpetrator of the crime only gets up to six months in “There continues to be a lack of engagement on climate change from leadership within the Black community. Quite frankly, the environment isn’t a priority because the politics within the Black community isn’t demanding it. Part of that has to do with a poor job on behalf of advocacy organizations and agencies reaching out to the community to engage on the issue,” said Foster. “There is also a severe lack of representation both within the advocacy world on climate and energy and also in government. We have to change that.”

Foster says EDF plans to reach out to the Black community and discuss how environmental issues affect people’s lives.

“One of the campaigns that I am excited about is the town halls that EDF will be joining in San Diego, the Inland Empire, and Bay Area that will include notable African Americans working in the environmental/energy space,” he said. “The vision for this is to introduce the community to those of us working on these issues and provide information that can highlight why climate policy should receive the same level of attention that our other priority issues receive. Secondarily, for those of us who occupy this space to continue to provide our perspective in instances where there just aren’t many (if any) African Americans around to weigh in on these important issues with our experiences.”

According to a 2016 survey by the African American Voter Registration, Education and Participation Project, black voters didn’t rank “green issues” high on their agenda. The study of 800 voters listed reducing homelessness, education, criminal justice reform, affordable housing and access to health as their most important issues.

But Foster says that green issues should concern African American voters. For example, he said money raised

by Cap-and-Trade can go towards addressing the homeless problem.

“A huge contributor to homelessness is affordability, and with the Cap-and-Trade program that was extended this year, some of the revenues raised from that program will contribute to funding affordable housing efforts,” said Foster.

He added that the gradual move from gasoline to clean energy vehicles could create more job opportunities in Black communities.

“We also have to push for job creation from this growing economy in our communities, so residents have an opportunity to participate in the green economy close to where they live. That also means ensuring there is a ‘just transition’ that includes job training and educational opportunities for communities, especially for those where a long commute is commonplace,” said Foster.

Tax Bill is Final: How Does it Affect You? Cablackmedia.org The Republicans’ final tax plan perpetuates economic, educational, and wealth disparities in the United States and the President is committed to signing it. However, the Joint Committee on Taxation and Tax Policy Center found that all income groups will, on average, see a tax cut in 2018 and 2019, with proper planning. Californians did not fare as well as the rest of the nation, since the final plan limits the deductions for income, sales, and property taxes to $10,000 annually and California has the highest income and sales taxes and second highest gas taxes in the nation.

This reminds me of a Belizean proverb that says “Don’t call the alligator a big-mouth until you have crossed the river” If you itemize deductions, the GOP plan preserves 401(k) rules, the adoption tax credit, and deductions for the graduate school stipend (tax-free tuition waiver), the student loan interest and charitable giving. In addition, the medical expense deduction threshold was lowered to 7.5 percent for 2018 and 2019, but it reverts to 10 percent thereafter. To capitalize on these it would be wise to plan any major medical procedures in 2018 or 2019. You should consider increasing your 2017 charitable deduction, 401(k) IRA deductions, and contributions to your children’s college now. The GOP plan allows mortgage interest deduction on new loans up to $750K. Existing loans remain deductible up to $1 million under current law.

If you are planning to purchase a new home in 2018, consider asking the seller to carry a second “principle-only” loan, and/or increasing your down payment to avoid a home mortgage greater than $750,000. Additionally, be sure to claim the property tax homeowner’s exemption of $7,000 with your local county assessor and examine any additional property tax assessments (school bonds, water district taxes, municipal bonds, etc.) which could increase the cost of your new home and your taxes. Don’t get it

twisted, buying a home is still a good investment considering the appreciation and long term savings from rent increases.

The plan eliminates the personal exemptions of $4,050 for each family member, but doubles the standard deduction to $24,000 if married, $18,000 for heads of household, and $12,000 if single. It also expands the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000 (of-which $1,400 is refundable) and provides for a temporary $500 credit for each non-child dependent (for example, a child 17 or older, an ailing elderly parent, an adult child with a disability). The plan also expands the use of 529 accounts to reimburse up to $10,000 in educational expenses for students in K-12 private schools or who are homeschooled and preserves the Earned Income Tax Credit of up to $6,318 for qualified individuals earning less than $53,930 (for the 2017 federal tax year). If you qualify for all of the above, you may actually receive a refund, even if you paid zero taxes and are not required to file your tax return.

Grandparents can profit from the annual gift tax exclusion of up to $14,000 by giving their children money to pay for childcare and summer camp, depending on their income, and your children can then claim the childcare deductions. You could also give money to your college graduate to double down on their college loan interest, depending on their income, and then they can deduct the student interest; keeping the money all in the family. g from our recent wild fires in 2017 remain deductible.

Wealthy Californians will save millions with some strategic tax planning. Warren Buffett, the second richest man in America, noted in the New York Times that he paid “a lower percentage of his taxable income than any of the other 20 people in his office.” Under the GOP tax plan, Mr. Buffett will pay even less taxes. The plan cuts the tax

rate for households making over $600,000 and individuals making over $500,000 from 39.6% to 37%. The plan also cuts the corporate tax rate to 21%, down from 35%; and the Individual Alternative Minimum Tax exemption will be increased to $500K for individuals and $1 million for couples filing jointly, up from the current $54,300 for individuals and $84,500 for couples. In 2018, the plan doubles the amount of the current exemption from Estate Tax from $5.5 million to $11 million for individuals, and from $11 million to $22 million for couples filing jointly, with annual adjustments for inflation.

Individuals with pass-through companies such as S corporations, LLCs, partnerships, or sole proprietorships will be allowed to deduct 20% of their taxable income through 2025 when this provision sunsets. Service businesses such as law firms, doctors’ offices, and investment firms can only take the 20% deduction if they make up to $315,000 (for couples.) In addition, the final bill gets rid of the corporate alternative minimum tax, a big relief to the business community, and allows for a new capital investment deduction for new capital equipment. Accordingly, if you work as an employee for companies such as Uber, you should consider setting yourself up as an independent contractor to take advantage of this huge tax break and waiting until 2018 to purchase any equipment. Doctors and lawyers may want to set up split companies where the assets are owned by a corporation and the partnership pays the salaries. Lastly, the plan changes the current worldwide tax system for multi-national corporations to a territorial tax system, which provides for a significant reduction in taxes on upwards of $3 trillion in foreign profits left abroad to avoid paying U.S. taxes and allows U.S. companies to delay the repatriation for years.

To protect its taxpayers, California must consider tax reform that will stimulate long-term career employment for the 947,000 unemployed and 800,000 individuals living in poverty in California. I would recommend an onthe-job (OTJ) training program that provides job training for the unemployed, lowering the state income tax rate for the poor and middle-income earners to stimulate the economy, doubling the renter’s tax credit to increase affordable living, and providing a deduction for parents who donate time and resources to public schools. To pay for these policies, the legislature could prioritize redirecting the current billions in existing tax credits and loopholes: toll the OTJ credit for one and 1/2 years to allow the state to capitalize on the economic stimuli of the credit; establish government efficiency programs that allow the state to recapture lost federal dollars, such as the $1.4 billion in unclaimed federal Earned Income Tax Credits; collect the upwards of $9 billion in taxes from the black market operators who unfairly compete with California businesses; and establish government efficiency programs to recapture the upwards of $18 billion in accounts receivables (unpaid taxes) at California’s taxing agencies. California leads the way in protecting children of immigrants, rightfully so, and we should do the same to protect Californians from the Republicans’ tax and public policies.

Thursday December 28, 2017

jail without required restitution.

This article is dedicated to my surrogate brother, Tony, who died from the AIDS virus.

Board of Equalization Member Jerome Horton has over 37 years of public and tax policy experience, serving as a member of the Inglewood City Council, State Legislature, California Medical Commission, California Cultural Endowment and Workforce Investment Board and as the 1st African American elected to the California State Board of Equalization.

Give Restitution for Wire Fraud Victims

By Manny Otiko| California Black Media We’ve all seen those emails from Nigerian businessmen who promise millions of dollars in exchange for the use of your bank account to free up money trapped in American banks. However, the issue of wire fee fraud is a serious problem, and up until recently, there was little recourse for people who lost money in these scams. The Federal Trade Commission said that between 2004-2015, Western Union recorded more than 500,000 complaints and more than $630 million in losses because of wire fraud.

However, according to FTC officials, a recent settlement between Western Union and the government could refund victims of wire fraud.

Western Union recently agreed to settle a case with the FTC and Department of Justice for $486 million. According to Todd Kassow, FTC Midwest region director, Western Union admitted culpability for wire fraud because some of their employees had participated in crimes.

Kassow said the settlement will now be used to refund people who have been scammed. According to FTC officials, wire fraud is an international problem that comes in various forms.

In many cases, victims are targeted through romance scams and sweepstakes scams. In romance scams, victims are targeted on dating sites and befriended by con artists.

After the con artist develops an emotional connection, they start asking for money transfers. (These scams usually come out of West Africa.) In sweepstakes scams, victims are asked to pay upfront fees for prizes. Another scam targets seniors. Con artists contact senior citizens and tell them their grandchild has been kidnapped in a foreign country, and they need to pay a fee to secure their release.

Lois Greisman, associate director of marketing services, warned customers that con artists have already heard of the settlement and may target victims. They may pose as government workers who offer to file papers for victims.

Usually, they ask for money up front, and that is an automatic red flag, she said.

“Anyone who asks for money upfront is running a scam,” said Greisaman.

People interested in applying for restitution can do so online at www.ftc.gov/WU or by calling 844-319-2124.

Those who apply for restitution must have suffered losses between Jan. 1, 2004 and Jan. 19, 2017. The deadline for filing an application is Feb. 12, 2018.

“American consumers lost money while Western Union looked the other way,” said FTC Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen in a press release. “We’re pleased to start the process that will get that money back into consumers’ rightful hands.”

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Thursday December 28, 2017

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER A3

Aztecs Penny Finishes Career -Next up Walter Camp

Rashaad Penny says goodbye to fans at SDSU. (SDSU athletics courtesy photo)

A Year In Review:

Bernal E. Smith II, the president and publisher of the Tri-State Defender Bernal E. Smith II,2017. the president and passed away in Smith was only publisher of the Tri-State Defender 45. passed away in 2017. Smith was only 45.

Rams Host HAMS FOR HUNGER

Rams Players #47 Kevin Peterson, #55 Cameron Lynch and #84 Tamarick Hemmingway dance with kids at the Hams for Hunger community event. (whatsgoodinsports.com photo)

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By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It was a day filled with mixed emotions for Norwalk native Rashaad Penny. San Diego State fell short in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl In Fort Worth Texas.

The Aztecs fell to Army 42-35 to finish the season 103. Penny ran wild when the opportunity presented itself.

He scored on the first play from scrimmage 81 yards then added scoring runs of 4, 32 and 49 yards finishing the day with 221 yards on 14 carries averaging over 15 yards per carry.

“It wasn’t a good day. We lost Its frustrating. I am disappointed but just move on. I know these guys have a great future ahead of them,” said a saddened Penny.

Penny etched in name in SDSU and NCAA history books before his graduation.He finished the year with 2,248 yards surpassing Teammate Donnel Humphrey (2,133 in 2016). That also leaves him fifth most in NCAA FBS single season history.

The Norwalk native became the fourth player in FBS history run for at least 200 yards in five straight games.

Only trailing Marcus Allen (USC 1981) Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State 1988) and Jamario Thomas (North Texas 2004).

Army dominated time of possession 46 minutes running 91 plays to 13:53 for the Aztecs 30 plays.

Army scored in the final minute and went for two instead of the tie. Penney was the reason why. “That number 20 Rashaad Penny – if we went into overtime he’s going to get the ball in his hands again,” said head coach Jeff Monken. “No way I wanted to watch that anymore.”

Penny has racked up several awards during his time with the Aztecs including two-time MWC time special teams Player of the Year. Two-time special teams all MWC. This past season n 2017 he was named MWC Offensive Player of the Week four consecutive weeks.

Penney was also named to Walter Camp All-American second team for 2017 . He will be honored in New Haven Connecticut Saturday Jan 17, 2018 on ESPN. Others being honored include (Player of the Year) Baker Mayfield, Lee Corso (Distinguished American Award),Eddie George (Alumni Award ) and Calvin Johnson (Man of the Year Award).

Penny summed up one philosophy of his: “All I try to do is put my team in the best situations. That’s all I can play the game of football for. I have a great supporting cast that believes in me” Television actress, Della Reese died at the age of 86.

2017 Won’t Be Forgotten Continued from page A1

grabbed and verbally harassed her in a grocery store.

“I was just scared to death,” she said during the trial, according to The Guardian.

“That part’s not true,” Bryant confessed to Timothy Tyson, the author of a new book, “The Blood of Emmet Till,” The Guardian said.

In June, comedian Bill Cosby went on trial for a 2004 incident involving a former Temple University employee, who claimed the star drugged and raped her. A jury failed to reach a unanimous decision and a judge, who declared a mistrial, ordered a new trial for next spring.

In October, celebrated movie producer Harvey Weinstein was exposed as a serial sexual harasser and abuser with more than 100 women—including actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd—among his accusers.

The firestorm around the accusations ignited a movement and scores of women and men across the world shared their harrowing stories of abuse on social media using the hashtag #MeToo. Celebrities and media personalities including Matt Lauer, Bill O’Reilly, Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine, Charlie Rose, Louis C.K. and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons were also accused of sexual harassment or assault and have either lost their jobs or stepped down from their companies.

Politicians like U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore (R-Ala.), Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) also faced allegations of sexual misconduct.

The Trump-backed Moore lost a close special election senate for Alabama’s vacant senate seat in December after African American voters turned out in droves to support Democrat Doug Jones.

Meanwhile, several women have emerged with claims against Trump.

“People” magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff accused Trump of attacking her in 2005 at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all that Mr. Trump would criticize someone else’s inappropriate sexual behavior and not address his own,” Stoynoff told the magazine.

Another Trump accuser, Melinda McGillivray, told “People” that Trump “is a complete hypocrite.”

While the sexual harassment storm stirred across the country, many won’t soon forget the devastating hurricanes that ravaged Texas, Louisiana, Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in the summer and early fall.

Critics of the federal government’s response to devastation caused by the hurricanes noted that more than 30 percent of Puerto Ricans still lack access to electricity.

The president also took heat as he seemed to compare the actions of White supremacists to peaceful protesters after a woman was killed during a White nationalists’ rally in Charlottesville, Va. “This week it’s Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson is coming down,” Trump said in defending the Confederate monuments. “I wonder, is George Washington next week and is it Thomas Jefferson the week after that? You really do have to ask yourself: ‘Where does it stop?”

The president even found time to criticize NFL players for silently protesting police brutality and racial injustice in predominately Black and minority communities.

Trump blasted players and said that team owners should get rid of them.

Kaepernick, who remains unsigned and is suing the NFL owners for colluding to keep him out of the league, has been recognized with several awards including Sports

Illustrated’s Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, which was presented to him in December by Beyoncé.

In October, O.J. Simpson was released from prison in Nevada after serving nine years for a robbery conviction.

The NAACP named Derrick Johnson president and CEO of the oldest civil rights organization in America.

Johnson told NNPA Newswire that it’s important that organization work with the National Newspaper Publishers Association to keep the Black community informed.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Cedric Richmond (DLa.) also pledged to work closer with the Black Press in 2017 and beyond.

The NNPA and Chevrolet sponsored eight students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. to participate in the 2017 Discover The Unexpected (DTU) journalism fellowship program.

The 2017 class of DTU journalism fellows included: Alexa Imani Spencer and Noni Marshall from Howard University; Kelsey Jones and Taylor Burris from Spelman College; Jordan Fisher and Tiana Hunt from Clark Atlanta University; and Ayron Lewallen and Darrell Williams from Morehouse College.

The eight fellows were rewarded for their intrepid, diligent work in the Chevrolet-backed program that provides students from HBCUs scholarships and summer internships at NNPA member, Black-owned newspapers.

Civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson also announced that he has Parkinson’s disease.

A tumultuous 2017 also saw TV One announce the cancelation of the popular Roland Martin’s NewsOne Now news show in December.

In 2017, the Black Press lost two of its most devoted freedom warriors. Walter “Ball” Smith, the publisher of “New York’s Beacon” and the “Philadelphia Observer” died on Friday, November 10.

He was 83.

One month earlier on Oct. 22, Bernal E. Smith II, the president and publisher of the Tri-State Defender and a well-known civic leader in Memphis, Tenn., also passed away.

Smith was 45.

Other Black icons also were mourned in 2017.

Among them were Della Reese, 86, and Earle Hyman, 91, both of whom died in November; Robert Guillaume, 89, and Fats Domino, 89, died in October; the rap star Prodigy, 42, who died in June; while singer Al Jarreau, 76, died in February; and activist Roy Innis, 82, died in January.

In December, Simeon Booker, a trail-blazing Black journalist who covered the Civil Rights Movement for the iconic African American magazines EBONY and Jet and who was the first black person to work as a full-time Washington Post reporter, also died.

He was 99.

On August 19, 2017, activist and comedian Dick Gregory died at the age of 84.

“During the past six decades, Dick Gregory, would periodically write essays and editorials for the Black-owned newspapers of NNPA members across the nation,” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., wrote in a tribute to Gregory. “His pen and his voice were always on the side of the oppressed, who dared to speak up and stand up for freedom. Today, in Dick’s memory, we all are obligated to do no less.”

Chavis continued: “Every breath that we take, we should gain more and more strength to speak truth to power and to stand against all injustice.”

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THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Five Tips to from the Experts

Thursday December 28, 2017

Stress-Free Homeownership

By Christopher G. Cox Publisher/Managing Editor, realesavvy.com For most people, the decision to purchase a home is the single biggest financial commitment they will make in a lifetime of decision-making. The decision to buy a home, especially a first home, involves so many competing factors, that it can cause high levels of stress and anxiety.

As stress-inducing as a home purchase can be, there are things that a prospective homeowner can do to minimize potential headaches.

R u t h Hudspeth, branch manager for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, says the number one thing homebuyers need to do is be prepared.

K n o w your finances first. “ A h o m e ow n e r should be able to enjoy their home Chris Cox says that buying your first home new without being doesn’t have to be stressful. overburdened by the financial commitment. Like any other big decision, however, that takes some planning.” Hudspeth said. “You have to take the time to understand your credit score, your capacity to qualify for a mortgage loan and what your budget will be.”

Hudspeth, who has degrees in economics and business administration, recommended that individuals moving from a rental property into a home set aside the difference between the mortgage payment and the rent payment and put that money into a separate account.

“If, for example,” she noted, “your mortgage payment

is going to be $1,000 a month and your rent has been $500, pay yourself the $500 difference for a while and see how well you handle it.”

A lender might be able to tell you the amount of the mortgage loan you can qualify for, but he can’t tell you how much paying that mortgage will affect your lifestyle.

Learn as much as you can about the process of buying a home.

“Buying a home is a big decision,” said Hudspeth. “It doesn’t make sense to wait until you are too close to making that decision to educate yourself.”

Dr. Kimya N. Dennis, a criminologist, who does work in demographic and cultural variance in mental health, agreed that careful preparation is the key to reducing the stress associated with getting into the housing market.

“I encourage people to take time to communicate with everyone involved in the process of purchasing a home,” Dennis said. “There needs to be open and honest discussion that weighs all the pros and cons.”

Take a hard look at your quality of life.

Dennis added that long- and short-term economic goals, location and commuting time, quality of the construction and access to public transportation should also be discussed.

Dennis emphasized the importance of carefully reviewing and understanding all the documents required to purchase a home. As part of that process, she suggested that taking advantage of low- and no-cost programs designed to educate homebuyers, such as those offered by the local affiliates of the National Urban League, as well as other community organizations.

Ask plenty of questions.

“If you want to keep your anxiety level low, you can’t be afraid to ask questions,” said Dennis. “As basic as it sounds, sometimes you just have to take a few minutes to pause and breathe.”

Remember to breathe.

She explained that a common reaction to anxiety is holding one’s breath, especially just before making a big decision.

Dennis concluded: “You might be surprised to find out how much it helps to just stop and take a few deep breaths when decisions threaten to become overwhelming.”

Chris Hawkins #4 of the USC Trojans makes an interception during the first quarter against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Los Angeles Coliseum on September 5, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Harry How/Getty Images Photo)

Trojans Prepare for Cotton Bowl Ed Gray, a senior columnist with the North Dallas Gazette, says that we must elevate Black women from social media hashtags to highly-valued and respected members of the global community. (Creative Commons/Pixabay.com)

In Defense of Black Women

By Ed Gray North Dallas Gazette/NNPA Member This has been a monumental year for the reaffirmation of women’s rights in the workplace and the ballot booth.

This is long overdue. The battle for the rights of women, and specifically Black women and girls, has gone on for centuries. In America, the spotlight on this fight for women’s rights shines brightly on White women, while Black women, who have often fought more vigorously for equality and justice, are largely consigned to the shadows of the movement.

The Silence Breakers” on their cover, noting that the tenacity and courage of the women’s voices could be heard over the walls of systemic oppression.

Still, in the stories of Dajerria Becton, a teenager who was violently handcuffed and thrown to the ground by an overzealous McKinney, Texas police officer and Sandra Bland, who was arrested and died in police custody in Prairie View, Texas, that oppression seems unsurmountable.

Most acts of extrajudicial violence and aggression towards Black women never become national headlines and many Black women suffer in quiet silence as their complaints of sexual harassment are ignored and discounted, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Mainstream America labels Black women as angry Jezebels unfit for normal, social interactions. Black American pop culture hypersexualizes our young girls while condemning them for being too fast. There is a deafening silence in the Black community that is complicit in the degradation of our Black women.

When we do speak, instead of a healing, sometimes our words just cause more wounds.

One of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time, Tupac Shakur spoke directly to Black women in “Wonda Why They Call U Bytch”: You leave your kids with your mama ‘cuz your headin’ for the club In a skin-tight miniskirt lookin’ for some love Got them legs wide open while you’re sittin’ at the bar Talkin’ to some n**ga ‘bout his car I guess he said he had a Lexus, what’s next? You headin’ to his car for some sex

Today, some people would criticize Shakur for slut-shaming, while others would applaud him for telling it like it is.

White women have been applauded for coming forward to tell their stories of sexual assault and harassment under the #MeToo flag. The movement would be much stronger and more credible, if its leaders forced mainstream media to also carry the stories of Black women on their morning shows and popular websites.

Black men must bear some of the blame for mainstream media’s ignorance and apathy towards the plight of Black women. We band together, as brothers, ignoring the anguished cries of our sisters. We must stop, look and listen.

We must reject R. Kelly for his alleged abuse of Black women and girls with the same unanimity that Black voters in Alabama rejected the alleged sexual predator Roy Moore.

We must step in the name of love and in the name of justice with respect for our Black mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. This respect must begin in the Black community; we must clean our own house, first. We must elevate our women from social media hashtags to highly-valued and respected members of the global community.

In “Keep Ya Head Up,” Shakur offers a critique on the exploitation of women in the Black community: And since we all came from a woman Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women, do we hate our women? I think it’s time to kill for our women Time to heal our women, be real to our women And if we don’t we’ll have a race of babies That will hate the ladies that make the babies And since a man can’t make one He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one So will the real men get up I know you’re fed up ladies, but keep your head up.

Black women and girls are sick and tired of being sick and tired; it’s time for us to heed Shakur’s advice and heal our women and be real to our women.

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer USC football team is trying to cap off a pretty good football year at the cotton bowl in Dallas. The 11-2 (8-1 Pac 12) Trojans (ranked 8th in CFP have a just a few more days to tune up for Ohio State 11-2 (8-1 Big 10).

“It was a good practice for us,” said USC head coach Clay Helton. We got in most or our first and second down game plan.”

USC is trying to stay sharp after a four week lay-off between games. It has proven in years past that many teams have time re adjusting after a long lay-off.

“The energy and focus of our first two practices I am really impressed. Our kids understand the importance a game this is to both universities, both fan-bases how much respect ewe have for Ohio State.”

The 82nd Cotton Bowl game can be seen on ESPN. The game on TV will be called by Brock Huard and Bob Wischusen in the booth with Allison Williams on the sideline.

“I’m a film guy, that’s what I do,” said USC Senior Chris Hawkins, three days before the Trojans meet Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. “I don’t run 10-nothing, so I’ve got to make sure I’m ready. When I go to stick someone, I’ve got to break down exactly who I’m sticking, what routes they run, what splits they’re at, is the quarterback looking at him, is he on the ball or off the ball. You’ll see me on gameday pointing and talking, because I like to call out plays.”

“I’ve got to be the smartest player on the field.”

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Thursday December 28, 2017

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER A5

Downsizing Review:

a big-picture film about little people

Downsizing’s Niecy Nash, Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig (courtesy photo)

Dick Enberg (Center) was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2012 along with (L) Ron Dayne and (R) Senator George Fleming. (Earl Health Photo)

“Oh My” Dick Enberg Leaves Us

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer He was noted for the two simplest words in sports “Oh My.” Dick Enberg had a way of keeping you tuned to the broadcast. He had a magical way with words so simple yet exciting. So vocal yet not loud.

As a youngster my brothers and I would listen to him in our Phillips street home not far away on the shores in Waterford, Connecticut. He was special, he brought late night UCLA Basketball to our home.

He delivered Notre Dame Basketball nationally. He drew praise from former Irish coach Digger Phelps. “Dick was the one who sold our program” said Phelps. “He helped up build our national schedule.”

Enberg died last week at his home in La Jolla California of a heart attack. A native of Mt Clemens, Michigan he earns a masters and doctorate in health sciences from Indiana University. For years he was the voice of Wimbledon

Enberg began his full-time broadcasting career in 1965 in Los Angeles as the radio and television voice of the California Angels, UCLA basketball and the Los Angeles Rams. Before joining NBC, he was named California Sportscaster of the Year four times. Enberg took over as lead play-by-play announcer for the network’s telecast of the Rose Bowl Game in 1980. He would be in the booth in Pasadena every year until ABC picked up the broadcast in 1988.

In 2012 I had the pleasure of seeing him inducted in the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. In 1974, he won an Emmy for coverage of the Rose Parade. Enberg’s versatility is reflected in the fact that he is the only person to win national Emmy Awards as a sportscaster, writer and producer.

He was elected in broadcasters Football, Basketball and Baseball Hall of Fame.

He will truly be missed. “Oh My”

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By JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer It's hard to say what's better about the first half of Alexander Payne's wonderfully weird - or is it weirdly wonderful? - “Downsizing”: the audacity of its premise, or the delicious skill with which Payne executes that premise, detail by comically ingenious detail.

The fact that the film shifts discernibly in the second half, going places and tackling ideas one wouldn't necessarily expect, will surely disappoint some and please others. But there's no doubt about one thing: the director's considerable talent is on full display here. Let him keep shifting; we'll keep watching.

As we've seen in films like “Nebraska,” “About Schmidt” and others, Payne likes to make movies about what some might call small people: ordinary folks in unremarkable places, struggling to make things work. In “Downsizing,” he's made a movie about really small people. As in, five inches tall.

We begin with a groundbreaking discovery. A renowned Norwegian scientist has figured out how humans can reduce their footprint and save Earth from overpopulation. It's called downsizing, and it's irreversible _ but if enough people do it, it could save humanity. Paul Safranek (an excellent Matt Damon in the ultimate Everyman role), an occupational therapist at an Omaha meat company, watches on television with astonishment.

Shift to 10 years later. Downsizing is catching on.

Entire communities have sprouted up around the world.

Paul and his wife, Audrey (Kristen Wiig), childless and still living in the house where Paul grew up, attend a school reunion. Suddenly, Paul's now-five inch friend, Dave (Jason Sudeikis), and his wife are wheeled in. “Dave? He never struck me as the kind of guy who'd go get small!,” Paul marvels. Later, Dave, perched on a cracker box on the kitchen counter, explains the best thing about going small: the economic benefits. At that size, you can live in total luxury for a fraction of the price. Forget the planet, Dave says - “downsizing is about saving yourself.''

Paul and Audrey go visit Leisureland, a top-notch downsized community, and a saleswoman explains how they'd suddenly be multi-millionaires, able to afford

a mansion with a pool and tennis court. (In a hilarious cameo, small people Neil Patrick Harris and Laura Dern demonstrate the good life _ and the cheap price of tiny diamond jewelry.) Soon, Paul and Audrey decide to take the plunge. They put their wedding rings in a keepsake box, and head off.

At the facility, the couple is separated into gender-specific downsizing areas, where they'll be shrunk to .0364 percent of their original body volume. First, body hair must be shaven off, for obvious reasons. Dental technicians remove gold tooth fillings, or else heads will explode.

Workers go down the assembly line after mass reduction is completed, scooping up miniature people with spatulas like fresh-baked cookies.

When Paul awakes, he'll be greeted by a surprise we won’t reveal. Suffice it to say that a year later, things aren't going well. Then he meets his neighbor Dusan (Christoph Waltz), a Serbian playboy who has a shady trade business and throws noisy parties with his wealthy friend, Konrad, who notes that being small is great because you're instantly rich _ unless you're poor, “and then you're just small.''

It is through Dusan that Paul meets someone who will change his life _ not to mention change the tone and direction of the rest of the film. Her name is Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau, in a terrific breakout performance), a Vietnamese dissident who was downsized against her will and arrived in America in a TV box. She survives by cleaning houses, and lives in a slum _ yes, there are slums in downsized communities, too _ behind a big wall.

The last part of the film takes the group to the idyllic fjords of Norway, where the original downsized community still exists. It is here where the issue of climate change and the earth's sustainability take center stage. Revealing any more would spoil the surprise.

Except to say that Paul, through his new friends, learns more than he expected about making a difference in the world _ and what it means to be big or small.

Spoiler alert: It might not be about size.

“Downsizing,” a Paramount Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America “for language including sexual references, some graphic nudity and drug use.'' Running time: 135 minutes. Three stars out of four.

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THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday December 28, 2017

Meet Rams OT Andrew Whitworth

By Cam Buford whatsgoodinsports.com

Shortly after Sean McVay became the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Rams, they brought in the 12th year Veteran Offensive Tackle Andrew Whitworth to solidify the backside of their young quarterback Jared Goff. In Whitworth, not only did they get a great player, they got a leader in the locker room, they got a man who appreciates giving back to the communities.

In speaking about Andrew Whitworth, Rams Head Coach Sean McVay says, “we were very fortunate to pick up a player of Whitworth’s caliber. He comes in here and his first year, acclimates himself with his teammates and he was voted team captain for it. And it was almost unanimous. He has influenced and affected his teammates in the right way. He has had a huge impact on me as a head coach as well, where i know that he’s a veteran player the you can go too for perspective and advise, to get a feel and a pulse for the locker room. Making sure the players and the coaches are in alignment.”

When asked about Andrew Whitworth’s contribution to the Rams Offense this season, Rams Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur adds his thoughts about Whitworth, “he’s mean a lot! You can’t put a value on his experience.

He’s elevated the play of those around him!”

As Whitworth celebrated his 36th birthday earlier this month, Andrew purchased bikes, and helmets, for nearly 600 students at the Watts Grape Street Elementary School.

The newly signed Rams veteran free agent Offensive Tackle Andrew took upon himself to give an early Christmas gift

to the children at Grape Elementary School in Watts, CA in his commendable effort to give back to the community he plays in.

He told Lindsey Thiry, with the Los Angeles Times, ‘“To personally, yourself, put your money where your mouth is, I think it lets the kids know that you’re not just saying something because you’re told to be there that day and you’re wearing a Rams jersey or a Bengals jersey.” “It’s actually what you believe in. You’re putting your stamp on it. To me, that’s what means the most to them, is that it’s real. And that’s what I want, is for it to be authentic and real to them.”’

What makes this show of generosity of Andrew even more impressive, is that this was not part of any promotion or collaboration between Whitworth and any bicycle manufactures. This was out of the consideration he has for the underprivileged and one that has not go unappreciated by those in the communities in Cincinnati and Louisiana that he continues to support.

This is just one of the many community events that the Los Angeles Rams have and will participate in around their, old but, new market. As been mentioned previously, these events certainly increase their fan base while cementing their presence in the market. Do you think these events are effective ways to grow their fan base within their various communities? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below or by visiting www.whatsgoodinsports.com.

Andrew Whitworth shares a moment with children at the Grape Street Elementary School in Watts (rams.com photos)

Desert Hot Springs Man Arrested for Allegedly Having Explosive Device A man who was allegedly driving around with an “improvised explosive device,” which sheriff’s deputies discovered when they searched his vehicle during a traffic stop in unincorporated Desert Hot Springs, remained in custody Tuesday.

Norman Bell, 55, of Desert Hot Springs, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of reckless possession of a destructive device.

Deputies did not specify the type of device, saying only that it was found around 4:30 p.m.

Saturday after Bell was pulled over by deputies near Little Morongo and Dillon roads.

Norman Bell is suspected of possessing an "improvised explosive device," according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. It was discovered Dec. 23 during a traffic stop near Desert Hot Springs. (Photo: Riverside County Sheriff's Department) The discovery prompted a response from the sheriff’s hazardous device team, which “took possession of the device and rendered it safe,” Deputy Armando Munoz said.

Bell was booked into the Riverside County jail in Indio in lieu of $35,000 bail. He’s expected to make his initial court appearance on Thursday.

Andrew Whitworth with Rams mascot at bike giveaway, in December, at Grape Street Elementary School in Watts. (rams. com photos)

Andrew Whitworth with children and trailer at bike giveaway, in December, at Grape Street Elementary School in Watts. (rams.com photos)

Assemblyman Ridley-Thomas Announces Resignation LOS ANGELES (December 27, 2017) - Assembly- ule and high stress. Unfortunately, at this point, I am no member Sebastian Ridley – Thomas Announces Resigna- longer able to deliver the effort my constituents in the 54th District deserve. Consequently, I am also terminating my tion Due to Health Issues.

While it has been a great honor to serve as a member reelection campaign.

When I resume public life, I intend to remain active of the California State Assembly for the past four years, I have decided to resign from my post effective December in civic affairs, where my passion lies. Following recuperation, I will return to the work of political empowerment, 31, 2017.

The reason for this difficult decision is that I am facing millennial civic engagement, and inspiring the next generpersistent health issues. On December 18th, I underwent ation of leaders.

I am grateful to have worked with some incredible surgery for the fifth time this year. Although I expect a full recovery, my physicians advise that I will need an extended colleagues -- men and women of strong conscience and determination to keep California moving forward. My hope period of time to recuperate.

Accordingly, I submitted my letter of resignation to is that, in this next chapter of public life, I can help ensure II, the president and that Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon late yesterday. IBernal did soE. Smith publisher of theAfrican-Americans, Tri-State Defender millennials, and all Angelenos have a strong andwas vibrant with great reluctance, but even greater respect for passed the of- away in 2017.

Smith onlyvoice in shaping the future of the fice, which involves constant travel, an unrelenting45. sched- Golden State.

Recipe of the Week Chili w/Crackers

Norman Bell is suspected of possessing an "improvised explosive device," according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. It was discovered Dec. 23 during a traffic stop near Desert Hot Springs. (Photo: Riverside County Sheriff's Department)

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With the weather being so chilly outside nothing warms you up better than a bowl of Chili & crackers.

I can remember my mom making us a big pot of chili on cold winter nights, but what I remember most was the spices that she used that made the dish taste even better, and I want to share what I remember with you!So let’s get cooking!

What you need: 1) 1 block of chili brick of your choice (I use Juanito’s).

2) 1 pd. Ground beef or turkey meat.

3) Cumin ( sorry I don’t measure anything).

4) Salt & packet of taco or chili seasoning 5) Dash of black pepper 6) Onion & garlic salt 7) Chili powder 8) Dash of cayenne pepper (optional) In large pot on low- heat cook chili brick along with 3 to 4 cups of water.

While chili is cooking brown meat until no longer pink.

Rinse meat with warm water now add the packet seasoning and cook as directed. Now add the remaining seasonings Add seasonings being very liberal with the cumin, because this is what makes the flavor pop!

Lastly, add meat mixture to the chili stir and allow the flavors to marry together. Now you want to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes being careful to add a little water when needed.

Hint: I like my chili very thick and meaty.. so it matters not to get it too watery. Also, the more meat you use determines how thick and authentic your chili will be.

Now that your chili has met your expectations. It can be served with crackers, or with rice.

Tip: If you really want to be creative you can turn your plain chili into a frito boat by simply adding original or chili cheese Fritos topped with chili, sour cream, olives, & green onions and cheese.

Either way you choose to fix your chili I am sure you will not be disappointed!

From The Creative Kitchen to yours Happy Hollidays and a most prosperous New Year to you & yours!