Bill to Protect Public Workers Gains Support

A bill to protect certain public servants and other professionals who have been the target of retribution advanced in the Assembly this week.
AB 923 will add Code Enforcement Officers, members of the Board of Equalization, certain public health officers, and veterinarians to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ protected list, providing them and their families an additional level of protection.
The bill passed the Assembly Transportation Committee on a bi-partisan 12-0 vote.
“We now face new dangers created by a new set of crimes, which pose additional threats of violence to certain employees.  This bill will cover three particularly dangerous cases, one of which is illegal pit bull fighting rings, which in some cases are used to finance illegal gang activities,” said Assemblymember Sandre Swanson.
“We are also experiencing violent threats on public safety officials who monitor, report, and close drug manufacturing and drug-dealing homes, which leads to arresting violators.  Finally, we have to extend protections to the only elected constitutional officers who are not covered in state law,” he said.
John Lovell, representing the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers, the California Narcotic Officers’ Association and the California Peace Officers Association testified on the dangers encountered and loss of lives by code enforcement officers in the line of duty.
“Seven of our code enforcement officers were killed in the last three years in the line of duty. In one case, an official and his entire family were murdered. AB 923 will ensure that dangerous individuals cannot use State resources to track down and harm these officers or their families” Lovell said.

Oakland, AC Transit and BART Get over $16 Million in Federal Grants

Alameda County and the City of Oakland will receive over $529,000 in funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, provided through a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant. Additionally, both the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) systems will be receiving over $16 million in FEMA grants through the Transit Security Grant Program.
The funds, made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,include Department of Homeland Security’s FEMA awards to Alameda County of $316,387 and to the  City of Oakland of  $213,315. The Department of Homeland Security FEMA awards included $14,235,223 to BART and $1,936,142 to AC Transit.
“The funds can be used for a broad range of services, including mass shelter, mass feeding, food distribution through food pantries and food banks, one-month assistance with rent, mortgage and utility payments to prevent evictions, and transition assistance from shelters to stable living conditions,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
“Additionally, the transit security grants will help to ensure that our transit systems are operating in a safe manner for the people of the Bay Area,” Lee said.
“In these tough economic times, these grants will provide much needed relief and resources to the people of my district and help those that have been affected by the economic downturn get back on their feet.”

Garamendi Backs Conyers’ Bill

Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi is backing universal health insurance bill authored by Democratic Michigan Congressman John Conyers.
“I was your insurance commissioner for eight years,” said Garamendi. “I know they have but one purpose, and that’s the bottom line: profit.
“As long as they are in this game, America will continue to be ripped off. And it’s time for us to end that with a single-payer universal health care program.”
Conyers’ bill, the United States National Health Care Act, would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health care system that improves and expands the already existing Medicare. It is designed to ensure that all Americans have access to the high quality and cost effective health care services regardless of their employment, income or health care status.
“Forty-one years ago, America created a single-payer universally available health care system that covers everyone who is over 65,” Garamendi said. “All we need to do is take the 65; erase it; write in zero; and send your premiums into the Medicare office. Now that’s change we can believe in.”

Labor’s Love’s not a Loss

Politicians, Business and Community Leaders Know Labor’s  Love’s not a Loss

When the Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO speaks, strikes, pickets or decides to honor those who deserve their support, everybody pays attention and pays to attend their annual dinner. This year the Council honored all those who went on strike in 2008 (AFSCME 3299, California Nurses Association, Operating Engineers Local 3, SEIU 24/7, 1877, UHW.) They also saluted William B. Harvey, Communications Workers of America (CWA 9415) as Unionist of the Year; Sylvia Pino and Tamara Perine of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW 5) as Rank and File Political Action Leaders and the Oakland ACORN Chapter members Shirley Burnell, Beverly Williams and Anthony Panarese for their leadership in the community. Some of those pictured above with Thomas C. Wilson, the Mobilization and Interfaith Coordinator, included Assemblyman Sandre Swanson and his wife Anita, Sharon Cornu, Secretary/Treasurer  Alameda Labor Council, Obray Van Buren, UA 342, Tom Gaurino, PG&E; Senator Loni Hancock and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates; Oakland WIB members Van Buren, Gay P. Cobb, Ex. Dir. Oakland Private Industry Council and William B. Harvey, Omar Benjamin, Port Director; State Treasurer Bill Lockyer; Supervisor Nate Miley; Chuck Mack, Teamsters; Lt. Gov. John Garamendi and Cheryl Hooker-Moore. Photos by Gene Hazzard and Graphic Design by Alapi Bhatt.

Carol H. Williams Advertising Becomes Shareholder in Black TV News Channel

Black Television News Channel (BTNC), which is scheduled to launch the nation’s only African American news network in 2010, announced this week a long-term partnership with Carol H. Williams Advertising (CHWA), a leading marketing firm that specializes in African American and urban advertising.
CHWA will be a minority stakeholder in the new network, and will exclusively handle BTNC’s advertising, marketing and PR services.
“The Black Television News Channel represents another major indicator of the strength, viability, size and scope of the ever-growing African American market,” said Carol H. Williams, President, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of CHWA. “We believe that BTNC will meet a real need in the market for both consumers and advertisers.”
CHWA (www.carolhwilliams.com) is the largest independent advertising agency in the country that is 100 percent minority- and woman-owned. Founded in 1986, CHWA has offices in Oakland, California, Chicago, and New York and provides advertising and marketing services to Fortune 500 clients, including General Mills, Gilead Sciences, HP, Nationwide Insurance, Procter & Gamble, The Walt Disney Company and several others.
BTNC (www.btnc.tv) will construct the first coast-to-coast all high-definition television newsgathering infrastructure with its network operations center located in Washington, D.C. Black Television News Channel will be the nation’s only provider of 24/7 cable news programming dedicated to covering the unique perspective of African American communities.
The channel will provide access to information and educational programming to meet the specific needs of this growing and dynamic community, which is a major consumer of subscription television services.

Three Adventist Families Killed in US Plane Crash Outside Cemetery

By Michael Ireland

Chief Correspondent, 

ASSIST News Service

 

BUTTE, MONTANA  — Three Seventh-day Adventist families were among the 14 victims killed in a March 22 airplane crash in Butte, Montana.

 Among the dead were a dentist, an ophthalmologist, a dental hygienist and a pediatrician. Besides the seven adults, there were at least seven children on board the plane.

According to the Adventist News Network (ANN) and Adventist News Agency (APD), based in Basel/Switzerland, all three families were members or regular attendees at congregations in Northern California.

The three husbands were longtime friends who attended both church-owned Pacific Union College and Loma Linda University.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it could be months before a cause is determined.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) regional office in Renton, Washington, said a total of 14 people on board the single-engine turboprop aircraft — seven adults and seven children — were killed when the plane crashed and burned 500 feet from the runway at Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The plane had crashed into Holy Cross Cemetery in Butte, officials said.

The news agency says that while the Butte Coroner’s office has not yet officially released the names of the victims, media reports and family members confirm Dr. Erin Jacobson, an ophthalmologist; his wife, Amy Feldkamp Jacobson, a dental hygienist; and children Ava, 3, and Taylor, 4, and Jude, 2, were among the victims. The Jacobson’s resided in St. Helena, California.

Also confirmed as victims were Loma Linda University alum Dr. Michael L. Pullen of Galt, California, who had a dental practice in Valley Springs, his wife Dr. Vanessa Feldkamp Pullen, a pediatrician and Amy’s sister, and the Pullen’s children Sydney and Christopher. The Pullens were said to be members of the Lodi-English Oaks Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lodi, California. Michael Pullen also held a degree in engineering, the Web site for his dental practice said.

The third known set of victims are the family of Dr. Brent D. Ching, a dentist from Chico, California, his wife, Kristen, and their two children. Ching was a 1998 graduate of Loma Linda University’s School of Dentistry, LLU officials confirmed.

Church officials said the tragedy was a loss to the Adventist community. “Tragedies such as this remind us of the importance of our belief in the blessed hope,” said Don C. Schneider, president of the church in North America. “It is at the second coming of Jesus Christ that events such as this will be eternally healed.”

At a March 23 press briefing, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer told reporters, “I’m sure that this evening and tomorrow evening, moms and dads, families all over Montana will say an extra prayer for these children and these families.”

First 5 California Kicks Off Campaign On Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

 First 5 California is launching a grassroots outreach effort to raise awareness among African Americans and other diverse communities about the dangers of secondhand smoke on young children and to promote California’s “Smoke-Free Cars with Minors” law.

“When compared to other ethnic groups, African American children are more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke and suffer from higher rates of tobacco-related illnesses, disorders and death,” said Kris Perry, executive director of First 5 California. “That’s why it’s essential for African American parents and caregivers to become informed about how secondhand smoke can harm young children and negatively impact the well-being of our communities.”

As part of this awareness campaign, First 5 California is partnering with African American churches, regional Black Infant Health programs, community organizations and several well-established businesses in California, including Farmers Insurance and Pep Boys. In addition, regional Black Infant Health programs will distribute campaign materials as part of its ongoing efforts to provide health education and other support services to pregnant and parenting African American women.

These partnerships will enable First 5 California to distribute smoking cessation information at locations that millions of families regularly visit - places of worship, insurance offices, auto repair stores and community events.

California’s “Smoke-Free Cars with Minors” law took effect last year and made it illegal for adults to smoke in a car when children are present. Fines for violating this law can reach $100.

Oakland Music Producers Make Waves With “Apex Team Production”

 

By Tasion Kwamilele

With intricate rhythms and head bobbing beats, producers Charlie-O and Cava Menzies are taking the Bay Area music scene by storm. Both natives of Oakland, the duo has settled into their own studio and stamped it with a name that hints at their intensity: Apex Team Production.

What defines Apex is two forces coming together. Combining Menzies’ formal music training and Charlie-O’s unstoppable energy, the duo is a force to be reckoned with. The duo relaxes comfortably in their studio, nestled in the heart of Jack London Square  and goes into depth about their struggles, growing success and the joy of being able to work on their passion.

Tasion: How did you both meet?

Charlie-O: It was really random. We were both at a studio working on separate projects; yet somehow we were introduced. Right there on the spot we began working on music and exchanging ideas. We just clicked and had a perfect fit from day one.

T: And did you both dream of having your own studio?

Cava: Yeah, it makes it easier. Between the two of us we juggle very different schedules. 

Charlie-O: And that becomes harder when you are working in someone else’s space and on their time.

Cava: Yeah, so we naturally came to the decision to get our own spot. Above it all, working with artist schedules takes extreme flexibility. We knew we needed to have our own establishment to make it happen.

T: What has it taken to bring this studio to reality?

Cava: Well, there are two aspects. On the personal side of things it has taken everything mentally, physically, and emotionally because this is what we do. This is our passion and our lives.  

Charlie-O: Yeah, I mean it is like a rollercoaster, so it takes blood sweat and tears. We give this our all. For me personally, this is my full time job, my source of income; so it has and is still taking everything. No half-stepping whatsoever.

Cava: And that even includes the financial aspect.

Charlie-O: Yeah, at least $25,000 dollars has been used build the studio from the décor to the equipment (mixers, microphones, etc.) We have put 110 percent into this.

T: What is the best aspect Cava brings to the table?

Charlie-O: She is incredibly gifted as a musician. She brings the musicianship. She has the formal training so it brings a nice balance to the music. 

T: What is the best thing that Charlie-O brings to the table?

Cava: As far as sound, Charlie-O has the ability to pick exactly what he wants. He is well rounded, making him an amazing producer and engineer. Plus he is always completely honest with me on everything.

T: What is one of the most exciting things you both have experienced?

Cava: When the song we produced, “A’s Caps” with artist MacArthur, premiered on the radio channel, 106.1 KMEL. It was just amazing. I almost had a car wreck! 

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

Charlie-O: At the Grammy’s. 

Cava: Yeah, just being a dominant production team and producing major artists. Not to mention having a top-of-the line studio. 

For information about Apex, go to www.myspace.com/apexteamproductions. Or email apexteammusic@gmail.com

Green Sisters Honored as Women of the Year

 

By Wade Woods

 

Twin Sisters Melorra and Melonie Green were among 12 women hono;red as Women of the Year  at City Hall at the Board of Supervisors annual Women’s History Award Celebration. 

Green sisters have been tireless workers in the Western Addition,  working with children and promoting the arts.

“As a Community, We Failed Mixon”

 

By Post Staff

Speaking to the media shortly after the death of Lovell Mixon, his family members expressed their sorrow for the loss of the policemen’s lives and the depth of the pain they are feeling at the death a beloved family member.

“This is something that shouldn’t have happened – it devastated too many families,” said Mary Mixon, Lovell’s mother. “Our hearts go out to the families of the officers and also to my family.”

Enjoli Mixon, Lovell’s sister said, “ Nobody wants that to happen – (to) our family, the officers’ families. They lost somebody; we feel for them. We’re hurting, too.

Talking about her brother, Enjoli said, “He didn’t want to go back. That the only thing you could think of. There was nothing wrong with him.  My brother wasn’t crazy. He wasn’t a monster.”

Outside the apartment building where Mixon was killed, a memorial with flowers had been erected.  On a sheet of cardboard many people had written notes such as, “The Lord still loves you, and so do I,” and  “May God forgive you for your sins.”

 

 

“Mixon came from our community, and we failed him as a community,” VanHook said. “His family is still part of our community. We are not going to allow his family to be demonized. We are not ever going to turn our back on the people (in need).”

One hand written sign  that hung on the wall said, “No One deserved to die,  including him! Spread Love and stop hating one another.

The Rev. Dr. Lawrence VanHook, President of the Baptist Ministers’ Union, emphasized that ministers from his organization are supporting all the families in need - the families of the officers and   Mixon’s family.

“Mixon came from our community, and we failed him as a community,” VanHook said. “His family is still part of our community. We are not going to allow his family to be demonized. We are not ever going to turn our back on the people (in need).”

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