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A4 Thursday, May 12, 2011 Inglewood/Hawthorne/Gardena/Lawndale Wave • Southwest Wave/Southwest Topics/Angeles Mesa & Tribune • Central News/Southside Journal/Compton/Carson/Wilmington Wave
Empowering Jazz:
Pasadena’s Central Park
hosts the annual “Jazzy Jam”
Education for Empowerment
Benefit Concert this Saturday.
The concert’s lineup includes:
Everette Harp, Karen Briggs,
Vessel(s) and the Band,
Johnny Polanco, Evelyn
Champagne King, Cornelius
Mims, Freddie Fox, the Supa
Lowery Bros (pictured), Rapid Response and the
Pasadena Citywide Gospel Choir, among others.
General admission will be $25. KJAZZ 88.1’s
Bubba Jackson will be event’s special guest host.
Proceeds from the event will support children
and youth served by the Charity Events Outreach
Services and by the Flintridge Center. May 14,
from noon to 8 p.m. Old Pasadena Central Park,
219 S. Fair Oaks, Pasadena. (626) 744-8081
•••
FAME: The
Musical: In the midst
of possible charter
takeover, fiscal crisis
and looming teacher
layoffs, the students
and staff at Washington
Preparatory High School are banding together to
say ‘The show must go on,” in announcing a production
of “FAME, The Musical.” Bolstered with
a two-year, $55,000 grant from Success Through
The Arts Foundation, the school continues to
defy the critics, with groundbreaking art productions
and teaching programs. “FAME” chronicles
the lives of a group of talented students who are
seeking fame by learning their various disciplines
under the watchful eye of some of the best
teachers in the country. May 12-15. Washington
Preparatory High School, 10860 Denker Ave.,
Los Angeles. (323) 418-4042
•••
Bob Marley’s
Life and Music: The
GRAMMY Museum
will debut a new
exhibit, “Bob Marley,
Messenger.” Housed on
the museum’s second
floor, the exhibit will
focus on Bob Marley
as a private, spiritual man, as a powerful performer
who used his lyrics to give a voice to the
disenfranchised and as a legend who has inspired
legions of fans in the 30 years since his death.
Marley’s story is that of an archetype, which is
why it continues to have such a powerful and
ever-growing resonance: it embodies political
repression, metaphysical and artistic insights,
gangland warfare and various periods of mystical
wilderness. This exhibit brings together more
than 40 diverse artifacts, rare photographs and
more, the exhibit features items from the private
collection of the Marley family. May 12 through
Oct. 2. The GRAMMY Museum, 800 W. Olympic
Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 765-6800
•••
Homebuyer Orientation: Southern California
residents can take the first step in the home buying
process by attending a free homebuyer orientation
by the Los Angeles County NeighborWorks
Center for Foreclosure Solutions. The sessions
last approximately 45 minutes, providing an
Community Calendar
introduction to the process for families interested
in realizing the dream of homeownership. May
14, from 10:30 a.m. Southbay Pavilion Mall,
20700 Avalon Blvd., Carson. (213) 381-2862
•••
Smile for Life: Singer/
Actress Jill Scott (pictured)
and 11-year-old Amir known
to his family and friends as
Amir-arcle, are set to host
the 6th Annual Brittiana
“Smile For Life” 5k run/walk
this Saturday. Amir has been
battling rhabdomyosarcoma
(muscle cancer) since the age of 10. Amir continues
to inspire other children with cancer
by giving back to the organization that helped
him, BrittiCares International. This year’s goal
is to raise awareness of children who need the
community’s undivided attention and help. The
need for blood from the African-American community
is great as most African-Americans have
Type O blood, which is universal and can be used
on anyone, according to the American Red Cross.
BrittiCares stresses that the African-American
community continue their support and sign up
for blood and bone marrow donations at the run/
walk. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will be
on site for those who want to sign up to donate
blood and marrow. May 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Kenneth Hahn Park in Baldwin Hills, 4100 La
Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 292-8527
•••
Calling All Bike Riders:
The Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (Metro) is promoting
“Bike Week LA” May
16-20 by supporting a host of
activities intended to get more Angelinos to ride
their bikes to work, school and other destinations
throughout LA County to reduce traffic and air
pollution and save energy. Metro will be offering
a chance to win several prizes such as a commuter
cycling package from REI valued at $2,000
that includes a bike and more prizes to those
who pledge to bike to work on Bike to Work Day
on May 19. On Bike to Work Day, Metro will
also offer free rides to bicyclists on Metro trains
throughout Los Angeles County. Moreover, Big
Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, Glendale Beeline,
LADOT, Montebello Bus Lines, Norwalk Transit,
Santa Clarita Transit and Torrance Trance also
will offer free rides to bicyclists who use transit
for part of their commute. Patrons just need to
board with a bicycle and/or bike helmet. For
more information, go to www.metro.net/bikeweek
or call (213) 922-2811.
•••
Walk for Education:
The Watts Village Theater
Company honors local leaders
Clifton Johnson and Rosie
Lee Hooks (pictured), at its
“Coming of Age” 15th anniversary
fundraiser and dinner.
Johnson and Hooks are considered
the WVTC’s “Community
Towers,” pillars in the community who over the
years have made a substantial difference in South
Los Angeles and around the world. In a community
that finds itself constantly struggling with
poverty and adversity, WVTC inspires and pro-
Compiled by Marisela Santana
vides positive alternatives to the status quo. This
event will help make these alternatives possible.
Tickets are $100. May 16, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
California African American Museum, 600 State
Drive, Los Angeles. (818) 919-9705
•••
Walk for Education:
The United Negro College
Fund (UNCF) hosts its 29th
annual Los Angeles Walk
for Education next Saturday.
UNCF is one of the nation’s
largest and most well-known minority education
organization. Community members and friends of
UNCF are invited to participate in helping youth
get the education they need. Annual participants
include community members, corporate teams,
sororities, fraternities, church groups and many
more. The annual UNCF Los Angeles walka-thon
and the money raised supports 60,000
students who attend more than 900 colleges and
universities nationwide, 39 of which are historically
Black colleges and are member institutions
of UNCF. May 21. Registration begins at 7 a.m.
Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los
Angeles. (213) 639-3800
•••
Celebrating Healthy Babies:
Promoting healthy lifestyles for
everyone from infants to adults,
Great Beginnings for Black
Babies’ Black Infant Health program
will present a free health
fair geared for the entire family from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m., next Saturday. The “Celebrating Healthy
Babies — Past, Present & Future” Health Fair
will provide free health screenings including
mammograms, HIV/STD testing, blood pressure
and lung capacity assessments with medical
staff from Inner Images, Watts HealthCare
Corporation and Advanced Family Medical Care
Group. The event includea free food, a puppet
show, face painting, balloon animals, and more
In addition, a “Beautiful Black Pregnant Woman”
contest will be conducted. May 21. Rancho
Cienega Sports Complex, 5001 Rodeo Road, Los
Angeles. (310) 677-7995
•••
Welcome to Manhood: The
Concerned Black Men of Los
Angeles, a non-profit mentoring
organization, offers a powerful
series of youth mentoring
workshops through its signature
Welcome-to-Manhood Program,
promoting education, career, and
life skills guidance, and instructions in the
importance of self mastery and personal achievement.
Workshops and youth activities are free
and are designed for youth between 11 years of
age and 19 years old. May 21, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Library, 2205 W.
Florence Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 359-3378
•••
Those wishing to place announcements in this
month’s calendar should mail information to The
Wave, 1730 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 500, Los
Angeles, CA 90015, fax to (213) 835-0584 or email
to msantana@wavepublication.com. Items
will be published on a space-available basis. The
deadline for all submissions is Friday at 5 p.m.
Please include the name and telephone number of
a contact person.
Photo by Gary McCarthy
A police officer examines one of the firearms surrendered
in the Crenshaw District on Saturday as part of the
city’s annual gun buy-back program.
Thousands of guns
removed from streets
in annual buy-back
From City News Service
The city took control of more
than 2,000 firearms during
its annual gun buy-back program
over the weekend, Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa announced
Monday.
The event, held Saturday at a
half-dozen locations across the
city, yielded 91 assault weapons,
the largest cache of that
most dangerous weapon in the
program’s history, though the
overall take was lower than last
year, according to city officials.
The buy-back haul was 953
handguns, 688 rifles and 330
shotguns in addition to the
assault weapons, along with one
anti-tank rocket launcher recovered
in South Los Angeles.
“People are tired of the gun
violence. They’re tired of seeing
the kind of carnage that’s left
behind when assault weapons
like these are used to maim and
kill,” Villaraigosa said.
Individuals are assured anonymity
when turning in weapons,
which could eliminate
potentially valuable ballistics
evidence that might solve past
crimes, but the city is able to
prevent future crimes or accidental
shootings by taking guns
off the street, according to program
supporters.
About $175,000 in Ralphs
supermarket gift cards were
given out in exchange for the
guns. About $25,000 worth of
cards were left over.
“Make no mistake about it,
L.A. is safer than its been in
decades, but still we suffer from
gun violence far too frequently,”
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said.
“I went to bed last night at about
11 p.m., got up about 6 a.m., and
in just that short seven hours,
three Angelenos were wounded
by gunfire. ... That’s not unusu-
al.”
With this year’s gun buy-back
program, “We made a statement
that this is not a city that is ruled
by the gun,” Beck said. “This is
a city that is ruled by law, ruled
by thinking people, ruled by
community.”
The number of guns obtained
was down from last year’s event,
which took in more than 2,500
firearms, but was up from 2009,
when 1,700 guns were handed
over to the LAPD.
Villaraigosa attributed the
decline in gun buy-backs to the
success of the program in past
years and an earlier start time.
The mayor used the announcement
to mark the launch of his
summer violence reduction
efforts, and to advocate for the
expansion of his Summer Night
Lights program. Villaraigosa
said he wants to expand the
program, which keeps parks in
violent neighborhoods open late,
from 24 to 32 sites.
Beck said the city will run
background checks to make sure
none of the turned-in guns are
stolen. The vast majority will
ultimately be melted down. In
past years, the melted guns have
been used for art pieces and for
construction rebar, and officials
said that will likely be the case
this year.
The Gun Owners of California
called the program a “feel-good”
exercise, but ineffective.
“The fact of the matter is they
don’t do anything to make the
streets safer,” said Sam Paredes,
executive director of Gun
Owners of California.
Paredes said it is good that the
LAPD checks the guns against
a database of stolen weapons,
“but most of the guns turned
in are absolute junk. Many are
inoperable.”