The franchise point guard is reportedly upset with his franchise.

ESPN.com reports All-Star guard Chris Paul, set to become an unrestricted free agent in July, is not happy with the Clippers because he feels he is being wrongly blamed for the organization’s decision to part ways with coach Vinny Del Negro earlier this month.

“He’s angry right now and his anger is directed toward the Clippers organization,” the source said. “Chris is a man of principle and if he feels like you’ve gone against his principles, it will affect how he feels about you. He’s very agitated that his name has been put out there as the reason for Vinny’s firing. He had nothing to do with it.”

The site further reports, citing a source, that Paul “refused to get involved” with the organization’s coaching position and that the decision to let go of Del Negro was made solely by Clippers management.

The Los Angeles Times asked Clippers owner Donald Sterling about the decision to part ways with Del Negro, and Sterling told the paper that he felt the need to “support” the team’s “special players.”

“Was this done,” I asked, “just to hang on to Chris Paul?”

“I always want to be honest and not say anything that is not true,” Sterling said. “So I’d rather not say anything.

…

“So I wonder, is this decision being made because the players are now calling the shots? Am I off base?”

“No, you’re not off base,” Sterling said. “This is a players’ league, and, unfortunately, if you want to win you have to make the players happy.”

…

“But if you have special players, and special players think that they know the best opportunity to win, you have to support them.”

L.A. claimed its first division title, winning 56 games this season, the most in a franchise history that dates to 1970-71. However, the Clippers were eliminated by the Grizzlies in six games in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. That result represented a step back from their semifinals appearance in 2012.

Del Negro told The Dan Patrick Show earlier this week that he was “surprised” that he was let go and said that Paul has “a lot of say-so” in the organization’s decisions.

“Well, Chris is a free agent,” Del Negro said. “They were compelled to make a decision. He’s entitled to his opinion. He made First-Team All-NBA both seasons on defense and on offense and that’s the first time he’s done that in his career. And we set every franchise record. But, in saying that, obviously he’s a free agent, he’s going to have a lot of say-so in a lot of things, as he did the previous summer when we put the team together. … It’s behind me. They are positioned for success in the future. … However it went down, it doesn’t matter.”

 

When word first broke that Del Negro was being let go, Yahoo! Sports noted that Del Negro wouldn’t be returning because Paul “wanted a different coach.” CBSSports.com also reported Paul was “not a fan” of Del Negro and that lack of support was “among the biggest reasons” the Clippers chose to move on.

The Clippers have not yet picked Del Negro’s successor and are expected to conduct a deep search for his replacement. The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday former Suns coach Alvin Gentry, Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, former Cavaliers coach Byron Scott and ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy are among the names being considered.

Del Negro, 46, holds a career coaching record of 210-184 (.533) in five seasons with the Bulls and Clippers. He was 128-102 (.557) in his three seasons in L.A.

Paul, 28, was selected to his sixth All-Star Game, the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team this season and posted averages of 16.9 points, 9.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. He can sign a five-year deal with the Clippers this summer or settle for a four-year contract with outside suitors.

http://nba.si.com/2013/05/31/chris-paul-angry-upset-clippers-vinny-del-negro-donald-sterling/

BY BEN GOLLIVER, POSTED MAY 31, 2013

Upon being fired last week, Nuggets coach George Karl told team president Josh Kroenke, “I think I should tell you, I think it’s very stupid.”

The controversial firing of the reigning NBA coach of the year has led to much debate in Denver. On Thursday afternoon, Karl sat down with The Denver Post and discussed an array of topics, including his firing, his future (possibly landing with the Memphis Grizzlies or the Los Angeles Clippers) and the future of the Nuggets, a team he believes could have won 55 games next season, even with Danilo Gallinari out for much of the season due to knee surgery.

“I’m not going to stand here and justify my (playoff) record,” Karl said, but he believed the franchise was on an upward tick, “and to blow that away, it leaves you helpless, speechless, powerless, sad, a lot of words.”

Following are excerpts from the interview.

Q: Can you explain the emotions of finishing third in the Western Conference and then being fired?

A: “We won 57 games and are in a great place. Continuity, consistency, togetherness all are so much more valuable than what they have on their priority list of playing JaVale McGee or the young players. And first of all, it shouldn’t be that I didn’t play young players. It’s I didn’t play young players enough, because we played a lot of young players — Kenneth Faried, Kosta Koufos, Evan Fournier at the end of the year, Ty Lawson. And, I never had a meeting where there was disappointment, in that part of it, voiced to me. I heard through whispers. I’m sorry that 57 wins doesn’t make you happy. I think it was a special season because of the connection this team has with each other and with the coaching staff and with the city. The fans like this team. The staff likes each other. And to blow up that connection is, in my opinion, extremely disrespectful to coaching.”

Q: Will you coach next season?

A: “I don’t know. I’m talking to Memphis and have had basically preliminary

conversations with L.A. (Clippers) and Memphis. I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to happen this week. If there is, it’s going to be with someone else, it’s not going to be with me. … I want to coach three to four (years) at least. But I want to coach a good team. I don’t want to coach a rebuilding team.”

Q: Can you describe your relationship with the front office?

A: “What I’ve loved about being here is with (the different front office regimes) is I felt we were all equal. This year, after the trade deadline, all of a sudden, I felt like Masai (Ujiri, the general manager) and Josh were over here, and I didn’t feel very equal.”

Q: What does “feel equal” mean?

A: “In the past, Stan (Kroenke, the team owner) would listen to all of us. I know I can be fired and the voices behind closed doors can be against me. But this year, I just felt that at the end, for a team that had so much success, unity and karma, I felt that Masai and Josh drifted into a direction that was difficult to understand.”

Q: What’s an example of that?

A: “It’s hard to say. It’s just communication, them getting mad about what I said in the paper more often than makes sense. Snippy texts about things. The whole thing it comes down to — you’ve got a great coaching staff, a coach who loves coaching the team, a city that loves the team.” (Karl gently pounds the table.)

Q: Can you describe your desire for a contract extension, heading into the last year of your contract?

A: “I didn’t demand an extension. I said to Josh, ‘I will coach this team next year, I’m excited about coaching this team next year, but in the last year of a contract, there are things that could happen.’ I didn’t say they would happen, I said they could happen. I said I didn’t think I deserved a three-year extension, but it’s a signed contract (with an option), so let’s compromise. I don’t think I deserved to get my option picked up, even if we won in the first round (of the playoffs), but there’s a middle ground. The thing that annoys me every day still is the fun connection we have with this team. They think they can unplug us and plug somebody else in, and I’m going, ‘Wow, that is not respectful of the coaching profession.’ ”

Q: Looking back, is there any way to have regrets about not playing McGee major minutes, knowing that they paid him big money?

A: “I’m sorry, I’ve never had management tell me that money’s important (for playing time). Every team I’ve ever coached, it was, ‘It’s your job to distribute minutes.’ I think JaVale built a foundation that next year is going to be very good with him. I don’t think our relationship was in a bad place. It wasn’t in a great place, but it wasn’t in a bad place. … I felt pretty good that JaVale, with a good summer with us, probably would have been the starter next year. But, in the same sense, I don’t think JaVale and Kenneth fit. They have similar limitations. I still think having a passing point guard for JaVale, like Andre Miller, is an asset.”

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_23454878/george-karl-fires-back-at-josh-kroenke-nuggets

Rising home values during the first three months of 2013 helped thousands of Inland Southern California get caught up — at least somewhat — in the pursuit of equity on their homes, a report released this week found.

The number of homeowners in Riverside and San Bernardino counties with mortgage balances higher than the home’s value declined by more than 36,500 in the first three months of 2013, according to a report released Wednesday, June 12, by CoreLogic, an Irvine-based residential property research firm. The percentage of upside-down residences dropped from 35.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 31.4 percent.

That change means the Inland area is no longer one of the nation’s centerpieces of negative equity. At the end of last year, the area had the fifth-highest percentage of mortgages that were greater than the home’s market value, but the Inland Empire is no longer on the top-five list.

It does not, however, mean property owners have a significant amount of extra financial wiggle-room. More than 30,000 are barely in the black on their mortgages, meaning they’re not in a position to refinance or otherwise use the equity.

For most homeowners, this will be feel-good news that will mostly offer psychological benefits and some peace of mind, said Linda Itzen, a longtime Riverside-based financial planner with Ameriprise Financial.

“I’m finding more people who are breathing a sigh of relief that maybe they’re breaking even,” Itzen said. “But I don’t see a rush or any big desire to sell and buy up.”

Itzen added that the trend could entice some homeowners who have been renting their properties to sell if they are tired of the expense and responsibilities that come with being a landlord.

CoreLogic reported 294,132 Inland properties with upside-down mortgages in the fourth quarter of 2012. That number was down to 257,595 in the first quarter.

Residential property values have risen steadily for more than a year. Earlier this week, real estate information network DataQuick reported that the median sales price in San Bernardino County in May was up 28 percent from a year ago and up almost 23 percent in Riverside County. That adds up to an estimated $46,000 in equity growth for Inland homeowners in the past 12 months.

Economist John Husing pointed out that during the worst months of the recession in late 2009, almost 55 percent of all Inland homeowners with mortgages were under water, and that number was still close to 50 percent as recently as 2011. The declining numbers mean it’s less likely homeowners will abandon homes and turn Inland communities into eyesores.

Husing said he was concerned that many Inland homes on the sales market are being snapped up by outside investors who do not have a stake in the community. He said the rising home valuations could convince families that the time to get into the market has arrived.

Also, interest rates for mortgages have increased for three straight weeks and are now just below 4 percent for a 30-year loan.

“I think buyers are beginning to understand that prices are moving,” Husing said. “They could be thinking, ‘Oh my god, I’d better get in there.’ ”

Nationally some 9.7 million mortgages, slightly less than 20 percent, had higher balances than the home’s value in the first quarter. The cities with the highest percentages of underwater houses were Tampa-St. Petersburg, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and Warren, Mich., CoreLogic reported.

Rising home values during the first three months of 2013 helped thousands of Inland Southern California get caught up — at least somewhat — in the pursuit of equity on their homes, a report released this week found.

The number of homeowners in Riverside and San Bernardino counties with mortgage balances higher than the home’s value declined by more than 36,500 in the first three months of 2013, according to a report released Wednesday, June 12, by CoreLogic, an Irvine-based residential property research firm. The percentage of upside-down residences dropped from 35.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 31.4 percent.

That change means the Inland area is no longer one of the nation’s centerpieces of negative equity. At the end of last year, the area had the fifth-highest percentage of mortgages that were greater than the home’s market value, but the Inland Empire is no longer on the top-five list.

It does not, however, mean property owners have a significant amount of extra financial wiggle-room. More than 30,000 are barely in the black on their mortgages, meaning they’re not in a position to refinance or otherwise use the equity.

For most homeowners, this will be feel-good news that will mostly offer psychological benefits and some peace of mind, said Linda Itzen, a longtime Riverside-based financial planner with Ameriprise Financial.

“I’m finding more people who are breathing a sigh of relief that maybe they’re breaking even,” Itzen said. “But I don’t see a rush or any big desire to sell and buy up.”

Itzen added that the trend could entice some homeowners who have been renting their properties to sell if they are tired of the expense and responsibilities that come with being a landlord.

CoreLogic reported 294,132 Inland properties with upside-down mortgages in the fourth quarter of 2012. That number was down to 257,595 in the first quarter.

Residential property values have risen steadily for more than a year. Earlier this week, real estate information network DataQuick reported that the median sales price in San Bernardino County in May was up 28 percent from a year ago and up almost 23 percent in Riverside County. That adds up to an estimated $46,000 in equity growth for Inland homeowners in the past 12 months.

Economist John Husing pointed out that during the worst months of the recession in late 2009, almost 55 percent of all Inland homeowners with mortgages were under water, and that number was still close to 50 percent as recently as 2011. The declining numbers mean it’s less likely homeowners will abandon homes and turn Inland communities into eyesores.

Husing said he was concerned that many Inland homes on the sales market are being snapped up by outside investors who do not have a stake in the community. He said the rising home valuations could convince families that the time to get into the market has arrived.

Also, interest rates for mortgages have increased for three straight weeks and are now just below 4 percent for a 30-year loan.

“I think buyers are beginning to understand that prices are moving,” Husing said. “They could be thinking, ‘Oh my god, I’d better get in there.’ ”

Nationally some 9.7 million mortgages, slightly less than 20 percent, had higher balances than the home’s value in the first quarter. The cities with the highest percentages of underwater houses were Tampa-St. Petersburg, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and Warren, Mich., CoreLogic reported.

Rising home values during the first three months of 2013 helped thousands of Inland Southern California get caught up — at least somewhat — in the pursuit of equity on their homes, a report released this week found.

The number of homeowners in Riverside and San Bernardino counties with mortgage balances higher than the home’s value declined by more than 36,500 in the first three months of 2013, according to a report released Wednesday, June 12, by CoreLogic, an Irvine-based residential property research firm. The percentage of upside-down residences dropped from 35.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 31.4 percent.

That change means the Inland area is no longer one of the nation’s centerpieces of negative equity. At the end of last year, the area had the fifth-highest percentage of mortgages that were greater than the home’s market value, but the Inland Empire is no longer on the top-five list.

It does not, however, mean property owners have a significant amount of extra financial wiggle-room. More than 30,000 are barely in the black on their mortgages, meaning they’re not in a position to refinance or otherwise use the equity.

For most homeowners, this will be feel-good news that will mostly offer psychological benefits and some peace of mind, said Linda Itzen, a longtime Riverside-based financial planner with Ameriprise Financial.

“I’m finding more people who are breathing a sigh of relief that maybe they’re breaking even,” Itzen said. “But I don’t see a rush or any big desire to sell and buy up.”

Itzen added that the trend could entice some homeowners who have been renting their properties to sell if they are tired of the expense and responsibilities that come with being a landlord.

CoreLogic reported 294,132 Inland properties with upside-down mortgages in the fourth quarter of 2012. That number was down to 257,595 in the first quarter.

Residential property values have risen steadily for more than a year. Earlier this week, real estate information network DataQuick reported that the median sales price in San Bernardino County in May was up 28 percent from a year ago and up almost 23 percent in Riverside County. That adds up to an estimated $46,000 in equity growth for Inland homeowners in the past 12 months.

Economist John Husing pointed out that during the worst months of the recession in late 2009, almost 55 percent of all Inland homeowners with mortgages were under water, and that number was still close to 50 percent as recently as 2011. The declining numbers mean it’s less likely homeowners will abandon homes and turn Inland communities into eyesores.

Husing said he was concerned that many Inland homes on the sales market are being snapped up by outside investors who do not have a stake in the community. He said the rising home valuations could convince families that the time to get into the market has arrived.

Also, interest rates for mortgages have increased for three straight weeks and are now just below 4 percent for a 30-year loan.

“I think buyers are beginning to understand that prices are moving,” Husing said. “They could be thinking, ‘Oh my god, I’d better get in there.’ ”

Nationally some 9.7 million mortgages, slightly less than 20 percent, had higher balances than the home’s value in the first quarter. The cities with the highest percentages of underwater houses were Tampa-St. Petersburg, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and Warren, Mich., CoreLogic reported.

SACRAMENTO — A compromise school-funding formula at the heart of this week’s state budget deal includes more money for suburban and wealthier districts, addressing complaints that an earlier Brown administration plan was unfair.

There will still be extra money targeted at English learners, students receiving free meals, and foster children. But it will comprise a smaller piece of the funding pie than what Brown wanted when he warned his plan’s critics in April that they were in for “the battle of their lives.”

“It’s an improvement, definitely, but we’re still waiting to get all of the details,” said Lori Ordway-Peck, assistant superintendent for business support services at Temecula Valley Unified School District, where officials had raised concerns about the Local Control Funding Formula the governor unveiled in January.

Supporters say the compromise plan will increase funding for schools by about $23 billion over eight years, making up for past cuts while simplifying the state’s school-funding system and helping disadvantaged students close the achievement gap.

Under this week’s agreement, more money will go into base grants for all pupils. The Temecula district, for example, would get a per-pupil increase of more than $3,000, to about $9,400, by 2020-21, according to Department of Finance estimates.

Brown’s formula would have phased in a year earlier, which prevents direct comparisons to the compromise plan.

In seven years, though, Temecula Valley’s per-pupil funding would have increased by only $2,100, based on February estimates by the finance department.

Stacy Coleman, assistant superintendent for business services for the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, said he’s also waiting for more specifics on the proposal.

Murrieta Valley, where about a third of the students are disadvantaged, would receive about $3,000 more in per-pupil funding, to $9,500, by 2020-21. The governor’s earlier plan estimated that the district would receive $9,000 by 2019-20.

Additional base funding is good, Coleman said. He cautioned, though, that the additions could come at the expense of cuts elsewhere. The final result may not be much gain over what the district had expected under existing law, he said.

Disadvantaged districts

Inland districts with large percentages of disadvantaged students, such as Fontana Unified, San Bernardino City Unified and Val Verde Unified, would get almost twice as much in per-pupil funding by the time this week’s compromise takes full effect.

Dale Marsden, superintendent of San Bernardino City Unified, said the compromise formula is just as good for his district as the governor’s January proposal.

“There are no losers,” Marsden said. “Everybody’s base has gone up. But we still have a long way to go.”

This week’s agreement includes “supplemental” payments to districts. Those will be equal to 20 percent of the base grant for every disadvantaged student. Brown had wanted 35 percent.

And districts will qualify for extra “concentration” funding when 55 percent of their students are disadvantaged, up from a 50-percent threshold in the governor’s approach.

Some districts also will get an “economic recovery payment” to restore them to 2007-08 revenue levels.

“What we have here is a final agreement that has the same essential architecture as the governor’s proposal, with some changes,” Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said Wednesday.

Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown, whose district includes the Fontana and San Bernardino districts, was an early backer of the governor’s plan.

“I’m here with members who are from suburbia,” Brown, D-San Bernardino, said. “They were really concerned they were being short-changed. The way this has turned out, no one is short-changed. Those who need more, will get more.”

Governor’s plan

Some Inland school officials, though, said the governor’s plan would have been better for districts with mid-range percentages of disadvantaged students.

Mike Fine, Riverside Unified’s deputy superintendent for business services, said the district will receive about $1,000 less per pupil in supplemental money under the compromise. About two-thirds of the district’s 40,000 pupils are disadvantaged.

Brown’s acceptance of this week’s deal, Fine said, “was a little shocking to me. I think it goes against some of the governor’s principles.”

The approach to distribute the concentration money, Fine added, fails to recognize that some districts — such as Riverside Unified and Corona-Norco Unified — are short of the 55 percent threshold but have schools that meet it. Senate Democrats had voiced similar complaints about the governor’s plan but signed on to the compromise.

Assembly President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, praised the agreement. It gets more money to all districts, he said, while maintaining the essence of the governor’s “progressive proposal.”

BY JIM MILLER AND

MICHELLE KLAMPESTAFF WRITERS

June 12, 2013

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) has selected La Pasta Italia as the 47^th District’s Small Business of the Year. La Pasta Italia, located in Grand Terrace, is owned and operated by the current Grand Terrace mayor, Walt Stanckiewitz, and his wife, Monique Stanckiewitz.

“I’m so excited to acknowledge and select La Pasta Italia as my Small Business of the Year. La Pasta Italia has been providing quality food to the restaurant industry and the community for several years now. They have a statewide reach and an excellent reputation in my district. They’ve come so far and I’m so proud of them,” said Assemblymember Brown.

Prior to the establishment of their restaurant, the Stanckiewitzes developed a reputation for providing a variety of fine pasta products to upscale restaurants throughout the Inland Empire including Mario’s Place, New York Grill, Ciao Bella, Café Allegro, Lake Arrowhead Resort, and the iconic Mission Inn.

 After 13 years of providing quality service to area restaurants, the Stanckiewitzes established La Pasta Italia, on Barton Road, in the city of Grand Terrace in June 2003. In keeping with Walt’s Italian roots, the Stanckiewitzes prepare each dish with love.

 In honor of his mother, Walt’s signature sandwich is the Da Riccio. Inspired from her Naples background, the ingredients include: prosciutto, sopressata, parmesan cheese, red onion, pepperoncini, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar on an Italian roll.

 The Stanckiewitzes will be honored at a ceremony in Sacramento on Monday, June 10.

 Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown represents the 47th Assembly District, which includes Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Rialto, the southwest parts of San Bernardino, and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy.

Website of Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown: http://www.asmdc.org/members/a47/

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The 20th Annual Black Graduate Recognition Ceremony at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB)will be held this Saturday, which will take place on Saturday, June 8 at CSUSB’s Coussoulis Arena at 7 p.m.  Embracing African American culture, the ceremony celebrates the graduates’ success, and the student can dress in graduation attire and receive symbolic kente stoles. Guests are welcomed to dress in African American traditional cultural clothing.
The theme for the event is “Closer to my Dreams.” CSUSB students Lee Moore and Jeremy Young speak at the event. Moore, a first-generation college graduate and will receive her B.A. in psychology, and plans to pursue a graduate degree in clinical social work at the University of Nevada. Young will graduate with a degree in information systems and technology, and is the current president of the student group Enrichment Through Action, a community service-based CSUSB organization at CSUSB.
Thomasina Hill, a San Bernardino native, will graduate with distinction with a B.A. in English with a concentration in Literature, and will perform an original poem at the ceremony. Thomasina has applied for a dual Master’s program in English Composition and Literature.
Danny Tillman, a 2003 CSUSB alumnus with a B.B. in business administration with a concentration in information technology. He works as an Information Systems administrator for the County of San Bernardino, serves on the Board of Trustees for the San Bernardino City Unified School District, and is a candidate for California’s 31st Congressional District seat.
Jenise Bush, co-founder of the CSUSB Black Graduate Recognition Ceremony, and a CSUSB alumna who earned three credentials and two degrees, and is currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of La Verne, will emcee the event. Children Performers from Dare to Dream Arts Academy will dance at the event.
Tickets are $50, and can be purchased in the Santos Manuel Student Union’s Student Leadership and Development office, Room 204. Students who purchase tickets can have an unlimited number of guests that can attend the event with them. Parking is $5.  For more information, contact Doreen Hatcher at 909-537-5234, dhatcher@csusb.edu, or Misty Levingston at 909-537-7198, mlevings@csusb.edu.

By Lue Dowdy, SAN BERNARDINO, CA— This week’s artist selected for my review is the beautiful Krystal Yvonne.  Krystal Yvonne is an innovative and talented public relations professional, model, host and interviewer. Her communication style is straightforward, genuine, and savvy.
Krystal’s passion for what she does drives her to apply her knowledge in a creative, yet methodical manner. Krystal has a keen understanding of the cultural sensitivities that rule the business marketplace and knows how to command the media’s attention. A current student of Cal State University San Bernardino, Krystal, also works for the popular Hip Hop Magazine, “Street Motivation” as Host/Interviewer.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this tiny powerhouse in action. Recently crowned, LUE Productions 2013 Urban Fashion Show Top Model, Krystal ripped the runway like nobody’s business. Standing only 4 feet and some inches high compared to her competitors, she wowed the judges with her speech on why she should be selected top model.
Krystal is enthusiastic, professionally committed, and responsible. She’s a poised and competent team builder and natural leader. Please check her out on Facebook under Krystal Yvonne.
Congratulations, Krystal! (Photos of the fashion show and crowning , as well as the hip hop show,,can be seen on our LUE Productions Facebook page and at wssn.com.)

By Lue Dowdy,

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— It’s ya girl LUE with my Artist Review and Entertainment Happenings in the IE and surrounding cities.
Attention! Attention! Erykah Badu “Showed Up & Showed Out”
Ladies and Gentlemen, last Thursday, I witnessed if not the best, definitely one of the best concerts of 2013 thus far. The house was packed!  If I’m not mistaken the concert was sold out or close to it.
Erykah Badu, Lyfe Jennings, and Bobby Valintino aka Bobby V, gave a magnificent performance. Each one of them not only sung, but played an instrument as well showcasing their other talents.
Bobby V, opened the show performing a few of his hits like, “Slow Down” and “Tell Me”. He had the ladies up in arms, the moment he took off his shirt showing all his oily muscles. Let’s just say it was getting pretty HOT!
Lyfe Jennings, a favorite of mine came out and smashed it. He performed his hits, “Stick up Kid; “It must Be Nice”; “S.E.X.”, and a few more. The last song Lyfe sung moved the crowd. He told his story of his incarceration and how GOD spoke to him in his darkest hour. I was really touched how he wasn’t afraid to praise the Lord.

So my girl, Erykah Badu, brought the house down! Her performance was an A plus. Two thumbs up for the Queen of Neo Soul. When I say everyone was on their feet, I mean everyone – including the full media row including Reps from the Sun, Press Enterprise, and a few other local papers and of course the Westside Story.
Erykah serenaded the audience with all her classics like, “On and On”; “Next Lifetime”; “Tyrone”; “Apple Tree”; The Other Side of The Game”; “Back In The Day”, and others.  I had folks jumping in front of me and steppin’ on my baby toe, trying to get a better view of the queen. This lady’s talent is extraordinary! I see why Common and Andrea 2000 was so gone over her.
Erykah’s, aura is indescribable. She sang, rapped, b-boxed, scatted, and played the drums. Once she completed her set the audience couldn’t get enough of her. They began to chant her name. The queen responded by coming back on stage, ending with my all-time favorite, “Bag Lady”.
The audience showed mad love to each artist by reciting their songs word for word and illuminating the auditorium with lights reflecting from their phones and lighters.  What a show!

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) is proud to announce that her bill, AB 1094, passed out of the Assembly with a bipartisan vote of 77 to 0. AB 1094 will expand the definition of disability-based unearned income to include veteran’s disability compensation and help California’s veterans get the assistance they need to care for their families.

 “There is no reason that a veteran’s benefits should be treated differently than other federal assistance.  Returning veterans are having a difficult time readjusting to life and it is our responsibility to help them in their transition,” said Assemblymember Brown.

California veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now receiving both CalWORKs and other governmental benefits. Current law provides that $225 in disability-based unearned income is disregarded when computing the individual’s CalWORKs benefits. Unfortunately, veterans’ disability compensation is not currently eligible for the disregard due to an oversight in previous legislation. As a result, veterans enrolled in the CalWORKs program receive, on average, $200 less than other disabled recipients. AB 1094 would correct this oversight and allow veteran families to collect their full benefits.

 “California is home to the largest veteran population in the country. The majority of veteran’s benefits are dispersed by the federal government. However, a massive backlog in claims have delayed many California veterans from receiving their benefits. This bill will help ease the financial burdens of veteran families in California. As a member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, I look forward to continuing to find solutions that will help the service members in our state access the benefits they deserve,” concluded Assemblymember Brown.

The bill now moves to the Senate.

Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown represents the 47th Assembly District, which includes Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Rialto, the southwest parts of San Bernardino, and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy.

Website of Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown: http://www.asmdc.org/members/a47/