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LOS ANGELES, CA- On Sunday, December 14, the Critical Resistance Los Angeles (CRLA) chapter will be hosting “Dreaming Wildly, Fighting to Win,” a special evening of art, music, and performance to celebrate its work fighting prison and jail expansion and for self-determination in the LA area. The event will feature an art auction in collaboration with the renowned online auction house Paddle8, and will take place at the newly opened Underground Museum in the West Adams /Crenshaw District of L.A. The funds from the auction will benefit CRLA’s ongoing efforts to build a grassroots movement against the prison industrial complex (PIC).

Over 70 artists are contributing to the auction, which will include pieces by highly acclaimed names such as Charles Gaines, Zoe Leonard, Vaginal Davis, Abigail DeVille, Sam Durant, and Sayre Gomez. The event will also feature a poetry reading and book signing by 2014 National Book Award finalist Fred Moten, as well as performances by Los Angeles Poverty Department members Anthony Taylor and KevinMichael Key.

Among CRLA’s projects that will benefit from this auction is an ongoing fight against a proposed women’s jail construction project in Lancaster, CA. In addition to conducting broader political education, CRLA also facilitates Leadership Education Action and Dialogue (LEAD), a participatory political education program that engages formerly imprisoned women in monthly workshops that examine various aspects of the PIC and abolition in LA.

Artwork is currently open for bidding on Paddle8’s website, and interested buyers will also be able to bid in person at the event. The evening is family-friendly and will include activities for kids, music by HOOPS DJs, and light refreshments. Doors will open for a reception at 5pm, with performances at 6pm and music at 8 p.m. The Underground Museum is located at 3508 West Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles (90018).

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – This holiday season, Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) invites the community to attend her “Holiday Open House” on Monday, December 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Vanir Tower, which is located at 290 North D Street in San Bernardino, Suite 903.

Constituents and stakeholders are encouraged to take this opportunity to meet Assemblymember Brown and her staff and drop off a gift for the 2nd Annual Toy Drive.

“I’m pleased to host the Holiday Open House and Toy Drive to benefit local charities in the 47th Assembly District,” said Assemblymember Brown. “I’m also excited to receive legislative proposals from my constituency and discuss critical issues facing the 47th Assembly District. In addition, please share the joy and excitement of this holiday season by donating a new unwrapped toy to support our 2nd Annual Toy Drive. Let’s combine our efforts so we can bring good tidings and cheer to everyone in the 47^th District this holiday season.”

LOS ANGELES, CA- The dazzling Miss Barbara Morrison’s achievements within the community and music have been paying off. She has been nominated for a 2015 Grammy for “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.” In addition to her nomination, she will also be coming to the Arrowhead Elks in San Bernardino on Sunday, December 28 where she will be doing a Pre-New Years Eve concert and performing a special blend of Jazz, Blues, and Gospel.

Morrison will be bringing her quartet along with her to perform. The concert starts at 4 p.m. and doors open at 3:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $25 and $55 for VIP and a meet and greet. All proceeds will benefit The Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. The Arrowhead Elks is located at 1073 Mt. Vernon in San Bernardino (92411).

PERRIS, CA- Embark on a magical train ride and visit with Santa Claus at his North Pole workshop on December 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21. You can ride the train where elves will lead families in Christmas songs, holiday trivia games and storytelling. Santa greets the guests as they arrive at the workshop.

Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at a play area where children can experience Thomas train tables, a child-powered roller coaster and crafts. Enjoy holiday treats while waiting to board your train and a child-size train ride ($2).

Train times are 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. Trains fill up fast, so it is advised to call the museum for reservations at (951) 943-3020. Prices for non-members, ages 12 and up are $15; ages 5 to 11 are $10; and ages 2 to 4 are $5. Member prices for ages 12 and up are $8 and ages 2 to 11 are $5. For more information, please visit at www.oerm.org.

Tamyra Gray

PASADENA, CA- The Pasadena Playhouse and Lythgoe Family Productions (LFP) have announced the cast members for this year’s Panto at the Playhouse “Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight.” The cast will feature Disney recording artist Olivia Holt as “Aurora”(Disney’s “I Didn’t Do It”), Lucy Lawless as “Carabosse” (“Xena: Warrior Princess,” “Spartacus”), David Engel as “Nanny Tickle” (Broadway’s “La Cage aux Folles,” “Seussical”), Tamyra Gray as “The Good Fairy” (“American Idol,” Broadway’s “Bombay Dreams” and “Rent”) and returning from last year’s Panto at the Playhouse production of “Aladdin and His Winter Wish,” Ben Giroux as “Silly Billy” (CW’s “Hart of Dixie).“SLEEPING BEAUTY and Her Winter Knight” opens December 10, 2014 and plays through January 4, 2015 at The Pasadena Playhouse.

An updated version of the classic Grimm fairytale, in the style of a traditional British family Panto, SLEEPING BEAUTY and Her Winter Knight is a singing and soaring winter adventure that features family-friendly magic, with a comedic twist, dancing (with “So You Think You Can Dance” alumni), a live pony, interaction with the audience and contemporary music from Jessie J’s “Domino” to John Legend’s “All Of Me,” Pharrell Williams “Happy” to Survivor’s “Eye of The Tiger” and more. A Panto is known for its interactive style and humor that appeals to everyone from ages 2 – 102!

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 South El Molino Avenue in Pasadena (91101).  The performance schedule is Monday at 7:30 p.m. (December 29 only); Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 12 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.; Special matinees are Wednesday, December 24 at 4 pm; Friday, December 26 at 4 pm; and Tuesday, December 30 at 4 pm.

Tickets are available by calling The Pasadena Playhouse at (626) 356-7529, online 24 hours a day at www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org, or by visiting The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, Tuesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. during non-performance dates.  On performance dates the Box Office is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Back row left to right Scout Leader Charles Price, Stater Bros. Manager Jorge Moreno, Stone Price, Austin Price, Lucus Compagna, and Scout Leader Anne Compagna. Front left William Anderson, and front right Jason Bun.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-Boy Scouts from the Inland Empire collected 12,880 pounds (6 tons) of food for The Salvation Army’s San Bernardino Corps.  The food was donated by the Boy Scouts over two weekends in November. Last year the donations weighed in at 11,004 pounds.   The Boy Scouts have collected tons of food for the Salvation Army and other charities with meal programs for the past several years.

In December, the San Bernardino Corps assembles holiday food baskets for more than 600 local families. Canned food donations received from the Boy Scouts will be included in those baskets along with a $10 gift card to Stater Bros. for a Turkey.  In addition to the holiday baskets, a delicious Christmas Dinner is served on Christmas Day to those in need.

Meals for anyone who is hungry are served six nights a week at 4:45 p.m. Sunday through Friday at 746 W. Fifth Street in San Bernardino.  More than 40,000 meals are served annually at the Fifth Street location. For help or for more information call The Salvation Army at  (909) 888-1336.

Michael Ferrera (right), founder of Michael Ferrera Custom Clothing and finalist in the Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs contest is pictured with Monica Cevallos, Cricket Wireless Senior Marketing Manager during an in-store celebration on Small Business Saturday. As a finalist, Ferrera is eligible to receive the grand prize package of up to $5,000 in cash and mobility prizes. Photo provided courtesy of Steed Media Group

LOS ANGELES, CA- On Saturday, November 29, Cricket Wireless hosted an in-store celebration for its Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs contest. This year they selected Michael Ferrera of Los Angeles and owner of the Michael Ferrera Custom Apparel as one of the three finalists.

Family, friends, and the community were able to show their support as Ferrera competes for the grand prize package. Some of the prizes that he is eligible for include a cash prize of up to $5,000 and a free Samsung Galaxy S5 courtesy of Samsung along with a year of Cricket service.

At Saturday’s celebration, Ferrera recorded a video outlining his business story and community involvement. The video can be viewed on Cricket’s YouTube channel. To learn more about Michael Ferrera, please visit www.michaelferrera.com.

Founders of BrittCares Jamie and Shirell Henderson and Comedian and Actor Kevin Hart

LOS ANGELES, CA-BrittiCares International, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, hosted their 7th annual “Thanksgiving With My Family” at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on Thanksgiving Day. Comedian and actor Kevin Hart was a special guest and presented BrittiCares with $30,000 to continue in their mission of helping terminally ill children.

As children admitted to hospitals during the holidays don’t get to enjoy their families, BrittiCares’ “Thanksgiving With My Family” gave them the opportunity to dine together on a day meant to be spent with family and friends.

BrittiCares will host its annual, “Give Life For Christmas” Blood Drive, on Saturday, December 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The community is urged to donate blood as donations run low during the holidays, yet the need remains great. For more information and/or to donate visit www.britticares.org.

“Taylion also believes that it takes a talented, unique teacher to connect with today’s students on an educational level. Terry Trebilcock is a shining example of a teacher that connects with his students,” said Tim Smith president of Taylion Academy.

“I have actually been teaching since about 1975, I taught engineering classes at Henry Ford Community College in Michigan,” said Trebilcock. “I also taught business classes at Chaffey College for about three years.”

“I like the feeling you get when the light bulb goes on for these kids, and you see what they can do with it,” said Trebilcock. “For example, two kids I taught last year in engineering classes, they liked engineering so much they applied at Chaffey to get for their engineering program.  To me, that’s the biggest payoff.”

LOS ANGELES, CA- As California endures a historic drought and recovers from recent wildfires, residents need to prepare for the possibility of mudslides and flooding triggered by the current major rainstorm affecting the southland, the biggest of the year. Dangerous areas include zones previously affected by the #ColbyFire in the San Gabriel Mountains, near Los Angeles, where up to 6 inches of rain are expected, and sections of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), in Malibu. Various downed power lines and flooding problems have been reported and mandatory evacuations issued. As a reminder, flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States, causing about $50 billion in economic losses each year, according to the Insurance Information Institute. State Farm encourages residents to take the following steps to protect:

A) YOUR LIVES:

• Listen to first responders and to the news – If a mandatory evacuation has been ordered in your area, gather your most important documents and key belongings and leave your house promptly.
• Drive in “defense mode” – In heavy rain and during flash floods seek high ground, turn on your lights, slow down, maintain more distance with other cars, and avoid driving on roads covered by water.
• Keep Tank Full and Change Wipers – Wipers should be replaced if the windshield view is smeared.
• Have a Road Survival Kit in the car– It should include a: tool set, spare tire, car jack, first aid kit, blanket, rain jacket, plastic tarp, jumper cables, flash light, gloves, spare cloths, water, non-perishable food, and road flares.

B) YOUR PROPERTY:

• Inspect Your Home – As the storm progresses, inspect your home and monitor rain gutters, roof, yard, out-buildings, and trees and shrubs for possible hazards.
• Make an Inventory – Create an inventory taking photos and short videos of your possessions in each room.
• Create an Emergency kit – Make sure you have plenty of emergency supplies like batteries, blankets, flashlights, water and non-perishable foods.
• Have an Evacuation plan – If you live close to a hillside area, have a disaster evacuation plan.

C) YOUR FINANCES:

• Flood damage and homes – damage due to floods is typically not covered by standard homeowners or renters insurance policies. Should you live in an area that is prone to floods or mudslides, consider purchasing flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program: Floodsmart.gov.
• Flood damage and cars – comprehensive coverage on a typical auto insurance policy will cover damage to a car caused by a flood.
• Talk to your agent – review your policies and discuss your insurance needs.

“While these weather conditions persist, if you can avoid driving unless necessary that would be best. And at home, monitor if the water is finding its way in and act,” said Jordi Ortega, spokesman for State Farm, who added: “Now is a good time to call your agent and review your home insurance policy.”

About State Farm

State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 18,000 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve almost 84 million policies and accounts – approximately 82 million auto, home, life, health and commercial policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 41 on the 2014 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visithttp://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.