What it do with Lue

By Sheri Neely

The legendary Bar-Kays celebrated 50 years in the music industry with a red carpet gala with friends and fans from all across the country on Thursday, December 4 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis. Hosted by Elise Neal and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, performances included George Clinton, ConFunkShun, The Dazz Band, Mary Jane Girls, Willie Clayton, Sir Charles Jones, Jazze Pha, The SOS Band, Doug E. Fresh and the reunion of the United We Funk All-Stars. Special guest appearances included David Porter, Al Bell, Otis Redding, III, daughter of Rick James Ty James and Cherelle.

The benefit gala supported the Bar-Kays coined “Fab Five” nonprofit organizations: The Down Syndrome Association of Memphis & the Mid-South, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, United Way of the Mid-South, The STAX Music Academy and The Allen Jones/Marjorie Barringer/Bar-Kays Scholarship Fund in support of LeMoyne Owen College.

Special presentations were made at a private VIP reception sponsored by the Hard Rock Café Memphis downtown on Beale Street. The Bar-Kays’ James Alexander and Larry Dodson, Sr. were presented with their honorary guitars from Hard Rock Cafe of Memphis’ general manager Julien Salley and Memphis & Shelby County Music commissioner Johnnie Walker.

They received awards and special presentations at the gala as well, including a proclamation from the State of Tennessee presented by Congressman Steve Cohen. They also received a presentation from the City of Los Angeles by award-winning filmmaker Keith O’Derek. The Bar-Kays performed during the historical WattsStax Music Festival held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972.  Organized by Memphis’ Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots, it is known as one of the top most important civil rights contributions to music history.

The red carpet gala was followed by a private VIP after party which was also held on Beale Street and sponsored by BB King’s Blues Club and Restaurant. It was attended by many of the performers and special guests from the gala.

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.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Folks will hug and kiss you on Sunday morning and come Sunday night they are on the phone talking behind your back. “Tell Me It Is Not So!” People are hypocritical. You think that they are with you, but you find out that they are tearing you down.  Jealousy, gossip, lying, backbiting, cheating, criticizing, slandering is not only in the world but it is happening in the Church. So many Church people; Christians have become notorious for this. We speak ill of our brothers and sisters. We critique our leaders, but not to their faces. We whisper in the corners to one another trying to get our homeboys, home girls to sympathize with us. “You Got to be Kidding… Tell Me It’s Not So!” Have we forgotten Proverbs Chapter 6 that says, “These things does the Lord hate, these six things, yea seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies and he that sows discord among brothers.”  Not to mention, Ephesians 4:29 which says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Don’t you know that God hates false witness and spreading lies and He hates stirring up conflict? Even if something is true it can still stir conflict and create disunity amongst us. And just because something maybe true, doesn’t make it okay to spread around. Our words should build up, encourage, instruct, maybe provide godly and gracious correction if necessary. Public shaming and spreading information about someone never helped anyone. We are called to protect the dignity of our neighbors.  We should take a cue from Jesus. He gently told sinners leave that path. He didn’t publicly shame people for making mistakes or being in sin. He never said “Hey Matthew, did you hear what Mark did last week?” But for whatever reason Christians somehow get sucked into it and we destroy each other. We drive people away from the church, and we cause divides, and we leave people feeling discouraged, hurt, angry, and humiliated. We talk about others like they’re somehow vile offenders. Like they’re somehow worse than us. “I can’t believe so and so would do that. That’s terrible!”  We are just as guilty of this sort of thing as everyone else or even more so. No wonder the Church has little influence upon the world compared to what it might have. The Church has become worldlier than the world itself.

How can we use our mouths to praise God on Sunday then cut down our neighbor on Monday? How can we be people who praise God while using that same mouth to attack someone made in God’s image. (James 3:9-12).  We should be treating all people with the same level of respect and dignity. After all Jesus said, “Let the one without sin, be the first to throw the stone.”[John 8:7} If we claim to be the beloved children of God and the body of Christ but spend our time and energy ripping each other apart, well, that sends a very clear message doesn’t it? If our claims of being a place of love coexist with hostility and backbiting, basically we’re just a bunch of lying hypocrites. Yes, the truth hurts. It’s like medicine. It does not always taste good, but we need it!  I tell you, we have to do better. Too many people give up their faith because of the mean gestures of Christians. We must not forget why the Church is in the world. Our words should spur one another towards Jesus not away from Him.

I’m not trying to be critical nor harsh. I’m calling for us to become more like Christ. I’m calling for us to have a renewed commitment to speak with grace. To use our words to build up. To Stop and Think when we speak.  Consider what will happen if people actually listen to you. I don’t have that problem. I know most of what I say isn’t listened to. But let us be imitators of God, who love like Jesus did, and use our words to glorify God like Jesus did. Let us refuse to participate in gossip, criticism, slander, and defamation. Let us be known as a people who speak well demonstrating grace. Let us use our mouth for God’s glory and the church edification. Never forgetting that we will be held accountable before God Himself for the things we do and say. It’s a terrible thing to see gossip, jealousy, pride, failure to love the brethren, etc. Let us love one another as Christ loves us!

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.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, AND ACTION! Hi, my peeps! It’s such a beautiful day in the neighborhood. This week WHAT IT DO is videography. With that being said, I have to highlight, Onmymama.tv for making major moves and so quickly. Onmymama.TV based out of the Inland Empire, was founded in 2014 by Aaron Block, CEO of onmymama.tv; Paul Douglas; and Jonathan Glinsey.

What started as a conversation had become a reality. Aaron Block came up with the idea of not paying and depending on videographers to shoot his videos, so he decided to learn how to do it himself. Pulling in Jonathan Glinsey, who has a degree in photography and is
the head Director along with Paul Douglas, as the Assistant Director for Onmymama.tv, the three decided to take videography to another level. Shaken things up in the IE the team specializes in shooting live interviews, freestyles, red carpet events, music videos, weddings, sports, documentaries, and more.

I’ve had an opportunity to use these young talented Kings on projects for my LUE Productions artist’s which include Dada Dado, Speaker Junkiez, Paul Douglas, and Mack Pepperboy. Let’s just say that I was 100 percent satisfied with the ending results.

Paul Douglas came up with the name Onmymama and Aaron Block added TV, then the magic appeared and the rest is history. So, if you need any work done at an affordable rate that is QUALTY, make sure to look up Onmymama.tv. via YouTube and add them on Facebook at Mymamatv, and that’s on MAMAS!

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.”