Community
‘The Beacon Deacon’: Watts-Andrews Takes Kids From the Streets to the Stage
Parlisha Watts-Andrews, gospel singer, dance instructor, and public speaker, has always been interested in bringing the arts to youth.
She opened Parlisha’s School of the Arts while in Houston, Texas that offered programs in math and reading tutorials, theatre, pageant training, modeling and etiquette, tap dance, ballet, praise dance and gospel hip-hop.
Watts-Andrews attended Franklin High School in Stockton and later went on to Delta College and graduated with an A.A. in Theatre/Communications in 1981.
After graduating, she moved to Texas where she worked for the Houston Independent School District and Klein Independent School District as a computer lab technician and school secretary.
She recently returned to the University of the Pacific to finish her Theatre Arts Degree and will be graduating in May, with honors. She says her goal after graduation is to expand her school of the arts in the Stockton area, taking kids from the streets to the stage, instilling discipline through math and reading tools while sharpening the talents of those who have a gift for theatre, dance and music.
Watts-Andrews has also competed in pageants, winning Ms. Black USA 1996, Ms. Black Texas 1994, and Miss San Joaquin County 1979. She holds the title of Mrs. California United America 2013 and will be competing in June for Mrs. United America in Austin, Texas
“God has blessed me to reach many through pageantry, Gospel music, praise dance, and public speaking,” she said. “I’m blessed to be 53 years young, as a wife, mother, and student, reaching the masses with the good news of Jesus Christ through the Arts.”
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
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