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AKA Presents Dr. Phlunte’ Riddle, Mother of the Year

PASADENA JOURNAL — On Saturday, May 11, 2019, the Pasadena Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is sponsoring the 31st Annual Fashionetta Salute to Mothers and Scholarship Luncheon & Fashion Show at the Glendale Hilton from 10 AM – 3 PM. During this year’s event, the 2019 Mother of the Year, Dr. Phlunte’ Riddle, will be honored.

Published

5 years ago

May 4, 2019

Oakland Post

By The Pasenda Journal

On Saturday, May 11, 2019, the Pasadena Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is sponsoring the 31st Annual Fashionetta Salute to Mothers and Scholarship Luncheon & Fashion Show at the Glendale Hilton from 10 AM – 3 PM. During this year’s event, the 2019 Mother of the Year, Dr. Phlunte’ Riddle, will be honored.

She is a phenomenal woman who has served her community throughout her life. She is a mother, wife, educator, author, community servant, mentor, retired law enforcement ofﬁcer and motivational speaker. She currently serves as the Director of External Affairs for Assemblymember Chris Holden, is an adjunct professor and has launched her own consulting company, Phlunte’ Riddle & Associates, LLC. Throughout her life, she has strived to make a difference for those around her, especially the underserved.

She moved to Pasadena at the young age of 8 where she started school at Loma Alta Elementary and then matriculated through the Pasadena Public School System. Her immediate and extended family are her passion and her joy. She has been married for 40 years to Eddie Riddle. They are blessed with 3 sons – Ralph, Eric and Justin and three grandbabies.

Beyond her home, Phlunte’ has made a difference in Pasadena. She became a Pasadena police ofﬁcer in order to help people. Her goal of being helpful lead her to become known as a role model and resource within her community. At the time that she joined the Pasadena police department, there were very few black ofﬁcers and even fewer black women. This meant that when blacks in the community had a loved one in trouble, they needed help. Phlunte’ gained a reputation within the black community as being a ‘go to’ person within the department because she helped those in need to navigate the system to take care of their loved ones. She made her mark in the Pasadena Police Department where she served in many capacities that included being the ﬁrst African American female sergeant, lieutenant and Adjutant to the Chief of Police in the history of Pasadena Police Department.

Dr. Riddle has volunteered her time and served the Pasadena community in many ways that are too numerous to name them all. A handful of the commissions/ committees that she has served on are Pasadena Center Operating Company, Foothill Family Services, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Board (NOBLE), YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley Board of Directors and currently sits on the board of Foothill Unity Center.

In her spare time, Dr. Riddle enjoys reading, going to the beach and traveling. She loves to listen to Smooth Jazz, but will always be a “Motown Girl” where her favorite artists are the Temptations, Smokey & the Miracles, Marvin Gaye and the Four Tops.

Dr. Riddle’s advice to young people is to be involved, help someone else and ﬁ nd value in being you. It will bring great joy. Her life philosophy is to be self-aware through emotional intelligence; be reﬂ ective and intentional on what you do and how you treat others.

The Pasadena Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is very proud to honor Dr. Phlunte’ Riddle as the 2019 Mother of the Year! Sponsors for the 31st Annual Fashionetta are Edison International, AT&T, Southern California Gas Company and Friends of PAIF. If you want to attend Fashionetta and join in this recognition of a deserving woman from our community, you can go to ‘thepaif.org’ to purchase a ticket. Your support is needed and appreciated.

This article originally appeared in the Pasadena Journal.

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Richmond Nonprofit YES Nature to Neighborhoods Plans Major Renovation

Richmond nonprofit YES Nature to Neighborhoods is planning a significant renovation of its headquarters at 3029 Macdonald Ave., around 31st street. The nonprofit serving youth and families in Richmond is requesting a design review permit to demolish the one-story, 2,218-square-foot building and a 95-square-foot shed, and to replace them with a new 4,480-square-foot, two-story building.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Rendering of renovation courtesy of City of Richmond documents.

The Richmond Standard

Richmond nonprofit YES Nature to Neighborhoods is planning a significant renovation of its headquarters at 3029 Macdonald Ave., around 31st street.

The nonprofit serving youth and families in Richmond is requesting a design review permit to demolish the one-story, 2,218-square-foot building and a 95-square-foot shed, and to replace them with a new 4,480-square-foot, two-story building.

The new building would consist of office and meetings spaces with a 345-square-foot addition to the existing garage on the property, according to city documents. The nonprofit will host youth, adult, and family programming on and off the site.

The nonprofit also proposes to repair sidewalks, replace planters and a fence, add lighting, and provide interior open space, among other improvements.

The city’s Design Review Board was set to review the plans at its meeting this evening on April 10. For more info, go to https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/68830/3_PLN23-316-3029-MacDonald-Ave_DRB20240410—Apr-10

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Families Flock to New Farmers Market in Marina Bay

The City of Richmond’s first farmers market in Marina Bay kicked off Sunday, April 7 with a large swell of community members coming out to enjoy the occasion. The long-anticipated market set up shop in the parking lot off Regatta Boulevard and Melville Square in Richmond and featured music and dancing, arts and crafts, chess, multiple vendors and some fresh produce from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

The crowd at the new Marina Bay farmers’ market. Photo by Kathy Chouteau.

By Kathy Chouteau
The Richmond Standard

The City of Richmond’s first farmers market in Marina Bay kicked off Sunday, April 7 with a large swell of community members coming out to enjoy the occasion.

The long-anticipated market set up shop in the parking lot off Regatta Boulevard and Melville Square in Richmond and featured music and dancing, arts and crafts, chess, multiple vendors and some fresh produce from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Numerous families turned out for the event, many with their children and family dogs.

The market will continue on Sundays and is operated by the Richmond Certified Farmers Market Association. For more information or to become a vendor, go to https://cirichmondca-newsletter.app.transform.civicplus.com/forms/39634

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For Cervical Cancer Month, Medical Community Focused on Education

January was Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Physicians, advocates and others in the medical community commemorated the month by raising awareness about a form of cancer they say is highly preventable and treatable. Cervical cancer is caused by a virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV) and it develops slowly over time but can be prevented with proper care in girls as young as 13 years old.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

A Mayo Clinic article published last month stated that Black women are more likely to be diagnosed and die of cervical cancer, compared to White women in the U.S. 2,000 Black women are diagnosed every year with cervical cancer and 40% die as a result.

By Magaly Muñoz

January was Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

Physicians, advocates and others in the medical community commemorated the month by raising awareness about a form of cancer they say is highly preventable and treatable.

Cervical cancer is caused by a virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV) and it develops slowly over time but can be prevented with proper care in girls as young as 13 years old.

Sonia Ordonez, an OBGYN and gynecology surgeon at Kaiser Permanente, stated that as soon as people with cervixes reach the maturity reproductive age, they should start taking preventative measures like getting the HPV vaccine. The vaccine involves a series of two-doses for people aged 9 through 14 or three-doses for people 15 through 45 years old.

“I see a lot of young women who can’t remember or may not have gotten [the vaccine] when they were younger, or maybe got one, but we can give them the series of vaccines and restart at any point in time,” Ordonez said.

She said that cervical cancer is not the only cancer caused by HPV. Strains of the virus can also lead to throat, anal and penile cancers.

Screening is also an effective way to check for cervical cancer and should be done every three years after someone turns 21, doctors recommend. It is best to start as early as possible to catch occurrences early.

Ordonez said that this cancer is also more likely found in people of color and has led to more deaths overall.

A Mayo Clinic article published last month stated that Black women are more likely to be diagnosed and die of cervical cancer, compared to White women in the U.S.

2,000 Black women are diagnosed every year with cervical cancer and 40% die as a result.

“This disparity is not due to genetic differences among White, Black or Hispanic women, but rather related to systemic racism, access to healthcare and socioeconomic factors,” Dr. Olivia Cardenas-Trowers, a Mayo Clinic urogynecologist, said in the article.

Ordonez stated that immigrant women are also highly susceptible to the cancer, as many Latin American countries may not have accessibility to screenings or lack of insurance makes it harder for them to get tested.

Hispanic women are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 30% more likely to die from it, as compared to non-Hispanic White women, according to the Office of Minority Health.

Family medicine physician, Joy Anyanwu, stated that the pandemic contributed to hesitancy about getting cervical cancer screenings among some women. Other factors are people’s aversion to vaccines, parents not wanting to believe that their children are or will become sexually active, and doubt about the overall effectiveness of the vaccine.

“The vaccine is very safe — over 97% effective in preventing cervical cancer,” Anyanwu said. “Even if you aren’t having sex, the earlier you start would actually help.”

Anyanwu said she understands that parents might not want to ask questions about their children’s reproductive health, but it’s a mindset that can be a barrier to having important conversation about prevention or care.

To keep families their families and communties healthy, the doctor emphasized that people should prioritize keeping up with their vaccine series and going to screenings every year.