Community

NCNW to Host 35th Annual Spring Luncheon

PRECINCT REPORTER GROUP NEWS — Back by popular demand, the Long Beach Section of the NCNW is gearing up for its 35th Annual Spring Luncheon celebration to honor local “Men of Service” where the men – at least for the day — rule the runway.

Published

5 years ago

April 14, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dianne Anderson

Back by popular demand, the Long Beach Section of the NCNW is gearing up for its 35th Annual Spring Luncheon celebration to honor local “Men of Service” where the men – at least for the day — rule the runway.

On Saturday, April 27, the men will flaunt their fashion sense, suited up and casual, at the The Grand, Long Beach, located at 4101 E. Willow St. The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $80.

This year, Long Beach’s very own, Yvette, “the funny lady” of comedy is the Mistress of Ceremonies.

“It’s all in good taste, but we’re going to have fun. Come to enjoy yourself in a tasteful pleasant manner,” said Zina Bourda-Foe, now serving the first year of her third term as president of the Long Beach Section of the NCNW.

Usually, she said the young ladies are the hostesses, escorting guests to their seats, but this year, it’s all about the men. Some of their young blood comes compliments of the youth of the 100 Black Men of Long Beach, who are channeling their own selection for the all-male show.

Among their men of honor: Shannon Angeletti, Construction Supervisor; Dr. Michael C. Brown, Chaplain; Reginald Harrison, Director of the Long Beach EOOC; John Malveaux, President, Central Area Association/Music Untold; Roberto Uranga, Councilmember 7th District and Jesse Johnson, Founder and President Emeritus 100 Black Men of Long Beach.

Since established in 1966, the organization has supported many programs in the community, including NCNW Education Scholarship; Precious Lamb Pre-School; Elizabeth Hudson Elementary School; NAACP ACT-SO; Vista Del Mar Assisted Living; Long Beach Rescue Mission; Annual Clothing Give-Away and our Annual Christmas Food & Toy Drive, Black Infant Health, to name a few.

Bourda-Foe said the main goal is always to keep to the mission of Mary McLeod Bethune, the founder of the nonprofit in 1935. She was an educator, and an education consultant to Eleanor Roosevelt.

Bethune’s philosophy was that women represented the strength of family, and that access to the right tools through education would have a lasting, generational impact.

“Her goal was each one teach one. If we start with these little girls, raise them properly, they’re going to be the mothers of these men, and of the father’s that’s going to lead the way,” Bourda-Foe said.

The NCNW, an international organization, has offices in Ghana and Kenya, and are looking to establish a chapter in Australia.

Locally, the collaborate with several groups, focused on getting training and information out to the community to empower African American women, although she said they accept all races into the organization.

They also accept men, called associate members, into the fold. They too have all the rights of the women membership, and able to participate in all organization activities – except they do not have the right to vote.

Over the years, the organization has been active with Vista Del Mar Senior Living, where they regularly visit, and engage seniors with games and company. In education, they have adopted Elizabeth Hudson elementary school, the special education department. Each year for the past decade, they have given away backpacks filled with school supplies at the start of the school year.

They became involved in the transition to Hudson from their original outreach at the Bethune school for children in transition in Long Beach, catering to mostly homeless children. Later, Cabrillo programming had set up housing for the students, who were nomadic with their parents.

At best, she said they were living from motel to motel, or on the streets. “We started going into the school with a hot meal, then we started bringing washing powder laundry detergents because when the kids came to school, they were dirty traveling with their parents from wherever,” she said.

In adopting the school, they, with other organizations, worked to make sure the kids had some of their day to day needs met, but because the kids were so destabilized, they were getting left far behind in education.

“We had some kids that were 8 or 9 years old, and still on a kindergarten level,” she said. “When we began to see how they [the school district] were transitioning our children, we began to follow the students, that’s how we got involved with Hudson.”

Over the years, the organization has been active in providing small scholarships. Coming up, she said they will also look to draw more involvement with education funding projects, such as access to Calgrant and speakers to show the kids and parents how to tap $12,000 a year free money to attend the Cal State or UC system.

Jesse Johnson, an associate member, often works hand in hand to collaborate on projects. Last year, his nonprofit, the 100 Black Men of Long Beach, celebrated its tenth year, which he attributes success to the initial helping hand of the local NCNW.

“When reaching out, one of the requirements to become a chartered member of “The 100” is that you have to have a relationship with other organizations. If you don’t have that you never become a charter member,” he said.

Thanks to members of the NCNW, including the late Othetta Glover, he was able to get the charter established.

“We did it in less than 12 months, which is not normal, thanks to our partner NCNW. Some take five to ten years,” said Johnson, who is also vice president of the Long Beach chapter NAACP.

Johnson said that he’s honored to be recognized by the program that has given so much to help to the community over the decades, including the 100 BMLB.

“I was so thankful of them when I formed the 100 Black Men of Long Beach, they were one of our first partners,” he said. “Since day one whenever I need assistance with a project that I’m working on, they’ve been there.”

This article originally appeared in the Precinct Reporter Group News.

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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.

Published

11 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

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.

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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.

Published

11 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

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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City Government

Vallejo Community Members Appeal Major Use Permit for ELITE Charter School Expansion

Vallejo community members, former Solano County judge Paul Beeman and his wife Donna Beeman, filed an appeal against the approval of the Major Use Permit for the expansion of ELITE Public Schools into downtown less than two weeks after the Planning Commission approved the permit with a 6-1 vote.

Published

11 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Vallejo community members have appealed the Major Use Permit for the ELITE Public Schools Charter high school expansion in the downtown area. Photo by Kinyon and Kim Architects, Inc.

By Magaly Muñoz

ELITE Charter School has been attempting to move into the downtown Vallejo area at 241-255 Georgia Street for two years, aiming to increase its capacity for high school students. However, a small group of residents and business owners, most notably the Beeman’s, have opposed the move.

The former county judge and his wife’s appeal alleges inaccuracies in the city’s staff report and presentation, and concerns about the project’s exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The Beeman’s stress that their opposition is not based on the charter or the people associated with it but solely on land use issues and potential impact on their business, which is located directly next to the proposed school location.

The couple have been vocal in their opposition to the expansion charter school with records of this going back to spring of last year, stating that the arrival of the 400 students in downtown will create a nuisance to those in the area.

During the Planning Commission meeting, Mr. Beeman asked Commissioner Cohen-Thompson to recuse herself from voting citing a possible conflict of interest because she had voted to approve the school’s expansion as trustee of the Solano County Board of Education. However, Cohen-Thompson and City Attorney Laura Zagaroli maintained that her positions did not create a conflict.

“I feel 100% that the attorney’s opinion is wrong,” Beeman told the Post.

He believes that Cohen-Thompson has a vested interest in upholding her earlier vote as a trustee and is advocating for people to ratify her opinion.

Cohen-Thompson declined to comment on the Post’s story and Zagaroli did not respond for comment.

The Beeman’s further argue that the school’s presence in the commercial district could deter future businesses, including those who sell alcohol due to proximity to schools.

According to Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC), the department can deny any retail license located within 600 feet of a school. Only one alcohol selling business is located within that range, which is Bambino’s Italian restaurant at 300 feet from the proposed location.

The project’s proponents argue that the school would not affect current or future liquor-selling establishments as long as they follow the ABC agency’s guidelines.

The Beeman’s also referenced Vallejo’s General Plan 2040, stating that the proposed expansion does not align with the plan’s revitalization efforts or arts and entertainment use. They argue that such a development should focus on vacant and underutilized areas, in accordance with the plan.

The proposed location, 241 Georgia Street aligns with this plan and is a two minute walk from the Vallejo Transit Center.

The General Plan emphasizes activating the downtown with, “Workers, residents, and students activate the downtown area seven days a week, providing a critical mass to support a ‘cafe culture’ and technology access, sparking innovation and entrepreneurship.”

City staff recommended exempting the project from CEQA, citing negligible impacts. However, Beeman raised concerns about increased foot traffic potentially exacerbating existing issues like theft and the lack of police presence downtown. He shared that he’s had a few encounters with kids running around his office building and disturbing his work.

Tara Beasley-Stansberry, a Planning Commissioner and owner of Noonie’s Place, told the Post that the arrival of students in downtown can mean not only opportunities for surrounding businesses, but can allow for students to find their first jobs and continue to give back to the community in revitalization efforts.

Beasley-Stansberry had advocated for the students at the March Commission meeting, sharing disappointment in the way that community members spoke negatively of the teens.

“To characterize these children as criminals before they’ve even graduated from high school, that’s when I had to really take a look and I was kind of lost as to where we were as a city and as a community to where I couldn’t understand how we were viewing these children,” Beasley-Stansberry told the Post.

She added that the commissioners who voted yes on the project location have to do what is right for the community and that the city’s purpose is not all about generating businesses.

ELITE CEO Dr. Ramona Bishop, told the Post that they have worked with the city and responded to all questions and concerns from the appropriate departments. She claimed ELITE has one of the fastest growing schools in the county with mostly Vallejo residents.

“We have motivated college-bound high school students who deserve this downtown location designed just for them,” Bishop said. “We look forward to occupying our new [location] in the fall of 2024 and ask the Vallejo City Council to uphold their Planning Commission vote without delay.”

The Vallejo City Council will make the final decision about the project location and Major Use Permit on April 23.