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Photo credit: Nick Koza

By Johnni Matthews

Home openers for the Los Angeles Sparks bring back a lot of memories at Staples Center over the past 18 years of coverage.

The Sparks just as many WNBA teams are rebuilding their organizations to maintain their role as one of the marquee summer attractions for female professional sports.

Photo credit: Nick Koza

The LA Sparks had great fan support for the 2015 Home opener against the Seattle Storm at Staples Center.  Owner, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his wife, Cookie were sitting courtside with another Laker legend, Kobe Bryant at Staples Center to support the LA Sparks.

Season ticket holder, Producer/Actress Vivica Fox was also at courtside supporting the LA Sparks in the home opener against the Seattle Storm.

The Sparks started the game with a lot of energy feeding off of the Staples Center fans.  New Head Coach, Brian Agler who was the Storm’s Head Coach for seven WNBA seasons is very familiar with the players, but was unable to get a victory against his former team dropping the second game in eight days 60-54 to them.

Playing without star player, Nneka Ogwumike, and welcoming back home veteran, Temeka Johnson a former LA Spark fan favorite and feisty point guard!

With all the new faces on the Sparks team, it may take a few more games before the team gels the way Coach Agler expects.

The Sparks were in control of the game most of the first half shooting nearly fifty percent from the field while the Storm shot a low 33% from the field.  The Sparks took a ten point lead into halftime while holding Seattle Storm’s All-Star, Sue Bird scoreless.  The 34-24 halftime lead dwindled in the third quarter as the Sparks began to turn the ball over and take tough shots leading to a poor second half performance.

Photo credit: Nick Koza

The Sparks finished the game shooting 38.6% while the Storm didn’t burn the nets shot 38.9% from the field.  The slight field goal percentage in the second half proved to be enough to squeak out the 60-54 victory.

Sue Bird didn’t score until 6:50 seconds left in the game, but she was able to bring the Storm within two points before taking the lead at 4:43 mark on back to back baskets by Abby Bishop who led the Storm with 18 points and the team was able to secure the victory.

Veteran, Alana Beard said, “We just lost our focus in the second half and we came up short tonight.”  Beard also noted there were several positive times the team executed properly and stuck to the scouting reports, so there are things to build on and correct in order for the team to be better the next game.

Sparks forward, Jantel Lavender led the team in scoring with 12 points while Alana Beard and Erin Phillips added 10 each.

Well, the next game is a short turn-around when the Sparks welcome the Minnesota Lynx to Staples Center on Tuesday, June 16^th.  The game tips off at 7:30 p.m.

By Johnni Matthews

Warriors win Game 5 outright take 3-2 …Cavs DEPLETED!

The Golden State Warriors may be labeled the “Young Spurs” of the league after winning Game 5 of the NBA Finals 104-91 against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena in front of their home crowd!  The Warriors were the team with consistent energy all game along as the Cavaliers played a valiant game for three plus quarters to keep it interesting, but were completely depleted midway in the fourth quarter.

League MVP, Stephen Curry saved his best game for this pivotal Game 5 scoring 17 of his team high 37 points in the fourth quarter.  Curry was aggressive for forty eight minutes sensing his counterpart, Cavaliers point guard, Matthew Dellavedova is just out of gas with the number of minutes played in the series to this point.  Dellavedova could only contribute 5 points on offense.   Playing at home made it easier for Curry to get help from his teammates too. Four players scored in double figures while Warriors’ Finals MVP to date, Andre Iguodala starting only his second game the entire season played big again scored 14 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and gave out seven dimes plus 2 steals and playing tough defense on the best player in the world, LeBron James who scored his second triple double of this NBA Finals and his sixth in his NBA Finals career.  James finished the game with 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists!

LeBron James and his supporting cast played the Warriors tough for 3 ½ quarters, but the short rotation and high minutes for the Cavaliers starters took its toll midway through the fourth quarter when the Warriors scored back to back three pointers by the Splash Brothers, Curry and Thompson!  There were mental lapses by the Cavs particularly the King.  With less than 30 seconds remaining before halftime, James bringing the ball into the front court was called for an eight second call, and then he picked up a foul after Harrison Barnes slams a follow up miss by Curry with 3.2 seconds left before the half.  Cavaliers went down double digits at halftime.

At the 6:47 mark in the fourth quarter, the back to back three pointers by the Warriors put them ahead 85-80 and the Warriors never looked back.  They were able to stretch the lead and keep the momentum to control the game and take control of the series.

The Warriors can close the series out on the road in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday, June 16 at 6 p.m. (EST).  If the Warriors are successful in Cleveland on Tuesday, then the Larry O’Brien Trophy comes back to CALI!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

How many of you have ever needed a breakthrough in your life? You were up against a wall that wouldn’t move, a door that wouldn’t open, and you needed a breakthrough. Even now, you feel like you’ve been beating your head against a wall, but nothing is happening. You feel like your knuckles are raw from knocking, but no one is answering. You’ve been praying and crying, pushing and pulling, but there’s no movement, no sign, no evidence that anything is about to happen anytime soon. You are at the end of your rope, just about at the end of your hope, and everything within you is crying out, “God! I need a breakthrough, and I need it now!”

Well, can I tell you about Moses? Moses understood the ways of the Lord and he knew just what was happening with Israel. He realized that God was letting His people be stretched beyond measure. Why? Because He wanted them to cast themselves completely into His care. He longed to see them rise up in faith and say, “God is able!” Let me tell you something; if you are His child, and if you are serving Him and seeking Him with your whole heart, then I know that God will make a way for you. God will open doors that no man can close. He’ll part the Red Sea back up the Jordan River in a heap. He’ll bring down the walls of Jericho. He’ll shut the mouths of lions. He’ll open prison doors. Our God is a breakthrough God, that’s my testimony. God hasn’t forsaken us, so keep holding on! He is looking for faith, wanting to know what’s in our hearts. He knows how to meet our need – He only wants us to trust Him!”

If you are feeling as though you could lose your mind because life is so hard, I want to encourage you to remember that God has not and will not let go of you. To keep your sanity, keep your mind on Jesus. [Isaiah 26:23] You see, the good news is that God works the midnight shift! And in fact, God sometimes does his best work on the midnight shift. Acts 16 tells us what God did on the midnight shift for Paul and Silas “Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God… Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations, all the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!” (Acts 16:25-26) Hallelujah! God is a midnight God. Thank you Jesus!

Now unlike Paul and Silas, Peter who was sound asleep in his dark hour, without hope and believing that his days had come to an end. The enemy does this to us, too. He will press and bind us to the point that we feel it is impossible to get free from our prison cells so we lay down to sleep, void of hope and oblivious to what God is about to do for us. {Like Peter, that was me and the enemy almost had me}. But I tell you, don’t give up in those midnight moments but know Whom you have placed your confidence in. Grid yourself and strap those boots. I know it’s not easy to do when you are feeling tremendous pressure. I know it’s hard, very hard. But I tell you, joy do come in the morning.

Many times, we want to get where God is leading us without going through the process but the process is crucial. When we are set free, there is an empowerment from God that prompts us to testify our experience to others who need to be free from their own prison cells. Today I am testifying to you that midnight is the darkest hour before day. It is the turning point from one season to another. Since it is a turning point God is concerned where our mindset is because he cannot pour new wine into old wine skins… Midnight! A clue it’s time for blessing.

What I’ve learned with my midnight experience is that if you’re going to live in victory you have to know how to praise in your midnight hour, when things seem the darkest, when you’re in pain, disappointed, or lonely. When you praise Him no matter what, that’s when God can enter your situation. That’s when He can break your chains and set you free.  Praise Him in your midnight hour and get ready to embrace the freedom He has planned for you!

POMONA, CA- The City of Pomona and Trudy Coleman, Founder/CEO, of Juneteenth Education Technology Mobile Arts, (J.E.T.M.A.C.), Co-founder of the California National Juneteenth Freedom Day Holiday Observance Bill sponsored by Juneteenth America, Inc. This bill signed by Governor Gray Davis in 2002, states that “Juneteenth” is to be celebrated every June 19, and every third Saturday in June. We are inviting you to come celebrate at the “25th Yr. Anniversary of Pomona Valley Juneteenth Family Gospel & Jazz Arts Festival, on June 20, 2015, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Ganesha Park, 1575 White N. Ave.  Event is Free and Open to the Public.

June is also Black Music Month/African American Jazz Heritage Month, World Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness month.  It is also the 150th year anniversary of Juneteenth (June 1865 – June 2015), representing when the last slaves in Texas were freed 2 1/2 yrs. after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. There is also a National Campaign to have President Obama sign the Resolution to have Juneteenth on the National Calendar.

There will be a variety of Gospel Performances, a Jazz Zone – African American Jazz, Cuban Jazz, Poetry, guest performance by Jay Jackson & Lou Rawls Revue, Mel Cole, the Las Vegas Al Green Impersonator, and Denise Lyle-Cook “Oracle”, spiritual poetic, and Songstress Amore, and many more. There will be Multicultural Food Vendors, Arts & Crafts Vendors, swimming pool will be open, and other fun activities for the kids. Bring your blankets and lounge chairs and enjoy one of Pomona must beautiful parks.  In honor of the Ancestors, there will also be a Healthy Living 5K Run/Walk in the morning, meet-up time is 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., to pre-register, Walk/run kick-off at 9:00am, in Ganesha Park. For the 5K Walk/Run pre-registration information, please call Dr. Bettye Anderson at (323) 737-2323.

This multicultural celebration of American Unity is coordinated by the Southern California Juneteenth Committee.  For vendor and sponsor opportunities information, ask for Trudy Coleman at (909) 418-8530 or (909) 989-4844, or by email: at trudycoleman@jetmacinc.com. You may also visit www.jetmacinc.com.

I know it’s been a minute but ya’ girl been busy putting together an Indie Artist Award Show honoring artists and entities in the Inland Empire; please be on the lookout for, “My Music, My MIC” scheduled for Saturday, August 1 at the San Bernardino Women’s Club. So, this week What it Do with LUE, is the 1st lady. Noooooooooo, I’m not talking about Michelle Obama. I’m talking about Crystal Scott a.k.a. LowLA Scott, 1st Lady of LUE Productions.

This Gemini baby started out as a model and jumped into the rap game with no fear. This young lady is literately blazing her way to the top. LowLA is what I like to call that sexy, gangsta’, fire spittin’ lyricist. She’s’ truly a tall drink of water. Having to overcome obstacles, her love for her two-year-old son, Neo, keeps her grounded and grinding for better opportunities in LIFE.

Please don’t sleep on this talented artist she is one to watch for. Her star is shining BRIGHT! Our management company is proud to call LowLA Scott the 1st Lady of LUE Productions. Please follow her on Facebook and Instagram at LowLA Scott. For booking please email us at Lue.info@yahoo.com. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LowLA and L’s UP!

Her projects include: LowLA Scott’s freshman album yet untitled will drop 1st week of August; Her Single, “LowLA’s Got a Burner” will be available June 11 on iTunes, Google Play, Xbox Radio, Spotify, and Amazon. Special thanks to Producers S. Fresh, Maniac, Topsy, C. Rich, and all that; Boss Cartell Mixtape will be dropping at end of June with Paul Douglas;and she also has collaborations with Paul Douglas, Aaron Swift, Fitz Taylor, Dada Doe, Tecnic, Sabre, Firelane Faulty, and others. LowLA’s Upcoming shows include Tierra Marie and Big Hutch a.k.a. Cold 187 (Above the Law) coming soon.

Dorothy Pryor Rose and daughters Tekesha and Tedra

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) is proud to recognize Mrs. Dorothy Pryor Rose, founder of Mommie Helen’s Bakery, as her Small Business person of the Year. Mrs. Pryor Rose will be acknowledged with an award during the annual California Small Business Day hosted by the California Small Business Association on Wednesday, June 10, in Sacramento.

Mrs. Pryor Rose’s business has been in the Inland Empire for nearly 15 years. Her menu consists of: Sweet potato pie, pecan pie, rose berry pie, peach cobbler, apple cobbler, lemon cake, 7-up cake, sock-it-to-me cake, red velvet cake, and a variety of cookies, all made from scratch.

Her cakes and pies are enjoyed by people around the world, especially by renowned celebrities. Her list of celebrity clientele include: Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, NFL players Ronnie Lott  and Willie Gault,  NBA player Dr. J, and her regular customer, NBA legend Magic Johnson, to name a few. One of her most notable achievements include baking and serving 250 peach cobbler pies for the wedding of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and his wife Shaunie O’Neal. Additionally, every year, she participates in the annual Celebrity Golf Tournament hosted by NFL player Marcus Allen.

“Her passion, love and dedication to this community led me to select her as my Small Business person of the Year.  Although other cities have tried to lure her away, she chose to stay here and bring a positive influence to our area. Despite adversity, she is a constant source of inspiration,” said Assemblymember Brown.

In 2000, Mrs. Pryor Rose established Mommie Helen’s Bakery in the city of Colton.

She credits her mother as her inspiration for starting her business.

“My mom’s baking inspired me. She was a very good cook,” said Mrs. Pryor Rose. “As I was praying to the Lord, as I regularly do, He instructed me to open up a bakery. I told him, I don’t know the first thing about running a bakery, but I trusted Him and He directed me.”

She said the most rewarding aspect of her job is witnessing the expressions on the faces of her customers. “Some of our clients are brought to tears when they taste the pies. They say it reminds them of the pies they enjoyed as youngsters.  Many of them no longer have the experience of enjoying the cakes and pies made by their loved ones because they’ve passed on.  It’s wonderful to know that people are satisfied with our products. We put a lot of love into our work,”  said Mrs. Pryor-Rose.

Currently, she serves as a consultant to the business while her daughters, the second generation of family-owned business entrepreneurs, manage the bakery.

Mrs. Pryor Rose and her husband Bobbie currently reside in San Bernardino and have two children, Tedra and Tekesha.

For more information, contact Ashley Jones at (909) 381-3238.

Photos by Naomi K. Bonman

RIVERSIDE, CA- On Saturday, June 6, the City of Riverside celebrated its annual Juneteenth celebration. It was a fun and educational day filled with live entertainment, food from Big Dees BBQ, and plenty of vendors.

By McKenzie Jackson/ California Black Media

Los Angeles County resident, Diyon Clark, is relieved to learn that his Medi-Cal renewal will be automatic this year. In 2014, he remembers his re-certification process being especially confusing and frustrating.

“That’s cool,” said Clark, a 20-year-old who lives in the San Fernando Valley. “That is one thing I hopefully won’t have to worry about.”

Late last year, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced that county human services agencies across the state will renew coverage for most Medi-Cal members by using the information they already have on file. That includes information pertaining to a person’s place of residence, immigration status, and income. If the county is able to verify all of an individual’s information their coverage will be renewed.

In a March 25th email, DHCS spokesperson Anthony Cava said re-certifications begin well ahead of the date members’ plans are set to expire.

“For renewals due January 1, 2015,” he wrote, “the process started approximately 60 days in advance (end of October/early November 2014).”

For Californians who qualify, Medi-Cal offers health care benefits at either no or low cost. The coverage funds a prevention-oriented approach that promotes well-being through 21 managed and county-specific health plans such as Anthem Blue Cross, L.A. Care and Molina.

The health program is open to low-income adults; individuals with disabilities; families with children; senior citizens; children in foster care as well as former foster youth up to age 26; and pregnant women. According to numbers from DHCS, as of last month approximately 927,280 African Americans were enrolled in Medi-Cal.

This year, DHCS expects to renew the insurance plans of about 12 million Medi-Cal members. “If all the information is available and it indicates continued eligibility, the individual’s coverage will be continued for another 12 months,” said Cava. Clark, who is half African American and half Jewish and has been covered by Medi-Cal for most of his life, says the most painful part of his renewal process last spring was completing it by phone.

“It took about three months for me to get renewed,” said Clark, a college student and wireless phone salesman. “I was told to call and ask for Medi-Cal, then Covered California, then Medi-Cal.”

Clark said needing to have surgery on his torn rotator cuff last year further complicated the process and heightened his frustration. And he was not the only person angered by the 2014 renewal process. There was a significant amount of chatter among health care advocates and Medi-Cal users alike, lamenting the fact that due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the questions asked on the renewal forms had become too complicated.

Elizabeth Landsberg, director of legislative advocacy at the Sacramento office of the Western Center on Law & Poverty, an organization that works to secure housing, health care, and a strong safety net for low-income Californians, said the renewal process seems to be more streamlined now.

“The process we have been seeing in 2015 is quite different,” she said. “Essentially in the past we had been expecting people to re-apply for Medi-Cal all over again. Now the onus is on the state to check people’s records.

Cava said Medi-Cal users will only have to complete renewal forms if their Medi-Cal service cannot be automatically renewed, for example DHCS cannot verify certain information like income or residency.

“Then, a pre-populated renewal form is sent to them, outlining the information used for the redetermination and what information is still needed from them to complete the renewal process,” he said.

Cava said that any forms must be completed within a 90-day period or a current enrollee could lose his or her Medi-Cal coverage.

“This is our standard Medi-Cal policy,” he said. “If the information is provided within this timeframe, the counties will accept the information as if it had been submitted on time and complete the redetermination process. If the person remains eligible, their coverage will resume and be treated as if there was never a break in coverage.”

Besides providing an opportunity to have surgery on his rotator cuff, Clark says having Medi-Cal also allowed him to have surgery on his broken right hand – all within the past year. Inserting a metal plate into one of his appendages wasn’t cheap, he said.

“Medi-Cal has saved me at least $20,000 in medical bills, easily” he said.

For more information on renewals, visit your local county human services agency, go to www.coveredca.com/medi-cal/renewing-medi-cal-coverage/ online or call 1-800-300-1506.

The article above is brought to you by California Black Media, a coalition of Black -owned media outlets committed to making a difference in our communities.  It is made possible via a grant for public outreach from The California Endowment. We share the common goal in reaching as many residents as possible with useful information that will help expand access to affordable, quality healthcare to all Californians. 

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

In the waiting room – ever been there, I have and it is not easy.  I think that at some point and time in our lives all of us go through a stage in our life where we wonder if God will ever show up. It seems as if we are always falling into a life of constant hard times and nothingness. Every time you turn around there is a different trial, a different problem and a different tribulation. But, year after year, you are told that this is your year. Year after year, preacher after preacher has spoken sermon after sermon telling you to get ready for your blessing. Prophets have called you up and told you to get ready for the move of God in your life, and you wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and nothing seems to happen. You began to get so frustrated and tired of waiting that you began to lose faith in what God has promised you and that loss of faith eventually turns to disbelief. You began to think that maybe God didn’t tell you what you thought He did, so you decide that you will no longer wait; you have waited long enough!  Guess what, you have just stopped God’s movement in your life and killed your blessings. The reason that God had not moved in your situation so far is because it was not yet your appointed time for a visitation.

What I know is that we as people of God or people in general have a problem with waiting. We want what we want; when we want it and how we want. We are a spoiled generation. It doesn’t matter if it is good for us or not, we just want it. And if it doesn’t happen when we think it should we begin to come up with our own plans on how we are going to make it happen.  We tend to want to move too fast instead of waiting on God.  I tell you we will save ourselves some trouble, hard aches and pain if only we will remember what Ecclesiastes 3 tells us, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” But we want to pluck the fruit before it has had time to ripen.  I tell you as soon as you do that, Satan will come in with his sneaky conniving self and give you a right now counterfeit blessing; something that will take your mind and focus off God. It always seems to be in our nature to go for the right now thing, instead of the right thing that which God has for us. But as Ms. Aretha Franklin, said, “You better think!”

Listen, the Scriptures says in Habakkuk 2:3, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” One of our problems today is that we have lost the biblical perspective of the majestic greatness of God, and we have a completely wrong focus on God.  We are just like Habakkuk… “How long, O Lord, must I call for help?” Habakkuk’s words are a complaint; he has major issues to take up with God. I suspect we do as well, if we are honest. Apparently, Habakkuk had repeatedly called upon God to act, to intervene, to set things right, to just do something. Yet it seemed that God had not heard him and God would not act to save. Finally, out of a deep sense of frustration and confusion, he cries out to God, “How long, O Lord, must I call for your help, but you do not listen?” “Lord, please do something! Act like God. Can’t you see we are weary of fighting against wrong and trying to do good?” I tell you the Lord intends to keep His people dependent upon Him. Amazingly though in the midst of all his crying, Habakkuk decides to takes God at his word. Habakkuk trusts that God is already at work, even if he can’t see it. He trusts that God has more to say, and he commits himself to waiting on God rather than taking matters into his own hands. This is the rub in the story. Habakkuk assumes a disposition of waiting with confident trust in God. We too must be persuaded that God is in control of the timing and intensity of our trials. If you are a child of God I want you to know that you have the means by which to stand firm in the face of any trial. Trust that God has a reason for your sufferings and waiting. Submit yourself to whatever He desires to teach you. The road may be rocky, but a wise response will lead you into the joy He has promised. I’m telling you what I know.  You see, I know about waiting to give birth to the promises of God and never seeing it come forth. I know about waking up in the middle of the night crying and asking God what’s next and not receiving an answer. I know about travailing for a promise, year after year, and having it never come to pass. I know about never ending disappointment but I am here to tell you on today that God has not forgotten about any of us. Galatians 6:9 says at just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t’ give up. I’m so thankful that we have the Bible to help us understand how God works in all the seasons of life to help us find faith and grow and mature. God always have a purpose. I often have to stop and consider this. That all that happens in my life – the bitter things, the hard things, the hurtful things, the triumphs and the victories – can work for good.  I want you to know that waiting is the process of becoming what God wants us to be. What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we are waiting for.

If you’re going through a season of life and you don’t think much is happening, be faithful to God; trust Him. The promises of God remain Yes and Amen! The fact that God would send a word like this at this particular time should be confirmation to you that you are close to what God has promised you! I come to tell you to wait on it! Don’t compromise with the devil. Wait on it! Don’t break down your standard, wait on it! No matter how long it takes He might not come when you want Him to come, but He is always on time. Give God the Glory!