Stephanie Wenger

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday to review dog breeding guidelines and suggest ways to better regulate inhumane dog kennels, also known as "puppy mills."

Representatives from animal welfare groups, Last Chance for Animals and Best Friends Animal Society, and Los Angeles residents spoke out against the use of puppy mills during the board meeting.

"We cannot allow Los Angeles to become the puppy mill of the West," said Elizabeth Oreck, the Los Angeles Programs Manager at Best Friends Animal Society. 

           Organizers of the Pan African Film Festival separated its two main attractions, moving the film screenings to Culver City and keeping the art market in Crenshaw, for the first time this year causing dismay amongst South Los Angeles residents and merchants.

           "This mall is known for the festival. It's sad to see part of it move after so many years of being part of this community, part of Crenshaw," said Carrie McClain, a jewelry designer for the locally-owned Jendayi Collection and vendor at the festival's art market.

         The festival's board of directors began looking for a new venue after they could not reach an agreement with AMC Theaters, the new owner of the Crenshaw theater.

        "AMC refused to give us a deal that would allow the film festival to continue in Crenshaw. In our new location, we don't have to compete with other films. People are only there to see the film festival movies," said Miki Goral, filmmaker liaison and research director for the festival.

            "I love to get the exercise on Friday night. I can get as sweaty as I want because I get my hair done tomorrow," said Cynthia Roberts, a banker in Gardena.

            The class is designed to allow women to set healthy goals for themselves. Jackie Rice, a co-creator of J & J Soulful Steps dance classes and a nurse practitioner, begins class by discussing target heart rates depending on age and weight.

            "We want African American women to be healthy. These classes are a fun way to get exercise without having to make tireless treks to the gym," said Jackie Rice.

            A gathering of more than 1,000 people at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles cheered as Barack Obama took the stage to be sworn in as the 44^th president of the United States.

            Spectators could not hold back their emotions as Obama said, "We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

            Throughout his campaign, Obama brought a message of hope to those who had been disenfranchised by Washington politics. South Los Angeles residents joined spectators from across Southern California to celebrate Obama's inauguration on the plaza at LA Live.

            "For the first time, Americans of all ethnicities, genders, religions are able to come together and be part of America. There is a great sense of unity here on this plaza today," said Paul D. Wiley, a Young Women's Christian Association educator. 

Outside of the Sylmar recreation center, victims of the Sayre fire were offered aid from various organizations. Immediately after the fire began, the Sylmar Neighborhood Council and the Saint Didacus Church joined forces to collect donations for those hardest hit by the fire.

"It's important that we come together as a community. We looked at how we could provide help immediately. We knew people would need more than food and shelter; people lost everything," explains Estevan Tabarez, a member of the Neighborhood Council.

Volunteers from the Saint Didacus youth group have spent the last few days sorting through clothing, shoes, bath products, and baby goods that will be distributed to the victims.

The fire burned through 17 square miles and destroyed more than 500 structures including over 90% of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar.

           The candidates for the 2^nd District seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas and Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks, are using different communication tactics to court voters before the November 4^th election.

Ridley-Thomas is relying on traditional means such as direct mailers and phone banks while Parks has tried to add a personal touch with issue-only town hall meetings. "I'm reliant on contact with the public. I want to hear from the different communities. Get the dishonesty out of this campaign," says Parks.

            The 2^nd District of Los Angeles stretches from Culver City to South Los Angeles encompassing Watts and Compton. The candidate selected will replace Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke. Both candidates are focused on fixing the problems of unemployment, arts funding, and the failure of the Martin Luther King Jr. Harbor Hospital.

            The Ridley-Thomas campaign plans to create a Green Technology Center that will serve as incubator for green technology enterprises and job development. While Parks promises to encourage stores and restaurants to move to the area with incentive plans that will give tax and utility breaks. 

"The Green Jobs Initiative will increase the number of environmental job opportunities, training and placements in the 2^nd District," explains Fred MacFarlane, the communications director for the Ridley-Thomas campaign.