November 28, 2019 

LAWT News Service 

 

Councilmember Curren Price held a special ceremony on Nov. 21 dedicating the intersection of Central Avenue and 25th Street as “Bowers Retail Square" in honor of the Bowers Family.

 

Horace C. Bowers Sr., an African American business icon on the historic Central Avenue corridor, was recognized for his contributions and dedication to the local community. Their family owned business known as Bowers & Sons Cleaners continues to be a staple within the greater Los Angeles area for nearly 70 years, spanning over three generations.

 

With a history that began with a greyhound ticket and a dream, the patriarch Bowers Sr., now 91, set forth on a cross country journey from New York to Los Angeles in the 1940's.

 

He would settle in LA, eventually purchasing a small dry-cleaning plant in the 2500 block of South Central Avenue in the 1960's.

 

“Mr. Bowers serves as an example that when you follow your passion, work hard and live your life with integrity, you will leave a legacy,” said Councilman Price. “The marker raised in his honor, will serve as inspiration for future generations to have the courage to stand tall and set out for what they want in life.”

 

Being a savvy business man led Mr. Bowers and his wife of 69 years, Alice, to purchase all of the retail storefronts known as Bowers Retail Complex. Creating roots has always been important to the Bowers family, as well as improving the community they love.

Today, the newly remodeled Bowers Retail Complex is recognized as a pillar of pride in South L.A.

Category: Business

November 21, 2019 

By California Black Media 

 

 

Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Judge Teri L. Jackson, associate justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Three, in San Francisco.

 

If confirmed, Jackson, 63, a Democrat from San Mateo, will be the first African American woman in the history of the state to serve on the court. The only other African American woman to serve on a California appellate court bench was Justice Arleigh Woods who was a justice on the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Southern California. Former Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Woods, who is now retired, in 1980 during his first governorship.

 

“Gov. Newsom has a commitment to diversity and this is one more piece of evidence," said Alice Huffman, president of the NAACP California-Hawaii Conference, responding to Jackson’s nomination.  

 

In 2002, Jackson made history, too. Gov. Gray Davis appointed her to the San Francisco County Superior Court that year, making her the first Black woman to serve on that court.

 

As an educator, Jackson has worked as a professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

 

She also worked in private practice and as a counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, an international law firm based in San Francisco.

 

In public service, she worked as an assistant district attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office from 1984 to 1997. Before that, she was a deputy district attorney in the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office from 1981 to 1984.

 

Jackson, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., will earn an annual salary of $244,700, if confirmed, according to the governor’s office.

 

Her nomination is subject to review by the State Bar's Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. The Commission on Judicial Appointments will also have to vet and confirm her nomination.

Category: Business

November 21, 2019 

By California Black Media 

 

Black women, one of the most loyal and energized voting blocs in the Democratic Party, may not be getting their due yet at the national level, but if what’s happening in California with Black women Democrats, on all levels, is a sign in the tea leaves of what’s to come, then brace yourselves for a beautiful blue world of Black Women in politics.  

 

Four Black women took control of the California Democratic Party African American Caucus (CDPAAC) this past weekend. The group held the swearing-in ceremony of its new board during the California Democratic Party (CDP) annual convention, which took place in Long Beach this year from Nov. 15 – Nov. 17. 

 

California U.S. Congresswomen Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) and Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) spoke at the event attended by hundreds of Black California Democrats and supporters. Other special guests included U.S. Presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Tom Steyer. 

 

Another well-known Black woman and politician, state Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), spoke to the audience in the crowded room at the swearing-in, too. 

 

Then, Diane Becton, judge and former trial lawyer, and first Black women to be elected District Attorney in Contra Costa County in 2018, performed the swearing-in ceremony.  

 

“Already the African American Caucus is changing this party,” said Taisha Brown, the new chair of the CDPAAC at the event. “We also got the Children's Caucus to declare racism a public health issue for our children. We are also working with the legislative Black Caucus to turn this in to legislation.” 

 

All the African-American presidential hopefuls attended the CDP convention, including the late comer to the race, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. California junior U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, the state’s highest ranking Black woman Democrat, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) were also there, as well as the other leading presidential candidates. 

 

The other officers installed on the CDPAAC board are Kendra Lewis, vice chair, Lorrie Brown, recording secretary, and Cecile Nunley, treasurer.

Category: Business

November 07, 2019 

By City News Service   

 

In an agreement with Airbnb vendors in Los Angeles, the City Council today approved a plan to create a compliance platform with the company under the city's short-term rental ordinance.

 

The platform will streamline the registration process for hosts, promote compliance and will automate enforcement, Airbnb representatives said.

 

“We are constantly innovating our tools and approach to support local cities in their efforts to legitimize home sharing,” said John Choi, Airbnb's public policy manager. “This is an important milestone, and we believe this new system will serve as a model for other cities looking to leverage technology and partner with Airbnb to legitimize home sharing. We look forward to working alongside city staff in the coming months to develop, build and launch our most advanced compliance system to date.”

 

The registration system will enable Airbnb and the city to verify a listing's registration status. This will reduce administrative costs and prevent those in violation of the city's short-term rental laws from listing on the Airbnb platform, the company's representatives said.

 

The city's regulation of short-term rentals such as Airbnb took effect last Friday and mandates that only primary residences can be rented short-term -- meaning homes where the host lives at least six months out of the year -- and requires them to list units for rent on a city-monitored system.

 

A pilot program allowing for units designated as rent-stabilized is currently being created for home-sharing as well.

 

Before the laws went into effect, Airbnb asked for more time to adjust to the new system that would track their units. At the time, it said complying by Nov. 1 would have not been feasible.

 

Under the agreement, a hosting website must display a link to the city's website to apply for a city registration number as part of the listing creation process. 

Category: Business

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