CHURCH FESTIVAL SENDS ANTI-GANG MESSAGE.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer SAN FERNANDO San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. - To the sounds of gospel and Christian rap music rap music or hip-hop, genre originating in the mid-1970s among black and Hispanic performers in New York City, at first associated with an athletic style of dancing, known as breakdancing. , hundreds of people enjoyed the fifth annual Block Party 2000 on Friday at The New Christ Memorial Church. Headed by the brother-and-sister team of pastor Andrae and Sandra Crouch, the event themed ``Help Heal Our Streets'' featured all kinds of ethnic foods, carnival rides, arts and music. Many residents, like Colton Bryant of North Hills, came to the event to sing gospel and testify about their involvement with gangs and drugs. ``I was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol for 12 years,'' said Colton, 41, a member of the Art McAllister and Gospel One band from Calvary Baptist Church in Pacoima. ``I was stabbed in the back and paralyzed par·a·lyze tr.v. par·a·lyzed, par·a·lyz·ing, par·a·lyz·es 1. To affect with paralysis; cause to be paralytic. 2. To make unable to move or act: paralyzed by fear. for a while when I was 19,'' said Colton, who is still paralyzed from the waist down and uses crutches. ``We're here to be the living testimony to all of those people here who are lost souls.'' Jared Mitchell, 37, flew in Thursday from Baton Rouge Baton Rouge (băt`ən r  zh) [Fr.,=red stick], city (1990 pop. 219,531), state capital and seat of East Baton Rouge parish, SE La. , La., with his wife and two friends just to be a part of the two-day event. ``This is really good,'' said the 37-year-old elementary school elementary school: see school. music teacher as he sat near the outdoor stage listening to music. ``The pastor came out to Louisiana five The Louisiana Five was an early dixieland jazz band, among the earliest jazz groups to record extensively in the late 1910s. History Louisiana Five was founded in 1917 in New Orleans by Anton Lada who played the drums and latter went on to become the band's manager. years ago and invited us here for this event. We wouldn't want to miss it. I think this gets the message out to kids to not be involved in gangs. This gives them something good to cling on to.'' Rennie Quesada, 55, of Sylmar came to the event to sing with his gospel band, Soldiers on Soul Patrol Soul Patrol may refer to:
``A lot of gangs and blacks, and Hispanics and whites, for so many years have been apart,'' said the 55-year-old electrical engineer. ``We're all coming together here.'' The free event continues from noon to 11 p.m. today at the church, 13333 Vaughn St. For information, call (818) 361-1087. |
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