Local

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Alyssa Holmes was a special guest on Wallace Allen’s “Empire Talks Back” radio broadcast on Sunday, October 24. She wrote her Halloween appropriate book, The Bat Blues, when she was nine years old. She is an elementary school student in Highland that is very excited about being back in a classroom. Alyssa will be at the Barnes & Noble Book Store in Montclair beginning at 1 pm on Saturday, October 30th.

Allysa is enthusiastically supported by her mother, Tracy, who has written and published five books and now has her own publishing company, All Home Publishing. You can contact Tracy for more information at 909-745-3763.

The Empire talks Back radio talk show is broadcast each Sunday morning at 10:05 on KCAA 1050 AM, 102.3 & 106.5 FM streaming live video via http://www.kcaaradio.com .

Here is the link to Sunday’s show with Allysa: http://podcasts.kcaastreaming.com/empire/20211024.html

INLAND EMPIRE—As part of the statewide tours, Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) and Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) hosted the Assembly Housing Working Group in the Inland Empire this week. The group — comprised of legislators from throughout California— spent the day meeting with local elected officials, housing experts and other stakeholders to tour affordable housing in the Inland Empire and to discuss the unique challenges and solutions being used by local governments, not-for-profit organizations and developers.

“The Inland Empire is one of the largest metropolitan regions in the United States and it is important that my colleagues in the State Legislature hear from our community on their housing needs and their challenges and see how unique our region is. I wanted them to see the solutions being deployed to tackle the issue of homelessness and affordable housing,” said Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Reyes. “This housing tour and discussion is just the beginning in what I hope will be a series of discussions to identify solutions and fund the models we know are working and being deployed by our community.”

The day included a panel and roundtable discussion hosted by Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) and Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) and moderated by Maria Razo, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of San Bernardino County. Participants in the panel included Lorraine Kindred, Vice President of Public Affairs, National CORE; Kim Carter, Founder, Time for Change Foundation; David Kersh, Executive Director, Carpenters/Contractors Cooperation Committee and Tim Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Quality Management Group/LaBarge Industries.  Sites toured in San Bernardino County: Phoenix Square, Pacific Village, Arrowhead Grove, Bloomington Grove & Lillian Court.

The State Assemblymembers completed their day touring Las Coronas Affordable Communities in Riverside County, followed by a panel discussion. The participants included Michael Walsh, Deputy Director, Riverside County Affordable Housing and Community Services; Michelle Davis, Housing Authority Manager, City of Riverside; Karen Roper, Manager of Homeless Solutions, City of Corona and Vice Chair, Riverside County Continuum of Care; Gabriel Maldonado, Executive Director and CEO, TruEvolution Inc. and Damien O’Farrell, Chief Executive Officer, Parkview Legacy Foundation and Steering Committee Member, Inland SoCal Housing Collective.

“The greater Riverside metropolitan area has the highest percentage of cost-burdened renters in the entire State, 30% of whom must spend at least half of their income on rent. Riverside County is currently at a deficit of 51,000 affordable homes for low-income renters, and the gap keeps growing every year, ” said Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona). “I was proud to join Assembly Majority Leader Gomez Reyes in welcoming our legislative colleagues on the Assembly Housing Working Group to the 60th District for the Inland Empire Regional Roundtable, highlighting the needs of our region. Coming together is the only way that we will find solutions to our housing crisis.”

“I was thankful to have been invited to this Assembly housing forum.  It was refreshing to see private and public partnerships working together showing successful outcomes here in the Inland Empire.  We have monumental challenges ahead as we address our housing crisis. This kind of engagement reminds us we must focus on fixes that are honest and real,” Assembly Member Tom Lackey, 36th Assembly District.

The Assembly Housing Working Group Inland Empire tour was attended by Assembly Members from across the state, including , Eloise Gómez Reyes (San Bernardino), Sabrina Cervantes (Riverside), Freddie Rodriguez (D-Ontario), Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), Robert Rivas (D-Salinas), Tim Grayson (D-Concord), Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), Marc Levine (D-Marin County), Chris Ward (D-San Diego), Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), Laura Friedman (Glendale) as well as staff from the offices of Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), Assembly Housing Committee Chair David Chiu (D-San Francisco), The Assembly Working Group, led by Assembly Members Grayson and Rivas, have conducted a statewide series of regional roundtables and site visits—including the Bay Area, Central Coast, Central Valley, and Southern California—to inform policy ideas that the working group may want to pursue in 2022.

Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes represents Assembly District 47 which includes the cities of Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, San Bernardino and the unincorporated areas of Muscoy and Bloomington.

RIALTO, CA—-     On the evening of October 12, 2021, Mayor Deborah Robertson, City of Rialto made a presentation during the City of Rialto public meeting a proclamation to Eta Nu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in celebration of their 60th anniversary. Mayor Robertson along with the City Council declared October 28, 2021 “Eta Nu Omega Chapter Day!”

Members of Eta Nu Omega Chapter Birthday Committee where present to receive the proclamation, including co-chairs Erika Bennett and Linda Gaines-Brooks. Ruth Rembert, vice president accepted the proclamation on behalf of the chapter along with a beautiful birthday cake for the chapter and a gift to give to Rialto resident, Gwendolyn Heard Nelson who was among members responsible for the chartering of Eta Nu Omega chapter in the City of Rialto.

YUCAIPA., CA— After more than a year and a half of being closed to the public, the doors are open again at Crafton Hills College’s (CHC) Learning Resource Center (LRC) Art Gallery, with a new exhibit celebrating the talent of the College’s faculty.

Six faculty members – including Art Department Chair Renée Azenaro and staffer Michael Bedoya – each selected works representing different mediums and interpretations to display inside the space now through Oct. 19.

The show, which opened Sept. 31, celebrates the important connection art has on CHC and the surrounding communities, Azenaro said.

“Honestly, art itself is the ‘connective tissue’ for all of humanity and society,” she said. “It’s about bringing the community together. It’s the nexus and the connection to get new ideas.”

The show also signals a bit of normalcy to the Art Department and the Roadrunner campus following the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the department took things online with a virtual faculty art show but being back in the gallery space allows for guests to take their time to absorb each piece and reflect on what they see.

“Art is so important because it fulfills parts of our life,” said Azenaro. “We are happy to be back in the space and put up physical work.”

There was not a limit imposed on how many pieces each artist could submit, nor a timeline. For example, Bedoya has three works on display, including a piece he created in the 1990s.

The painting, he explained, was originally sold to relatives, but when his uncle died, Bedoya noticed the painting was no longer on display at his uncle’s home.

“Three of my pieces are on the back wall (of the gallery), and the one furthest to the left is the one my aunt was on the verge of throwing away, which I think is funny,” Bedoya continued with a chuckle. “Exhibitions aren’t about new work necessarily, but ‘your work.’”

The Art Faculty Exhibition is open to the entire Roadrunner community and the public from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Admission is free. Chairs and seating areas will be set up inside the space to allow for visitors to “look in front of works just like at a museum and enjoy the art,” Azenaro said.

To learn more about the show or for directions to the gallery, visit www.craftonhills.edu/art-gallery.

IF YOU GO

What: Crafton Hills College Faculty Exhibition

Where: LRC Art Gallery

When: 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, now through Oct. 19

Info: www.craftonhills.edu/art-gallery

APRA HARBOR, GUAM (Oct. 02, 2021) Engineman 1st Class Anthony Munz, from San Bernardino, Calif., secures damage control equipment aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6). Jackson, part of Destroyer Squadron Seven, is on a rotational deployment, is operating in the U.S. 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Langholf/released)

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino County 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. is proud to announce the approval of the contract with Social Work Action Group (SWAG) as of the Board of Supervisors meeting on October 5, 2021. SWAG will spearhead the “homeless services plan” in collaboration with the 5th district and Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

“It is vital that we work with providers like SWAG to engage with chronically homeless individuals, especially “Super-Utilizers” of emergency medical services to help them create a life off the streets. We must also work to link medical, predominately substance abuse, services to our identified population of people without stable shelter.” – San Bernardino County 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

SWAG was originally found in 2017, composed of individuals with diverse educations and experience in a variety of social services. They specialize in program design and implementation of direct services to people experiencing homelessness. Unlike many short-term solutions to homelessness, SWAG’s vision involves a systematic approach that ignores the focus on services themselves in favor of positive long-term outcomes with measurable success.

Call the San Bernardino County 5th district office at (909)-387-4565 for more information.

VICTORVILLE, CA—-The City of Victorville is seeking veterans to honor during its 25th Annual Veterans Day Celebration. The event will begin at 8:45 a.m. with a Freedom Mile Run. The parade will follow at 9 a.m., running from 7th Street and Tracy to Forrest Avenue.

The ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m., featuring marching bands, entertainers, military units and guest speakers.  The online form to honor our local veterans is due Oct. 22 at https://www.victorvilleca.gov/government/city-departments/community-services/recreation/special-events/veterans-day-parade.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Last week, the First District staff had the pleasure of touring Victor Valley College’s state-of-the-art Public Safety Training Center in Apple Valley.

Led by Program Director Dave Oleson and Dean Dr. McKenzie Tarango, the 9-acre campus is described as a “village under a roof,” offering hands-on disaster training for its Criminal Justice, Fire Technology and Emergency Medical Services students.

In addition to having a cutting-edge indoor tactical shooting range with a 3-D projection scenario program, the campus boasts a four-acre prop yard with a myriad of live simulation training opportunities.

Underground tunnels, a collapsed “freeway bridge,” a five-story fire tower with burn rooms, and a derailed train car are among the props available to students. The unique setup allows students from each program to collaborate on training exercises, just like first responders do every day.

High Desert high school teachers are invited to bring their students to the center’s upcoming Multi-Discipline Day on November 18. Students will learn more about the fire, criminal justice and EMS academies and get hands-only CPR training. For more information, call Sgt. Rand Padgett at (559) 908-1498.

Are you a community member interested in learning more about a career in public safety? There is a huge demand for public safety professionals in our region, and most of VVC’s graduates are offered jobs prior to graduation!

Click the link below for more information about their program!

https://www.vvc.edu/fire-technology-program

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Last week, the First District Youth Advisory Council met. They are a group of 10 bright and enthusiastic students who will meet monthly to identify and discuss issues impacting young people in our county, while serving as a direct link between First District teens and our office.

The students were chosen from Sultana, Apple Valley, Granite Hills, and University Prep high schools. Youth Council members will participate in a volunteer/community service project while learning about local government and civic engagement.

Congratulations to all of the students who were chosen to serve on the panel!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) students in the Class of 2021 spent their entire senior year in distance learning, having to overcome difficulties such as distractions at home, slow internet, and a host of other issues. But despite all of that, the SBCUSD Class of 2021 walked away with $11,031,077 in scholarships and grants, and many of them have already started college.

A total of 209 Cajon High School seniors earned $3,713,914 in scholarships and grants, which includes $1.5 million in military scholarships and enlistment bonuses. Arroyo Valley High School seniors also showed their academic chops with 385 graduates, or 73 percent of their graduating class, earning $3,266,600 in scholarships, including a four-year military scholarship.

“San Bernardino City Unified graduates have a distinct advantage over many other area graduates when it comes to earning scholarships,” said Chief Communications and Community Engagement Officer Ginger Ontiveros. “In addition to competing against seniors of area private and charter schools for the many scholarships available to graduates across the state and nation, SBCUSD graduates are eligible for hundreds of scholarships just for seniors in our District.”

At San Bernardino High School, 100 graduates earned $1,359,680 in scholarships and grants, and 136 of San Gorgonio High School’s graduates earned a cumulative $1,159,817 in scholarships and grants, including $513,996 in military scholarships and signing bonuses. A full 100% of Middle College High School’s 68 graduates shared in $970,000 in scholarships and grants.

Rounding out the scholarship and grant numbers are $386,480 earned by 112 Pacific High School graduates, $112,150 earned by 59 San Andreas High School graduates, $33,300 earned by 82 Indian Springs High School graduates, $18,986 earned by 17 Sierra High School graduates, and $10,150 earned by 10 Inland Career Education Center graduates.

The District has a long-standing partnership with the non-profit San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association, which coordinates local donors who have created scholarships just for SBCUSD graduates. Each scholarship has its own criteria. Some are for graduates of specific high schools, some are for students pursuing a career in education or medicine, while others reward students for their community service efforts during high school.

“What all of the Association scholarships have in common,” said Association President Blythe Anderson, “is that you must be graduating from San Gorgonio, San Bernardino High, Pacific, or one of the District’s other amazing high schools to apply.”

The Making Hope Happen Foundation, a non-profit supporting the District’s educational mission, awards $3,000 mentor-supported college scholarships to approximately 100 SBCUSD graduates each year. What makes these scholarships unique is that in addition to money, scholarship recipients are paired with a mentor, who is an upperclassman in college and also an SBCUSD alum, to help guide them through the college experience, helping them register for classes and navigate this new phase of their lives.

To enroll your child in the San Bernardino City Unified School District so they are eligible for  these scholarships, visit the website or your local SBCUSD school. To donate to the Making Hope Happen Foundation, visit https://makinghope.org/. To create your own scholarship or donate to one of the many existing Association-managed scholarships, contact Susan Zavala, Communications/Community Relations Department secretary, at susan.zavala@sbcusd.k12.ca.us.