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SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes honored Shirrell McCarey as the 2020 Veteran of the Year for the 47th Assembly District, during the 4th Annual event held virtually this year due to COVID-19.

Shirrell McCarey served in the U.S. Navy, both active duty and reserve, from 1977 to 2012 as a Naval Commander. During this time Shirrell McCarey would serve in the final stages of the Vietnam War and she would also serve in the Gulf War. Her military career would see her be deployed to Vietnam, Grenada, Chernobyl, and the Middle East. After her time in the military, she would become a mental health advisor for the Loma Linda Mental Health Advisory Board for fifteen years.

In addition to her service and leadership, she maintains a membership with the California Leadership for Women, Cal Vets, Disabled American Veterans, and is the Lecture Knight for the Elk Lodge in Victorville. Mrs. McCarey’s primary interest is serving as a mental health advisor for veterans across the country. As a mental health advisor, Mrs. McCarey acts as a counselor to veterans suffering from things like PTSD, other mental health issues, and physical issues. This role also allows her to act as a mediator between veterans and their doctors regarding their mental and physical needs. 

After a review of the many nominations, twenty-five veterans were selected as finalists from throughout the community for the Veteran of the Year award which honors veterans who live, work, or volunteer in the 47th Assembly District who have served our country, protecting our freedoms, and who continue to serve our community. “I congratulate Shirrell McCarey for her selection as the 2020 Veteran of the Year for the 47^th Assembly District. Mrs. McCarey served our country honorably during her time in the U.S. Navyand she was honorable discharged in 2011. Mrs. McCarey has received several awards over her illustrious career including the Unit Citation Award and Good Conduct Medal but the award she is most proud of is the one she received from Loma Lima VA clinic. She received her award on May 25, 2016, after saving the lives of three veterans during a hostage situation where she was able to get the suspect to surrender peacefully via negotiations. The dedication she has demonstrated in supporting her fellow veterans is just one example of how tries to fulfill her life’s mission to uplift others. I’m proud to honor a good soldier and a good friend,” said Assemblymember Reyes. 

Veteran of the Year Finalists for the 47th District:

Heather Lee – Grand Terrace

Toshiro Henry “Hank” Kanbara – Grand Terrace

Hector Reynoso – Colton

Raymond Gómez – Colton

Julie Calderilla Porter – Colton

Eloy Sanchez – Colton

Bob Amaro – Colton

Arlie Hubbard – Colton

Mike Humphrey – Colton

Steven Miranda – Bloomington

Ben Munoz – Bloomington

Artist Gilbert – Rialto

Agustin Ramirez – San Bernardino

Gil Narvarro – San Bernardino

Judy Bryant – San Bernardino

Cynthia La Verne Epps – San Bernardino

Reverend Ching Lee Trenchard – San Bernardino

Basil Kimbrew – San Bernardino

Shirrell McCarey – San Bernardino

Joseph Mosely – San Bernardino

Martin Daly – Fontana

Kylee Quintanilla – Fontana

Howard Eckert – Fontana

Dennis Acron – Fontana

For more information on the Veteran of the Year and finalists contact District Representative Daissy Arteaga at (909) 381-3238 or email at Daissy.Arteaga@asm.ca.gov

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.

By Dale Hunter | California Black Media 

Edgar G. Dymally is a senior environmental specialist with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a water wholesaler that delivers water to 26 member agencies that serve 19 million people across Southern California.

Prior to starting with Metropolitan in 1992, Dymally was a staff engineer with the state’s Office of Drinking Water. He is chairman of the Water Quality Committee of the Association of California Water Agencies, and an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Water Works Association, and TreePeople.

Dymally earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Long Beach State University, and he is the nephew of former California Lt. Gov. and Congressman Mervyn Dymally. 

I spoke with him about his role at the Metropolitan Water District, the safety of our water supply during the COVID-19 pandemic, careers in the state water industry and more.  

What is your role at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California?

There is an extraordinary number of state and federal regulations to ensure the safety of our drinking water. My job for the past 25 years has been tracking and evaluating the impacts of these regulations on Metropolitan and other water utilities, providing input to regulatory agencies and lawmakers, and coordinating with staff to ensure compliance. Above all, my job, along with many others in the industry, is to protect public health. 

Should people trust that their tap water is safe to drink?

Drinking water faces more regulations and safeguards than virtually any other resource, whether it’s air, water, soil, or food of any type. Probably the shining example of public health protection in our country has been the regulation of drinking water over the past 50 years. Our drinking water is safe.

What sometimes frustrates water professionals is even with all the regulations and drinking water standards, even though billions of dollars have been invested to upgrade treatment facilities and protect source water quality, even though drinking water has never been safer, some people still don’t drink it.

I recommend people drink plenty of water, and tap water provides the best value for every consumer.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected drinking water?

No. The virus that causes COVID-19 does not present a threat to the safety of treated drinking water. Water treatment plants, including Metropolitan’s, use a multi-step process of filters and disinfectants to remove or kill bacteria and viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19. Water agencies throughout the state are working hard to educate residents that their drinking water is not affected by the pandemic.

Why is it important for residents to know which agency provides their drinking water?

Your local water provider – who you or your landlord pays the water bill to – is the best source to speak to about your drinking water quality. They can tell you the steps to keep your water safe and address any concerns you have. If there is a problem, they are responsible for fixing it.

To better understand the source and quality of your water, you should talk to your water provider or review their annual Water Quality Report. Water agencies are required to regularly monitor and test for a host of chemical contaminants. If they discover a contaminant above the level set by the state, they are required to disclose it in their Water Quality Report and address the contaminant. For example, you may have heard recently about perchlorate or one of the PFAS chemicals, which are now being monitored.

Your water provider can also tell you about incentives or product rebates to help you use water more efficiently. With the challenges of climate change facing our water supplies, we all need to do our part to use water as efficiently as possible. Your water agency is your partner in that effort.

How did you get your start in the water industry?

It was total serendipity. I had just finished my undergraduate degree in civil engineering at Long Beach State. My plan was to go into the Navy, but I didn’t qualify medically. So, I was on campus with no job and I ran into the dean of student services. He told about an entry position with the state’s drinking water program. I took the job for the summer, loved it, and never looked back.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in the water industry?

Explore all the different kinds of opportunities. You could go into academia, the private sector or work for a non-profit or non-government organization. You could do something in agriculture or wastewater. There are so many different facets to water. If you’re fortunate like me and get to work for an agency like Metropolitan, you would never regret it. But there are many other opportunities as well. 

About the Author 

Dale Hunter is Executive Director of the California African American Water Education Foundation (CAAWEF).  It is a nonprofit water education organization focused on the African American community in California. Formed in 2019, CAAWEF is based in Sacramento. 

 The information in this article is brought to you in partnership with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), a non-profit statewide association of public water agencies whose more than 450 members are responsible for about 90 % of the water deliveries in California.

RIVERSIDE, CA— The Community Wellness Transportation Program is looking for Canvassers in the Riverside County Area. Immediate positions are available, Monday through Friday, 5 hours a day. Bi-lingual in Spanish is a plus. Email your resume to Robert@RiversideCountyBCC.org or call (951) 877-0167 to schedule an interview. 

The Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Flagstar Bank to keep their promise and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion to the members and communities they serve by giving $1 million in grants to help small businesses owned by Black, Indigenous and people of color whose operating expenses are impacted by COVID-19.

Qualifying small minority businesses can submit applications now through November 20 for grants of $5,000. Flagstar has partnered with BIPOC nonprofits in its key banking markets to vet and administer the grants. Qualifications include (1) diverse ownership (2) revenues of no more than $1 million (3) located within Flagstar Bank’s footprint of San Bernardino County area including Barstow, Victorville, Adelanto, Hesperia and Apple Valley, California. Additional qualifications, grant uses, and other information are available in the application.

 We hope to combat the narrative that there is no assistance for minority-owned businesses. The Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce is committed to serve the entrepreneurs that are facing hardships during this pandemic. We are honored to team up with Flagstar Bank to help these businesses survive, thrive, and enhance the vitality of our communities. Businesses owned by people of color have been especially hard hit by COVID-19, with nearly half of black-owned businesses shuttered by the pandemic. 

 “We have a commitment to our communities and to keeping our promises to them,” said Alessandro DiNello, CEO of Flagstar Bank. “Reversing decades of systemic inequities is a marathon, and we are in it to the finish. These grants are an important milestone along the way to making our communities and our company better and more equitable for all.” 

R & R Breakfast Spot, 5460 Philadelphia St., Chino (One light North of the 60 at Central) is paying for your “trip to taste” their fabulous breakfast and lunch cuisine, with a 15% discount on your purchase! Rhonda Dennis, the owner, made the offer during her interview with Wallace Allen on past Sunday’s “Empire Talks Back” radio talk show. The discount is good through Sunday November 15th. Claim your “Trip to Taste” discount by saying “Wallace from Empire Talks Back radio sent me”!  Open daily, except Monday, from 7 to 3 pm… 909-548-0014… Pick up, Delivery (limited) and Patio Dining available!  

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— We wish you and your family nothing but the BEST this Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. Just a reminder, for those that have an itch to give back this season, Community Action Partnership, San Bernardino Valley College and the Young Visionaries are still in need of volunteers for their Turkey Giveaway on Saturday, November 21. They will provide each volunteer with PPE (mask or shields, hand sanitizer, and gloves).

To volunteer, please fill out the form below:

You can also email Yoselyn Aldama for more information at yaldama@yvyla-ie.org or call or text (909) 513-4316. 

Grounded Self-Care studio offers meditation, yoga and other self care practices for inner healing.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On Sunday, November 8, Grounded held its grand opening in the heart of Downtown San Bernardino. The Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Cities assisted with the promotion and support of the ribbon cutting, along with Assemblymember Eloise Reyes. Below are a few words that the founder, Destinee Frye, stated about her purpose and mission with Grounded:

It was all a dream. Chasing purpose is an interesting experience. My husband thought I was crazy, I thought I was crazy, but God said it was time, so I moved.

Yesterday, I saw people moved to tears, to laughter, breathing a little bit easier because they experienced a breakthrough, they didn’t know they needed.

All a reminder that all of the sacrifice was worth it. I chose my purpose over emotions, over expectations, over opinions, over logic, over common sense, over comfort, and I’ll keep choosing it over and over again. 

Thank you to everyone who has believed in the process, new believers, and the ones that have been rocking with me since the beginning. WE did it! And we’re just getting started! 

Grounded Self-Care Studio is located at 381 N E Street in San Bernardino. 

The Shoppes at Chino Hillsis the Inland Empire’s premier destination for shopping and dining features more than 380,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and office in an open-air, main street-style pedestrian setting partners with GUARDaHEARTFoundation to offer No-Cost COVID-19 antibody testing for the City of Chino Hills community and the surrounding areas. The COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody tests are covered under the CARES Act and will be available to the community with or without insurance starting on Tuesday, Nov. 10 through Thursday, Nov. 12 at The Shoppes at Chino Hills 13920 City Center Drive, Suite 4055, Chino Hills CA 91709 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Located across from Victoria’s Secret, between H&M, and The Den Salon). Free parking at the back of the building, Paseo of the Stars parking lot. 

The Shoppes at Chino Hills executiveswill be available for interviews from 9-10 a.m. to discuss the importance of offering the no-cost Covid-19 antibody testing to the community. The Shoppes has been very much focused on reaching into that community in various forms of activity.” Chino Hills is a great, family-oriented community set in a great commercial environment with a mix of cultures, which is representative of the culture of Southern California.  

Dr. Douglas S. Harrington M.D., Fellow of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, and the American Society of Clinical Pathology, an expert in laboratory diagnostic testing. Dr. Harrington is also the Chairman of the GUARDaHEART Foundation 501(c)3 will be available to discuss the difference between a COVID-19 swab test vs SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody test, including other topics on the SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody test and the correlation of heart disease and the coronavirus. 

The SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing being provided is one of the most reliable antibody tests available. It has a sensitivity of 100 percent and a specificity of 99.6 percent performance evaluations. This COVID-19 antibody blood test can be used to detect the presence of an IgM & IgG antibody response. A positive result indicates that an individual has been infected with the COVID-19 pathogen and has developed some level of immunity. This test could be a critical next step in battling COVID-19, continuing to flatten the curve and ensuring a safe re-opening of the community. 

If members of the media are not able to attend on opening day, Dr. Harrington is available for interviews either by Zoom, phone or email Q & A. 

WHO: Confirmed & Available for on-site interviews on Tuesday, November 10^th from 9-10 AM

• Dr. Douglas S. Harrington, MD, Fellow of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology and Chairman of the GUARDaHEART Foundation
• Estrella Harrington, Founder of the GUARDaHEART Foundation
• Darryll Goodman, GM for the Shoppes at Chino Hills 
• Cynthia Moran, Chino Hills Council Member
• Other City Officials Invited
• Executive of The Shoppes at Chino Hills

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020 – First Day of Antibody Testing. Everyone is available to receive the COVID-19 serology antibody test at no cost to them as long as they don’t have any symptoms of COVID-19.  Testing starts at age one and anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

WHERE: The Shoppes at Chino Hills 13920 City Center Drive, Suite 4055, Chino Hills CA 91709 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Located across from Victoria’s Secret, between H&M, and The Den Salon). Free parking at the back of the building, Paseo of the Stars parking lot.

SACRAMENTO, CA— Californians age 70 and older with a noncommercial driver’s license are now eligible to renew online or by mail, eliminating the need to visit a California Department of Motor Vehicles office. Licenses with an expiration date between March 1, 2020, throughout the COVID-19 emergency are eligible.  

Through Executive Order, Governor Gavin Newsom has temporarily waived the California law requiring drivers age 70 and older to visit a DMV field office to renew their license for the length of California’s State of Emergency or until modified. The DMV is completing the programming necessary so customers who meet the criteria will be able to complete their renewal online beginning December 6.

Nearly all California drivers are now eligible to renew their license online or by mail – even if their renewal notice states an office visit is required.

The DMV previously provided yearlong extensions to senior drivers with noncommercial licenses expiring in March through December 2020. Those who received the extensions are eligible to renew online.

Commercial licenses, including those for drivers 70 and older, expiring between March and December are extended through December 2020, to align with federal guidelines.

The DMV previously expanded eligibility for drivers 69 and under to renew online, even if their DMV notification states they must come to an office.

Summary of California driver’s license extensions

	Expiration month	Status
Age 70 & older (noncommercial) Age 69 & younger (noncommercial)	Beginning March 2020	Expanded eligibility to renew online or by mail for licenses expiring during the emergency
Commercial (all types, all ages)	March-December 2020	Extended to December 31, 2020
Learner’s permits (noncommercial)	March-November 2020	Extended six months or to a date 24 months from the date of application

The ability for senior drivers to renew online is the latest action to help Californians avoid or delay a DMV office visit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DMV continues to streamline its processes to limit the time customers spend at an office. Customers applying for a REAL ID are encouraged to fill out the online application and upload the required documents before they come to the office for expedited service.

The DMV continues to recommend that customers use its online services, expanded virtual services and other service channels to complete transactions, including eligible driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. Customers can use the Service Advisor on the DMV website to learn their options to complete DMV tasks.

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By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media 

The California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) will hold its fourth annual conference in a virtual setting this year. 

Scheduled for Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13, the statewide conference will be centered on the theme “Blueprint for Educational Equity.”

Organizers say attendees can look forward to workshops that highlight the newest innovations in learning and cutting?edge educational interventions that lead to academic success, particularly for Black students. 

“Despite the challenges posed by COVID?19, this year’s conference will continue to build on CABSE’s strong legacy of shining the spotlight to expose inequities faced by students of color in this country,” said Micah Ali, the Conference’s chairperson. “I am confident that our speakers and workshop programming will offer an illuminating view of the challenges faced by Black and Brown students.” 

“I look forward to the thoughtful, productive and collaborative solutions that will undoubtedly be advanced during this convening,” Ali continued. 

Confirmed speakers include Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Dr. Shaun Harper, Founder and Executive Director of the University of Southern California’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education. 

Dr. Thomas Parham, President, California State University Dominguez Hills, is also scheduled to speak during the virtual meeting. 

Compton Unified School District (USD), Riverside County Office of Education (COE), San Diego USD, Ed Trust West, Corona Norco USD and Fresno COE, among others, will all participate in scheduled workshops. 

Each workshop will address a “Blueprint” theme: Applying a Holistic Cradle?to?Career Lens to Education; Embracing Technology as the Great Equity Equalizer; and Challenging Inherent Bias and Promoting Positive Campus Climates. 

“Our Blueprint for Educational Equity is envisioned as a living document that crowdsources the best and brightest ideas in the educational space,” said CASBE President Gary Hardie, Jr. “We look forward to seeing how these issues will be elevated and the kind of solutions that will be proposed.” 

Even with a thoughtful blueprint to help Black students succeed, CASBE faces an uphill climb. The organization is holding its annual conference at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a blow to public school education in California and across the country. Public education policy experts warn that distance learning will likely increase the disturbing achievement gap that already exists between Black students and that of their peers of other ethnic groups. 

In California, nearly 68 percent of all African American perform below their grade level in English and language arts. In math, about 80 percent of Black students do not meet the state’s proficiency mark. 

CASBE is a nonpartisan organization consisting of elected and appointed school officials, administrators, and instructors from across California who are committed to advancing equity for Black students. CABSE members represent governmental agencies, charter schools, and charter school organizations, traditional public schools, and community colleges. 

The organization says its mission is to expand the PK?14 educational opportunities available to all students in California, with an emphasis on underrepresented and under?served Black students. 

Find more information about the conference and register online at www.cabse.org.