Local

Offices remain open. Customers encouraged to go online first.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is temporarily suspending behind-the-wheel driving tests for at least two weeks beginning December 14. The DMV is taking this step for the health and safety of customers and employees during the current statewide surge in COVID-19 cases.

“Behind-the-wheel drive tests require two people to share space in one vehicle and – while we have made numerous changes to safeguard the testing process – the current surge in COVID-19 cases presents increased risk to both parties,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon. “While our field offices remain open to serve the public, we hope customers will first go online to take care of their DMV needs.”

In-vehicle testing is a requirement for first-time driver’s license holders and commercial license applicants. The temporary suspension includes commercial and noncommercial tests but does not apply to motorcycle drive tests, which can be conducted at a safe distance.

Customers with scheduled appointments in the next two weeks will be notified their tests are canceled. The DMV will automatically reschedule the tests at a later date.

DMV drive test examiners will be redirected to assist with other customer transactions.

The DMV previously suspended drive tests for three months beginning in mid-March. The DMV resumed administering behind-the-wheel tests in June with safety protocols in place, including required face coverings, temperature checks, cracked windows for increased air circulation and seat covers.

Californians who do not have an urgent need to go to a DMV field office should delay their visit, including those interested in applying for a REAL ID. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that the REAL ID enforcement date is October 1, 2021, and customers who want a REAL ID will have an opportunity to apply at a later date.

To protect customers and employees, the DMV requires everyone who enters the DMV to wear a face covering, physically distance and have their temperature checked. To best serve customers and maintain appropriate distance, the number of people allowed in the office is limited, chairs are appropriately spaced and plexiglass has been installed.

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. Nearly all Californians can now renew their driver’s license online – even if the renewal notice states an office visit is required. Customers can also use the Service Advisor on the DMV website to learn their options to complete DMV tasks.

Written by Naomi K. Bonman

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— In an effort to make the holidays special for families in need, Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County will be hosting a Mobile Toy Shop on Saturday, December 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at San Bernardino Valley College located at 701 South Mt. Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino.

There are a few requirements that must be met in order for families to participate, which are that: You must be a resident of San Bernardino County and you must register online before attending. Families can register at mobiletoyshop.eventbrite.com where they can purchase one ticket per household. It is asked that you do not register for multiple time slots or the same time slot multiple times, doing so will delete your registration.

This event is also in collaboration with the Family and Friends Foundation, and is sponsored by: SoCalGas, Health Net, ConvergeOne, Southern California Edison, Union Bank, and Citizens Business Bank.

For more information, please call (909) 723-1558 or email fdpservices@capsbc.org.

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media 

More than half of California is now under a regional stay-at-home order. 

Last week, when the governor announced the impending shutdown, he said health officials had carved the state into five regions. Their goal is to coordinate a broad emergency response that would reach across county lines and consider the proximity and capacity of health services within each area based on population and density. Those regions are: Northern California; Greater Sacramento; Bay Area; San Joaquin; and Southern California. 

Effective Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m., the Southern California and San Joaquin Valley regions went under the order after both areas’ intensive care unit (ICU) capacities fell under 15 % — the threshold Gov. Newsom set last week as the bar that would trigger shutting down. 

Five Bay Area counties also went under the order voluntarily on Dec. 6. 

But as the state strengthens restrictions, Republican lawmakers are calling for transparency. They are calling on Gov. Newsom to share data that detail the affects that COVID-19 related restrictions have had on Californians. On Dec. 3, Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) called on the governor to revise the state’s re-opening standards, called the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. 

In November, Grove wrote a letter asking the governor to allow gyms, museums, places of worship and restaurants to remain open for indoor use with social distancing guidelines whenever the state enforced its strictest social isolation policies under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. 

Last week, Grove also called on Gov. Newsom to release data relating to mental health, domestic violence and the achievement gap in education between Black and Brown students (and lower income students across the board) and their White peers since March. 

“Californians have a right to public health data that is being used to shape their lives, and the governor owes the state leadership that is committed to transparency and accountability. We have to ensure the state’s actions are based on a holistic approach that protects out mental, social, and emotional well-being along with our physical health,” said Grove. 

State health officials announced Dec. 5 that ICU capacity had fallen to 12.5 % in the Southern California region, and 8.6 percent in the San Joaquin Valley region. Statewide, California had the highest number of new coronavirus cases for one day on Dec. 5, with 25,000 new reported cases. 

The stay-at-home order went into effect three days after Gov. Newsom announced the 15 % threshold for ICU. capacity. It affects 33 million Californians, 80 % of the state’s population. The order will last for three weeks, and it will be renewed on a weekly basis until the region’s projected I.C.U. capacity increases to 15 % or more. 

“We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California’s hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks,” Newsom said. 

Under the order, gatherings of any size of people from more than one household are prohibited. Non-essential businesses must close, including bars, wineries, hair salons and barber shops, nail salons, museums, movie theaters, playgrounds, indoor recreation facilities and amusement parks. Travel is also prohibited except as necessary for permitted activities, such as working at essential businesses or doing necessary shopping. 

Retail businesses can stay open, but they are limited to 20 % capacity, and restaurants can only do takeout or delivery. Schools that are already open for in-person instruction can remain open along with critical infrastructure businesses. Also, worship services and protests are allowed as long as they take place outdoors. 

Though most activities are now closed, the state government encourages members of the same household to visit parks and beaches, which remain open under the order, to maintain their physical and mental health. 

The current stay-at-home order is the most restrictive statewide order since the March 19 order, which closed everything except essential businesses. On Nov. 21, the state directed counties with high caseloads to stay home and close non-essential businesses between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., but case numbers continued to rise. 

The regional stay-at-home-order also comes soon after the Thanksgiving holiday. Public health officials have expressed their fear that the impact of Thanksgiving has yet to be seen, since any possible COVID-19 infections from that time can begin to show symptoms within the next week or so. 

“We know that those cases that occurred around people’s dinner tables or activities and travel through Thanksgiving are going to show up right about now,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly on Dec. 7. “We believe that the levels of transmission that we’ve been reporting will likely continue to go up because of those activities.” 

The current list of counties under the stay-at-home order as of Dec. 7 include: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne. The Bay Area counties under the order include: San Francisco, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Alameda, with Marin County going under the order Dec. 8.

POMONA – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) is hosting a series of virtual listening sessions over the coming months on building back the Inland Empire economy.

These events are an opportunity for community members to share their challenges and concerns with Rep. Torres, receive guidance from local experts, and ensure their voices are heard. The topics discussed will be the priorities Rep. Torres fights for as the new Congress convenes in Washington in January.

Upcoming listening session dates, topics & speakers:

December 15th: Housing

A conversation addressing the Inland Empire’s housing challenges and the support available to Inland Empire residents. Topics will include the lack of affordable housing, support for the homeless, and job opportunities.

December 17th: Economy & Transportation

A conversation on the local economy and transportation investments that will help the Inland Empire rebuild as we overcome coronavirus. Topics will include COVID relief, job training opportunities, youth diversion programs, public transportation, transportation infrastructure and the logistics industry.

~~~Event Details~~~

WHO

Congresswoman Norma J. Torres

Local Experts on Housing, Transportation & the Economy

Residents from across the Inland Empire

WHAT

Listening Sessions on Building Back the I.E. Economy

WHEN

December 15^th: Housing

December 17^th: Economy & Transportation

Both events will be at 7:00 pm PT

RSVP

Sign up to participate by clicking here.

REDLANDS, CA—- As a result of new State public health orders and increased COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Inland Empire, the Board of Trustees of the A.K. Smiley Public Library voted unanimously Tuesday, December 8, to suspend in-person library services through at least Jan. 4, 2021.

“We regret having to take this step and are hopeful that conditions will allow us to resume in-person services sometime early in the new year,” said Board of Trustees President Bill Hatfield.

Books, magazines and DVDs will still be available from the Smiley Library’s Books-to-Go program. Cardholders can select materials online, by email or over the phone. Details are available on the library’s website at www.akspl.org.

Other electronic resources, including virtual storytimes and programming, databases, digital editions of the New York Times, Flipster magazine service and the Kanopy and Kanopy for Kids streaming networks are available online 24/7 for all Smiley Library cardholders.

Patrons can continue to return material into the library’s book drop; however, the library will be unable to accept donated material until further notice.

For further information, visit the library’s website or call (909) 798-7565

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media? 

Black women leaders have a recommendation for Dianne Feinstein, California’s senior U.S. Senator: consider giving up your own seat so that California Secretary of State Alex Padilla can fill it. Their call is to appoint a Black Woman with political experience and a track record of success – someone who will be ready on day one to serve.    

News broke last week that Feinstein, who has represented California in the upper house of the U.S. Congress for 28 years now, reached out to Gov. Gavin Newsom. She called to let him know that she supports Padilla, who is Latino, as Sen. Kamala Harris’s replacement in the U.S. Senate. 

Black leaders campaigning for the governor to replace Harris with an African American woman responded promptly.  

“The good senator herself has been sitting in that seat for a longtime. She has served our state well. Very honorably. Maybe she should consider resigning, which would make room for Secretary Padilla to carry on her legacy,” said Amelia Ashley-Ward, publisher of the San Francisco Sun-Reporter, the oldest Black newspaper in the “Golden Gate City.” 

Ward said once Harris is inaugurated Vice President of the United States in January, the United States Senate will lose its only African American woman.  

“That is a terrible loss for America. That is our seat,” Ward continued. “It was won by an African American woman and she had hundreds of thousands of African American women working hard with her, holding her up, standing behind her to win that seat. Not to mention millions of other Californians. Kamala was the second Black woman in history to serve in the United States Senate and she is currently the only Black woman in the United States Senate. She is the face and the voice of Black women from all across this country and we will lose that when she’s gone.” 

Padilla, who is from Los Angeles, served as an aide in Feinstein’s Senate office in the 1990s. 

“I told him,” Feinstein said, talking about her appeal to the governor in support of Padilla “And my sense is that he’s going to represent California very well. And he’s someone I’d be happy to work with and bring Hispanic representation to the Senate for the first time.” 

Dr. Amos Brown, a civil rights activist, president of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, says representation is important. He said Gov. Newsom should appoint either Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA-37) or Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13).  

“The seat must go to an African American woman. How can there be no Black woman among Democrats in the U.S. Senate? The women we are recommending are smart, qualified and prepared to replace Harris,” he said.  

In an all-out effort to ensure that an African American woman continues to serve in Harris’s U.S. Senate, Black women groups in California and across the United States have launched a social media campaign to spread the word and garner support. They say the party establishment wants Black people to vote for a Democratic majority in the Senate by turning up to vote in the January runoff election in Georgia, but they do not want to fight to make sure a Black woman is represented in the United States Senate.  

The Black Women for Wellness Advocacy Project (BWWAP), Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), the Black Women’s Democratic Club (BWDC), and numerous leading Black women in the state are speaking in one voice, sending a clear and forceful message to Gov. Gavin Newsom that he should pick a Black woman to replace Harris.   

To amplify their message the women are employing podcasts, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, digital flyers, emails and catchy taglines. Public service announcements will flood the internet according to the of organizers for the campaign. 

“This is an initiative by Black women from across California who are elevating the conversation around the appointment for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s U.S. Senate seat,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, founder of BWOPA, oldest Black political action organization in the state. “It is a full court press directed to an audience of one and that audience is Gov. Gavin Newsom.” 

There are three African Americans serving in the United States Senate. Harris, Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina. 

But after Jan. 20, 2021, when Harris is sworn in as Vice President, there will be no Black woman in the US Senate. Gov. Newsom can either decide to make an appointment to complete Harris’s term, which ends in 2023, or he can hold a special election.  

The Black women organizations have also set up several online hubs to push the issue. They are asking people around the country to email their support to help them Keep the Seat for Black Women in the U.S. Senate. California residents can  email Newsom directly. Or they can also message him at this site as well. On social media, they can send a tweet to the governor @GavinNewsom. 

By Marie Y. Lemelle, MBA

Governor Gavin Newsom,

Like a modern-day Harriet Tubman, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris kicked opened the door to claim a seat at the U.S. Senate table. Her legacy is to lead more Black women to the table who will represent a forgotten but strong California population.  It is no surprise that women are already underrepresented in the U.S. Senate; and that is unacceptable. California should continue to buck the trend and send a Black woman to the U.S. Senate.

Historically, Black women are blatantly excluded from leadership roles. Kamala Harris, the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate, changed the game for us and proved that a Black woman is invaluable to the progression of California and our Nation. Let’s not forget that Black women voted in record numbers to deliver a victory to Democrats and our country.

Far too often the work and sacrifices of Black women go unrecognized and undervalued. We urge you to honor and embrace the hard work and determination that Kamala Harris and Black women have forged through to keep California strong.  We earned the right to #KeeptheSeat and will continue to fight to never give up our seat to represent all people but especially the largest population in the State of California.

December 1 marked the 65^th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat.  Her right to keep her seat was a symbol of will power and the right to claim a prominent place in this world. We are ready to repeat the historic and courageous move that Ms. Parks made to demand respect and inclusion. She stood her ground without a coalition of Black women by her side.

Today, Black women from across the Nation are in full force to stand beside U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37) and U.S. Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and fight for them to be the right choice to fill the seat.  Don’t mute the Black woman’s voice. 

We live the values of gender equality, fairness, community, diversity, and authenticity that are essential to strong leadership. We ask that you do not overlook our progressive leaders Bass and Lee to carry the torch lit by Kamala Harris.

There is no doubt that Bass and Lee are ready to take on the challenges and issues that face Californians.  They have the experience and the relationships to step in Kamala Harris’ shoes and step up to the table with confidence and determination. They know how to get the work done in Congress while advocating for the needs of Californians.

This is our time, and we are staking our claim to the seat that Kamala Harris earned with the support of

Black women.  We are the backbone of the democratic party, both as voters and organizers. Diversity in our leaders is the core to who we are in California. Together, we benefit from a variety in experiences and perspectives.

We know that both Bass and Lee are leaders that we can trust and depend on in crisis. That said, we deserve to maintain our representation in the U.S. Senate. Governor Newsom, we urge you to hear us and appoint Bass or Lee to the seat.

It’s time to deliver for us.

California Black Women Coalition for #KeepTheSeat

Hon. Donesia Gause-Aldana  Carson            Hon. Sydney Kamlager-Dove  Los Angeles   Hon. Deborah Robertson     Rialto

Hon. Aja Brown                        Compton        Hon. Lula Davis-Holmes           Carson            Hon. Emma Sharif           Compton                                                                                                                                Hon. Cheryl Brown                  Sacramento    Hon. Yvonne Horton                 Inglewood     Hon. Diane Watson     Los Angeles

Hon. Autumn Burke                Los Angeles     Hon. Holly J. Mitchell               Los  Angeles   Hon. Shirley Weber       San Diego

Hon. Michelle Chambers       Compton          Hon. Treva Reid                        Oakland          Hon. Lori Wilson          Suisun City

Melina Abdullah           Los Angeles

Aimee Allison                Oakland

Bobbiejean Anderson  Moreno Valley

Ebani Anderson             Los Angeles

Niele Anderson             Los Angeles

Joy Atkinson                 Los Angeles

Sheila Baker                 Bellflower

Kim Ballard                  Lancaster

Sabrina Benson            Rialto

Vicki Blakley                 Sacramento

Charlotte Bland            Los Angeles

Sheila Brown               Los Angeles

Taisha Brown               San Diego

Tonya Burke                Perris

April Burton                 Compton

Velma Butler                Pasadena 

Barbara Calhoun          Compton

Darla Carpool               Los Angeles

Jasmyne Cannick          Los Angeles

Sandi Cook                    Los Angeles

Lori Cordinus                 Orange

Maureen Craft               Elk Grove

Karen Earl                      Los Angeles

Nolice Edwards              Sacramento

Kimberly Ellis                 Richmond

Dionne Faulk                  Inglewood

Nourbese Flint               Los Angeles

Norma Foree                 Long Beach

Carolyn Fowler                Inglewood

Dallas Fowler                  Inglewood

Gail Francis                     Lake Elsinore

Tresla Gilbreath               Sacramento

Glenda Gill                      Los Angeles

Angela Gipson                 Inglewood

Le Cresha K. Gipson        Carson           

Wendy Gladney               Upland

Alice Goff                        Los Angeles

Gloria Gray                     Inglewood

Sharon Guest                  Los Angeles

Kellie Hawkins                 Los Angeles

Jacqueline Hawthorne   Los Angeles

Nichelle Henderson        Gardena

Ingrid Hutt                      Los Angeles

Danielle Hollis             Burbank

lona Hendrick             Los Angeles

Patsy Howard             Los Angeles

Cine Ivery                   Inglewood

Andrea Jackson           Los Angeles

Jannell Jackson           Sacramento

Joan Jackson                Los Angeles

Adrienne Johnson       Pasadena

Rachel Johnson           Gardena

Deidre Jones               Long Beach

Rev. Dr. Joy Johnson  Antelope

Laniece Jones              Oakland

Holland Jordan            Castro Valley

Angela King                 Los Angeles

Marie Y. Lemelle         Glendale

Bennetra Lewis           Lancaster

Alicia Lewis                 Los Angeles

Arnetta Mack              Inglewood

Natasha Marshall       Inglewood

Phyllis Marshall           Sacramento

Ronnie Martin             Los Angeles

Tamry McCauley         Santa Clarita

Tina McKinnor            Hawthorne

Tonia McMillian          Bellflower

Dewanda Mitchell      San Bernardino

Tracy Mitchell             Pasadena

Tamela Mitchell          Pasadena

Pamela Mitchell          Pasadena

Sarah Morris               Adelanto

Shenia Morris             Victorville

Gloria Myles               Los Angeles

Ingrid Palmer              Los Angeles

Ann Perkins                  San Bernardino

Sharon Polk                 Los Angeles

Sandra Poole               Sacramento

Angela Reddock           Carson

Lenee Richards            Los Angeles

Audrena Redmond      Long Beach

Diane Robertson          Los Angeles

Rosa Russell                 Los Angeles

Patt Sanders                Inglewood

Jamie Scott                  Inglewood

Andrea Slater                 Vallejo

Dolores Spears                Los Angeles

Brianna Spratt                 Irvine

Jasmine Stanley               Los Angeles

Tiffani Stone                   Elk Grove

Novell Thompson            Fontana

Gloria Gray                     Inglewood

Anette Walker                Hayward

Jackie Washington          Hawthorne

Molly Watson                  Los Angeles

Denise Watts                  Canyon Country

Daphne Wayans              Tarzana

Yvonne Wheeler           Long Beach

Wanza Tolliver                 Los Angeles

Kathy Williamson             Los Angeles

Katrina Williams            Long Beach

K. Patrice Williams        Vallejo

Wanda F. Williams            Sacramento

Gail Willis                          Los Angeles

Lolita Willis                        Long Beach

Ethell Woods                     Los Angeles

Jimmy Woods Gray            Los Angeles

Rashina Young                    Carson

Melanie Young                     Long Beach

Tiffani Stone Alvidez           Elk Grove

Jacque Robinson-Baisley    Pasadena

Shay Franco-Clausen           San Jose

Lola Smallwood Cuevas       Los Angeles

Julia Cooksey-Evans            Northridge

Cheryl Lanier Gates             San Francisco

Kellie Todd-Griffin                Carson

Dezie Woods-Jones              Madera

Kendra Noel Lewis              Sacramento

Patrice Marshall McKenzie   Pasadena

Pamela Bright-Moon             Los Angeles

Eva Hoffman-Murray             Bellflower

Pastor Thembeklia Smart     Los Angeles

Roslyn Austin Stewart           Los Angeles

L’Toya Wheeler Tate            Corona

Charisse Bremond Weaver   Pasadena

Charlotte Northern White     San Diego 

All Californians are Urged to Add Their Phone to the Fight

SACRAMENTO, CA – Following the announcement by Governor Gavin Newsom to expand CA Notify statewide, the California Department of Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Technology (CDT) today launched the digital tool designed to notify Californians of their possible exposure to COVID-19. The free, mobile technology is now available to all Californians and can be accessed on mobile devices. 

Starting today, Californians can receive notifications informing them if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus so they can take immediate actions around quarantine and testing. Californians with iPhones can enable CA Notify in their settings and Android phone users can download the CA Notify app from the Google Play Store to immediately start receiving exposure alerts on their phones. Use of the technology is completely voluntary, private, and secure. CA Notify does not collect the location of a phone or individual to detect exposure, and it does not share a user’s identity. Californians opt in to use the tool and may to opt out at any time. 

“We want all Californians to add their phone to the fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 because the tool works best when more people sign up,” said Dr. Erica Pan, Acting State Public Health Officer. “Combined with other actions like physical distancing and wearing masks, CA Notify helps Californians anonymously keep themselves, their loved ones, and their communities safe.”

When individuals voluntarily activate CA Notify, the tool uses Bluetooth technology to exchange random codes between phones without revealing the user’s identity or location. When someone is tested for COVID-19, they will receive a text message from (855) 976-8462. This text will remind CA Notify users who receive a positive test result from a provider or laboratory to enter their verification code into their phone using CA Notify. Any other CA Notify users who were within six feet of the COVID-19 positive individual for 15 minutes or more when that person was most likely to be infectious will get an anonymous notification of possible exposure. 

“The technology is 100% voluntary and secure and provides Californians immediate information and links to resources when they’ve been exposed to COVID-19,” said Amy Tong, Director of CDT. “We are proud the Golden State is making this innovative tool available statewide to encourage more Californians to do their part to keep others safe.”

The state launched a pilot in September for students, staff, and faculty at UC San Diego and UC San Francisco and expanded it to include five other UC campuses in mid-November. The privacy-first focus of CA Notify does not allow the state to know how many people opted into the system, but the UC system estimates more than 250,000 individuals are utilizing the technology as part of the pilot. CA Notify has helped identify exposed individuals early, allowing them to quickly quarantine and reduce virus transmission. The CA Notify pilot has been successfully evaluated, and similar programs have been launched in other states.

“Our pilot experience starting at UC San Diego and expanding to other UC campuses showed this technology was effective in identifying exposed individuals early for quarantine and testing, and helping keep our communities as safe as possible,” said Christopher Longhurst, MD, chief information officer of UC San Diego Health. “This free and reliable smartphone technology can help all Californians. As we enter a new, and hopefully final, surge in the pandemic, now more than ever is the time to put every possible tool to use to slow the spread of the virus.”

CA Notify is not a contact tracing app but augments the contact tracing process by issuing exposure notifications to people you may not know. Contact tracing identifies the close contacts of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and contact tracers reach those individuals by phone, email, and text. CA Notify does not track or trace information about the people you are in contact with and does not collect or exchange any personal information.

Visit CANotify.ca.gov to learn more about how CA Notify works. 

Read the Governor’s Dec. 7 announcement.  

SANTA RITA, GUAM— Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear) 1st Class Nicholas Miller, assigned to the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723), from Ontario, California, poses for a photo on the pier after completing his retirement ceremony. Miller is retiring from the Navy after serving 21 years. Oklahoma City is one of four forward-deployed submarines assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 out of Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam.

‘Black on the Block’ Hosts ‘Walk with a Purpose’

Written by Naomi K. Bonman

RIALTO, CA— With new stay at home orders in California, many are wondering how they can stay in shape, be social at a distance, and support local community efforts. On Saturday, December 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Black on the Block: Young Entrepreneurs’ Expo will be hosting ‘Walk with a Purpose’ at Jerry Eaves Park located at 1485 N Ayala Dr. in Rialto.

Black on the Block is brought to you by Tomorrow’s World non-profit (501c3). Tomorrows World (est. 2001) is licensed by the state of California to serve mentally ill and chronically homeless men. Last Year, Black on the Block held the first annual Young Entrepreneurs’ Expo in an effort to build up the community by supporting local businesses in the Inland Empire area.

The group will convene at Jerry Eaves Park at 9 a.m. Masks and social distancing practices are required. There will be water and refreshments at each designated rest area. The walk will end at Rialto City Park where free lunch will be provided to all volunteers.

Visit www.westsidestorynewspaper.com for the link to register for the walk. For further information, please contact Vickie Davis at (951) 255-7382 or by email at blackontheblock.missd@gmail.com.