During the tour, Torres visited eight homegrown businesses in Fontana and Ontario to highlight the strength of local manufacturers
EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN— (ONTARIO, CA)—U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) recently concluded her annual “Made in the 35th” tour of manufacturing businesses in the 35th congressional district. The tour included meetings and site visits with manufacturers in a wide range of industries, including metal fabrication, aerospace, cargo, and defense in Fontana and Ontario.
“The 35th Congressional District is home to manufacturers that support everything from the military to the roofing on our homes. My annual ‘Made in the 35th‘ tour highlights our local businesses and provides me with an opportunity to hear directly from them about how we can grow the Inland Empire economy,” said Torres. “As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to push for increased funding to help manufacturers find new markets to sell their products and bolster efforts to train and prepare the workforce to fill the jobs these businesses are creating every day. That’s how we ensure that Inland Empire manufacturers and workers can continue to compete and thrive for decades to come.”
Congresswoman Torres visits Otto Instruments in Ontario.
In the 35th congressional district, a total of 36,955 people are employed in the manufacturing industry. The average wage for manufacturing employees in California is $83,000, which is nearly the double wage of all sectors in the 35th district at $48,797.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Torres worked to secure $14,000,000 in additional funds for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership in the fiscal year 2020 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill. The funding will help small and medium-sized manufacturers improve production processes, upgrade technological capabilities, and facilitate product innovation. Since her first term in Congress, Torres has held district-wide Job Creation Listening Tours, where she brings together area business owners, community leaders, educational experts, and employees to get their views on the local economy. She released a white paper outlining a legislative plan based on the listening tour and a one-year update on the progress made on the plan.
The 35th Congressional District is one of the
hardest to count in the country
The town hall brought together representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau, local elected officials, community-based organizations, educational institutions, the business community, and members of the public
ONTARIO, CA — U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres
(D-Pomona) recently convened a town hall at the Southwest Regional Council of
Carpenters, Local 909 to discuss the importance of the upcoming 2020 Census
with representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau, the NALEO Educational Fund,
the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, the County of Los Angeles, The
Community Foundation, the Warehouse Workers Resource Center, First 5 San
Bernardino, the County of San Bernardino Preschool Services Department, and
members of the public. California’s 35th Congressional District
is one of the hardest to count in the country, with approximately 231,300
people or 31 percent of the district living in hard-to-count neighborhoods.
This is the second town hall Torres has held on the 2020 Census. The first
forum connected community partners with resources to promote participation in
the 2020 Census.
During the town hall, Torres and the participants
discussed how information collected by the Census is protected under U.S. Code
Title 13. In light of concerns over the Trump administration’s proposed
citizenship question in the census, U.S. Code Title 13 requires the Census
Bureau to keep any information collected from respondents confidential and
strictly used only for statistical purposes. This information may not be shared
with any government agencies, including law enforcement. The town hall also
touched on challenges surrounding the undercount of children, resources to
increase access to online questionnaires in Los Angeles County and the Inland
Empire, and employment opportunities available with the Bureau.
“I’m committed to making sure that every person in our
community is counted in the census—just as the Constitution mandates. The
census determines so much for the hard-working families in my district and
throughout the Inland Empire. From how many federal dollars go to improving our
schools, to access to affordable, quality healthcare and strengthening the
roads we drive on and the availability of affordable housing,” said Torres. “This town hall helped connect
residents with the resources and knowledge they’ll need to be prepared and
engaged for the 2020 Census. I’m grateful to all of our partners for their
participation. It’s up to all of us to make sure every Californian is counted.”
“The 2020 Census is important, and partners are critical to
its success. The goal of the Census is to count everyone once, only once and in
the right place,” said Julie
Lam, Census Bureau Los Angeles Regional Director. “By mid-March 2020,
every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census with
three options for responding: online, by phone, or by mail. It’s against the
law for us to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify
you or your household.”
“Latino children suffered a 7.1% undercount rate, which is
significantly higher than the 4.3% rate among non-Latino children. San
Bernardino county had the fifth largest percent of undercounted very young
Latino children of any county in California during the 2010 Census,” said Adan Chavez, Regional Census Campaign Manager in the
Inland Empire for the NALEO Educational Fund. “When young children are
not counted, our families and communities cannot get important resources and
services like the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Head Start, and
the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program. NALEO
Educational Fund’s Hazme Contar campaign will help our communities avoid a
devastating undercount of Latino children and we are going to continue to work
closely with NALEO Member and Congresswoman Norma Torres to ensure the best
count possible.”
“The Southwest Carpenters want to thank Representative
Torres for her leadership on this important issue,” said Dan Langford, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Southwest
Regional Council of Carpenters. “Representation matters for working
people, and the Carpenters will continue to be part of the solution by
educating our members and their families about the importance of participating
in the 2020 Census.”
Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution requires
the Census Bureau to conduct a census every ten years to count every resident
in the U.S. The data collected by the census determines how billions in federal
funds are distributed to local communities, as well as the number of seats each
state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 2020 Census will begin on
April 1, 2020.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Torres
helped pass legislation that blocked the Trump administration’s proposal to add
a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. She also worked to increase funding
for the Census Bureau to $8.45 billion in the Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations
Funding Bill to ensure that the Bureau can conduct a thorough and accurate
census that counts all persons, as required by the Constitution. This funding
enables the Bureau to carry out the largest and most technologically advanced
decennial census in its 230-year history.
ONTARIO, CA— – The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) will be hosting the 2019 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards Judging reception on, Wednesday, September25th where our official 2019 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Semi-Finalists will convene with our judges face-to-face at the Spirit Judging reception (by invitation only). From this event the finalists will be determined. Once they have been determined, the 2019 Spirit Finalists will be featured at the Spirit Awards gala on November 13th at the Riverside Convention Center. Finalists to be announced September 26th, 2019.
The Spirit judging reception event is generously sponsored by Roorda, Piquet & Bessee, Inc. (http://rpbcpa.com) who have been providing tax, audit, and accounting and advisory services in the Inland Empire area for over 35 years.
All nominees are initially screened and evaluated by the Spirit of
the Entrepreneur awards staff to ensure that they meet the basic eligibility
requirements. Those companies that pass the initial screening are eligible to
participate in the judging reception.
Judges for the event are selected by the Spirit of
the Entrepreneur producers and work independently, evaluating each
nominee. Each judge is chosen based on their prior business
experience, integrity and willingness to dedicate a significant amount of time
to review and evaluate the nominees. The judging panel is almost exclusively
made up of past Spirit award recipients and business leadership professionals
that have been vetted to serve as our esteemed judges.
Each
eligible nominee provides extensive company information that is used in the
judging process. Judging is based on financial metrics as well the nominee’s
accomplishments, innovative approaches and their entrepreneurial spirit.
This year selecting the 2019 finalists from a vast field of over 220 entrepreneurial nominees will be a very difficult task!
More information about sponsorship & volunteer
opportunities please contact Mike Stull (909) 537-3708 or via email mstull@csusb.edu.
Ticketing
Attendees can book tickets online with direct seat
selection for the 2019 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards gala event at https://spiritawardsie.com/content/ticketing. Attendees have the selection choice of pre-show
standard reception or our VIP reception Ticket prices for the black-tie event
range from $135 to $175 each. Full-table discounts are available. Details are
located below:
Spirit Awards Event Features:
Commencing at
5:00 p.m. on November 13th, attendees can experience either a Gala or VIP
reception, three course dinner, stellar event entertainment, awards
presentations, and for select parties, an exclusive after party! (https://spiritawardsie.com/content/spirit-schedule)
The “Best of
the Best” award. Sponsored by Best,
Best & Krieger (https://spiritawardsie.com/content/best-of-the-best-award)
One company from among
the award recipients that best exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit will
take home the additional 2019 Best of the Best award.
The Garner Holt
Student Fast Pitch Competition (https://spiritawardsie.com/content/garner-holt-fast-pitch-competition)
Witness featured business pitches from the Top 5 student
finalists. Audience members cast their votes for the best business
idea through a live voting poll to determine which students will win the
cash prizes. These Top 5 students will have competed in a semi-qualifying
event that is held one week prior to the Spirit Awards gala in order to
gain those top positions. A truly unique aspect to our awards program that
celebrates and supports student growth and involvement.
Entertainment
Upcoming entertainment guest stars are always an anticipated reveal during
the gala. Past events have included top flight entertainment such as: Rock
Legend Eddie Money, Ekenah Claudin-Transcending Box, and Greg
Adamson- Facing the Music Performance Art.
VIP
Reception Sponsored by
City National Bank, an RBC Company (https://spiritawardsie.com/content/vip-seating) Treat yourself to a luxurious
experience only available to VIP ticket holders. The 2019 Spirit VIP
Experience includes access to the exclusive pre-show VIP reception with
hosted wine bar, hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, and preferred access to showroom seating for the gala
presentation as well as top section seating for the main event while you
enjoy specialty selected cuisine for your 3-course dining experience.
Proceeds from the Spirit of the
Entrepreneur event benefit the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Scholarship
established by Dr. Mike Stull, Director of Inland Empire Center for
Entrepreneurship at California State University, San Bernardino. (https://spiritawardsie.com/content/spirit-scholarship)
Established
in 1999, the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) supports and
celebrate Entrepreneurship & Small Business through innovative programs and
educational resources. IECE coordinates academic programs that lead to business
degrees in Entrepreneurship for undergraduate and graduate students as well as
delivering experiential learning and student support programs such as the Fast
Pitch Competition. In the local community, IECE offers existing and
aspiring entrepreneurs a wide array of business advisory and mentoring services
and entrepreneurial training programs that help them achieve greater levels of
success in their business ventures.
IECE
was recognized internationally by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business (AACSB) and received the Entrepreneurship Spotlight Challenge award
for demonstrating leadership in creating (and incubating) cutting-edge business
innovations through enriched student learning and experiential education; which
ranked them among the top 35 entrepreneurship programs globally.
California
State University, San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and
cultural activity in Inland Southern California. Opened in 1965 and set at the
foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, the university serves more
than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually.
CSUSB offers 48 undergraduate, 35 graduate, and 1 doctoral degree programs and
14 academic programs with national accreditation.
The Upland Unified School
District will tap into a $140,000 grant to create a teacher-residency model in
partnership with Cal Poly Pomona.
The district received the funding
from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and will work on
developing the model with the College of Education and Integrative Studies’
Educational Specialist Credential Program, which prepares teachers to work with
students with disabilities.
Associate Professor Joanne Van
Boxtel, CPP’s project lead, said the grant will provide financial assistance to
education specialist teacher residents and their mentor teachers as they
participate in a one-year residency program with UUSD. The candidates’ time in
residency will satisfy their clinical practice requirement.
“I am thrilled to partner with Upland Unified School District to design an innovative and effective model for teacher preparation,” said Van Boxtel. “Through the residency model, education specialist candidates will engage in powerful hands-on learning in the field from experienced and supportive mentor teachers—it’s a perfect fit with Cal Poly Pomona’s learn-by-doing philosophy!”
The teacher-residency program
will formally launch in Spring 2020. Van Boxtel, along with co-project lead Associate
Professor Heather Wizikowski, will be working with UUSD to recruit residents until
then.
“One of the most exciting
features of this grant is the ability to work with Upland to train teachers
right in the district’s own classrooms. It’s a win-win in that Upland is able
to train high-quality special education teachers and CPP is actively involved
with meeting the needs of our surrounding communities,” said Wizikowski.
In order to qualify, candidates
must hold a bachelor’s degree in a related field and be accepted into the
Education Specialist Credential Program. All qualified applicants will be
considered for the residency program through a joint vetting process with
Upland USD. Each candidate must commit to teach in Upland once they complete
the program.
This year’s forum will be held at Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, 1314 E. Date Street, San Bernardino, CA 92404. Check-in and Continental breakfast start at 8 a.m. The program starts at 9:00am and ends at 3 p.m.
Speaker: Brette Steele serves as the Director of Prevention and National Security at the McCain Institute for International Leadership. Prior to joining the McCain Institute, Steele served as the Regional Director of Strategic Engagement for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Terrorism Prevention Partnerships. In that role she advised the State of California in the development of a statewide Preventing Violent Extremism Strategy and partnered with counties, cities, and nonprofit organizations to develop and implement Preventing Violent Extremism programs.
Rialto continues to move forward and constantly looking at welcoming emerging technology. In terms of technology, it takes on different forms in Rialto from being the first in the nation to have water-efficient projects and ways of treating water, transforming organic waste into energy to partnering with local universities to develop and repurpose lost energy. Also, recreating a lost basin into a purposeful lake is in the future of Rialto. Though we have to react to the external economic indicators, it does not stop us from thinking about how to make this community better. From complexing a new park such as Joe Sampson and other productions that are underway, which you can reference in the City Administrator’s newsletter, is a great contribution to our community. As Mayor, I am committed to never falling short on advancing and investing in the quality of life in Rialto. Through economic investments, investing in our youth, and time with our youth.
Rialto’s National Night Out Features The Wyland Foundation Interactive Van!
Bike Rodeo Gives Away Over 200 Bicycles!
Inaugural NBA Legends Basketball Academy features WNBA and NBA Players
Olive Garden Grand Opening at Renaissance Marketplace!
Kome Ajise, Executive Director of SCAG, visits Rialto!
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—LOS ANGELES, CA— The 2nd Annual Women of Color Empowerment Brunch produced by founders Raquel Wilson and Tynisha Lewis of the Empower Her Network hosted a groundbreaking platform for women of color. The brunch took place in the city of Watts California and was met with an overwhelming community response of young professional women of color starting out in business. The afternoon was hosted by Wilson and Lewis who honored three outstanding women of color in politics, activism, community service for their vast achievements, with a panel of seven influential women of color from various industries, moderated by Syd Stewart,Founder & Executive Director of Better Youth. Each panelist shared their stories, challenges, victories and secrets to success.
This year’s honorees included Jan Perry, Former Los Angeles City Councilwoman; Linda Miles, Community Partnership Consultant; Susan Burton, Activist. Panelists includedB. René Norman, Celebrity Photographer; Deborah Griffin, Entertainment Publicist; Ericka Chancellor, Professional Cosmetologist; Natasha D Burton, Producer and Brand Builder; Sauda S. Johnson, Attorney; Tonya McKenzie, Author, Motivational Speaker, and PR Consultant; Umaymah Rashid, Content Creator, Digital Media Producer, and Marketing Manager.
Raquel Wilson is a former foster youth and Tynisha Lewis is a former homeless youth who both use the Empower Her Project to provide professional development and advocacy opportunities for young professional women of color starting out in business with the space to network and be inspired. Both women are dedicated to empowering, educating and encouraging young women of color who are in and around the community of Watts, California. The goal is to shed light on the many resources available for young women of color to be able to accomplish extraordinary things through business.
Social Media:
Twitter: @empower_inc
Instagram: @theempowerherprojectinc
Facebook: @theempowerherproject
Official Social Media Hashtags: #WCEB2019 #TheEmpowerHerProject
RIVERSIDE, CA— The Society of Extraordinary Women (SOEW) invites the community to an engaging evening of “Empowering Conversations” on Thursday, September 19, 2019 at the Culver Center of the Arts in Riverside, CA. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the conversation will begin at 6:00 p.m.
The 5th in SOEW’s Conversation Series, this discussion will feature five of the most dynamic women in their fields, each representing the very best in technology, leadership and entrepreneurship.
The evening’s conversation is designed to encourage and support great endeavors that benefit the spirt of the community. Attendees are certain to be inspired as these powerful women share their stories of overcoming adversities, achieving successes, and the joy of civic engagement and philanthropy. Speakers will include:
Dr. Tamica Smith-Jones
Tamica Smith Jones
Smith-Jones is Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of California, Riverside. A leading voice on women in sports and minority coaches, Smith Jones serves on multiple NCAA working groups on these important issues which includes serving as an active member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. In 2017, she was named the Women Leaders in College Sports Division I Administrator of the Year, awarded the 61st Assembly District Woman of Distinction Award by California State Assembly member, Jose Medina, and recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential African Americans in Los Angeles.
Ana Yeager-Lee
Ana Yeager-Lee
Yeager-Lee is the owner of Women in Tandem, a lounge and workspace for women to focus, connect and get stuff done. Ana is working to bring a supportive community of women together to help each other make the hard work they are all doing just a little bit easier. A Riverside native she served a decade as a criminal defense attorney specializing in juvenile defense and treatment courts such as Mental Health Court, Drug Court and Girls Court.
Whitney Kotlewski
Whitney Kotlewski
A Senior User Experience Architect with Esri, Kotlewski’s core responsibilities are to support product teams, for mobile, desktop and web applications, with designs that embrace UX Principals and User Research. A Co-Founder of Black Girls M.A.P.P. Her personal research objectives are centered around empowering various members of her local community, specifically young African American students, to impact and improve their own communities by avenue of advanced technology.
Toushonta Hogan
Toushonta Hogan
The creator of Scentsational Soaps, an all-natural skincare line for both men and women, Hogan is described as a modern-day Renaissance woman with an entrepreneurial spirit. Hogan’s daughter, Shaiann of Shai’s World, started her own business at the tender age of 10 under her mother’s guidance and leadership. She has been featured on The Real TV show, Teen Boss Magazine, Good Morning Washington and Harry TV. Today, Hogan is the Vice President of Raising A Mogul. The organization provides parents with the tools, knowledge and confidence needed to raise their young moguls to build their own empires.
Nefertiti Long
Nefertiti Long
Chief Operating Officer of Alta Loma Enterprises and Founder of the LaVerne Jones Legacy Fund, Long currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Alta Loma Enterprises and is the Secretary of the Board of Directors for TCF. She is also one of the founders of Alliance for Black Women Accountants (ABWA), a nonprofit that provides mentoring to young women of color interested in the accounting/finance profession.
During the evening attendees will also learn about how they can be a part of history by joining with SOEW to bring the renowned Tuskegee Airman Exhibit—including an actual C51 fighter jet like those flown by the airmen—to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside during the air show on September 19, 2019. The historic and celebrated Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military pilots in the history of the United States Armed Forces and SOEW is proud to be a part of preserving and honoring their legacy. If you would like to help sponsor the exhibit email SOEW at shirleycoates@soew.org or call (951) 289-9535.
“This will be an evening of inspiration and motivation as we share in the strength of the human spirit to rise above triumph, and thrive,” said Shirley Coates, President of the Society of Extraordinary Women.
SOEW will also share news about the expansion of the organization’s Ignite Leadership and STEM (Saturday) Academy. This one-of-a-kind program teaches middle school girls’ practical application of GIS Technology and includes a Civil Aviation component where the girls learn how to fly and obtain a pilot’s license.
Virginia Blumenthal of Riverside’s Blumenthal Law Offices will serve as the evenings Mistress of Ceremonies. Blumenthal has practiced criminal defense law in Riverside for more than 40 years and was named one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States by The National Trial Lawyers. Additionally, she has been selected by her peers again in 2019 for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, an honor she has held for more than 30 years.
The Culver Center of the Arts is located at 3834 Main St, Riverside. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and you must RSVP to attend as space is limited. Please register at CaliforniaSocietyofExtraordinaryWomen.org or call (951) 289-9535.
National Science Foundation award will help increase the number of low-income students pursuing graduate and doctorate degrees in STEM fields
ONTARIO, CA—Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $279,000 grant to Cal Poly Pomona to increase the retention of low-income students in graduate-level mathematics programs. The NSF award will help recruit and support students pursuing Master’s degrees, and encourage them to continue with their doctoral studies in mathematical sciences.
“As one of the top universities for STEM careers, Cal Poly Pomona is known for its commitment to ensuring equity in the success and education of all students,” said Torres. “This grant will help academically promising low-income students access higher education and economic mobility, while strengthening diversity and representation in STEM.”
Torres is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for making decisions regarding federal spending.
Campaign Kicks Off Online Voting Competition Today
SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Time for Change Foundation (TFCF) announced today that they were selected as one of Aetna’s 2019 Voices of Health award recipients. This award places TFCF as a finalist in Aetna’s 2019 Voices of Health campaign, a competition and celebration of grassroots non-profit organizations across the country that are working to address social determinants of health in their communities.
Online voting will be available to the public between September 9 – October 13 at www.aetnavoicesofhealth.com.All organizations participating in this year’s Voices of Health competition, including Time for Change Foundation, were selected in April, during a public nomination period. Aetna will award $20,000 to the organization that receives the most online votes in its market.
“TFCF understands that housing status is a powerful indicator of overall health status and a major social determinant of health,” said Director, Vanessa Perez. “The absence of a home directly correlates with increased risks of chronic illnesses and diseases which is why TFCF makes housing a priority.
“Since 2002, Time for Change Foundation has been dedicated to helping homeless women and children achieve self-sufficiency by using an array of evidenced-based practices coupled with a strength-based approach to address their needs. Our programs and supportive services help to assist families and individuals with the skills necessary to recover from the effects of homelessness, addiction, incarceration, mental and physical abuse. To date TFCF has helped over 1,200 women and children reach self-sufficiency and has reunited 282 children back with their mothers.
Campaigning for VotesThe Aetna “Voices of Health” website will feature a one-minute video from each organization describing how the prize money would help it further its mission. Organizations will be able to advocate for votes in different ways, including sharing their videos through social media and other communication channels.
To learn more about Voices of Health or to vote, visit http://www.aetnavoicesofhealth.com/ To cast your vote for Time for Change Foundation click the link below. You can vote once per day with your Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and email accounts!
Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
