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LAS VEGAS, NV— This week, Assemblymember Chris Holden joined State and National leaders for the historic groundbreaking of the Brightline West high-speed rail. Assemblymember Holden has been a lifelong advocate of regional transportation and connectivity across the west coast. Last year, as Chair of the Select Committee on Regional Transportation Solutions, Holden hosted an informational hearing last year featuring Brightline West on the panel and they shared plans on the early stages of the production of the historic rail line.

“I am so pleased to see this project come into fruition. Transportation is a key part of opening doors and opportunities. The benefit of better connectivity goes beyond convenience and will impact our regional dedication to environmental health, equity, business opportunity, economic growth, and so much more,” said Assemblymember Holden. “This high-speed rail is a major step, but still only the beginning of great innovation and change for our country.”

The 218-mile system will be constructed in the middle of the I-15 and is based on Brightline’s vision to connect city pairs that are too short to fly and too far to drive. Hailed as the greenest form of transportation in the world, Brightline West will run zero emission, fully electric trains capable of speeds of 200 miles per hour. The groundbreaking included remarks from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Brightline Founder Wes Edens, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Sen. Jacky Rosen, Senior Advisor to President Biden Steve Benjamin and Vince Saavedra of the Southern Nevada Building Trades.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is proud to announce that the nonprofit organization Pure Land Foundation has been awarded the prestigious Education Medal of Honor for its outstanding contributions to the community through its mobile food pantry initiative.

The award was presented on April 29 by San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre at the 2024 Spring Awards in recognition of Pure Land Foundation’s dedication to addressing food insecurity and providing essential support to thousands of families in need.

Pure Land Foundation’s mobile food pantry initiative has been a lifeline for families facing food insecurity in our community, particularly during challenging times. Through this initiative, the organization distributes nutritious food items directly to families in underserved areas, ensuring that they have access to healthy meals and essential resources. The mobile food pantry visits various neighborhoods throughout San Bernardino, always operating out of SBCUSD campuses and with support from dozens of student volunteers, serving about a thousand families each month and making a meaningful difference in their lives.

“SBCUSD is honored to have nominated Pure Land Foundation for the Education Medal of Honor, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to them on this well-deserved recognition,” said Superintendent Mauricio Arellano. “We’re working hard to elevate not just our school district but also our community. If we’re able to meet a lot of the basic needs of our families, we believe that’s going to have a monumental impact not just to the district but to the city as a whole. Pure Land Foundation’s commitment to serving our community aligns with our District’s mission to support the well-being of all students and families. We are grateful for their partnership and the invaluable support they provide to our community.”

Pure Land Foundation’s efforts exemplify the spirit of compassion and service that strengthens our community, according to Pure Land Foundation’s founder and CEO Michael Tsai, who accepted the award on the nonprofit’s behalf.

“We as community partners want to help,” Tsai said in a moving acceptance speech. “We believe that education is the great equalizer, however not every family and not every child starts off on the same footing as one another.”

For more information about Pure Land Foundation and their mobile food pantry initiative, visit www.facebook/pureland.ie.

About San Bernardino City Unified School District:

The San Bernardino City Unified School District is California’s eighth-largest school district and is dedicated to providing a high-quality education that prepares more than 46,000 students for college, career and life. With a focus on equity, excellence and empowerment, the District serves a diverse student population in the San Bernardino and Highland communities.

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

Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) addressed a group of advocates and activists, including formerly incarcerated men and women at the State Capitol last week.  She promised them that she is determined to advance Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 8 “across the finish line” for voters’ to decide in a November General Election referendum.

Wilson, Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), was speaking at an April 29 rally at the State Capitol organized to promote “The End Slavery in California Act,” a measure that Wilson authored to amend the California Constitution, abolishing involuntary servitude in prisons across the state.

“For me, it’s a priority to reassert our unwavering commitment to ACA 8 but not just myself as the author but also the entire legislative Black caucus,” Wilson said at the rally held on the southeast end of the State Capitol’s grounds.

“This is not just legislation. It is a declaration of our value and resolve to end all forms of slavery and involuntary servitude in our state. ACA is vital because it proposes to remove the ‘exception’ for involuntary servitude from the state’s constitution, declaring unequivocally that all forms of slavery are prohibited,” she added.

The “Quest for Democracy (Q4D)” rally was hosted by All of Us or None of Us (AOUNOU), a grassroots civil and human rights organization focused on supporting formerly and currently incarcerated people and their families.

AOUNOU members, advocates, justice-impacted leaders, and supporters from all over the state of California attended the rally and other activities organized around the event in Sacramento. Their goal was to educate lawmakers and participants about prison reform and the importance of ACA 8.

In addition to the morning-to-midafternoon rally, an exhibit of 400 black-and-white photos was on display. AOUNOU collected images from family members of individuals who allegedly died “at the hands of law enforcement,” one of the markers at the exhibit stated.

During the rally, many former incarcerated individuals, along with organizers, and supporters took turns performing songs, reading poems, and sharing their experiences working in California’s penal institutions. They also shared stories detailing the repercussions they suffered in prisons when they refused to work.

The 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified in 1865. It prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude with one exception: if involuntary servitude was imposed as punishment for a crime.

John Cannon, a member of AOUNOU, performed his hip-hop song, “No Exception: All of Us or None of Us” at the rally. He revealed that he served time in prison and was forced to work in various roles without the ability to object. He worked in warehouses, as a firefighter, and in other jobs. Understanding that the “prison industrial complex is a well-oiled machine,” he said, his mission is to see that forced labor is no longer an option.

“Sometimes I don’t think my voice is heard but since I’ve become a member of (AOUNOU) my voice has been heard. Especially for Quest for Democracy, for people like me who have been incarcerated before,” Cannon said. “I am able to go to the State Capitol and get our voices heard in a collective fashion. The issue that is really important to me right now is ending and removing involuntary servitude from the State’s Constitution.”

Article 1, Section 6 of the California Constitution prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude, “except as punishment for a crime.” Former state Sen. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) originally proposed ACA 3 in 2020, when she served in the Assembly, to remove this exception.

The Senate failed to pass ACA 3, the California Abolition Act in July 2022, preventing the measure from being placed on the November General Election ballot for voters to approve or reject.

Following Kamlager-Dove’s election to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2022 to replace Rep. Karen Bass, who is now the mayor of Los Angeles, Wilson took up the cause when she was elected to the Assembly. The Assembly approved ACA 8 last September. It will be heard next in the Senate.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union: California Action, over 65% of the people in prisons reportedly being forced to work are performing essential jobs like firefighting and paving roads.

In 2022, incarcerated workers made up 43% of the state’s firefighters, ACLU revealed. After serving time and being released from prison the formerly incarcerated are often denied public safety jobs such as firefighters.

“Incarcerated individuals can have severe inhumane punishment for not working, including physical violence and solitary confinement,” Wilson said. “This is not justice. This is exploitation. Period. These punishments can be imposed for absences caused by injury or illness. The relations between incarcerated individuals and work should not be one of exploitation but one of rehabilitation and preparation for reintegration in our society.”

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media ? 

California is admired for its beautiful weather.

But the Golden State is also susceptible to natural disasters because of the frequency of earthquakes, landslides, forest fires, super storms, flooding, and intense heat, particularly in its desert regions.

According to Gov. Gavin Newsom, severe flooding resulted in more than 200,000 California homes and businesses being left without power in 2023.

To help families prepare for disasters, the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) has launched the Listas program. This informational campaign, featuring women from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, teaches other women how to prepare for natural disasters. The initiative includes 70 videos created to be shared online.

Launched in March, Women’s History month, the campaign was promoted during a press conference hosted by California Black Media and  Ethnic Media Services on April 4.

Shayla Happi Amenra-Warmsley, who is Black, an educator and mother of two, is featured in a Listas video talking about planning for extreme weather.

Amenra-Warmsley, said participating in a video for emergency planning made her think about what she needs to do for her family during a natural disaster. In her video, she pointed out to her daughter that cell phones won’t work in an emergency. That’s why it is important to have a list of emergency contacts.

Amenra-Warmsley also said nowadays most people don’t memorize phone numbers because everything’s saved on their phones.

She said being involved in this plan made her realize how important it is to teach loved ones about emergency planning and preparing to deal with difficult situations. This is one of the skills she teaches her students.

“I not only educate my students academically but also teach them lifelong skills of resiliency, emerging from any storm as a stronger version of themselves. Learning how to prepare for emergencies is at the heart of that,” said Amenra-Warmsley.

Diana Crofts-Pelayo, assistant director of Crisis Communication & Public Affairs at CalOES, said the Listas campaign uses women as opinion leaders because they are often the drivers of information in their families.

“These are women who bear the weight of responsibility making ends meet while taking care of children or elderly parents, while the messengers are first- or second-generation women helping support their families within the unit,” said Crofts-Pelayo.

The Listas campaign has conducted than 400,000 calls to motivate people to sign up for emergency weather alerts.

In the videos, women share steps to prepare for an emergency?such as:

• Creating a “go bag.” This would include ID documents, such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses, passports, cash,wallets and phone chargers.
• Also, preparing for an extended stay at home. This includes having water, batteries and non-perishable foods saved.
• Creating a list of family phone numbers. This should be printedout, in case phones are nonfunctional because of lack of power.
• Having a family plan to meet at a different location.

“We saw that women over the age of 18, mostly in Latino, AAPI and Black communities, are the ones that would listen to our message, pass it on and actually use it during an emergency,”?said Diana Crofts-Pelayo,

Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D-Sacramento) is also featured in a video. She said it was important to have people from diverse ethnic backgrounds in the campaign.

“When disaster comes, it affects everybody across communities, and seeing different women talk from their cultures about having go-bags ready, batteries charged, water for washing and drinking — women across communities can think, ‘If she’s doing this, I should be doing this in my home as well,’” said Nguyen.

For more information or to get social media toolkits, visit the Listas website.

By Bo Tefu, Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Tanu Henry | California Black Media

Last week, federal and state officials commemorated the launch of a new professional development program for California Service Corps Alumni.

The public-private partnership was created to provide early career job opportunities for young people that worked in the service force. The state’s service force consists of Californians For All College Corps, California Climate Action Corps, Californians For All Youth Jobs Corps, and AmeriCorps California.

California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday said that the skills of the service force alumni are critical to California’s workforce.

Victor Dominguez, President and Chief Executive Officer of YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles said that the program will empower California’s youth to live up to their potential.

“Together, we can create a pipeline of outstanding, diverse talent and most importantly, a pathway to upward mobility?for those who deserve it most,” he said in a statement.

Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary, said that the program will be impactful for young professionals seeking careers in public service.

“California’s greatness has always been driven by its people. Now, young leaders are stepping up across California to confront climate change and other key challenges,” he said.

The program will help the state meet its workforce needs to further economic opportunity and development statewide. Alumni will be paired with jobs that align with their skills, qualifications, and professional experience. The young career hopefuls will be given the chance to network with future employers and mentors in priority sectors such as education, trades, and climate.

Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction,?said that young educators of the service force helped support the needs of the state’s Department of Education.

Many of the service force members, “are a critical pipeline to provide our students across California the diverse, talented educators and mental health school counselors they deserve,” Thurmond stated.

Several alumni recalled that working for the state’s service corps ignited their passion for education. The experience also helped them understand the need for diversity and cultural competence in the classroom.

AmeriCorps California alumnus?Abelardo Juarez said that serving as a tutor sparked his passion for education and helped him gain hands-on experience in the classroom.

“The experience made me realize that we need more men of color in the classroom, which became another piece of encouragement to pursue a career in education,” Juarez said.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) and Superintendent Mauricio Arellano are proud to announce the launch of Vision 2030: SBCUSD SHINES, a transformative initiative aimed at cultivating pride and purposeful futures for students.

“I have always firmly believed that every student is brilliant and that it is our responsibility to discover their brilliance,” said Superintendent Arellano. “Our job is to ensure that every student, that our District and our city shines.”

Approved by the Board of Education on April 2, Vision 2030: SBCUSD SHINES sets the course for the district’s mission to ensure each student has the skills, resilience and determination to create their path and thrive in school, career and life.

Following a special reception held in the Dr. Margaret Hill Community Room, the vision was unveiled to more than 200 attendees during a meeting of the Board of Education. In attendance were local elected officials, community leaders, leaders of faith-based organizations, representatives of local businesses and nonprofits, and District administrators, many of whom were honored during the Board meeting for their contributions to the vision.

Under SBCUSD SHINES, the District is committed to prioritizing six key areas over the next six years:

1. SBCUSD Strong: Fostering a culture of excellence and resilience to empower students to reach their full potential.
2. High expectations for academics and innovation to be college and/or career ready: Setting rigorous academic standards and promoting innovation to prepare students for success in college and career.
3. Involvement of students, family, community and staff: Engaging all partners in the educational process to create a more collaborative and supportive learning community.
4. Nutrition, health and wellness: Prioritizing the physical, mental and emotional well-being of students through comprehensive health and wellness initiatives.
5. Equity as a foundation: Advancing equity and inclusion to ensure all schools and students have access to equitable opportunities and resources.
6. Safe, secure and attractive learning environments: Creating safe, welcoming and inspiring spaces where students can learn, grow and thrive.

“Vision 2030: SBCUSD SHINES represents our unwavering commitment to providing every student in San Bernardino and Highland with the support and resources they need to succeed,” said Arellano, who developed the focus in partnership with students, employees and community leaders during his first year as SBCUSD superintendent. “By focusing on these key areas, we will cultivate a culture of excellence, equity and empowerment that prepares our students for lifelong success. Together, we will ensure that every student shines bright and achieves their dreams.”

“One of the most important things that we need to have is a vision to run behind,” said Pastor Dr. Joshua Beckley of Ecclesia Fellowship, who was personally involved in developing the District’s new vision. “Vision 2030: SBCUSD SHINES represents a bold commitment to excellence and inclusivity in education…We as a community need to run with this, and we need to get behind our District to make sure it happens.”

Beckley credited SBCUSD for giving community leaders, parents, business owners and others who care about the long-term wellbeing of children in San Bernardino and Highland a voice to help develop a collective vision.

Alton Garrett, another community stalwart and leader of the Westside Action Group, urged the community to rally behind Vision 2030.

“What is in here is what we as a community said we wanted,” Garrett said while holding a booklet about the vision. “That is why it is so beholden upon us to make sure that we as a community work with the District to make sure that everything we said in Vision 2030 is done.”

Rodolfina Gamino, whose four children have attended SBCUSD schools, participated in the development of Vision 2030 due to her involvement in the District English Learner Advisory Committee and her advocacy on behalf of families. She encouraged all families to take an active role in the vision’s implementation.

“This vision is not the work of a single person,” Gamino said. “It is like a puzzle. Every single person has to do their part to realize this vision. We need to recognize that unity does give us strength.”

As SBCUSD embarks on this transformative journey, the District will continue involving students, families, staff and community partners to help shape the future of education in San Bernardino.

For more information about Vision 2030: SBCUSD SHINES and how you can get involved, please visit www.sbcusd.com/Vision2030. To receive a copy of Vision 2030, please email communications@sbcusd.com.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Omnitrans and the city of Fontana will host an Art @ Transit event on Saturday, April 27, combining a community clean-up day at a popular transit center while recognizing local artists who have been beautifying our community by painting agency bus benches.

“Art @ Transit is a great opportunity to enhance our community by sprucing up one of our busiest Transit Centers and celebrating the artists who have done amazing work to beautify our bus benches,” said agency CEO/General Manager Erin Rogers.

The project represents the culmination of the agency’s popular Beautiful Benches Project, a grant-funded effort (Creative Corps Inland Socal, California Arts Council) in which local artists are selected to paint bus benches utilizing local cultural and historical themes. To date, 32 benches have been painted throughout the 15 cities Omnitrans serves.

All are invited to join the agency at the Fontana Transit Center at 11:00 a.m. on the 27th to participate in a community clean-up effort, followed by a bench artwork display, artist meet & greet, live musical performances, refreshments, and connection with local art organizations from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. For further information, visit Omnitrans.org/art-transit-2024.

It’s National Volunteer Month and not only is the San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM) celebrating and recognizing the contributions of its current volunteers, but the museum is also looking to expand its dedicated volunteer team!

Are you interested in history, art, science, or culture? Do you want to give back to your community? SBCM is currently seeking new volunteers to assist with visitor services, special events, educational tours and conducting research in the archives.

This support is essential to the museum’s ongoing operation. But it’s more than that – the knowledge and expertise of our volunteers enriches and deepens the impact of the museum’s programs, educational field trips and school tours, and events. Volunteers help create memorable experiences for our community and inspire the next generation of San Bernardino County history.

A volunteer can be anyone 15 years of age or older that can commit to a minimum of six hours per month.  Many volunteers are high school, college, and graduate students, retirees, or curious individuals looking to learn and serve their community.

Volunteer opportunities are available at both the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands and the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley in the following areas:

• Educational Tours
• Visitor Services
• Special Events
• Collections
• Research Library
• Marketing

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or intern at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands or the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley, you can attend our Volunteer Open House on Tuesday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m. in Redlands. For more information about volunteering, please visit our website at museum.sbcounty.gov/volunteer.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child ages 6 to 12). Children five and under and Museum Foundation members are admitted free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to people with disabilities.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

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

Although California will have to make significant budget cuts to balance its budget as required by state law, Assemblymember and California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) member Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) said there are still ways to achieve reparations for Black Californians.

Currently, the budget deficit for the 2024-25 fiscal year has been projected to be as high as $73 billion.

Bryan said it will be “absolutely difficult,” but the state is still investing in other priority programs, various essential industries, oil companies, and prisons. The 32-year-old lawmaker made these observations at the California Budget and Policy Center (Budget Center) annual Policy Insights conference held April 16 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento.

“(California) has the 4th or 5th largest economy in the world. There will be $300 billion coming out of California State government,” Bryan said. “So, you can’t tell me that we don’t have the resources to foundationally begin reparations conversations or to start to make amends to start to do the repair work when we can invest in these institutions.”

The Budget Center is a nonpartisan, research and analysis nonprofit dedicated to advancing meaningful public policies that enhance the lives of Californians. It is also committed to exposing inequities in the state, budget priorities, and public policies that affect low and middle-income households, women, immigrants, American Indians, Asians, Black, Latinx, and Pacific Islander Californians.

The Budget Center’s Policy Insights 2024 conference brought together diverse stakeholders, including community advocates, government officials, nonprofits, and members of the media. The conference featured 11 workshops and plenary sessions covering topics in tax and budget policy, poverty, racial equity, housing and homelessness, child development, and more.

During the conference’s luncheon plenary session, titled “Policy Pathways to Reparations,” discussions were centered around the topic of reparations.

The session explored courses of action for securing reparations, guided by a 2023 task force report that examined the damages endured by African Americans as a result of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and legal and illegal discriminatory practices that were a part of the country’s culture for centuries.

Bryan was joined by Felicia Jones, the Director of Programs and Operations for Social Good Solutions and The Black Equity Collective; James Woodson, from the California Black Power Network and African Americans and the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT); and Don Tamaki, a former member of the California Reparations Task Force and Senior Counsel, Minami Tamaki LLP.  The moderator was John Kim, a member of the Budget Center Board of Directors and President and CEO of Catalyst California.

Woodson acknowledged that it would take more than members of the CLBC to pave the way toward reparations in the state. He said it would take a collective effort from people of all backgrounds to get the public and other lawmakers on board.

Both Woodson and Tamaki are members of AART. The organization’s mission is to raise public awareness about reparations and to build a base of multi-racial and multi-sector supporters in the state.

CLBC members Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) and Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) are also associated with ARRT. Both lawmakers were members of the California Reparations Task Force.

“There are hearts and minds we’ve got to change outside the Legislature,” Woodson said. “From a moral standpoint but also a practical standpoint that it just can’t be about Black communities and Black people. We have to have other communities standing with us.”

Several reparation bills presented by the CLBC as a whole or by separate members are working their way through the State Legislature.

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), Chair of the CLBC, stated in January, “While many only associate direct cash payments with reparations, the true meaning of the word, to repair, involves much more.”

Before discussions about financial payouts can take place, considering budget concerns, Wilson said that “a comprehensive approach to dismantling the legacy of slavery and systemic racism” is necessary.

Gov. Gavin Newsom presented a $291 billion spending plan to the California Legislature on Jan. 10. None of CLBC’s package of bills is tied to direct cash payments but Bryan did ask supporters at the conference to keep the conversation going about reparations.

“Don’t let the legislature or the governor off the hook,” Bryan said.

Tamaki, who is Japanese American, was the only non-Black member of the nine-person reparations task force. He told the Policy Insights attendees that “moving the needle” in the direction of public opinion, raising awareness, and passing the CLBC bills are the next steps in the push for reparations.

“Out of 115 (reparations) proposals for repair, only a few of them deal with individual compensation. The rest have to do with policies,” said Tamaki.  “For example, Black infant mortality over 10 years in San Francisco is literally five times the rate for White babies. So, these are the systematic outcomes we are familiar with that need to be addressed.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Paul Cook today applauded the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) General Policy Committee’s approval of a $762,899 contract with WSP USA, Inc. for the State Route 247/62 Emergency Bypass Study. The Committee voted on the measure on April 10.

“For years, I’ve been raising concerns about the lack of a viable emergency plan for the Cajon Pass,” said Supervisor Cook. “Whether it’s a major earthquake, wildfire, or another disaster, a shutdown of I-15 could isolate our First District communities. I’ve been a strong advocate for a backup plan, and this study is a critical step forward.”

The approval comes after former Assemblymember Thurston “Smitty” Smith secured $1 million in the 2022 state budget for a Cajon Pass I-15 Bypass Study. The focus of this project is to assess the feasibility of utilizing State Routes 247 and 62 as an alternative route during emergencies that force the closure of the Cajon Pass.

“The State Route 247/62 Emergency Bypass Study will explore how to best utilize these existing roadways as a more viable alternative to I-15 during emergencies,” Supervisor Cook continued. “The project’s goal is to minimize the negative impacts of an extended I-15 closure. This includes examining operational strategies to maintain traffic flow for essential services like freight transport, personal travel, and emergency response teams.”

The study will also factor in existing traffic management plans developed by law enforcement, transportation agencies, and emergency service providers for situations involving I-15 closures and major incidents.

The contract, upon approval by the full SBCTA Board in May, will officially greenlight the project.