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(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—-SAN BERNARDINO, CA—The San Bernardino County Board of Education unanimously elected Hardy Brown II as president of the five-member governing body for one year during its monthly meeting on Monday, December 3.

Brown, who was just elected to a new term in November, represents Trustee Area D, which includes the districts of Rialto, San Bernardino and Snowline.

In addition to the presidency, Laura Mancha was elected vice president of the Board. Mancha represents Trustee Area C, which includes the school districts of Chaffey Joint Union, Chino Valley, Cucamonga, Fontana, Mountain View and portions of Ontario-Montclair. Board members are elected to four-year terms.

Prior to the meeting, Brown, along with newly elected Board members Ken Larson of Trustee Area A and Rita Fernandez-Loof of Trustee Area B, were sworn into office.

The Board establishes policy, adopts an annual budget, approves building plans and hears 

student expulsion, inter-district transfer and charter school appeals. The Board meets monthly, regularly the first Monday of the month.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Learning about African American History on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at the Center for Youth & Community Development was engaging for all Beautillion Knights and their support group. Dr. N. Lawson Bush, V, Professor of Educational Leadership and Administration and Pan African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles and the former director of the University California Irvine and Cal State Los Angeles Joint-Doctoral Program in Urban Educational Leadership spent time educating Social Lites, Inc.  Beautillion Knights on African American History.  

Alumni Beautillion Knights are encouraged to contact Mrs. Tina Darling or Mrs. Bettye Brewster before the end of December 2018.  All Alumni Knights are welcome to attend Sunday meetings with the 2018 Knights every Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Center for Youth & Community Development (formerly Boys and Girls Club of San Bernardino) located at 1180 W. 9th Street in San Bernardino.

The Social Lites, Inc. 52nd Beautillion program will commence on March 30, 2019 at the National Orange Show of San Bernardino. 

For more information, please telephone chairperson, Mrs. Tina Darling at knight.beautillion@gmail.com or Ms. Joyce Smith, President at (909) 881-5841 or Ms. Bettye Brewster, Business Manager, (951) 204-0022.

The 10-year grant is a gift from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

By Tess Eyrich

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- RIVERSIDE, CA— Over the past 13 years, more than 500 Native American high school students from across the country have gotten a taste of college life courtesy of a one-of-a-kind summer experience held at the University of California, Riverside.

Known as the Gathering of the Tribes Summer Residential Program, the eight-day initiative is organized by UCR’s Native American Student Programs, or NASP. According to NASP Director Joshua Gonzales, between 30 and 50 students attend each year, with about 30 percent of them coming from out of state. With the exception of transportation to and from UCR, most costs associated with attending are covered by NASP.

Over the past 13 years, more than 500 Native American high school students from across the country have gotten a taste of college life courtesy of a one-of-a-kind summer experience held at the University of California, Riverside.

Known as the Gathering of the Tribes Summer Residential Program, the eight-day initiative is organized by UCR’s Native American Student Programs, or NASP. According to NASP Director Joshua Gonzales, between 30 and 50 students attend each year, with about 30 percent of them coming from out of state. With the exception of transportation to and from UCR, most costs associated with attending are covered by NASP.

The program was designed to help American Indian youth get acclimated to a university setting by living in on-campus residence halls and immersing themselves in a variety of academic, cultural, and personal development workshops. During their time at UCR, participants attend daily writing sessions geared toward responding to essay prompts on the University of California’s standard undergraduate application. They also hear from UCR-affiliated guest speakers — including faculty — and tour research hubs like the School of Medicine.

So far, Gonzales’s approach has been a fruitful one. A UCR alumnus, he first came to campus on a cross country/track and field scholarship. He was active as a student in the NASP office and became a program assistant there in 2005 — the same year the Gathering of the Tribes initiative was activated by former NASP Director Earl Dean Sisto. Since then, Gonzales said, 93 percent of the summer program’s participants have gone on to attend community colleges or four-year universities, with many later receiving master’s and doctoral degrees.

In recent years, the success of the initiative caught the attention of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains. San Manuel Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena said San Manuel targets four key areas to support through charitable giving, with education-related causes comprising one of those areas.

“The tribe is aware that the number of Native American high school graduates across the country who go on to college is relatively small, and we intend to increase that number both regionally and nationally,” Valbuena said.

With addressing those concerns a top priority, in June the San Manuel Band of Missions Indians awarded $1.28 million to NASP. Gonzales said the grant is the largest NASP has received in its 38-year history. It will be used to support the office’s long-term goal of expanding efforts to reach college-going Native American students and better serve them as they earn their degrees. Over the next 10 years, the grant will fund:

• Hiring a full-time staffer to support Gonzales’s student and community outreach efforts, further develop NASP’s educational programming, and create a roadmap for a larger initiative called the Native Pathway to College Program.
• The continuation and growth of the Gathering of the Tribes Summer Residential Program.

A series of 40 academic scholarships — four per year, at $6,000 each — reserved primarily for Native American students in need.

Gonzales, who serves as NASP’s sole permanent, full-time staffer, likened the grant to a life-giving element.

“Our office is like a plant; if you give us enough resources, like sunlight and water, we’ll be able to grow and flourish,” he said. The addition of a second full-time staffer, in particular, he said, will allow NASP to dedicate as many of its resources to student retention as it currently does to recruitment.

He also plans to devise new means of drawing applicants to the Gathering of the Tribes Summer Residential Program and tracking and building relationships with students who have attended in the past. By doing so, NASP hopes to play an integral role in guiding students through the more challenging aspects of tasks like choosing a university, applying for financial aid, and selecting a course of study.

“Here at UCR, we’re surrounded by more than 30 different tribes in the Southern California region, and many indigenous peoples who are affiliated with tribes throughout North America,” Gonzales said. “There’s so much potential to reach more American Indian students in this region — so much opportunity we look forward to developing.”

Fulbright Scholar Roberto Rivera looks to Jamaica as a model of restorative justice

By Tess Eyrich

Roberto “Bobby” Rivera

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- RIVERSIDE, CA—- Roberto “Bobby” Rivera spent 20 years as a police officer in Southern California before a medical injury prompted his early retirement in 2011. What he couldn’t have predicted at the time was that the injury that ended one career would also open a door to global research.

Now a doctoral candidate in the sociology department at the University of California, Riverside, Rivera channeled his prior experience in law enforcement into studying criminology. Through his research, he seeks to build a framework for more holistic approaches to policing that consider the larger environments in which crimes occur rather than just the crimes themselves.

“I had numerous Ph.D. offers around the country,” Rivera said of his academic journey. “As a scholar, I wanted to move away from traditional theories of criminology, such as the broken windows theory. I had read Alfredo Mirandé’s book ‘Gringo Justice’ and was influenced by his critical examination of criminology. He, along with other professors from the Department of Sociology, made it quite easy for me to choose UCR to pursue researching alternative policing methods.”

Rivera described holistic policing as a process in which law enforcement perceives and engages those policed with respect and understanding, noting that such a model is an ideal method to focus on human potential and achievement rather than social disorder.

In January 2019, he’ll begin a 10-month term as the Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Jamaica. With the University of the West Indies at Mona as his base, Rivera will conduct in-depth ethnographic research geared toward better understanding Jamaica’s success as a model of restorative justice.

Restorative justice differs from retributive justice in that it views crime as a violation of relationships between individuals rather than as a violation of the law or the state. Communal in nature, it emphasizes rehabilitation through personal accountability and encourages offenders to take responsibility for their actions by seeking reconciliation with both victims and communities, usually in mediated discussion sessions.

Rivera said that although criminal justice practices in the U.S. traditionally have skewed toward retributive, police departments are increasingly starting to examine and incorporate alternative methods used around the world.

In Jamaica, restorative justice techniques have been in practice since 1994. The country has historically had high levels of violence, resulting in a “traumatized population with lower levels of trust in the criminal justice system,” Rivera said.

In response, the country’s Ministry of Justice piloted its National Restorative Justice Programme in 2012 and formally passed the Restorative Justice Act in 2016. As of this year, the ministry announced that more than 200 restorative justice sessions had taken place across the island, with 1,662 people benefiting from the sessions and plans in place to expand the system to schools, among other environments.

“Restorative justice, for me, is a system where everyone has an equal opportunity to access a criminal justice system that’s fair and impartial,” Rivera said. “To go to Jamaica gives me the opportunity to research and advance areas that I’m concerned with, and to see if we can bring back any of Jamaica’s more successful methods to the U.S.”

During his time in the country, Rivera plans to interview at least 30 Jamaican criminal justice practitioners as well as 30 community members, including local representatives from social services and mental health, alcohol, and substance abuse programs.

His main aim is to return to the U.S. with the foundation for a new methodology of holistic policing that prioritizes improving trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. In the future, he hopes to use his Fulbright research to influence policymaking that could see restorative justice practices become more common stateside.

Underscoring his research is a belief that current tensions between police officers and marginalized communities in the U.S. could be greatly improved by increasing trust between the two parties.

We now have issues of higher arrest rates, higher sentencing rates, and mass incarceration of people of color,” Rivera said. “We have the highest rate of incarceration of any other country in the world. How did we do that? Who benefits from it?

“For many in law enforcement, the prototype of a good police officer is someone who goes out and makes a lot of arrests,” he added. “But the reality is that mindset — and associated behaviors — isn’t working for communities of color, and profound changes are needed within police practice.”

Rivera said fostering trust between police forces and racial minority communities, in particular, will help ensure the safety of those communities for years to come.

“When people who live in communities of color lack trust, they become much less likely to report crimes or to come forward and communicate with law enforcement,” he said. “Maybe they’re afraid of being deported, maybe they have a loved one who’s incarcerated, or maybe they’ve experienced police brutality in their communities or against them personally. But once that trust is eroded it usually never comes back, and the effects become generational.”

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— IDYLLWILD, CA—- Call it an early Christmas present, or a Thanksgiving blessing, but Idyllwild residents have a beautiful new mural to visit.

Third District County Supervisor Chuck Washington, joined by firefighters and law enforcement, presided over the unveiling on Tuesday, November 20 of the community’s newest piece of art at the Idyllwild Public Library. The “Heroes Mural” pays tribute to firefighters, notably those who protected the Idyllwild community after a fire broke out in July along State Route 74.

The Cranston Fire, as it was called, ultimately blackened more than 13,000 acres in the San Jacinto Mountains, burning homes and structures and forcing the evacuation of Idyllwild, Lake Hemet, Mountain Center and Pine Cove. The scars of the fire remain visible.

“The mural represents the hard work that both law enforcement and the firefighters do to keep the community safe,” said Supervisor Washington, who was joined by Idyllwild Fire Chief Patrick Reitz, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Leonard Purvis of the Valle Vista station and members of CalFire.

The mural by artist Keith Blum spans the back-exterior wall of the library, which is part of the Riverside County Library System. The painting depicts firefighters from multiple agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, CalFire and Idyllwild Fire. Blum was originally inspired to paint a mural while attending an art show in Idyllwild. When the Cranston Fire broke out, Blum watched the fire and smoke from his home in Palm Springs.

“I saw the smoke coming off the mountain, thick and dark, often blocking out the sun and dropping ash on us,” he said, adding that he was moved to donate his mural after seeing the “valiant efforts of the firefighters” to protect homes in Idyllwild.

Blum spent a month painting the tribute with local businesses donating supplies, meals and lodging. He included a special thank you to his supporters in the mural.

“We are so excited to have this. We are so blessed to have this in our town,” Chief Reitz said. “We all come together for a common cause and that is to help our fellow human beings.”

The Idyllwild Branch Library is located at 54401 Village Center Drive.

The Third Supervisorial District includes the cities of Hemet, Murrieta, San Jacinto and Temecula. It also includes the unincorporated communities of Aguanga, Anza, Cottonwood Canyon, French Valley, Gilman Hot Springs, Green Acres, Homeland, Idyllwild, Lake Riverside, Mountain Center, Murrieta Hot Springs, Pine Cove, Pinyon Pines, Poppet Flats, Rancho California, Soboba Hot Springs, Twin Pines, Valle Vista and Winchester.

Visit www.supervisorchuckwashington.com for more information.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Earlier this month, home care workers of the In-Home Supportive Services program (IHSS) represented by SEIU Local 2015, clergy, and community leaders united for a prayer service and action at the Board of Supervisors office in appreciation and recognition of caregivers who are fighting for a contract that offers a livable wage.

County leaders offered a $0 wage increase to the county’s IHSS caregivers after months of negotiations and delivering over 13,000 petitions of support from community members.

“Caregiving is hard work,” said Pastor Harold Hines. “It isn’t easy to fully dedicate your time and energy to someone who depends on you to survive, and in San Bernardino County we are blessed to have over 26,000 people who are willing to step up to the plate and be caregivers to our community’s seniors and people with disabilities. We are thankful for them and the work they do. They deserve more than minimum wage.”

The event started with an invocation at St. Bernadine’s Church and ended with an action outside of the Board of Supervisors building.

Afterward, clergy leaders, caregivers and their care recipients walked up to the Board of Supervisors office and demanded the county create a pathway out of poverty for the county’s IHSS caregivers.

The next bargaining session between IHSS caregivers and the county will be December 12, 2018.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—-SAN BERNARDINIO, CA— Provisional Accelerated Learning Center hosted their 4th Annual Pals of PAL Community Feast. The local community was invited to participate in an event that was established out of a desire to meet community needs.

The Pals of PAL Community Feast has attracted many families, friends, and individuals from all backgrounds throughout the community.  Each year this event aims to provide hope and joy for those who may have fallen on hard times.

PAL Center, an established non-profit organization for over thirty-two years was founded by Dr. Mildred Henry who saw a need to provide students and the community with a quality education. Birthed from her legacy, the PAL Charter Academy was established over 20 year ago and was designed to provide “Education with an Individualized Approach.” Her successor Dwaine Radden Sr., Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PAL Center & Charter Academy saw a need to provide a “Feast” style luncheon for the Community and students for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  PAL as also has hosted community gatherings, and food drives to support the needs of the community.

Radden said, “This event and other PAL outreach program has filled a huge void in the community. We believe in taking a holistic approach when it comes to addressing community and PAL students’ needs. There’s nothing greater than breaking bread and fellowshipping with the community, staff and students. We have been blessed with an incredible Board, Staff and Student Body here at the PAL Center and PAL Academy. They love giving back to the community!

Mr. Brantley is one heck of a cook. He is the true catalyst behind our Community Feast and I salute him for his efforts and generosity.”

Students, teachers, and administrators shared good food, laughter, and music with their community and helped those in need. A display board at the entrance of the PAL Community Center was covered with statements from students that read what they themselves were thankful for, providing inspiration to those who attended the luncheon. A PAL Middle School student wrote,

“I’m thankful for my mom because she works hard to provide for me”. “I’m thankful for the food that is placed on the table”, another student writes.

About 80 people from the community were served a spread of delicious foods. Students who volunteered served their community members while doing so with thanksgiving in their hearts. Smiles filled the room as the families ate and laughed as they shared stories with one another.

Director of Special Projects, Nicole Mitchell, said “If we aren’t here to serve then why are we here? We are meant to serve and help meet the needs of others. I’m thankful to see the smiles on the faces of our community here on our campus. I hope our acts of kindness will create a ripple effect in our community. I believe our actions are seeds planted that can grow and change hearts around our community for the better!”

Every Tuesday at 2 PM the PAL Center offers a Community Food Bank Program, which serves approximately 100+ community members. All students, staff, and parents are invited to be of service.

PAL is currently operating at two High School and Middle School locations in San Bernardino, a local Resource Center, as well as an online PAL Adult High School (PALAHS) diploma program. PAL is now enrolling for the 2018 – 2019 school year. For more information about any of the PAL campuses or services, please visit the website at www.palcenter.org or contact the main office at 909-887-7002. www.palcenter.org

EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- Everybody has a holiday wish. For foster kids, their wishes may not come true. For the ninth year in a row, Starbucks and Aspiranet are partnering to give at-risk kids and teens a holiday season they’ll never forget.

Nearly 270 Starbucks locations across California are taking part in this heartwarming holiday tradition. For many families who have participated for years, buying a gift for foster kids is part of their holiday shopping ritual.

Foster and at-risk kids from across California provide a gift tag with their wish. Tags are displayed at participating Starbucks locations. Generous families pick up a tag, buy the gift on the tag and return it, unwrapped, to the same Starbucks location. Aspiranet “Elves” distribute the gifts prior to the holidays. Throughout the Holiday Wish Drive, some Starbucks locations will be participating in gift wrapping parties.

Aspiranet’s Holiday Wish Drive runs from November 19 through December 14, and is possible only through the continued generosity of Starbucks.

Aspiranet is a one-of-a-kind social service agency dedicated to building a world where all children and youth are loved and cared for, and all families have the resources to thrive. Founded in 1975, the agency’s core mission is to help California kids and families. Aspiranet’s services include foster care and adoption family support, residential care, support for youth making the transition from foster care to adulthood, mental and behavioral health services, intensive home-based care, and community-based family resources. Aspiranet provides services throughout California.

Aspira means hope. We are a network of people bringing hope forward.

For complete information, including an interactive map of participating Starbucks locations, visit www.aspiranetholidays.org.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— REDLANDS, CA—- Music Changing Lives and First 5 San Bernardino celebrated their 20th anniversaries together this past Saturday in Redlands.  The celebration highlighted the ongoing work their organizations provide to ensure children and youth have access to quality programs throughout the Inland Empire and beyond.

More than hundred supporters, donors, dignitaries and beneficiaries of both agencies attended the celebration and awards ceremony, held at the Redlands Community Center where Music Changing Lives operates year-round music and art programs for students.

The event showcased incredible musical performances from current and former students within the Music Changing Lives program.  The talent featured included hip-hop duet, “Goddess Girls” who performed their hit song “Storm,” and had the entire audience dancing and singing along.  Another amazing artist was nine-year-old “Pedro”, who captivated the entire room as he sang a Spanish mariachi song. Other featured artists included “Jazui,” who sings and moves like a young Selena; “It’s Klutch,” a hip-hop dance group; “Mark Valdez,” the best beat boxer in the Inland Empire; and “Dana” who played a beautiful song on the keyboard.

The celebration included a keynote presentation by Josiah Bruny, CEO and Founder of Music Changing Lives, (MCL) who shared the history of his agency, the importance of afterschool programs, and what the future holds for the amazing organization.  He also honored his board, staff, donors and volunteers with beautiful awards for their dedication to changing lives.

Among other awards given out at the celebration, Tyler Ferrari of Senator Mike Morrell’s office presented Music Changing Lives and First 5 San Bernardino with certificates of recognition for their work in the community over the last twenty years.

A surprise award and painting was presented to Karen E. Scott, Executive Director of First 5 of San Bernardino from Music Changing Lives for their partnership and in recognition of First 5’s twenty-year milestone.  The beautiful painting was created by an artist in MCL’s programs.

The two agencies were brought together through the Inland Empire Community Collaborative, (IECC) who works facilitates non-profits to work together to strengthen their organizations and improve outcomes for individuals and communities throughout San Bernardino County.  First 5 San Bernardino is a fiscal sponsor for the IECC and Music Changing Lives is one of the non-profit agencies that participates in the collaborative.  It only made sense for the two agencies to celebrate their anniversaries together.

Guest speakers from the community included Councilwoman Toni Momberger and Councilwoman Elect, Denise Davis from the City of Redlands.  Both Councilwoman have supported Music Changing Lives and First 5 over the years and shared their history with the agencies and why they believe both programs are so vital to the community.  Several other elected officials were also in attendance to show their support.

MCL and First 5 have amazing track records for truly making a difference in the lives of children in need.  Both agencies are extremely proud of their twenty-year milestone and look forward to serving children and youth in our community for years to come.

If you would like more information about MCL or First 5, visit them on the web at www.MusicChangingLives.org and www.first5sanbernardino.org.

There was a special recognition to the late Niya Santos who gained her wings this summer from Breast Cancer

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- RIALTO, CA— On Saturday, November 17, five Rialto natives were inducted into the Rialto Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the Rialto Sports Hall of Fame located at 214 N Palm Avenue in Rialto.

The individuals that were inducted into the Hall of Fame were: Delano O. Fleming, Coach-City of Rialto Youth Sports; Julie Garcia-Coach and Rialto Eastern Little League President; Johnny Dukes, Basketball-Eisenhower High School; Cory McJimson-Basketball; Eisenhower High School; and there was a special honorary to the late Niya Santos who ran track at Carter High School.