MORENO VALLEY, CA- Holidays are all about giving rather than receiving. The greatest fift that you can give is to show the ones in need that you recognize them and you want to help them. On Easter Sunday, the Navy’s Master Chef Andre L. Harris; Le Cordon Alumni and Executive Chief Basil; and the Chef Nancy from Salvation Army came together to feed over 3,600 Moreno Valley residents.
(L to R) General Manager Butch Araiza, West Valley Water District; General Manager Stacey Aldstadt, San Bernardino City Municipal Water Depart.; Deputy General Manager Robin Ohama, San Bernardino City Municipal Water Dept.; Principal Management Analyst Bob Page, San Bernardino County Administrative Office; Government Relations Director Josh Candelaria, San Bernardino County Administrative Office; Assemblymember Brown; Amanda Saechao, staff to Assemblymember Brown; Division Chief Kenneth Eke, San Bernardino County Department of Public Works; Principal Management Analyst Eric Grubb, Cucamonga Valley Water District; General Manager Robert Young, Fontana Water Company; and Asst. General Manager Josh Swift, Fontana Water Company.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Key water district leaders assembled for a meeting hosted by Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) on Thursday, April 2, to discuss top priorities and funding opportunities following the passage of AB 91 and AB 92, the emergency drought relief package signed by Governor Brown on Friday, March 27.
These new laws were drafted and expedited because of the increasing severity of drought conditions. The law will allocate over $1 billion, which will fund various water projects in the most impacted areas.
“As a region, we need to work together to secure the dedicated funding to protect our water supply,” said Assemblymember Brown. “If we don’t start looking at how we’re going to maximize that funding across the state, we’re going to be left behind.”
Currently, the legislation will add $72 million to the General Fund, $272 million to Prop 1, $660 million to Prop 1E, and $57 million to various other projects.
“Although this funding is just a fraction of what’s needed, it should help stabilize our existing supplies,” said Assemblymember Brown.
The meeting, attended by county administrative and district leaders from San Bernardino Water Dept., Fontana Water Company, West Valley Water District, Colton Public Utilities, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and San Bernardino County Public Works, also discussed water storage, groundwater replenishment, water efficiency campaigns, water quality for fish and wildlife, and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
“The water agencies have been meeting monthly to go over groundwater levels and talk about strategies for groundwater management,” said General Manager Stacey Aldstadt, San Bernardino City Municipal Water Dept. “We’re going to package together a regional request for phasing in a variety of different projects to supplement the water supply. For us in this region, the critical issue is getting water back into the ground and how we find that water to put in the ground. We’re moving forward with a grant proposal that we’re packaging as a regional approach.”
“Concerning the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, we’ve lost about 20 percent from the State Water Project because of the environmental restrictions in the Delta,” said Water Resources Manager Robert Tincher, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. “Basically, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan just finishes the State Project and moves the intake north.”
“The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is a local benefit to us,” said Aldstadt. “Groundwater has to be replenished, otherwise we have to start lowering groundwater levels. Normally we would get snow melt from Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, but we’re not getting that. We’re all connected to the Delta so if we can’t get water supplies and we don’t have natural recharge, we have to rely on artificial recharge, which is recycled water or the State Project.”
Water conservation efforts continue to be a critical component of water management. On Tuesday, Governor Brown issued an Executive Order mandating restrictive water use. In his document, he directed the State Water Resources Control Board to impose a mandatory 25 percent reduction in state water resources.
“For the past several years, our region has been an innovator in water conservation, turf replacement programs, water efficient products, and the use of recycled water. We need to continue to conserve as much water as possible and address our water needs,” said Assemblymember Brown. “Our future depends on the decisions we make today.”
For more information, contact Ashley Jones at (909) 381-3238.
More than 30 Inland Empire youth attended the annual Youth Symposium
RIALTO, CA- More than 30 area youth ages 13 to 17 were treated to a wealth of information by local leaders and a youth panel and received more than $1,200 worth of electronic door prizes at the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Youth Symposium, hosted by the Theta Pi Sigma Inland Empire alumnae chapter.
Using the national theme “Building Partnerships to Support Our Youth,” the event, held at Rialto Middle School, included engaging community partnership speakers. Cynthia “The Tech Diva” Frazier led an interactive segment on proper Internet and social media use, as well as practical tips to avoid becoming a victim of Internet predators. 100 Black Men, Inland Empire president, and senior law enforcement official Damon Alexander’s timely session presented “real talk” on the proper way to interact with law enforcement officers.
Terrance Stone, founder of the Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, gave the young attendees vivid examples of how to secure “mountain climbing” life success. Nutritionists Art and Ikssa Giovanni displayed examples of the amount of sugar, salt and fat found in common snacks, fast foods and drinks and the health pitfalls that result from it.
The event also included a youth panel discussion led by local high school and college students. Panelist Manny Gray, a full-time student at Cal State – San Bernardino who also grew up through the foster care system, asked the youth to consider his motto: “I don’t live life to merely exist; I live life to make a great impact.”
Other panelists included Kidisti Daniel, a senior majoring in psychology at the University of California at Riverside and member of Sigma Gamma Rho and Jaire Bowen, a high school senior, most notably known for his lead role in the February 2015 documentary Searching for Mentors.
Every youth attendee was asked to complete questionnaires before and after the event to gauge the level of learning and to secure input that will be used to further improve the event for next year. While several lessons and nuggets of wisdom were made available to all of the attendees, each had their own special takeaways. Door prizes included a flat screen TV, a variety of headphones, Bose speakers, an electronic tablet, a Kindle and other electronics for educational use and pleasure.
Generous donations in support of the youth were provided by the Riverside Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Pi Rho Alumni Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., and the Riverside Kappa Alpha Psi Silhouettes.
Left to Right: Minister Joseph Hearn, Miles Jones, Sir Davis, Arlington Rodgers III, Pastor JJ Mack, Brandon Watts, Anthony Montgomery, DeVon Clay and Khari Bush
SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The Social Lites Beautillion Knights helped bring cheer to children in the community and families to those in need on Saturday, March 28, at the Frazee Center in San Bernardino by helping serve hot meals to over 400 families, donating groceries and assisting in issuing Easter baskets to children in attendance as the children were greeted by the Easter Bunny, in addition to contributing and hiding Easter eggs for the Easter egg hunt.
The Social Lites, Incorporated 48th Beautillion Scholarship Ball will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at the Hampton Inn & Suites Resort Event Center located in Highland. For more information, please contact Mrs. Twillea Evans-Carthen, Beautillion Chairman at (909) 234-4989 or tevanscarthen@yahoo.com or Mrs. Bettye Brewster, President, bettyebrewster@yahoo.com
By McKenzie Jackson/California Black Media
As far as Ronail “Stretch” Shelton knows, his health is great. Strong, athletic and fit, the Los Angeles?based personal trainer, is one of hundreds of thousands of Californians of all races who renewed or began Medi?Cal coverage this year.
Despite having a clean bill of health, Shelton, 31, who is African American, says he understands why he needs reliable health coverage.
“If something were to happen suddenly, I might not be able to afford to pay for it,” said Shelton, who is self?employed.
According to the most recent numbers, 779,000 Californians either enrolled or re?enrolled in Medi?Cal, the Golden State’s safety?net health insurance program, during its second open enrollment period. This statistic includes numbers from November 15, 2014, to January 31, 2015.
While Covered California, the state’s health exchange, has not yet released statistics concerning the number of African?American Californians who signed up for health coverage through the state program during this most recent enrollment period, Black Californians made up six percent, or 114,000, of the 1.9 million people who registered for Medi?Cal during the initial enrollment period of October 2013 to April 2014.
Medi?Cal provides low?cost health coverage for children and adults with low to no incomes and resources. The program is administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Under the Medi?Cal program, qualified persons receive free or low?cost health coverage. Eligibility for free Medi-?Cal is determined by household income and family size, among other requirements.
Every year the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sets guidelines that determine whether or not families or individuals qualify for certain federal assistance programs based on their income. In 2015, according to that measure, a family of four has to earn less than $23,550 to fall below the poverty level. For an individual, that number is $11,490, and $15,510 for a family of two.
However, the State of California has its own index for determining who qualifies for Medi-Cal. According to DHCS, a family of four has to earn less than $32,913 to fall below the poverty level. For an individual, that number is $16,105, and $21,708 for a family of two.
Toni Newman, the Development and Administration Coordinator with To Help Everyone (T.H.E.) Health and Wellness Centers in Los Angeles, one of the Southside Coalition’s community health groups, said with Medi-Cal and other low-cost plans offered through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), African Americans can get affordable, even no-cost, health insurance.
“Health plans offered by Medi-Cal include benefits known as ‘essential health benefits,’” Newman told California Black Media in an e-mail.
Those health benefits include dental services, emergency services, hospitalization, outpatient services, prescription drugs, laboratory services, and children’s services such as oral and vision care. Maternity and newborn care, preventive and wellness services, chronic disease management, mental health services, substance use disorder services, and other rehabilitative devices and programs such as physical and occupational therapy are also covered by Medi-Cal insurance.
According to numbers from the Southside Coalition’s website, from 2008 to 2012 T.H.E.’s six centers and one mobile clinic in the south Los Angeles area had a patient base that is 61 percent African American. Seventy -two percent of the patients earned less than 100 percent of the federal poverty line and 43 percent were uninsured, the website also reports.
Newman said T.H.E.’s doctors and nurses are accustomed to dealing with health issues associated with the communities it serves. “Sixty percent of T.H.E. patients use Medi-Cal and most of that population are minorities,” she said. “A lot of African Americans suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes .”
At each of the centers, T.H.E. offers medical services for men, women, children, and teens, as well as public health and preventive education services.
Although enrollment for the program jumped dramatically during Covered California’s open enrollment period from November 15, 2014, to February 15, 2015, enrollment or renewal for Medi-Cal is available all year long to those who qualify, as opposed to the private health insurance plans offered through Covered California as part of the ACA – commonly known as “Obamacare”.
There are a number of ways individuals or families can apply for Medi-Cal coverage. They can sign up in person at their local county’s human services agency; visit a Covered California certified enrollment counselor; or apply by mail with a Medi-Cal Single Streamlined Application found on Covered California’s website at www.coveredca.org.
Newman said T.H.E. has 10 certified enrollment counselors who have been trained and certified by Covered California to assist uninsured patients in enrolling in Medi-Cal and Covered California plans.
For most, the renewal process is simple and straightforward. It entails requesting the Medi-Cal renewal documents from your local county human services agency. Upon receiving, the applicant must fill the forms out and send them back to the human services agency.
Shelton said getting through the renewal process was smooth even though he experienced a hiccup early on. “I didn’t get the paperwork,” he said. “So they assigned me someone that helped me get it done.”
For more information about Medi-Cal visit www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/pages/applyformedi-cal.aspx or call your local county human services agency, or visit Covered California’s website at www.coveredca.com or call 800-300-1506.
Left to right: Jordan Brown, Sabrina Cook, Cierra Gilmore, Rachel Harris, LA Kaya Hodge, Alexis Hoxie, Sydni McKinley-Parson, Makayla Marshall, and Diamond Tabron.
ONTARIO, CA- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Nu Omega Chapter presented ten young ladies various scholarships and recognition awards on Sunday, March 29 at the Radisson Hotel in Ontario. These young ladies have performed various community service projects, etiquette training, college preparation, mother-daughter tea leading up to their début to society. The culmination of the debutante season will come to an end at the Debutante Ball that will be held on Saturday, April 4 at the Radisson Hotel in Ontario. Tickets are available and may be purchased in advance for $65.00. For more information, please contact Nancy Ross, Chairman at tntross@aol.com.
Dr. Comunale Portrait with Invention 03-13-15_34652
COLTON, CA- Mark E. Comunale, M.D., chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) and chief medical officer for patient safety, has invented a mobile Patient Isolation Transport Unit (PITU) that is currently U.S. Patent Pending. Dr. Comunale, who received his undergraduate degree from Boston University, his medical degree from Tufts, and taught for more than a dozen years at Harvard Medical School, came up with the idea for the PITU while trying to solve a practical problem.
“The need for this patient isolation transport unit arose during a period when we were screening for Ebola and other diseases,” said Dr. Comunale, a member of ARMC’s medical staff since 2006. “Once a patient says ‘yes’ to screening questions, the staff must don appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and must have an anteroom available to dress and undress.”
The challenge has been how and where to hold patients while they are assessed and then transported to an appropriate location.
Dr. Comunale sketched out his design for the PITU while thinking about possible low-cost solutions to patient isolation. The result, according to his patent proposal, was “a novel blending and application of existing technology to create a low-cost, disposable bio-secure environment in which to temporarily hold and transport patients who are suspected of having an infectious or contagious disease.”
The PITU is unique in its design because it is disposable and relatively inexpensive. The frame is designed to integrate with hospital stretchers and beds.
“This device is large enough for a patient to sit up and allows movement of the arms and legs and the ability to eat and drink while isolated on a bed,” said Dr. Comunale. “The PITU utilizes the same technology as a Power Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR), which is an already-existing technology that is used to purify air.”
The PITU is stored adjacent to the hospital’s Emergency Room entrance for easy access, but can also be moved to the front entrance of the hospital or to the Medical Office Building north of the medical center.
“As a Trauma Center, constant readiness is essential,” said Dr. Comunale. “The PITU has already been tested in drills and will be used as an integral part of our trauma and emergency services.”
Besides taking care of patients, running his department and solving practical problems, Dr. Comunale also recently authored an article titled, “An Assessment of Basic Patient Safety Skills in Residents Entering the First Year of Clinical Training,” which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Patient Safety.
ARMC is a 456?bed university?affiliated teaching hospital located on a 70?acre campus in Colton, California, and is a designated Level II trauma center. ARMC operates a regional burn center, primary stroke center, a free?standing behavioral health center, four primary care centers including three family health centers, and provides more than 40 outpatient specialty care services. For more information, go to: www.arrowheadmedcenter.org.
REDLANDS, CA- On Friday, April 10, Music Changing Lives will host their “Changing Lives Dinner Celebration,” a festive dinner that will help raise funds to benefit music and art enrichment programs for at-risk youth in our community. The event will take place at Mu Restaurant located at 309 W. State Street in Redlands at 6 p.m.
The event will be filled with delicious food, music, silent auctions, and entertainment. When members RSVP for the dinner, they will receive a personalized invitation with a puzzle piece. The puzzle piece carries a symbolic meaning, as each piece signifies a person and their contribution to keep music and art alive and accessible to the children and youth in our community. At the end of the night, all attendees will put their pieces together to form the Music Changing Lives puzzle. This will be a symbolic moment and represents how important each contribution truly is to the MCL program.
Individuals interested in attending the Changing Lives Dinner Celebration can purchase early bird tickets for only $40 per person by April 5th. After that date, tickets will be sold at $60 per person. To RSVP or for general event information contact Vanessa Vizard at (951) 533-6180 or email Vanessa@vizardpr.com.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA- We are still in the first quarter of the year, and the chaos and violence in the City of San Bernardino have been in an uptime high. Instead of running away from the problem, we are seeing more people who are stepping out on Faith and getting the courage to make things right for their city, which includes the next generation. The United Nation of Consciousness will be hosting a day “Peace, Unity, and Progress” on Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m. at the 777 Community Warehouse located at 777 South Allen Street in San Bernardino.
They need YOUR support. You say you want to see change in the city, so here’s a chance to BE the CHANGE that you want to see and be sure to bring a friend. If you would like to volunteer in making the event a success, please call (909) 575-8862 or email uconsciousness@gmail.com.
LOS ANGELES, CA- The California African American Museum (CAAM) presents FlashTag, a creative engagement project and exhibition designed to give visitors the opportunity to experience the creative process of “graffiti” artists, and to breakdown the misperceptions about street artists and the aerosol culture. FlashTag features four art crews who will “tag” a gallery at CAAM from March 26 through March 29, during museum hours for public viewing. Their completed artworks will be on view at CAAM from March 29 through August 2, 2015. On Saturday, March 28 from noon until 3 p.m., DJ A Ski will provide music while the artists work.
To avoid problems such as over-spray and poor air quality the artists were quick to adjust and made the decision to flaunt their artistic abilities with brushes. A minimum of 15 artists will participate in this live and creative endeavor.
“This was not about curating a typical art exhibition, it was about collaborating, engaging others and providing unique experiences. FlashTag gave me the opportunity to collaborate with some amazing, creative minds who will give the public a chance to experience this form of art from a different perspective,” says CAAM’s Visual Arts Curator Vida L. Brown. “More importantly, I wanted to give the artists and the public the opportunity to share a visual and verbal dialogue, which I hope will help dispel the common misconceptions about graffiti art being gang related.”
Crew leader of Rockin’ the Nation, Cre8, who considers himself a street writer will fill CAAM’s walls with epic lettering. Cre8 spends most of his days working on various projects and teaching young street artists how to take their art forms and make something positive such as a commissioned street art design or mural. Cre8’s work can be found on the walls of Venice Beach or in the McDonald’s “Spread Lovin’” commercial that aired during African American Heritage Month 2015.
Crew leader Rufus, has entitled his team’s project for CAAM, Broken Wings. The mural will feature fallen rappers including 2Pac, from whom the title was inspired by.
Additionally, multi-disciplinary aerosol expressionist Sano will take part in the exhibition. Sano is responsible for creating plutonium paint, described as an ultra supreme professional grade of aerosol spray paint. Prolific in Los Angeles, Sano worked on MOCA’s Art in the Streets exhibition in 2011, and was part of the 2014 SCRATCH exhibition curated by Getty at the El Segundo Museum of Art.
Exhibitions and events at CAAM are free and open to the public. Parking is $10 in the lot adjacent to CAAM, at 39th and Figueroa Streets. CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, 90037. For more information on CAAM visit www.caamuseum.org. Related Hashtags – #FlashTag #CAAMinLA #Aerosol #AeroSoul Follow CAAM on Instagram @CAAMinLosAngeles and on Twitter/Facebook @CAAMinLA.
Exhibitions in the CAAM Galleries
CAAM Courtyard Series: From Women’s Hands ongoing through May 3, 2015
Light Catchers opens March 20 – June 7, 2015
Lookin’ Back in Front of Me: Selected Works of Mark Steven Greenfield, 1974-2014 ongoing through July 5, 2015
The African American Journey West – Permanent Collection, ongoing
Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence