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LOS ANGELES, CA-The call for submissions is open for the 23nd Annual Pan African Film and Art Festival (PAFF), February 12 – 22, 2015 which will take place at the newly renovated Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in the heart of Los Angeles. The largest and most prestigious Black film and art festival in the U.S., PAFF spans 11 days and features an unrivaled art show boasting more than 100,000+ attendees who will enjoy the artistic works of more than 100 fine artists, designers, and unique craftsmen from around the globe and hailing from countries such as the United States, Brazil, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, Jamaica and Tanzania. The Film Festival will showcase over 150 films from the world over. The diversity of PAFF is represented by its core value of Pan-Africanism in every feature selected and its special events including an extensive fine art show.

“PAFF ArtFest stimulates the Black art trade. There is education on purchasing fine art as an investment as well as sales by the artists,” said Allohn, director of PAFF ArtFest. “PAFF ArtFest showcases creativity most often excluded from major galleries and affords an exchange place to encourage art collection.”

“Through the years, our guiding principle of ‘Pan-Africanism’ as a movement remains to unify and provide a space for patronage of the expression of all people of African descent worldwide,” said Ayuko Babu, executive director and a founder of PAFF.

ELIGIBILITY:
PAFF ArtFest is juried according to the following guidelines to maintain the objective of featuring fine art, quality craft and designer merchandise.

Accepted: fine art and photography, handmade unique crafts and jewelry and designer fashions and accessories, one-of-a-kind, original pieces, designer-crafted or hand-printed T-shirts.

Gallery applications will be accepted; however, a gallery may not exhibit and sell works by more than four artists.

For complete details on rules, restrictions, fees, deadlines, booth options, equipment rentals and online application, visit www.paff.org.

TYPES OF ART:
The directory of artist and business exhibits include:
Fine Art
Painting
Illustrations
Mixed Media
Ceramics
Photography
Quilt
Wearable Art
Home Décor
Craft
Fashion
Art Wear
Jewelry
Leather Craft
African Textiles
African Crafts
Egyptian Artifacts

ABOUT THE PAN AFRICAN FILM AND ART FESTIVAL
The Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF) is America’s largest, and most prestigious Black film and arts festival. Each year, it screens more than 150 films made by and/or about people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Canada. http://www.paff.org/

SAN BERNARDINO – Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) invites the public to attend a free Senior Fraud Stopper Seminar on Thursday, October 16, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Hutton Community Center in Colton.  Experts will provide fraud prevention information relevant to home repair, telemarketing, unclaimed property, identity theft, mortgages, and more.

“Given the significant rise in fraudulent activity, it’s more critical than ever to hold this important discussion,” said Assemblymember Brown. “Several agencies including the California Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the State Insurance Commission, and the United States Postal Service will join me as we host a free educational seminar to help seniors avoid being victimized by the latest scams.”

The Hutton Center is located at 660 Colton Avenue, Colton, 92324. Please RSVP to sara.garcia@asm.ca.gov or call (909) 381-3238.

Students participating in International Walk to School Day 2013

Thousands of Riverside County students from more than 70 schools will be walking and rolling to school Wednesday, October 8 to celebrate International Walk to School Day.

This one-day event is a part of an international effort to celebrate the many benefits of walking and bicycling to school and to encourage more families to get out of the car and onto their feet on the way to school. International Walk to School Day kicks off a year-long effort to create sustainable walking and biking programs to help improve fitness, air quality, and traffic flow around schools.

As in past years, thousands of students and hundreds of parents and community-based volunteers will form “walking school buses” in which groups of children, adults and volunteers walk to school together. Many sites have planned exciting activities, such as visits from local elected officials, community leaders, police officers, firefighters, and safety mascots like IEHP’s “Rad Rider” and Riverside Police Department’s “Buckle Bear.”

McAuliffe Elementary school in Riverside is one of the schools that will be participating in the special occasion. It has made Walk to School Day a weekly event. Their Fit Friday activities include music, spinner signs and fun prizes for the students who walk to school.

“Every time we walk, we get prizes,” said a Damian Armstrong a student at McAuliffe Elementary in Riverside, “but I would still walk if I didn’t get prizes, because it’s fun!”

The event is coordinated by the County of Riverside Department of Public Health and is sponsored by a combination of public agencies, police departments, city governments and community organizations. A complete list of participating schools and school districts is attached.  More information on the Riverside County Safe Routes to School program is available online at www.rivcoips.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RivCoSafeRoutesToSchool.

Alpharetta, GA-–Cricket Wireless announces the launch of its Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs contest to recognize men and women who serve as one-person enterprises and still make it a priority to help their community.

“Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the heartbeat of most communities,” said Winston Warrior, Director of Marketing and Customer Acquisition, Cricket Wireless. “As a community brand, we’re always looking for ways to support these business owners – including our dealers and sole proprietors, thus, positively impact our customers where they live and work.”

Entry forms are being accepted online now through Oct. 19, 2014, via the Events page of cricketwireless.mediaroom.com/cricketstars. Entrants must provide details on their sole proprietorship business, community involvement and social media presence. All entries will be reviewed and evaluated by Cricket, then narrowed down to three finalists who will be named 1^st-, 2^nd– or 3^rd-place winners by a panel of judges, and receive prizes as follows:

• 1^st Place: $5,000, Free Mobile Device with 1 year of Cricket service
• 2^nd Place: $2,500, Free Mobile Device with six months of Cricket service
• 3^rd Place: $1,000, Free Mobile Device with three months of Cricket service

Finalists will be announced late-November and must participate in a Cricket-sponsored video recording which will be housed on Cricket’s YouTube channel for finalists’ social media engagement via their respective social media channels. Finalists will be recognized during in-store celebrations on Small Business Saturday which takes place on November 29, 2014. A panel of judges will review the finalists’ videos and rate the finalists based on their community involvement/improvement, clarity and creativity in sharing their business story, social media engagement, and expressed passion to be named the grand prize winner. The panel will determine the 1^st-, 2^nd– and 3^rd-place winners who will be announced mid-December. To learn more about Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs or to enter, please visit cricketwireless.mediaroom.com/cricketstars and join the conversation via social media using #CricketNation. The contest is open to residents of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

In addition to Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs, Cricket offers affordable pricing, group and loyalty plans on a reliable, nationwide 4G LTE network. For instance, the monthly savings in the Group Save plan are perfect for solopreneurs in need of separate lines for business and personal use.

About Cricket Wireless

Cricket is bringing consumers more value with a simple, friendly, and reliable nationwide wireless experience with no annual contract.  The power of Cricket is our fast, reliable, nationwide 4G LTE network; easy and affordable unlimited plans with taxes and fees included; annual loyalty rewards; and a great selection of phones customers love. Cricket, Something to Smile About.  Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T Inc.

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Photo Credit: skidmore.edu

By Rev. Bronica Martindale-Taylor

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Now is the time to VOTE. We need your participation in order to bring our city back into fiscal alignment.  There are groups whom are not residents of San Bernardino spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours putting up signs all over town urging San Bernardino voters to reject Measure Q, a repeal of San Bernardino Charter section 186 which sets public safety pay. Measure R is another measure that needs your YES VOTE. Come and learn why it is vital that you VOTE YES on both measures. We need you to be informed on what your vote means to our city.

Come join us on Saturday, October 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday, October 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Inghram Community Center located at 2050 N. Mount Vernon Street in San Bernardino (92411). For more information, please call (909) 649-6900.

Navy Ensign Michelle Ehlhardt

By Lt. Ana Maring, Navy Office of Community Outreach

SAN DIEGO – A 2003 Etiwanda High School graduate and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native is serving aboard USS Essex (LHD 2), the largest of all amphibious warfare ships and resembles a small aircraft carrier.

Ensign Michelle R. Ehlhardt is a surface warfare officer aboard the San Diego-based WASP-class amphibious assault ship that is nearly as long as 3 football fields at 844 feet. The ship is 106 feet wide and weighs more than 40,650 tons. Two geared steam turbine engines can push the ship through the water at more than 24 mph.

USS Essex (LHD 2) is fifth ship to bear the name Essex. It is named after a town and county in Massachusetts which is significant because of the tie in with the people of Essex County in 1798 and the building of the first USS Essex.

As a 29 year-old with numerous responsibilities, Ehlhardt said she has been in the Navy for 11 years and is prior enlisted. “I joined the Navy because I wanted to travel and have college paid for,” said Ehlhardt. “My brother was already in college and I wanted to give my dad a break.”

She also said she is proud of the work he is doing as part of the Essex’s 1200-member crew, protecting and defending America on the world’s oceans. “With this one ship we can do multiple missions,” said Ehlhardt. “Our role is to take the Marines where they need to go. We have multiple capabilities, including Navy and Marine aircraft. We also have our amphibious capabilities.”

Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard USS Essex. Approximately 73 officers, 1109 enlisted men and women make up the ship’s company, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly — this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the engines. Another 1800 or so form the Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and Essex is capable of transporting the MEU and landing them in hostile territory via landing craft or helicopters.

“USS Essex is truly a fine warship and the crew that mans her is second to none,” said Capt. Peter Mantz, the ship’s commanding officer. “The sailors and Marines of Essex have been working diligently to prepare this warship, and I feel an unparalleled sense of pride working alongside our nation’s finest sailors and Marines.”

The principle mission of Essex is to conduct prompt, sustained operations at sea, primarily as the centerpiece and flagship of the Amphibious Ready Group. Essex provide the means to transport, deploy, command and support all elements of a Marine landing force of over 1,800 troops during an assault by air and amphibious craft.

Designed to be versatile, Essex has the option of simultaneously using helicopters, Harrier jets, and Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC), as well as conventional landing craft and assault vehicles in various combinations. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to also support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s largest amphibious assault ships, Ehlhardt and other Essex sailors are proud to part of a warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.

“I love the Navy,” said Ehlhardt. “I eventually want to command my own ship, that’s my mission in life. The Navy has been the best decision for me. I’ve traveled to 23 countries on six continents.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Saturday, October 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation (YWE) in conjunction with the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 1^st Community Wellness Event and Lupus Awareness Walk at the Community Medical Center Plaza Parking Lot located at 1800 Medical Center Drive in San Bernardino.

This is a FREE community. The theme for the day is “A Healthy Me” with special guest speaker Diana Wehbe, 99.1 KGGI Radio Personality and author. Other activities of the day include music, vendors, food, raffles, and community fun. There are also a limited number of Omnitrans Day Passes available. Free registration/sign-ups for teams can be completed by emailing ywefoundation@gmail.com.

Jessie Zuniga making a handprint on Dr. Kimberley Payne. Hyundai’s Hope on Wheels’ annual September campaign is entitled “Every Handprint Tells a Story.”

LOMA LINDA, CA- Kimberley Payne, M.D., associate professor of Loma Linda University School of Medicine and director of translational research at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, accepted a $250,000 pediatric cancer research grant from Hyundai Motor America’s “Hope on Wheels” on September 22.

The grant will support Dr. Payne’s work as a “Scholar of Hope,” focusing on leukemia in children. She said her work on behalf of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia is not just important professionally to her, but very personally.  “My brother, Jacob, died at the age of 3 of this disease,” she told a group assembled to see the check presentation. “It’s too late for Jacob, but I hope our work will find new treatments and a cure for this disease.”

Irwin Raphael, general manager of the Western Region of Hyundai Motor America, spoke of the Hope on Wheels campaign, founded by Hyundai 16 years ago. “In that time, Hyundai Motor America has donated $87 million toward pediatric cancer research, all over the nation,” he said.  He added that about 15,000 children are diagnosed with pediatric cancer every year in the United States. “We will win” against this disease, he said. This year’s contributions are being given during the month of September, which is devoted to children’s cancer awareness.

Christopher Alcala, a former patient at Children’s Hospital with leukemia, spoke movingly of his diagnosis as a child, and having to tell his mother himself.  He was referred to Loma Linda, and talked of how the Children’s Hospital became a second home, giving him hope and confidence in his future as he saw his way back to health.  He added that he is ready to begin college, and looking forward to a full life. Another former patient, Kimmie Metcalf, said she and her family were so grateful for the good care she received at Children’s Hospital.

For more information, visit HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org/September.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Omnitrans is offering two-for-one fares once a week on its new sbX bus rapid transit line during October and November with a “Friends Ride Free Fridays” promotion, beginning October 3.

“We know that current sbX customers are our best promoters, so we invite them to bring along a friend for free on Fridays this fall,” explained Omnitrans spokesperson Wendy Williams. “For new riders, it’s always reassuring to travel with an experienced rider.”

sbX service launched on April 28, 2014 with a free week that attracted over 3,000 riders per day on average. Since fare collection began on May 5th, average daily ridership has grown steadily from about 1,300 to over 2,300, an increase of 77 percent. “Our goal is to get back to the ridership activity experienced in that first free week by the time we celebrate our 1-year anniversary,” said Williams.

The one-way fare on sbX, and all Omnitrans bus routes, is $1.75; a 1-day pass is $5. 7-day and 31-day passes offer savings for frequent riders. Persons with disabilities, seniors age 62 and up, and youth age 18 and under, qualify for discounts. Through Omnitrans’ “GoSmart” program, local college students can ride free with their student ID if enrolled at California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino Valley College, Crafton Hills College, Chaffey College or the Art Institute of California—Inland Empire.

The sbX green line runs every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays in San Bernardino and Loma Linda on a 16-mile route, including over 5 miles of dedicated bus lanes. Riders can enjoy free Wi-Fi and 110-outlet power outlets on board. Stations feature real-time arrival signs, ticket vending machines, emergency telephones, and public art. Traffic signal prioritization technology helps vehicles get ahead of other traffic. To enhance security, a security service patrols the corridor and video cameras at stations are monitored 24/7.

Complete sbX route and schedule information is available here, or by calling  the customer information center at (800) 966-6428.

Friday, September 26 was opening night for the live production of The Trip to Bountiful starring 90-year-old Cicely Tyson, Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood

VICTORVILLE, CA- “The Trip to Bountiful,” starring world renowned actress Cicely Tyson, Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood, made its debut on Friday, September 26 in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theater during an opening performance. The Broadway play will be playing until Sunday, November 1.

For those that would love to see it but are unable to make it to Los Angeles due to transportation issues, you are in luck because the High Desert Inland Valley News will be hosting a round trip bus ride to see the production. The bus departs on Friday, October 10 at 4: 30 p.m. Tickets, which include play and transportation, is only $65. The pick-up location will be at Park and Ride located at Bear Valley Road off of the 15 freeway.

Please email hdivnews@msn.com to purchase tickets. Deadline for combination is Wednesday, October 1.