Local

Brittany Evans

Just a couple of weeks ago we ran an article on Brittany Evans, a local Fontana teen who overcame bullying by following her God given potential who is not only a motivational speaker but is also a inventor with her patent pending innovation Sparkbudz. She has recently been promoting her invention, as well as sharing her testimony to teens and young adults in her community. Her latest endeavor includes a speaking engagement that she will participate in at her local church during their “Millionaire Boot Camp” on Saturday, September 13.

She says, “God has done many amazing things in my life, not only has he blessed me with an amazing supportive family, but he has brought people in my life to help promote the invention he has blessed me with. There have been times were I felt I have been tested but I allowed those tests to become my testimony”.

Brittany who balances school and work, also gives back by volunteering has a junior trainer for an organization called B.O.S.S The Movement. She motivates and inspires to tell teens to follow their path and be unique.

If you want to hear more about her story go to www.Sparkbudz.com.

LOS ANGELES, CA-While addressing the issues of myth and tradition within albinism, the California African American Museum’s (CAAM) exhibition Visibly Invisible is sure to spark dialogue about the issues faced by people of African descent living with this condition – discrimination, prejudice, mutilation and murder. Visibly Invisible opens at CAAM August 29, 2014 and is ongoing through March 1, 2015.

Visibly Invisible highlights Jamaican-born, Los Angeles-based, artist Yrneh’s Gabon Brown’s international journey while researching and documenting the devastating effects of prejudice, ignorance and violence inflicted upon people with albinism in Tanzania, Jamaica and, to a lesser degree, the United States. Albinism is defined as an inherited condition present at birth, characterized by a lack of the pigment that normally gives color to the skin, hair and eyes.

Through videos recorded during his journeys and artwork created in various media (photography, collage, assemblage, sheet metal, cast bronze and ceramic sculpture), Brown shares the inspiration from his trips and the heartfelt devotion he has developed towards children and adults living with albinism.  In his first solo exhibition at a major Los Angeles museum, Brown has produced powerful work intended to effectuate change through artistic exploration, social engagement and public discourse.

The artist, a former model, singer and actor, is a recent graduate from the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Fine Arts program. He had a passion for the visual arts and a desire to combine his many talents with his interest in albinism in USA and abroad. Upon the completion of his degree at USC, Brown traveled to Tanzania, Eastern Africa, where he found first hand-account of the reality experienced by people with albinism.  In Tanzania it is believed that those born with albinism possess magical powers and that their body parts can generate great wealth.

Ultimately, Brown’s goal is to debunk the myths attached to people with albinism and continue to lend his support.

Programs in association with Visibly Invisible include the following;

WALK-THROUGH and CONVERSATION

Saturday, September 20, 2014, 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Join artist Yrneh Gabon Brown and exhibition curator Mar Hollingsworth for a dynamic walk-through of the exhibition Visibly Invisible, and an additional informal conversation with local scholars, advisers and supporters, Paul Van Blum and Karen Koblitz. Light refreshments will follow.  RSVP preferred at 213.744.2024

DANCE AND POETRY PERFORMANCE

Sunday, November 2, 2014, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Inspired by his experiences in Tanzania, Yrneh Gabon Brown performs a unique piece accompanied by professional dancers from JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble. Choreography: Pat Taylor.

FILM SCREENING: BLACK AND WHITE: CRIMES OF COLOR (58 min)

Saturday, January 10, 2015, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

This film documents the efforts of Vicky Ntetema, a BBC radio journalist, as she begins an investigation into the black market traffic of body parts of persons with albinism.  Film courtesy of Under the Same Sun, an organization devoted to helping people with albinism in Tanzania.

PANEL DISCUSSION:  ALBINISM IN TANZANIA

Saturday, February 7, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

CAAM is proud to present a panel discussion exploring the genetics behind albinism, and the social-political factors leading to the plight of the albino people.  Panelists include Dr. Murray Brilliant, PhD., senior scientist and director at the Center for Human Genetics at the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Wisconsin, and Dr. Rebecca Kammer, clinical consultant, Optometric Education at VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, and founder of Low Vision U, Orange County.

Exhibitions and events at CAAM are free and open to the public. Parking is $10 in the lot adjacent to CAAM, at  39^th and Figueroa Streets.  CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, 90037. For more information on CAAM visit www.caamuseum.org.

Ongoing Exhibitions in CAAM’s Galleries

Recent Acquisitions: Curatorial Selections ongoing through September 7, 2014

Curvature: Lines and Shapes ongoing through November 2, 2014

Visibly Invisible opening August 29, 2014 through March 1, 2014

Lookin’ Back in Front of Me: Selected Works of Mark Steven Greenfield, 1974-2014 opening September 25, 2014 through April 5, 2015.

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company: More Than a Business Extended Exhibition

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM

The California African American Museum (CAAM) is a state agency charged with researching, collecting, preserving and interpreting for public enrichment the history, art and culture of African Americans. Collaboratively operating in partnership with its 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum, CAAM houses a permanent collection of over 4,000 objects of art, artifacts and historical documents, and a publicly accessible Research Library containing more than 20,000 volumes.

To bring its mission to life, CAAM hosts up to 13 exhibitions annually and tours several of its organized exhibitions nationally.  CAAM also presents a wide variety of more than 80 annual public programs ranging from educational and curriculum-driven lectures and tours with scholars and experts to art workshops, film screenings, and its highly popular signature series of monthly live performances Target Sundays at CAAM.

In furtherance of its value-driven commitment to mentor the next generation and give back to the community, CAAM proudly trains and employs high school students year-round through its Young Docent program; offers Buses & Docents as a source of equitable access to field trip opportunities for school and community groups that otherwise could not afford the transportation; fosters cross-issue, cross-town and cross-cultural learning and dialogue through its Young Voices at CAAM school exchanges; actively advocates literacy, book reading and written expression through Heads are Turning, Children are Learning; and, creates small business development and customer outreach opportunities for artists and craft-makers through its on-site Artpreneur vending program.

Officer Gabriel Garcia

The WSSNEWS organization offers sympathy and encouragement to the family and friends of Gabriel Garcia, the San Bernardino Police officer who was wounded in a shooting early Friday morning.  According to the SBPD, the incident resulted in the death of a known member of a criminal gang based in Redlands.  At the time of this writing, Officer Garcia was recovering from surgery at Arrowhead Medical center.

Officer Garcia started with the San Bernardino Police Department in March 2008. He served as a Patrol Officer for six years, and was highly commended and recognized for his work with San Bernardino Graffiti Task Force. He also participated in SBPD’s Baker to Vegas relay. Garcia was 31-years old and a father to one. His the son of SBPD Captain Ron Garcia.

“Gabe is an outstanding officer, a great team member and a great man.  He has always displayed extreme professionalism and a great attitude toward his job, earning the utmost respect from fellow officers and the department as a whole.  His calming and compassionate nature has earned multiple letters from citizens thanking him for his assistance with crimes such as armed robberies and carjackings.  He is exemplary in every sense of the word”, S BPD Chief Jarrod Burguan stated.

(From left to right): Danielle Oehlman from Stater Bros. Charities; Lindsey Holderness, Corporate Events Coordinator from Stater Bros. Market; Victor Ruiz, Stater Bros. Meat Supervisor for District 4; Patricia L. Nickols, Butler and CAPSBC CEO; and Dr. Joshua Beckley, CAPSBC Board Chairman.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-Stater Bros. Charities presented a check in the amount of $20,000 to the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County  Board of Directors on July 15. Over the summer months when food reserves are traditionally low and children are also out of school, not receiving meals through school food programs, Stater Bros. Charities steps in to help.  These funds were generously donated by Stater Bros.’ customers and employees this past holiday season during from their Harvesting Hope Summer Campaign.

Stater Bros. Markets Chairman and CEO Jack Brown stated, “We are in the business of helping our neighbors and right now, some of our neighbors need a little bit more help than the rest.  It’s our hope that these donations will have a major impact in their lives.”

The food items donated by Stater’s is redistributed through the CAPSBC Food Bank network of over 200 agencies.   These agencies include community centers, schools, and faith-based locations such as Salvation Army, The Rock Church, Boys & Girls Clubs, domestic violence shelters, adult re-entry sites, and churches.  This food also supports 30 soup kitchens serving daily meals to the homeless and disadvantaged. (To read more, visit www.wssnews.com).

LUE PRODUCTIONS TEAM

MARINA DEL REY, CA – What Up IE! It’s ya’ girl  LUE and I’m happy to be back in the thick of things. So many wonderful things have been going on with our production company, LUE Productions. Our purpose is to highlight the talent within the Inland Empire and surrounding cities that may get over looked. We pride ourselves in providing UNIQUE platforms for all artists while providing entertaining shows for the community.

Eric Bellinger with DJ Mpress

On Thursday, August 7, we held our first “ALL WHITE MASQURADE HIP-HOP & R&B EVENT” in Marian Del Rey. With GOD’s help and other supportive entities, our company was able to pull off its biggest event ever, in the beautiful city of Marina Del Rey. We wanted to do something over the top

The Real Freeway Rick Ross with a couple of the ladies

and extreme! We wanted artists who may have never experienced performing outside their city, or on an event such as this one, to see what it feels like and to know it can be done. We wanted them to feel like the stars they are. So we rented a multi-million dollar yacht for our talented LUE P. artists and other talented artists to perform on.

The event was amazing! The networking was righteous too. We had live performances from our amazing artists Paul Douglas, Speaker Junkiez, and Mack Pepperboy. Other artists included Yung Miss, Tae The Gifted, Killa, Mrs. Dynasty Dino, Sp’s, Hazel, and many more.

The night was beautiful and elegant like the yacht. Attendees were dressed in their all white with their masks ready to get it in. People had four levels to choose from and tasty entrees to enjoy. We sailed off into the moonlight on the calm waters and turned up!

Our DJ’s for the night were DJ Muda and DJ Mpress along with host Radio Personality 5 Cent. They each kept the crowd going and engaged. The celebrities were in the building, or should I say on the Yacht, included R&B singer Eric Bellinger, The Real Freeway Ricky Ross, celebrity producer Bugsy On Da Beat, rapper Av LMKR, and rapper White Dogg.

  Celebrity producer Bugsy On Da Beat with a couple of the ladies

CEO and Founder of LUE Productions, Lue Dowdy (left); and Supervisor of LUE Productions, Deeveetva Foy

I want to give a special thanks to Tammy Martin-Ryles, President of the “Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Cities” for making an appearance and not being afraid to network with all walks of life, as well as to our LUE Productions Core: Darrell Mattison, Freddie Washington, and Deeveatva Foy. Special thanks to WillieWill of Family First Entertainment, and a special thanks to our LUE P. media team: Freddie Washington, LUE P. Media Director/Photographer; Aaron Swift, mymoma.tv; and Michael Napper, Mike TV.

Our message was simple! You can accomplish whatever you want to accomplish with works. Stop hindering yourself with doubts. This will definitely be an annual event. We hope to see you next year on the waters of the marina. Oh, did I mention, the yacht is the same yacht, Snoop Dogg got married on. Please follow LUE PRODUCTIONS on Twitter and Facebook for more events. Swoosh and one luv!

So Cal Black Chamber-Inland Cities President Tammy Martin-Ryles with Lue Productions Marketing Director Darrell

Family First Entertainment

LUE PRODUCTIONS YACHT PARTY

Center for Employment Training (CET), a leading, nationally accredited, non-profit provider of career and technical education broke ground on its latest center located at 1099 N. Pepper Avenue in the City of Colton. The event took place on August 14th and was attended by several community and elected leaders including Josue Castillo, representing the Office of Assembly Member Cheryl R. Brown, City of Colton Mayor Ms. Sarah S. Zamora, City of Colton District 1 Council Member David J. Toro, City of Colton District 3 Council Member Frank Gonzales, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Chetay Catalano, CET CEO Hermelinda Sapien and CET center directors from Coachella, El Centro, Oxnard, and San Diego. The new center will more than double the number of programs currently offered by CET to the Inland Empire region. Once in full operation, the center is expected to annually enroll about 300 students for training on in-demand occupations and have a significant and positive socio-economic impact on the community.

At the event, CET leadership was presented with a resolution by the Office of Assembly Member Cheryl R. Brown and a certificate of recognition by the City of Colton. Throughout the event, the new center location was visited by various community partners and local citizens eager to learn about the new center and the training programs that will be offered. Juan Pollo and Sushi Miguel’s Style provided a little taste of Colton to everyone in attendance while Home Depot proudly showed their support by providing shovels used for the ground breaking.

Scheduled to open late fall, the new center will offer several industry-driven programs including Automotive Technology, Business Office Administration, Electrical, Logistic Technician, HVAC Technician & Green Technology, Machinist Technology-CNC, and Welding Fabrication. The programs will be affordable and accessible to individuals seeking skills that are in demand by industry. CET leadership is excited about the new campus and looks forward to working with the community to make this new endeavor a success for the City of Colton and the Inland Empire.

Founded in 1967, CET has been nationally recognized for excellent outcomes in program completion and job placement assistance. With a national network of 15 centers across California, Texas, Illinois, Virginia, and North Carolina, CET successfully provides job placement assistance to over 3,000 individuals per year.

Mayor Pete Aguilar

SAN BERARDINO, CA – Today, Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar, Democratic candidate for Congress in California’s 31st district, announced his campaign’s Middle Class Initiative, a set of priorities to expand our nation’s middle class, focusing on the issues that affect the daily lives of Inland Empire residents. In his statement, Aguilar pledged his commitment to these issues and the middle class families he hopes to represent in Congress.

“This race is all about the Inland Empire’s middle class,” Mayor Aguilar said. “As our economy continues to recover, we must remain committed to policies that will grow our middle class and expand opportunity for those aspiring to get there, like raising the minimum wage. As I meet with voters and listen to the concerns that affect their families, the same issues come up again and again: a quality education for their kids, a good paying job after college and a secure retirement”.

“These are the values of the middle class, the values of my family and families across our region. I will do everything I can to make sure we deliver”.

Pete Aguilar’s Middle Class Initiative is a 3-part priorities list that focuses on strengthening education, creating a robust and fair economy with good paying, middle class jobs and a commitment to our seniors and future generations of retirees.

Education: A fair economy starts with an equal shot at success, and every student in America deserves an opportunity to succeed. As the father of two young children, Pete supports early childhood education for all students and robust funding for schools across the country. He is also an advocate for Pell Grants and student loan reform. College graduates should enter the workforce ready to start their adult lives, not drowning in debt that will prohibit them from buying a home or starting a family.

Economy: Pete is committed to supporting policies that will grow our economy and create jobs. He supports small businesses, one of the greatest engines of economic growth in our communities, equal pay for women and raising the minimum wage. Pete also believes that corporations should pay their fair share and be encouraged to keep jobs here in America instead of outsourcing good paying, middle class jobs overseas. He is a strong advocate for smart investments in manufacturing, infrastructure and renewable energy.

Retirement: Pete believes that we have a moral obligation to keep our promise to seniors and future generations of retirees. He will always support Medicare and Social Security and refuses to balance the budget on the backs of seniors. Americans who work hard their entire lives deserve to retire with dignity.

Pete Aguilar is a small business owner and Mayor of Redlands. He is a strong advocate for economic growth and fairness in the Inland Empire, a leader who has reached across party lines to serve the best interests of middle class families in San Bernardino County.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Festival in Las Vegas set for November 14-16 on the Strip at Night

Las Vegas, NV  – Guaranteed to be one of the biggest weekends in running this year, pop-culture icon Snoop Dogg will headline the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Festival in Las Vegas on November 14-16, 2014. The global superstar will perform on Sunday during the pre-race concert at 3:00pm, prior to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon to benefit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America taking over the Las Vegas Strip at night.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas has proven over and over again to be one of the biggest and most anticipated running events in the world,” said Josh Furlow, EVP of Global Events for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series. “We are thrilled to continue this legacy in 2014 by announcing Snoop Dogg, one of the most legendary, chart-topping artists of the past two decades, as the headliner for this year’s festivities.”

A multi-platinum artist, actor and entertainment icon, Snoop Dogg is at the forefront of popular culture as one of the most commercially successful artists in music. He’ll kick off the pre-party by performing chart-topping hits, which include “Gin & Juice,” “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?),” “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” “Next Episode,” “Beautiful,” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”

The 2014 Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Festival returns to Las Vegas the weekend of November 14-16; the only running event to be illuminated by the neon lights on the Las Vegas Strip. Each of the marathon and half-marathon courses run down both sides of Las Vegas Boulevard, featuring everything from the iconic  ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ sign to the Fountains of Bellagio with the finish line at the base of the Mirage Volcano.

The unique course and nighttime start attracts thousands of participants from around the world to experience the one-of-a-kind event with live bands at every mile, a Run-Thru Wedding for couples to elope on the go, the infamous group of Running Elvi and pre and post-event parties throughout the weekend at Vegas’ top nightlife venues.

Weekend activities begin with a free two-day Health & Fitness Expo where all participants pick up their race number, gear bag and t-shirt. This ultimate running resource will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15.  New in 2014, festival weekend will include the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll 5k presented by SLS Las Vegas on Saturday night where runners can take the on Remix Challenge; running two events and potentially garnering three medals in one weekend.

As the event’s official charity, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America will return with the Team Challenge half-marathon training program. Over the now six-year history of the Rock ‘n’ Roll event in Las Vegas, more than $20 million has been raised for CCFA through the Las Vegas race to find a cure for the 1.4 million Americans living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

For more information or to register for Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas, visit StripatNight.com or follow @RunRocknRoll on Twitter.

About Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas

A Competitor Group event, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon to Benefit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America will take over the world famous Las Vegas Strip on Sunday night, November 16, 2014. Since 2009, more than $20 million has been raised for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America at the Las Vegas race and the event annually generates $165 million in annual economic impact to the region. Race participants enjoy the sights and sounds of lavish hotels, world-class entertainment and some of Vegas’ hottest music sensations performing on the course.

The Victor Valley branch (1082) of the NAACP held a press conference to voice concern over the death of Dante Parker, who succumbed while in police custody.  The details of his death while in police custody are sketchy with apparent lapses that are both troubling and cause for concern.

The conference was opened by Southwest Area Director of the NAACP, Ron Hasson, he shared the why, and the organization’s concern for the rash of deaths of African American males by law enforcement.

The second speaker was president of the local branch, Samuel Carl, who built on the statement by Mr. Hasson, calling for transparency, accountability, and the use of body cameras for all deputies in the field.

Cameron Sehat, an attorney representing the family stated what his office hopes to accomplish, and the possibility of a lawsuit against the department.

Mrs. Bianca Parker, the surviving spouse of Dante, his mother Deltra McCoy, two of their five children, twin daughters scheduled to graduate from Silverado High School in 2015, and other family members were present.  Mrs. Parker read the birthday card she had purchased for her husband’s birthday, he was killed on August 12, and his 37^th birthday was August 14,  She shared the trauma of not knowing what had happened, that fateful Tuesday evening that will always be etched in her memory.  They delayed dinner, waiting for his return, his dad and brother were visiting to celebrate his birthday.  The incident with police apparently occurred around 4pm, but Mrs. Parker was not notified, she started calling hospitals around 11pm, and that led to her receiving the news around 1am that her husband would not be returning to the family he adored, nor to his job at the Daily Press Newspaper.

There was not a dry eye, even among seasoned journalists, who have seen it all… as she shared the heartbreak, the anger, the pain, etc.

A.Majadi, 1^st vice president of the San Bernardino branch of the NAACP also spoke at the conference, and Ms, Deltra McCoy, his mother.

Media outlets represented were: KNBC News; CBS/LA; Channel 7 eyewitness News, the San Bernardino Sun, The Precinct Reporter and the Daily Press.  Other media outlets gathering information about the conference included The American Newspaper, and Westside Story Newspaper.

The Victor Valley branch of the NAACP is appreciative for those outlets for embracing the cause of human rights by their mere appearance.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- SHAD Club #62, a male group associated with Gamma Omega Chapter of Eta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., has received the “Club of the Year” by the National Council of SHADS.  It is the third consecutive year the club has received this prestigious award.  SHADS are the husbands of active sorority members in Eta Phi Beta. The club was given this award for its work with young males in the community.  The goal of the club is “to be positive role models to young men in our area.”

One of the key programs the club sponsors is an Annual Oratorical/Essay Contest.  The goal of the contest is to help young men hone their skills in research, organization and presentation skills.  Contestants of the contest receive cash prizes totaling more than $1,000  per year.   The club has been sponsoring this contest since 2007.

The National Council of SHADS also recognized Tom Jones as its “Man of the Year.”  Mr. Jones is an original member of SHAD Club #62, and serves the local chapter as chaplain.  Tom was recognized for his work in the church, community and the club.  He serves as a deacon in New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and is active in many local clubs and associations.  One of his passions is his work with the prison ministry of his church.

Dr. D. Marie Battles regional director of Eta Phi Beta Sorority and Bettie Bell president of Gamma Omega Chapter were on hand to congratulate the club and Mr. Jones for their accomplishments.