Local

Lesli Gooch

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA — Lesli Gooch, candidate for California’s 31st Congressional District, announced the official endorsement of long time Inland Empire resident and current Mayor of the City of Fontana, Acquanetta Warren.

“Inland Empire residents need a Member of Congress who will fight for us. I’m proud to support Lesli Gooch because she is the only candidate in the 31st District with the experience necessary to navigate the Washington bureaucracy and fight for our small businesses. I know she’ll be relentless when it comes to advocating for the Inland Empire,” said Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.

“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of Mayor Warren. I look forward to working with her to ensure the Inland Empire is open for business, modeling her success in Fontana. Our residents deserve good paying jobs and real economic opportunities,” said Congressional candidate Lesli Gooch.

Mayor Warren was first appointed to the Fontana City Council in 2002 where she was re-elected in 2004 and 2008. In 2010, Warren became the first female and the first African American Mayor of Fontana. She has dedicated her service to Fontana by promoting a business friendly city with her “Fontana is open for business” campaign which has escalated Fontana to being ranked 4th in California for its consistent growth in retail sales in the past 5 years. Apart from her elected office in Fontana, Warren has worked for over 20 years for the City of Upland, currently as their Deputy Director for Public Works, managing the city’s infrastructure maintenance, landscaping, streets, parks, sidewalks, facilities, and much more.

After officially announcing her candidacy to fill Congressman Gary Miller’s seat on February 19, Lesli Gooch has quickly developed momentum in endorsements and fundraising strength. Mayor Warren’s endorsement adds to a growing list of respected leaders including 31^st District Congressman Gary Miller, San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary C. Ovitt, and Frank Williams who currently serves as Chairman of the Housing Authority of San Bernardino County.

Inland Empire native Lesli Gooch, a former Senior Policy Director in the U.S. House of Representatives, is a transportation, infrastructure and financial services policy expert.  She has spent the past 15 years representing the residents of San Bernardino County at our Nation’s Capital, fighting for the resources necessary to stabilize the housing market and put Inland Empire families back to work.

Lois Carson Former San Bernardino Valley College Trustee Endorses Danny Tillman for Congress

It takes courage and a history of independence  to run for elective office, especially if you are African American because you must work so much harder and stand up to the detractors whose first words are “you cannot win”. I know; I have been there.

I am sure Danny Tillman went through the discernment required to make such a decision long before declaring his intention; he did not come to the decision lightly or quickly. So, nothing can stop him now—not organized party power, not “doubting Thomas’” nor those seeking favours from the eventual winner.

I first met Danny as a teenage student at Valley College and I was a member of the Board of Trustees; he was already exhibiting  attributes of a leader then and now at age 50, he is a proven leader as demonstrated by his front-runner and top vote getter school board elections and very effective Board governance. His business and technical acumen led to his successful investigation of the district finances where he found 40 million dollars in school funding in his first year as a school board member. Much of the responses to meet the needs of a changed community can be attributed to Danny who spends a great amount of time in the community. He is now ready to serve at the national level.

One of his major priorities is children, those in the district and those outside the district. He currently serves as president of the non-profit Black Future Leaders, Inc (BFL) which promotes high achievement for high school youth across the Inland Empire; the students participate for four years as long as they maintain a 3.0 GPA and perform 50 hours of community service per academic year. They are offered a summer residence program at Cal State every year. With a goal of academic excellence and community service, BFL is now in its 28^th year. He cares about people, especially the young.

Danny was not recruited by the establishment but saw a need as Bobby Kennedy once said, and  “sought to fill it”. While Danny clearly understands and values the concept of compromise so necessary in politics, he will never capitulate because he thinks for himself. He is an open book, candid and honest. What you see with Danny Tillman is what you get. More than that he is prepared to serve at any level of government and he has chosen the Congress. I support his choice and hope the readers will too.

Lois J. Carson

“Of course I am so honored to have such an esteemed and ranking member of the Inland Empire endorse me for U. S. Congress, words can never express my gratitude. I will continue to work hard for the Inland Empire when I am in Congress.”

Danny Tillman is running for U. S. Congress in California’s 31st Congressional District in 2014. The District includes the cities of San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Upland, Fontana Rialto, Colton, Loma Linda and Grand Terrace. For more information visit Danny Tillman for Congress at: www.dannytillmanforcongress.com

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The department of kinesiology at Cal State San Bernardino will host a free lecture by Karin A. Pfeiffer, professor of kinesiology at Michigan State University and an expert on physical activity, on Monday, March 3.

The lecture, “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report,” will be from 9:20-10:30 a.m. in CSUSB’s Panorama Room in the Lower Commons. The lecture is open to everyone, particularly students and faculty of kinesiology, staff and the public. Parking is $5 per vehicle.

Pfeiffer, who is also a member of MSU’s Center for Physical Activity and Health, will focus on the report’s strategies to increase physical activity among youth. Her research includes physical activity assessments in children as well as interventions designed to increase physical activity levels among young children.

An exercise physiologist with an interest in population-based investigations, Pfeiffer’s research focuses on two major areas: measurement of physical activity and interventions to increase physical activity in children and adolescents, spanning preschool through high school age.

Her expertise has included many school-based studies and she is interested in incorporating families and communities into her research.

The Center for Physical Activity and Health at Michigan State University was founded in 2004 as a collaborative project between the departments of kinesiology and epidemiology. The purpose of CPAH is to study the effect of physical activity on human health and well-being throughout a life span, while developing appropriate physical activity intervention strategies.

Pfeiffer’s work is relevant to the public health perspective related to low levels of activity and the increased risk of obesity in American children.

She is currently president-elect of the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine and a fellow and trustee for the American College of Sports Medicine.

The lecture is co-sponsored by CSUSB’s Intellectual Life and Visiting Scholars Committee. For more information about the lecture, contact Shannon Siegel at (909) 537-5358 or email ssiegel@csusb.edu.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.

REDLANDS – The 15^th annual Career Information Day, hosted by the Colton-Redlands-Yucaipa Regional Occupational Program (CRY-ROP), will be held on March 7.

The event will feature exhibits and presentations for workability students. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CRY-ROP office at 1214 Indiana Court in Redlands.

The event is co-sponsored by the East Valley Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Transition Partnership Project, the California Department of Rehabilitation and Workability and the following educational agencies: Colton Joint Unified School District, Redlands Unified, Rialto Unified, Rim of the World Unified, Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified and San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.

The event is not open to the public; only to students in the participating programs.

About 30 local participating employers have committed to attend the event. They represent occupations from childcare services to youth recreation, as well as clerical, medical, restaurant, retail and warehouse occupations.

There will be drawings for prizes donated by employers, as well as a student/employer lunch.

For more information on the event, contact Helen Junker at the East Valley SELPA Transition Partnership Project at (909) 252-4514.

McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

California advocates and consumers urge renewed effort and focus

By McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

Last May, Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace,  announced the awarding of $37 million in grants that would flow to a total of nearly 300 organizations, all working to conduct outreach and develop tailored education plans about affordable health care coverage available through the state exchange.

Targeting a total of 9 million Californians, 32 grants were said to be focused on African-American outreach, compared to 37 targeting Latinos. Twenty-seven grants were focused on Caucasian outreach and education, with 20 aimed at the Asian-Pacific Islander community.

These efforts are widely perceived to have been in good faith. But with so few African-Americans enrolled in Obamacare benefits through the state exchange questions linger about the effectiveness of the outreach. As of last month, only about 11,000 blacks were on the Covered California rolls, representing about 3.1 percent of enrollees, despite numbering seven percent of the state’s total population..

“We definitely need to increase the outreach to African-Americans,” said Karen D. Lincoln, a professor of social work at the University of Southern California and founder of the organization Advocates for African-American Elders. “I think the fact that the primary method of enrollment is via the Internet, there is a large segment of our population who cannot enroll. Now, among the general population of African-Americans, there is certainly more use of social media, but access can be a problem.

Advocates are now stepping in to help boost the effectiveness of the outreach. For example, The California Endowment, in partnership with DHCS, has launched a $23 million statewide effort to boost Medi-Cal enrollment in 36 counties across the state.

Considering the numbers, those efforts appear to be worthwhile. According to Covered California, as of 2013 there were 8.5 million Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal. Thanks to Obamacare, up to two million more residents of are expected to be eligible this year, with a significant percentage of those potential enrolleesbelieved to be African-American.

Thomas Duncan, CEO of Trusted Health Plan, a Washington D.C.-based managed healthcare organization, argues that African-Americans are poised to be among the chief benefactors of the healthcare law. In an article entitled “African-Americans will benefit greatly from Obamacare,” published February 6 in the International Business Times, Duncan wrote that a disproportionate percentage of blacks will become newly eligible for health coverage.

“Prior to the Affordable Care Act, our nation’s healthcare system was discriminatory to both lower- and middle-wage workers,” he wrote. “But now, Obamacare opens the door to preventive, primary, and strategic specialty care for millions of African-Americans and others.”

“Black people, we need that,” said Joseph Thomas, a 31-year-old Woodland Hills resident. He estimates that the Covered California plan he recently obtained online with his domestic partner would save their household about $1,200 per year. “[It’s important because] we don’t seem to go to the doctor as regularly as we should, but we always seem to have health issues and die earlier.”

To find out where you or a loved one can enroll in person go to www.coveredca.com and click on find local help.

Next week: In African-American communities statewide, churches remain the de facto town square. How are black faith organizations stepping up to encourage enrollment in affordable healthcare?

Diana Hex

LOS ANGELES, CA- As we close out Black History Month and jump into Woman’s History Month in March, we would love to introduce our readers to professional dancer and celebrity trainer, Diana Hex, who not only is breaking barriers in the aerobics arena but is also a full time mom who exemplifies why we celebrate “Women’s History Month”.

Hex is originally from Birmingham, Alabama, but grew up in Los Angeles. Dancing has always been embedded in her genes. Her mother was a professional dancer, so she has taken on the torch and followed in her footsteps. As she evolved into the world of dance, Diana started teaching Hip-Hop and Cardio Sculpt at the Madonna Grimes Dance/Fitness Theater in West Los Angeles when she was asked to join an aerobics class. At first it was tiring, but the more that she became involved in it, she started to fall in love with it; and her fitness journey in competitions began.

“I really just broadened my whole world,” she stated.

This year is off to a running start for the fitness coach. She recently participated in The Fit Expo, which was held in Los Angeles, where she participated as a model for Promera Sports. As one of the company’s newest ambassadors, she handed out products and motivated participation in contests and poster signings by IFBB bodybuilder Fred “Biggie” Smalls and IFBB bikini model Ana Delia De Iturrondo. The event set the bar for more opportunities resulting in an invitation to participate in The Arnold Sports Festival and Fitness Weekend, which kicks off on February 28 in Ohio.

In addition to the expo events, the former LA Clipper’s cheer leader’s primary goal for this year is to get back into competitions. She will be participating in “Ms Fitness Inland Empire” on April 5 in Corona, and “Miss Fitness Hollywood” on June 28. It has been over five years since she was involved in a competition. The last one was in 2009 where she won fourth place in the “Miss Fitness” competition.

“I want to get back into it. I’m very excited and confident. I feel that I am in the best shape of my life”, Ms. Hex said.

Other plans for the year include participation in the LA Marathon for the first time; choreographing and assisting as the associate producer of an exercise video that is designed to motivate others to have fun while getting in shape; she will also be finishing her book entitled, Diana Hex: 30 Day Success Journal, which will showcase her passion for dance and helping others reach their goals; and she will be continuing to teach her Zumba classes throughout the week.

Overall, Diana Hex wants to assist others in completing their journey to become better within themselves on a healthier scale. Many of us start an exercise regiment and stick to it for a few days, but then we fall off. For starters, the sought after coach has provided three easy steps to help in accomplishing your goals, which is to create a fitness collage of the things that inspire you that you can look back at and reflect on; next is to find a role model that can help get you on the right track; and lastly, create a 3-by-3 month plan of your goals, write them down and hang them up somewhere.

For more tips or to take a Zumba class, please visit www.dianahexfitness.com. She is accepting new choreography and training clients and would be glad to assist you in getting back on the right track.

Ameenah Fuller

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Ameenah Fuller is running for California State Senate District 23. Recently reported by Inland Scene Magazine, this is a very important State Senate race which covers San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties. Volunteers are needed to phone bank and canvass for this open seat. If Fuller does not win this seat, Mike Morral (Tea Party Republican) will win and plans to dismantle the healthcare system (Covered California).

The election will be held on March 25. Early voting has started and runs to March 24. Fuller’s campaign office is located at 1254 South Waterman Avenue, suite 10 in San Bernardino, just 2 miles away from the voter registers office. For more information or to volunteer, please call 424-262-2562.

Fuller is a Government and Business Consultant with over 25 years of experience in healthcare providing compliance measures with recommendations to administrative and corporate staff at hospitals and medical facilities in California. She has also worked to recover Medicare funds to prevent fraud and abuse. Fuller believes in supporting policies that make sense for the constituents in the district. She supports and advocates polices on senior rights, education, healthcare, environment, economic empowerment, and green technology. She is also a supporter of tax credits for builders that build affordable green homes. She believes that the new green homes and businesses is the way of the future in California.

Ms. Fuller received a citation for her accomplishments and holds a Masters of Arts in Public Policy. For more information on the candidate, visit http://www.votefuller2014.com/.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Internationally acclaimed poet and author, Mr. Eddie Bell, shared his career as a poet and discussed his poetry and writings at the PAL Center and Charter Academy in San Bernardino on Thursday, February 13.

Mr. Bell, a motivational speaker and educational consultant, told of his personal experiences, and related stories about people and life experiences through the eyes of a Black man. Several members of the audience noted similar experiences of inequitable treatment to overcome during their lifetime. The overarching theme was to overcome all obstacles and achieve the goals that one sets for self.

His poems about life evoked deeply felt emotions as he presented in oral form. He is the recipient of multiple grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the French Ministry of Culture, and other sources. His works, published in English, have also been translated into French and Russian. Accessible to audiences old and young, and without racial or cultural barriers, during the question and answer period, the totally immersed students and teachers exhibited their intense appreciation of the opportunity to interact with this very personable and noted poet.

Mr. Bell was accompanied by Dr. Brian Haynes, Vice Presidentof Student Affairs at California State University San Bernardino.

In a critical period of Obamacare outreach, will more black consumers take advantage of benefits available through the California healthcare exchange?

 By McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

When Andre Andrews signed on to the Covered California website on February 7, he was in the midst of coping with a medical emergency.

A week before, Andrews had been the victim of a hit-and-run. The Burbank resident was walking his bike up the side of a street late one night, when he was suddenly struck by a passing motorist who never bothered to stop. The impact left him with missing teeth, lacerations to his face and an ambulance bill alone of over $1,000.

Uninsured since leaving a job in early January, Andrews has already paid $500 of the bill, but he now feels more secure because of his coverage eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, it is made available in this state through Covered California, which Andrews is confident will help him better manage medical expenses and aid with any future health problems he might experience.

“I never really go to the doctor, but I still need health insurance, especially since this happened,” said Andrews. “All these other healthcare insurance providers online are expensive.” For the 30-year-old, what he found through Covered California “is less expensive. I’m one of those guys that thought nothing would ever happen. But clearly it can. You don’t know what is going to happen.”

More than 11,000 black Californians, and potentially millions more across the United States, can identify with the peace of mind Andrews enjoys today as a result of Obamacare. Following a difficult rollout, there has been a surge of enrollments over the last two months; on January 25, the Obama administration announced that three million Americans had signed up for private health plans under the law, including 800,000 in the month of January alone.

California accounts for 625,000 of those enrollees, but thus far only 3.1 percent, or 11,153, are African-Americans, despite blacks being nearly seven percent of California’s population. That is compared with whites, who have accounted for 54.7 percent, or 199,186, of Obamacare enrollees, tops in the state.

Obamacare ensures that all Americans have access to affordable health insurance, by offering discounts or tax credits on health insurance plans and enlarging the Medicaid assistance program to include more individuals that can’t afford healthcare in their budgets.

A household with an income between one and four times the Federal Poverty Level is ideal for receiving the health insurance discounts. Despite common misperceptions, that only single mothers can qualify for healthcare assistance, for example, or that a family must be in a deep poverty to get help, even individuals who earn too much to qualify for discounts and tax credits are entitled to buy plans through Covered California.

In California and across the nation, individuals with Obamacare have benefits in 10 categories including ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment and prescription drugs. The health plan also helps cover rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices, laboratory services, preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management, and pediatric services such as dental and vision care.

Among those who have yet to enroll in a healthcare plan, despite the fact that he would almost certainly be eligible for coverage and/or subsidies, is 30-year-old Clint Thompson of Santa Monica. Thompson, who recently returned to California from New York City, is debating whether to enroll in a plan through Covered California, or try the insurance offered through his employer, a clothing retailer.

“I’m weighing the options of each,” said Thompson, “but I really haven’t looked as in-depth as I should.”

Thompson and others like him, those who remain on the fence about obtaining healthcare coverage, have until the March 31 open enrollment deadline to either enroll in a plan of some kind or be subject to a penalty.

Covered California this month launched an outreach campaign covering 21 counties across the state, Kern, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Clara and Ventura among them,  that includes opportunities for free enrollment assistance at libraries, community centers and other locations. Opportunities to enroll and information about outreach locations can be found on the website at www.coveredca.com.

Although online enrollment remains a viable and popular option, Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said many people are more comfortable with face-to-face discussion.

“Many people want to speak with an expert in person in their own language,” he said recently, “rather than over the phone or on the Internet when making such a personal decision about health insurance.”

Next week: As a Covered California deadline approaches, African-American consumers, healthcare experts and advocates assess the effectiveness of healthcare outreach to the black community.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA. – An array of departments at Cal State San Bernardino will host Military Appreciation Night at the Coyote men’s basketball game on Friday, February 21. Tailgate festivities begin at 4 p.m. on the west lawn of Recreational Sports and Fitness Center that will feature free food and military giveaways. The men’s basketball game against Sonoma State begins at 7:30 p.m. in Coussoulis Arena.

The event is co-hosted by CSUSB’s Alumni Association, Associated Students Inc., the Veterans Success Center, Recreational Sports and Fitness Center and the CSUSB Air Force and Army ROTC.  Active service members, military veterans and their families will receive free admission to the game. Contact Marci Daniels at the Veterans Success Center at 909-537-5195 for free tickets. Attendees are encouraged to wear military apparel or American-themed apparel.

The planners of the event have designed a program that will begin about eight minutes before tip-off time. The CSUSB Air Force-Army ROTC cadets will first present the colors. AF-ROTC cadet Carrera Allred will sing the National Anthem, while local high school cadets of Junior ROTC representing U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy unfurl a giant American flag.

Chaplain Captain David Sarmiento of the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing at March Air Reserve Base will say the invocation, while the CSUSB Student Veterans Organization will set up a battlefield cross in the middle of arena floor in memory of fallen veterans.

A 13-foot GI Johnny will join CSUSB mascots Cadee and Cody Coyote in cheering the crowd. An opportunity drawing will be held with raffle prizes drawn throughout the game. Proceeds from the raffle will supplement the CSUSB Veterans Success Initiative Scholarship Fund.

During half-time, 20 Wounded Warriors will be recognized, as well as a ceremonial swearing-in of about 40 future service members.  In addition, two contests will be disclosed during the break for fans to participate.

Sponsors for the event include Crest Chevrolet, Brills Shoes, The Mug Restaurant, Tello’s Tailors and Menswear and the Tossetti Family, all of San Bernardino. Other sponsors are U.S. Army Units B-Troop, 4-9 Cavalry and Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Inc., CSUSB Beta Kappa Chapter.

For more information, contact Marci Daniels at the CSUSB Student Veterans Center at 909-537-5195.