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Sakrekoff will lead the organization while the board searches for a permanent CEO. A national search will start now with a new CEO expected by the Fall of 2023.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Ann Marie Sakrekoff has been named Interim President & CEO of Growing Inland Achievement (GIA), effective May 15, following the retirement of Dr. Carlos Ayala.

GIA serves San Bernardino and Riverside Counties as a regional, cross-sector network of education, government, nonprofit and business partners in the Inland Empire; collectively, they work towards a shared vision of educational and economic success.

Sakrekoff has over 20 years of higher education and nonprofit leadership experience, including her current role as GIA’s Chief Operating Officer.

Sakrekoff stated, “I am proud and excited to take on the Interim CEO role during such an exciting time for GIA as we continue building on our service to the Inland Empire educational network of students, families, institutions, and community partners. GIA will remain focused on its mission, impact, and growth while we search for our next permanent CEO.”

Diana Rodriguez, GIA Board Member and Chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College District praised Sakrekoff’s experience.

“Ann Marie’s passion for helping Inland Empire students achieve their college dreams is truly inspiring. With her deep understanding of the challenges facing students in the region, she is committed to ensuring that every student has access to the resources they need to succeed,” said Rodriguez.

“Whether through innovative programming, advocacy efforts, or community outreach, Ann Marie is dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of our students. Her unwavering commitment to this cause has made her an invaluable asset to Growing Inland Achievement, and we are confident that under her leadership as Interim CEO, the organization will continue to make great strides in improving educational outcomes for students throughout the Inland Empire,” Rodriguez added.

Sakrekoff was the first employee hired by GIA’s Board of Directors in 2005, helping to lead the organization since its inception.

“Ann Marie has served as the operations leader for the GIA since its early days. She has been a steady force and an excellent collaborative leader focused on advancing our region’s higher education and workforce goals,” said Sheila Thornton, GIA Board Member and CEO of OneFuture Coachella Valley. “Her dedication to student success is evident throughout her work. We’re grateful to Ann Marie for being willing to serve in this interim position.”

GIA’s board of directors anticipates launching a search for a permanent President & CEO in the coming months.

“Ann Marie is an exceptional leader poised to continue GIA’s efforts to increase equitable educational attainment in the Inland Empire,” said Dr. Kim Wilcox, GIA Board Chair and Chancellor of UC Riverside. “The board fully believes in her abilities to lead the organization while we search for a permanent CEO.”

Growing Inland Achievement, serves San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, in a regional cross-sector network of education, government, nonprofit, and business partners in the Inland Empire, bringing more than $20 million and collectively working towards a shared vision of educational and economic success.

About Growing Inland Achievement

Growing Inland Achievement, serves San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, in a regional cross-sector network of education, government, nonprofit, and business partners in the Inland Empire, collectively working towards a shared vision of educational and economic success.

GIA staff support this work by researching issues and opportunities, developing financial resources for the region, and connecting diverse stakeholders across the two-county region of the Inland Empire.

GIA’s vision is that by 2035, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties will be widely recognized for their educated workforce, thriving communities, and vibrant economy that creates prosperity for all.

Traveling film festival highlights women filmmakers

REDLANDS, CA— The American Association of University Women, Redlands Branch, is proud to present our annual LunaFest Event. It will be offered as both a live, in-person experience with a pre-screening reception and a virtual option for those who are far away or prefer a virtual experience. The In-person event will be held on the Esri Campus.  Reception will begin at 5:30pm in the Esri Cafe. The reception includes wine and beer and a collection of hors d’oeuvres by the Esri Cafe catering staff. At 7PM, we will make our way over to the Esri Auditorium for a screening of this year’s films. The evening will be a lovely event at this beautiful venue that you will not want to miss.  Seating in the auditorium is limited, so we suggest purchasing tickets soon! The virtual event will begin at 7PM on Friday May 5th. You may begin viewing the films at any time in the 48 hours following the start of the screening window.  Your ticket acknowledgement will contain information about how to access your screening.

This year’s stories are told from a variety of perspectives that champion women and gender nonconforming individuals, highlighting their aspirations, accomplishments, resilience, and strength. The 2023 season of LUNAFEST® features seven short films with a total running time of 95 minutes.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://lunafest23.eventive.org/schedule/639114dd09408100d469de1c

ELK GROVE, Calif. — April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) are encouraging people to do their part to help reduce traffic crashes, pedestrian injuries and roadway fatalities by paying attention on the road.

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of fatal and non-fatal car crashes in the United States and is defined as doing any activity that takes the driver’s attention away from the road. That includes, but is not limited to, eating, grooming, operating a navigation system, talking on a cell phone, using a cell phone app, texting or anything that can endanger the driver, passengers and others on the road.

This form of reckless driving isn’t just risky for motorists, it can be deadly for every nearby driver, pedestrian, bicyclist and highway worker. In 2020, a person was killed in a crash involving distracted driving on California roads about every three days. Nationally, 3,142 people were killed in vehicle crashes where distraction was a factor, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This comprised 8.1% of all traffic fatalities in 2020 and a 0.7% increase from 3,119 fatalities in 2019. Also in 2020, 10.6% of victims in distraction-involved fatalities were Black.

One of the biggest causes of distracted driving is cell phone usage. In California, it is illegal to use a cell phone or similar electronic communication device while holding it in your hand. You can only use it in a hands-free manner, such as speaker phone or voice commands. Any driver under the age of 18 is prohibited from using a cell phone for any reason.

OTS and Caltrans remind all drivers to Get Off Your Apps and focus on the road. Simple tips to consider to avoid distracted driving include:

• Do not engage cell phones: Texting or using your cell phone can divert a driver’s attention from the road. Silence your phone before you get on the road.
• If you need your cell phone, be responsible: If you must answer a call, text or attend a video conference, pull over to a safe location and park your car to use your phone.
• Fallen objects: If something falls on the floor, leave it until you can safely retrieve the item or pull over to a safe parking spot before trying to reach it.

National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an ideal time to shine a light on the importance of prioritizing safer behaviors on the road to protect our children, parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and co-workers. Our roads are safer when they are distraction-free.

To learn more about ways to stay safe while on the road, visit  www.gosafelyca.org.

LOS ANGELES, CA—- This Sunday, Mayor Karen Bass, elected officials, over 800 volunteers, and over 50 community groups and nonprofits will lead service projects across the San Fernando Valley as part of Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel’s (D – Woodland Hills) Day of Service. Projects include assembling homeless outreach kits, packing essentials for domestic violence survivors, writing letters to seniors and healthcare workers, planting a new garden, and maintaining our state parks with organizations such as LA Family Housing, Hope The Mission, Haven Hills, ONEgeneration, Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

The event will be held on Saturday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pierce College, located at 6201 Winnetka Avenue in Woodland Hills.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On Sunday, April 30, at 2 p.m., the San Bernardino Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble will present their Spring 2023 concert entitled, “Tales of the City.” The concert will feature traditional and contemporary works for wind band, including “Big City Lights” by Marie Antoinette Douglas, “Halcyon Hearts” by Katahj Copley, “Hounds of Spring” by Alfred Reed, “American Hymnsong Suite” by Dwayne Milburn, and many more.

The concert will be held at San Bernardino Valley College in the North Hall Building, located at 701 S. Mount Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino. Free parking is available adjacent to the building.

Tickets are $10 each and will be available at the concert venue.

The San Bernardino Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble was established in 2020 and serves nearly a dozen unified school districts throughout the Inland Empire. Students in the ensemble range from ages 14-21. The ensemble operates under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Bratcher, director of bands and associate professor of music at Cal State San Bernardino.

For more information about the Youth Wind Ensemble, or to support student tuition scholarships, visit www.sanbernardinosymphony.org/youthwindensemble.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Kindergarten students from across San Bernardino and Highland participated in the KinderCaminata events in March and April, as part of a nationwide initiative that aims to promote college going among young children and their families.

Students dressed in matching, colorful t-shirts visited San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) where they were welcomed by students and staff alike. The students were accompanied by their teachers, parents, and college leaders, all of whom were there to show their support. By the time KinderCaminata finishes in April, close to 2,000 San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) kindergartners will have visited the campus, said Director of Elementary Instruction Amy Coker.

The KinderCaminata is an important event that highlights the importance of early education in a child’s life. Studies have shown that children who attend kindergarten are more likely to succeed academically and socially than those who do not.

By participating in this event, SBCUSD students are sending a strong, early message that they are committed to learning and that they understand the importance of education, Coker said.

“Our kindergarten students had a blast participating in the KinderCaminata,” Coker said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to show their enthusiasm for learning and to get the community involved in promoting the importance of college. We believe that early education is critical to a child’s success and we are committed to providing our students with the best possible start in life.”

RIVERSIDE, CA—- On Friday April 21, 2023, the city of Riverside became the first city in the Inland Empire to hold a Reparations Town Hall. The Town Hall was put on by the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce as part of a two-day event focused on educating the public on the news of Reparations for African Americans in California.

The event was a debrief of the progress of Congressional Bill AB3121, enacted in September 2020, which established a nine-member Task Force to study and develop a recommendation for Reparations in California.

Following the educational portion of the event was a one-hour Q & A for the audience to get information on the questions they had about Reparations in California.

This historic event was the first of many to be held as part of the Social Economic Justice Advocacy program started by the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce.

The second day of this two-day event was the Reparations Listening Session on April 22, 2023. This event also briefly discussed the progress of the Reparations movement in California. However, the major undertaking of the day was the Listening Session itself. Not only was this session the first held in the Riverside but also the first accessible for those located in the Inland Empire.

The session gave powerful insight on the history of personal injustices experienced by several of the attendees due to race disparities in California following slavery.

The session wrapped up with a few words of encouragement for the audience as well as a call to action on the importance of staying educated and involved with the Reparations Movement.

RIVERSIDE, CA— Robert was the founder Gram’s BBQ in Downtown Riverside in 1987. As a longtime resident of Riverside his life story is one of struggle and ultimately success. He was one of seven children that migrated to California in 1956 from Rock Hill, South Carolina with his parents Josie “Gram” (from whom the restaurant got its name) & Robert “Pete” Bratton, Sr. Life wasn’t always easy, but he made a choice to turn his life around and focused on his goal of building a successful restaurant business. He accomplished that with Gram’s. He developed an award-winning barbeque sauce, which is a blend of family recipes, daily freshness, and southern flare. He has left a legacy that will be around for many years to come.

Services will be held on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 11:00am at:

The Bridge Church

9904 Bloomington Ave.

Bloomington, CA 92376

Repast Immediately Following at:

Bloomington Recreation and Park

17909 Marygold Avenue

Bloomington, CA 92316

Cards may be sent to:

GRAM’S BBQ

3527 Main St.

Riverside, CA 92501

Send plants in lieu of flowers to:

METROPOLITAN MORTUARY

2902 Rubidoux Blvd.

Rubidoux, CA 92509

Questions can be directed to: Shirion Simmons, 951-525-0394 or Shirion.Simmons@gmail.com

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Congratulations to San Bernardino County Fire’s Station 305, which has officially launched its Large Animal Rescue Team — a project spearheaded by Captain Robert Edie — as part of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) unit.

The Hesperia station’s large animal rescue trailer is equipped with a variety of harnesses, ropes and flotation devices designed to rescue horses (or cattle) that may fall into the aqueduct, river, or down a ravine. A 400-pound realistic horse prop, used for training, can be manipulated at its joints for a variety of rescue scenarios.
The Large Animal Rescue Team traveled to Muscoy in March, where they rescued 17 large animals stuck in deep mud, along with 30 medium-sized animals.

Thanks to Captain Edie and the County Fire team for adding this valuable resource to our community!

WATSONVILLE, CA—— U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) met with families, small business owners, and farmers in Watsonville and Pajaro impacted by the recent extreme storms in California. During his visit, Padilla surveyed damage near Highway 1 where the breached Pajaro River levee caused devastating flooding to surrounding communities. During the visit, Padilla was joined by Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Mark Strudley, PhD, Executive Director of Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, and Tommy Williams, Deputy Chief of Project Management at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the San Francisco District. The visit comes after Padilla and Lofgren successfully led the California Congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to approve a Major Disaster Declaration for the most recent severe winter storms and atmospheric river systems.

“It’s clear the communities around Pajaro have a long road ahead of them—not just to rebuild the communities affected by this year’s atmospheric rivers, but to protect the region from future natural disasters,” Senator Padilla said. “I am committed to continuing to push for increased federal investments as we work to address the inequities in our infrastructure that have long existed in our most vulnerable communities. The need will only grow as we continue to experience more frequent and more devastating natural disasters due to climate change.”

“As extreme weather events continue to put pressure on the Pajaro River levee, its antiquated embankments will continue to fail causing flooding in the surrounding fields and forcing families to flee their homes,” said Rep. Panetta. “It’s taken persistent political pressure to secure the necessary federal and state funding and solidify the partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project and put it on an expedited path forward. Nevertheless, we must keep up the pressure to start the project as soon as possible so that we can provide the necessary protections to the produce and people of the Pajaro Valley.”

Padilla surveys damage caused by the Pajaro levee breach and is briefed on the damaging effects of the flood waters reaching the nearby Watsonville Wastewater Water Treatment Plant that threatened over 60,000 residents and 4,000 acres of agricultural land

“Families and businesses in California’s 18^th Congressional District have been uprooted by the recent storms, and the Pajaro River levee breach, specifically, caused much devastation. That’s why Sen. Padilla, Rep. Panetta, and I are pushing to accelerate the federally-authorized levee upgrade project. Since the storms, we learned from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that they could use even more funding to fast-track the improvement efforts, so I am now requesting an additional $200 million for Fiscal Year 2024 through the Community Project Funding process. Unfortunately, severe weather events could get worse, not better, because of climate change, and leaders at all levels of government must make sure our communities are as resilient as possible,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren.

“At the local level, as project sponsors, we are ready, willing, and able to start building new levees, said Mark Strudley, PhD, Executive Director of Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency. “We are taking action to remove regulatory obstacles by working with our State and federal partners to hasten project delivery and in the interim to ensure the levees are repaired and ready for next winter.”

“We all continue to quickly respond to this disaster and to ensure sufficient funding is provided for all necessary work,” said Tommy Williams, Deputy Chief of Project Management at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the San Francisco District. “The Army Corps is committed to delivering near term emergency repair work and providing long term, equitable, and sustainable support for this underserved community with the construction of an improved flood risk management system beginning in the Summer of 2024.”

Senator Padilla along with Senator Feinstein, and Representatives Zoe Lofgren and Jimmy Panetta recently sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urging them to accelerate construction of the federally authorized project to reduce flood risks faced by surrounding urban and agricultural areas, and to provide emergency repairs and response for the towns of Pajaro and Watsonville. Last month, Padilla pressed Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Shalanda Young to ensure adequate resources go to historically overlooked and low-income communities like Pajaro, California, which disproportionately bear the impacts of natural disasters due to lack of adequate protections.

Padilla, Feinstein, and Panetta secured $149 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with Lofgren’s support to address the urgent flood risks along the Pajaro River, including the modernization of the 74-year-old levee system that was breached before improvements could be made.