Local

By Prince James | Black Voice News

It’s Prince James again, bringing you up to date on one of my key reporting assignments for this week.

On Thursday, March 15 I, along with my teammate Aryana Noroozi, covered the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce event where they honored community leader and civil rights icon, Dell Roberts, with the 2022 Citizen of the Year award.

Roberts has a long history of service in the inland region. In 1968, he co-founded the Black Students Union at local high schools. In 1979, he co-founded the Riverside Black History Month Committee, and in 1980, he co-created the Black History Parade, just to name a few of his contributions.
Over the years, Roberts has received multiple awards for his service to the community, including the Chuck Kane Award, the YWCA Achievement Award, the 2007 Bank of America Local Hero Award, and the Roy Hord Volunteer of the Year Award.

Last year, Roberts was awarded the Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award for 2022. The award is given to individuals, couples or groups who have made significant contributions to the city and community of Riverside.

Roberts retired from Riverside Union School District in 2003 after 38 years of service.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Rep. Pete Aguilar announced $1,500,000 for the Clean Energy Hybrid and Electric Vehicle (EV) Technician Program in San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC). This funding will be used to purchase heavy-duty zero-emission trucks and charging stations for students to train and work on.

“The work being done in the clean vehicle technology program at Valley College is going to help improve our air quality and move our region, our state and our country towards a clean energy future, “said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “This funding is helping prepare our students for good-paying jobs right here in the Inland Empire. I will continue working closely with San Bernardino Valley College to create good-paying career opportunities for our residents.”

“Thanks to Congressman Aguilar’s support, San Bernardino Valley College is leading the way in preparing students for the green jobs of the future,” said San Bernardino Community College District Chancellor Diana Z. Rodriguez. “The Inland Empire is increasingly at the crossroads of the supply chain industry, and with this federal investment, our graduates will continue at the forefront, ensuring that we have clean vehicles on our roads to help protect the air we breathe.”

“As we move towards a cleaner, greener future, it is vital that we invest in our local workforce and provide them with the training necessary to succeed in this rapidly evolving field,” said San Bernardino Valley College Interim President Linda Fontanilla. “We appreciate Congressman Aguilar’s leadership in bringing back dollars to create more local opportunities for our students and their families.”

NATIONWIDE — Math with EEEs, Inc., a Black-owned non-pro?t dedicated to empowering African-American students through education and STEM scholarship opportunities, is sponsoring 10 students for the highly sought-after online coding course by Codewithsharen. All in all, the organization has already given away almost $20,000 in scholarships.

Led by Math with EEEs, the organization is working to bridge the gap in STEM education and provide equal opportunities for underrepresented communities to excel in the ?eld.

“It’s crucial for students to continue learning STEM and not just rely on OpenAI like ChatGPT,” said Sharen Eddings, a top computer programmer turned STEM education provider and founder of Codewithsharen. “Without a mastery of the language of code, proper instruction cannot be given to AI like ChatGPT to build a website. Moreover, without the knowledge of web hosting, troubleshooting, maintenance, or cybersecurity, the ?nal product can not be fully utilized. That’s why Math with EEEs, Inc and Codewithsharen have teamed up to impart this essential skill set.”

Designed for students in grades 6 and above, the course teaches coding in a fun, interactive, and easy-to-learn manner.

“Your child will learn the hottest skill in town: coding, also known as STEM in schools,” said Eddings. “We teach kids how to read and write code, then how to use that skill to build websites, and mobile games.”

Coding empowers students to change the world and achieve their dreams. As automation and arti?cial intelligence rise, coding is becoming increasingly important. It’s a skill that can improve students’ lives and make a difference in others.

“Learning to code can seem intimidating, but it’s fun, easy to learn, and rewarding,” added Eddings. “I’ve built amazing things using code, and I want to share that experience with others.”

Don’t miss this chance to obtain the skills needed for success in the 21st century and join Math with EEEs, Inc. and Codewithsharen in their mission to bridge the STEM education gap and provide equal opportunities. Math with EEEs Inc., is also looking forward to offering scholarships to students in Ghana in the near future. Sign up for the next coding and game development course today and become a coding superhero.

For more information, to enroll, or sponsor a child, visit the organization’s official web site at MathWithEEEsInc.com. The next session starts Monday, September 11th to October 7th.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Last week, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) joined a diverse panel of women legislators at the “Women in California’s Legislature: 2023 Speaker Series on California’s Future” luncheon to discuss the essential roles they play in shaping governmental policies benefiting Californians.

The event was hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento.

This year’s class of legislators includes the largest number of women in state history– 18 senators and 32 assemblymembers. Joining McKinnor on the panel by were state Senators Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) and Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), and Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro).

McKinnor said she made the decision to get into politics after seeing the video of police officers beating motorist Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1992.

Over the years, Mckinnor said, a major influence on her policy decisions are the learnings she gleans from raising a family.

“I think (women) bring diversity to the table because we are about taking care of our families,” McKinnor said. “So, the legislation that you see coming out of this (panel), I believe, will be around housing, jobs, equity, and public safety. The women here are going to make a tremendous difference because we take care of our families differently.”

Before McKinnor was elected to the California State Assembly in June 2022, she served as civic engagement director for the non-profit LA Voice and previously served as operational director for the California Democratic Party and chief of staff to several members of the State Assembly. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from California State University Dominguez Hills.

McKinnor is currently chair of the Public Employment and Retirement Committee. She serves on other policy committees, including the Business and Professions Committee, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, and the Governmental Organization Committee.

McKinnor’s legislative priorities include California’s continued COVID-19 recovery, increased funding for public education, expanded universal access to healthcare, the state’s housing and homelessness crisis, and reforming the state’s criminal justice system.

“I never thought I’d be in politics in 1992. I thought I had better get off the sofa and pay attention to what’s going on,” McKinnor said. “After that, I didn’t sit down, and I got involved in the community.”

Black women are 7.7% of the total U.S. population and 15.3% of the total number of women in the country, according to the U.S. Census.

In 2021 study, the State Innovation Exchange (SIE) – a group that advocates for representation in state legislatures — and the National Organization for Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL Women) took a deep dive into their analysis of women serving in government.

SIE and NOBEL Women reported that Black women fill just 4.82% (356) of 7,383 state legislature seats across the United States. That same year, eight state legislatures convened without a single Black woman in their ranks: Vermont, South Dakota, Hawaii, Arizona, Idaho, Nebraska, Montana, and North Dakota – all places with Black populations falling in a range from 2 to 6%, the study revealed.

Currently, there are five Black women in the California Legislature: McKinnor and Assemblymembers Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) and Sen. Lola Smallwood Cuevas (D-Ladera Heights). They are also members of the California Legislature Black Caucus.

Smallwoold-Cuevas is the lone Black woman among 40 state senators.

“I am the 20th Black woman to be elected to the (California) legislature,” McKinnor said at the event held on International Women’s Day. “Sen. Lola Smallwood became the 21st Black woman. So, we still have a lot of work to do.”

PPIC, the nonprofit that organized the event, bills itself as nonpartisan think tank with a mission to inform and improve public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. Former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye is PPIC’s president and chief executive officer.

Ophelia Basgal, an affiliate at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at University of California, Berkeley, and a senior executive consultant for Inclusion INC, provided the opening remarks.

All the women legislators who participated in the event are members of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, a political body that represents and advocates on the behalf of the diverse interests of women, children and families.

The panelists discussed gender diversity in state politics, how personal interests play out in politics, legislation they are currently working on, setting better policy for the state, and offered advice to women who are interested in running for office.

“In addition to the vision and experience, we bring that voice into the room that is often unheard and unseen,” said Ortega, a longtime labor leader and activist from an immigrant family. “We will make sure we are seen and heard and deliver (policies) for all in the state of California and the United States.”

The Sheraton Ballroom in downtown Sacramento was filled with women and men listening to the 60-minute conversation between the women that was at times passionate, thought-provoking, reflective and lighthearted.

“We’ve been truly inspired by this distinguished panel for their questions, insight, and answers,” Cantil-Sakauye said to the audience. “Thank you for making this (speakers series) memorable.”

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Rob DeSantis seem to be on a political and philosophical collision course. Each one takes a shot at the other when the opportunity presents itself — which is often, as both men stand diametrically opposed, Left and Right respectively, on most issues.

Recently, some conservative media voices have joined the crossfire, taking aim at how Newsom responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the global health crisis began in 2020, California responded with strict policies and shutdowns while Florida’s less urgent approach was a clear contrast. A new study from the Paragon Health Institute, a conservative think tank founded by former Trump administration economic advisor Brian Blase and other health experts– is critical of California’s handling of the pandemic.

Now, the Paragon study is adding fuel to the frequent back-and-forth between Newsom and DeSantis, who are both rumored to be Presidential hopefuls.

“Not a week goes by when Newsom is not boasting about how effective his policies were in addressing the COVID-19 crisis,” said Craig DeLuz to California Black Media. DeLuz is the Director of Communications for the California Republican Assembly, President of 2A News Corp and a director at the Frederick Douglass Foundation of California.

“He loves to compare California’s response to that of Republican-run states, claiming that he had greater success fighting the virus, while protecting his constituents,” DeLuz contnued his critique of Newsom. “His favorite target appears to be the state of Florida, which is run by likely 2024 presidential opponent, Ron DeSantis. There is one small problem with his grandstanding, though. It is all based on lies.”

Study Findings 

The study compares a quantitative measure of government interventions from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker — a systematic collection of information on policy measures that governments have taken to combat COVID-19. It uses health, economic, and educational indicators to measure the impact of government actions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The study uses a metric called the Government Response Index, which is the Oxford researchers’ most comprehensive index. Low index scores are favorable over high scores.

According to the study, Florida achieved a low index score even though the state relaxed general lockdowns after a short time. On the contrary, despite California’s strict and prolonged lockdowns, the study gives the Golden State one of the highest Oxford index scores in the nation.

The study also looked into migration patterns in and out of Florida and California during the pandemic. The purpose was to see if there was a correlation between stricter and looser restrictions and the decisions of where people wanted to live.

“California’s severe lockdowns seemed to elicit a jump in its already high out-migration, while Florida experienced a significant in-migration increase during the pandemic as compared with pre-pandemic trends,” the Paragon Health stated in the study. “Florida’s commitment to keeping schools open was likely a significant factor in attracting people from around the country.”

In the conclusion of the study, Paragon Health offered the following recommendation: “In future pandemics, policymakers should avoid severe, prolonged, and generalized restrictions and instead carefully tailor government responses to specific disease threats, encouraging state and local governments to balance the health benefits against the economic, educational, health, and social costs of specific response measures.”

California’s Response  

When asked for a response to the study, the California Center of Disease Control did not have a statement. However, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office draws a comparison to Florida, relying on statistics in a Feb. 28  press release that declared an end to California’s COVID-19-related state of emergency

The release highlighted the fact that California’s COVID-19 death rate was among the lowest in the nation. Nationally, the COVID-19 death rate was 339 per 100,000, far above California’s rate.

“If California had Florida’s rate, 56,000 more people would have died here,” the press release stated.

Newsom’s office also addressed economics and education during the pandemic. California’s GDP grew, the press release points out, and unemployment rates fell twice as fast as other large population states.

The statement from Newsom office goes on to highlight that the state is on track to become the 4^th largest economy in the world, and it illuminates how, on average, California students experienced less learning loss than the rest of the nation. Eighth graders had no declines in reading scores in California. Nationally, however, 8th grader reading scores declined 3 points on the National Assessment of Educational Progress scale.

Regarding vaccinations, California has administered a total of 88,208,666. About 72.7% of the population has been vaccinated with a primary series and 9,308 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Addressing Comparisons in Media  

Both Newsom and DeSantis have publicly shared their thoughts on the COVID-19 responses in their respective states. Newsom made appearances on ‘The View’ and ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden,’ and addressed the subject directly.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, Florida has had a 53% higher death rate than the state of California, a 33% case rate and their economy has done worse. California’s example vs. Florida, its not even close in terms of the outcome if you care about life and you care about the economy,” Newsom said.

DeSantis was critical of California’s response during his inaugural address in January, saying Newsom and the state “imposed medical authoritarianism in the guise of pandemic mandates.”

Like two prize fighters taking turns exchanging quips at the press conference before their main event, time will only tell if DeSantis and Newsom will have the opportunity to square off on politics’ largest stage. What we can assume with some certainty, however, is the way they handled the pandemic will be a point of contention raised again and again if that day ever comes.

Join Kingdom Culture for a fun-filled day of free food, games, activities, and Easter Egg hunts for children ages 2 -11 including a special needs easter egg hunt!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Kingdom Culture Worship Centre San Bernardino is excited to announce the “Easter Eggstravaganza” event, taking place on April 8, 2023, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. This free event is open to the public and promises to be a day of fun for the whole family.

Children aged 2-to-11 are invited to participate in the Easter Egg Hunt, where they can hunt for Easter eggs filled with treats and surprises. Additionally, there will be a special needs Easter egg hunt, ensuring that all children can participate in the fun.

Aside from the egg hunt, there will be plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained. Games, face painting, balloon twisting, and other fun activities will be available throughout the day. There will also be free food available for all attendees.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting this event for our community,” said Executive Pastor Bj Sims. “It’s a great opportunity to come together and build community with our neighbors.”

The “Easter Eggstravaganza” event will take place on the Indian Springs High School campus, located at 650 N Del Rosa in San Bernardino. Parking is available on-site. For more information, call 888-270-0988.

Don’t miss out on the fun! Mark your calendars for April 8 and come join in for a free day of Easter fun at Indian Springs High School.

By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

LUE PRODUCTIONS “All Ebony Burlesque Dinner Show”, is coming back with major excitement, thrills, and chills. Come be a part of our upcoming murder mystery dinner show. This will be our 4th show and each one thus far has been sold out. No experience is needed because we’ll give you the tools you need.

If you’re looking for exposure or a group of likeminded individuals, look no further. Our auditions are simple and fun. Below is a list of what we’re looking for in order to put on this amazing production.

We are casting for singers, dancers, comedians, actors, actresses, and stage and production crew members. Our goal is to provide platforms for the talented and entertaining shows for the City of San Bernardino. For more information, please text (909) 567-1000 or (909) 495-0848. You can also email us at lue.info@yahoo.com. For other upcoming events, please visit www.lueproductions.org.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 18 at 10:30 a.m. at 555 N. Arrowhead Avenue in San Bernardino.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The City of San Bernardino celebrated the reopening of Second Street between Arrowhead Avenue and Mountain View Avenue on Tuesday, March 14, restoring vehicle and pedestrian traffic to a key downtown corridor. The road had been closed for three years for the demolition and reconstruction of the Second Street Bridge, which passes over Warm Creek and was found to have structural issues in 2020.

At a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the bridge, Mayor Helen Tran stated, “I share in the excitement of our residents and businesses in the reopening of Second Street. It is a small bridge, but a big connection point.”

When Caltrans found structural issues with the bridge in March of 2020 and ordered it closed to vehicles and pedestrians, plans were already underway to replace it. In February of 2021, the City awarded a contract to Ortiz Construction to construct a new bridge. Construction began in June of 2021.
“I would often get asked by constituents when Second Street would re-open,” said Council Member Damon Alexander. “We are pleased that today is that day.”

Completion of the project was delayed by over a year due to supply chain issues experienced by both the contractor and Southern California Edison, who needed to construct new electricity connections through the new bridge to downtown San Bernardino.

“This project was the poster child for the supply chain issues experienced at the height of the pandemic,” said San Bernardino Public Works Director Daniel Hernandez. “I’d like to thank our contractors and utility partners for their flexibility and patience with each other.”

The project was further delayed last summer to ensure the existing electricity connection remained in place to meet peak load demand downtown.

The cost to replace the four-lane bridge was just over $3.2 million. Approximately $2.6 million was funded by the City, and $600,000 was funded for project design, inspections, and contingencies by Caltrans.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The time has come to the last few weeks of the Knights training and completing of their six-month culminating program. Together they have learned, volunteered, persevered and staying the course. Through this process they have maturing and are ready for the next journey in their lives. The Social Lites’ Inc goal since 1968 has been to prepare these young men to understand the struggles and opportunities involved in the journey to succeed in college and in life.

They are recognizing these outstanding five Knights who are on their way to prestigious colleges across the country and will return to serve our communities. The community is invited to join them for the 56th Annual Beautillion Scholarship Program on April 1, 2023, at California State University San Bernardino in the beautiful San Manuel Student Union Building. The black-tie formal events’ tickets can be purchased for $50 at the door as you will witness the crowning of Sir Knight 2023.

If you have questions, please contact the Business Manager, Brenda Daniels at (909)856-6341 or the President, Sheri Lewis at (909) 320-0799.

As of earlier this week, the online interactive snow removal map created by the County Public Works Department showed that 409 miles or 79 percent of the roadways maintained by San Bernardino County had been made passable by crews working around the clock since last week from Mt. Baldy and Wrightwood to the eastern edge of the Big Bear Valley.

Please view this video documenting the County’s progress.

Passable means at least one lane open with less than 8 inches of snow, which can be navigated by four-wheel drive vehicles with chains.

As of this afternoon, 100 percent of the County roads in Wrightwood County Maintained Roads are at 100% passable with properly equipped vehicles and crews are working on clearing and widening the roads.

County Public Works crews also continue to make progress servicing County-maintained roads in the Crestline and Lake Arrowhead area, where more than 60 percent of the roads are now passable.

Please avoid driving and parking on newly plowed roads. The pathways are needed for emergency vehicles and additional plowing.

While the County is closing in on 100 percent clearance of County-maintained roads, those who live on privately owned roads must need to contact a private contractor to remove snow. The County and Caltrans are prohibited from plowing private property.

For other snow guidance from DPW, visit our Snow Removal Frequently Asked Questions site.

Meanwhile, mountain residents are urged to remember that if they make to down the hill on either Highway 18 or Highway 330, there is a very strong chance they won’t be allowed back up. For those who find themselves stranded down the hill, there is a Red Cross shelter at Redlands East Valley High School. For assistance, call 909-387-3911.