Local

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Better known as the “ATC Disaster Master,” Jai Prasad, CPA is a Supervising Accountant III for San Bernardino County’s Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (ATC) with more than 20 years of experience managing disasters.

When it comes to disaster management, Prasad handles disaster incident cost tracking and disaster recovery budget estimates. The most recent disasters for which Prasad sought cost recovery were the 2019 Trona earthquakes and the countywide COVID-19 emergency response. Prasad created a system called the “Disaster Public Assistance Overview” for County departments to help them understand claiming eligibility, types of assistance, and criteria for more timely reimbursement of disaster costs. In addition, Prasad is the liaison between County departments and California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CALOES) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

During his County career, Prasad and ATC Disaster Team have recovered more than $55 million in disaster response and recovery costs on behalf of San Bernardino County taxpayers.
Prasad attended college at California State University, San Bernardino where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He participated in the Beta Alpha Psi Program where he was encouraged by then-ATC Larry Walker to apply for the Summer Student Internship Program that ATC hosts annually. Prasad was accepted as an ATC intern and through hard work, dedication, and continued education he was promoted to his current position.

Born in the Fiji Islands, Prasad migrated to the United States through the diversity lottery. He lives in San Bernardino County. Jai is married to Kaveeta Prasad, and they have a daughter, Jaya Prasad, who attends Cajon High School. The ATC-Controller Division is very lucky to have Prasad as a mentor and a leader.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Families—complete with fathers, mothers, grandparents, and lots of daughters—attended the first American Girl Doll Tea Party in three years at Dr. Mildred Dalton Henry Elementary School in San Bernardino. The Girl Scouts was there, and they signed up enough girls to start a new troop.

“Another great success of the American Girl Tea Party included the Girls Scouts of San Gorgonio obtaining enough interest to start a new Girl Scout Troop in the Mt. Vernon area,” says Knea Hawley, Vice President of Development for Girls Scouts of San Gorgonio.

“Girl Scouts is a great way to help girls learn new skills and make friends, but the pandemic has made it difficult for some troops to meet,” says Hawley.  “I am thrilled to see the outpouring of support for girls and scouting.  We’re grateful to have Girl Scout alumna Ivana Wright, who led a troop before the pandemic, and will lead this new one.

“I am really excited to work with a new group of girls and help them gain life skills, develop their interest in community and champion girls who will make the world a better place,” said Ivana Wright, Girl Scout of the Year 2017.

Foundation President Arlington Rodgers, Jr. says, “The mission of the San Bernardino City Library Foundation is to make sure that our public libraries continue to be places where everyone in the community can gather, learn, grow, and interact. The joining of local girls with The Girl Scouts at a Foundation-sponsored event, is a fine example of how the Library Foundation helps our community do just that.”

The doll collection and the multi-generational American Girl Doll Tea Party are both made possible thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations of San Bernardino including the San Bernardino City Library Foundation.

“The San Bernardino City Library allows children to check out an American Girl Doll kit.  It includes ethnically diverse dolls, a carrying case, accessories, a book about the doll and a journal. Children checking out the dolls are encouraged to write about their playing with the dolls in a journal,” said Angela Encinas, Children’s Librarian.

For more information on how to join the new San Bernardino Troop or to start a new Girl Scout troop contact Concetta Miller cmiller@gssgc.org.

For more information on the San Bernardino City Library Foundation go to SBCLF.com

Regular Run September 10 to October 16

CLAREMONT, CA— Ophelia’s Jump Productions closes their 2022 Season with Inda Craig-Galvan’s, Black Superhero Magic Mama. The production will be performed at the OJP Theater, located at 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite I, in Upland, from September 10 through October 16, 2022.

About Black Superhero Magic Mama:
All the books Sabrina reads to her son, Tramarion, start off with a tragedy but then the young protagonists are made whole. Little does she know that Tramarion’s life is heading in the opposite direction. When Tramarion is gunned down in a parking lot by a cop who thinks the trophy in the 14-year old’s hand is a gun, Sabrina sinks into inconsolable grief. She balks at the expectation that she presents her grief for the public as a rallying call. When Sabrina does not make a public appearance the talking heads question her motives. “The mothers always go to the rally. Isn’t it, like, some kind of protocol?”

Facing crushing tragedy, Sabrina retreats into a fantasy comic book world created by her gifted son, Tramarion, and his friend Flat Joe. In that universe she is The Maasai Angel in search of an ultimate combat with a faceless entity to “get back what’s mine.” Ala Wizard of Oz, Sabrina confronts comic book style villainous avatars of people from her real life– the police, the media, Tramarion’s coach. This inventive play takes the audience inside the mind of one mother as she battles to overcome her sense of loss and find a way forward. The play is a wild ride mixing elements of graphic novels and gaming that coalesce into an imaginative, surprisingly funny, and deeply touching adventure.

Inda Craig-Galvan wrote Black Super Hero Magic Mama in response to the killing of Tamir Rice, a 12 year old boy who was playing with a replica gun when he was shot and killed by a white police officer. Since the play’s initial writing, black young men and boys have continued to be killed by police at a disproportionate rate. Black Super Hero Magic Mama continues to be powerfully moving, provocative, and painfully relevant.

The play contains strong language, stylized gun violence re-enactment, and exaggerated comic book style fight scenes, but will appeal to audiences of all ages in its treatment of family and our ideas about heroes. Parental discretion is advised.

Inda Craig-Galvan is the recipient of the Kesselring Prize, Jeffry Melnick New Playwright Award, Blue Ink Playwriting Prize, Jane Chambers Student Award for Feminist Playwriting, and Stage Raw’s Best Playwright Award.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino native DeShawn Radden, who was a hit on season 41 of “Survivor”, a popular CBS TV show. The show pushes contestants to a breaking point and forces them to use social and emotional survival skills. DeShawn, 27 years old, is a native of San Bernardino, California. He will receive his White Coat from The Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami, Florida on Friday August 26, 2022. The White coat ceremony is known as the Right of Passage. This ceremony is performed in many medical fields when students transition from pre-clinical to clinical rotations.

Dwaine Radden Sr., father of DeShawn said, “I am so proud of him for always staying the course and for embodying the 3D code of “Discipline, Determination, Dedication equals winner always”! His mom will be truly missed today”. Radden said.  “She has the best seat in the house and will be there spiritually”. Mrs. Radden passed away on May 1, 2022. The Inland Empire salutes this hometown young man as he starts on the last component of his medical journey.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—– The San Bernardino City Council has awarded a construction contract to extend State Street from 16th Street to Baseline Street, a project that has been envisioned to improve mobility for over 20 years. The contract, awarded on August 17th to Riverside Construction Company of Riverside, CA in the amount of $7,436,165, will construct a new four lane divided roadway that includes medians, sidewalks, and storm drains.

The project is located just south of the 210 Freeway and parallels the Lytle Creek Basin. The new street will improve connectivity to the freeway, decrease cut through traffic in neighborhoods, and provide better access for residents to Arroyo Valley High School and Anne Shirrells Park.

“The West Side residents of San Bernardino have been waiting for this for a long time,” said Councilmember Kimberly Calvin, who represents the area. “Our patience is being rewarded with a great new street that will serve as a major arterial for the entire area and position Ward 6 for more economic development opportunities.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Two recent high-profile actions by the San Bernardino City Council have signaled that progress continues to occur in the redevelopment of the 43- acre Carousel Mall site, a project envisioned to revitalize San Bernardino’s downtown. This activity has also spiked interest in other downtown properties.

On August 3, 2022, the City Council approved adding national real estate developer Lincoln Property Company (LPC West) to the development team as the project’s principal partner, joining RD-ICO. On July 20, the Council approved seeking bids to demolish and clear the Mall property.

LPC West is the second largest apartment operator in the United States and has developed over 130 million square feet of mixed-use space throughout the country. They finance, construct, and operate large projects that bring together housing, office, and commercial space in one location.

“With their proven track record of developing large successful projects across the country, many inland cities have wanted to do business with Lincoln,” said San Bernardino City Manager Robert Field. “Having them committed to the Carousel Mall project speaks volumes about downtown San Bernardino’s potential.”

By Austin Gage | California Black Media

Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s latest allocation of $2.2 billion from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, eight grants — totaling more than $119 million — were awarded by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to local governments, transit agencies and a tribal nation to help improve transportation in California.

Grants were awarded to the Port of Los Angeles-Long Beach ($20 million), Sacramento Area Council of Governments ($5 million), Yuba-Sutter Transit Authority ($15 million), Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation ($1.6 million), City of Fontana ($15 million), City of Inglewood ($15 million), California High-Speed Rail Authority ($25 million), and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency ($23 million).

The cities of Inglewood and Fontana are beneficiaries of the RAISE program’s goal, “to help urban and rural communities move forward on projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation and make our transportation systems safer, more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable.”

With different transportation needs and obstacles, the cities are slated to use the award money for different reasons.

In the case of Inglewood, the $15 million will be pushed into the “Inglewood Transit Connector Project” (ITC). The ITC, when fully complete, will consist of an approximately 1.6-mile fully elevated, automated transit system with three stations to complete a critical gap in the region’s transit system, on segments along Market Street, Manchester Boulevard, and Prairie Avenue. As Inglewood continues to experience increased traffic due to places of interest such as SoFi Stadium, transit systems such as the ITC have been a key piece of the puzzle for the city’s health and growth.

Supporters of the project say not only will it serve as a cleaner transportation option compared to personal vehicles, the ITC promises to provide jobs to local workers from the area. The ITC project includes a commitment to a Community Workforce Agreement to hire 35% local residents, 10% disadvantaged workers, and 20% apprentice workers.

Inglewood Mayor James Butts

Inglewood Mayor James Butts applauded RAISE’s transportation award for the ITC and explained the rationale for the project.

“The ITC Project will reduce traffic, improve air quality, and it will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors across the region,” said Butts.

While Inglewood’s RAISE award money will focus on the ITC transit system, Fontana’s award will feed into the “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire Project”. As described by the DOT, this program will make major complete streets improvements by constructing additional lane capacity, an integrated traffic system, medians with protected left turns, a roundabout, bus turnouts, streetlights, signage, and raised medians, more than 7.5 miles of bike lanes, including more than 2.5 miles of separated bike lanes, a half-mile of multi-use trail, crosswalks, a bridge, and countdown signal heads.

Sharing many of the same goals as Inglewood’s ITC, Fontana’s project goals include improved efforts for safety, sustainable environmental factors, economic competitiveness and opportunity, and innovation. DOT experts say the project will help Fontana citizens have easier access to approximately 7,500 job opportunities.

The RAISE award for the “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire Project” was announced by Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Pete Aguilar (CA-31) and Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.

“With this RAISE grant provided by the Department of Transportation, we will make our streets and bike lanes safer, better connect our residents to transportation services, and strengthen our local and regional infrastructure for generations to come – all while integrating equity and accessibility. Without a doubt, this $15 million grant will be transformative to Fontana and the Inland Empire and support every single resident living in the region,” Rep. Torres said.

Rep. Aguilar said, “I’m proud to partner with Rep. Torres to secure federal funding that meets the City of Fontana’s needs and will continue to raise the quality of life for our region.”

Warren was just as excited for PRAISE’s awarded money and the positive impact it will have on the city in general.

“This is a historic day for the City of Fontana. The “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire” project will transform Fontana’s transportation corridors and create safe pathways for students and bicyclists. We are thankful to Congresswoman Torres and Congressman Aguilar for their work to secure RAISE Grant funding for Fontana,” said Warren.

With common goals like transportation safety, efficiency, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability, Inglewood’s ITC and Fontana’s “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire” fit the criteria of what U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was looking for when deciding which projects across the country should receive PRAISE awarded money.

“We are proud to support so many outstanding infrastructure projects in communities large and small, modernizing America’s transportation systems to make them safer, more affordable, more accessible, and more sustainable,” Buttigieg said.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Concerned Citizens for the Development of North Fontana invite you to the Mommy and Me fashion show and tea. You can show your support to the young ladies who are doing something positive and their mothers who are leading by example!

The afternoon tea is a fundraiser to sponsor the 54th Miss Black Awareness Scholarship Pageant to be held December 17, 2022.

The tea will be held on Saturday, August 27 from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Josephine Knopf Senior Center located at 8384 Cypress Avenue in Fontana. To register for the tea, visit www.missblackawarenesspagent.webs.com.

RIVERSIDE, CA—- The much-anticipated 11th annual My Hair, My Health Festival will be back in-person on Sunday, August 28, 2022, from 2pm-6pm at Fairmount Park after being virtual for the last two years.  The event, located at 2601 Fairmount Blvd., Riverside, CA 92501 will feature music, dancing, hair demos, dynamic guest speakers, historical reflections, interactive activities, a kids’ corner, contests, raffles, food, and more.

This powerful festival is a celebration of beauty from the inside out and aims to raise awareness about hair and health as well as empower African American girls, teens, and women to be proud and confident in their crowns.  The goal of the event is to remove the stigmas impacting mental health, as it relates to women’s hair within the black community.

“There’s a lot of healing that needs to be done with how black women across several generations have cared and felt about their hair than most even realize,” My Hair, My Health Committee Member, Reverend Bronica Martindale emphasized.  “We want to create a safe space that encourages one another to look at the beauty within ourselves and each other and leave this event feeling empowered inside and out.”

The event is open to the entire community, as this sponsored event is free to attend and open to all ages. To reserve your tickets, visit www.MyHairMyHealthCali.com.

The festival will feature a Royal Welcoming by vocalist Mirraje and dynamic keynote presentations by two leading mental health and wellness educators, Dr. Sayida Peprah-Wilson, Psy.D and Dr. Janiel L. Henry, Psy.D. The conversation will touch on how women can take care of their hair in active settings, inform them on the harmful ingredients to avoid in black hair products, and share resources and apps like DeTox Me, Environmental Work Group, Think Dirty, and ClearYa that help women make healthier decisions when buying products and caring for their hair.

Hair demos will be provided by two My Hair, My Health Champions, Linita Hawkins, M.E.A. CEO of Lovely Locs, and Shor Denny, MS Founder & CEO of Community Now with her presentation entitled “Breaking Down the Lie”.

Committee Member Terri Akens shared, “My Hair, My Health is a breath of fresh air, in a society that pushes a standard of beauty that denies the natural beauty we were born with. This event was created to remind us of our greatness allowing us to tap into what is really important, positive self-image, living a healthy lifestyle, sisterhood, and love for one another.”

Entertainment will be provided by DJ Mystique and the Unspeakable Praise, who will delight attendees with a Circle of Life praise dance.  The Kids’ Corner will include coloring, drawing, and storytelling.  The coloring pages will depict African American girls rocking their natural hair with positive affirmations displayed.  Storytelling will include a reading of “Timmy Tut and the Pyramid Adventures”,  read by Davil Jackson. This book is co-authored by James Woods, aka “Dat Yoga Dude” and Davil Jackson.

This event is sponsored by the Riverside Community Health Foundation and IEHP, and made possible by the My Hair, My Health committee members including founding members Phyllis Y. Clark, Founder & CEO of Healthy Heritage Movement, Terri Akens, Director of Community Health Programs at Riverside Community Health Foundation, Eryn Young, MPH, Program Director for Just Muv Consulting, Rev. Bronica Martindale, and Teslyn Henry-King, MPH, MPA, RD, Program Coordinator for San Bernardino County Department of Public Health Nutrition along with, April Gillis, Project Coordinator at Healthy Heritage Movement, and the new 2022 committee members Carla Towns and Shavon Johnson, both from Delta Sigma Theta San Bernardino Riverside Area Alumnae Chapter.

My Hair, My Health is a celebration of beauty and wellness from the inside out.  It is a movement encouraging African American women to define and promote a standard of beauty that is uniquely theirs.  If you need mental health services or for more information about My Hair, My Health please contact Healthy Heritage at (951) 293-4240 or visit them on their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Myhairmyhealth. 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- More than 110, daughters, sons, granddaughters, parents, and grandparents from throughout the Inland Empire enjoyed canapés, tea, and cake at the first American Girl Doll “Tea Party” in two years, thanks to the San Bernardino City Library Foundation.

The multi-generational American Girl Doll Tea Party took place recently at Dr. Mildred Dalton Henry Elementary School, complete with a book signing from the school’s namesake and author Dr. Mildred Dalton Henry herself.

In opening his school to host the Tea Party, Dr. Christopher Tickell, Principal said he plans to make this a signature event of his school for the foreseeable future. “ I was so excited to be a part of such an amazing event. To see so many people working so hard together to make something special for our community. I look forward to hosting this tea again and again and again.”

San Bernardino City Library Director Ed Erjavek, and Library Foundation President Arlington Rodgers, Jr., welcomed the families to the celebration. San Bernardino City Council member Kimberley Calvin, School Board member Dr. Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers and Kim Knaus, Senior Field Representative for Board of Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. joined the festivities.

Families—complete with fathers, mothers, and grandparents—came from San Bernardino, Riverside, Rialto, Hesperia, Redlands, and Rancho Cucamonga to attend the American Girl Tea Party in San Bernardino. Four children won American Girl Dolls and books in the event’s free raffle.

Cheryl Brown former Assemblymember (retired) and San Bernardino City Library Foundation Board member and committee chairperson and President Arlington Rodgers, Jr., served as emcees and led the afternoon with information, food, and fun.

Canapés and tea were served by youth and adult volunteers including Black Voice newspaper publisher Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, Jordan and Peyton Brown, Isabell and Olivia Lee ,San Bernardino City Library Foundation board members Mary Kay DeCrescenzo, Vice President, Operations, Debra A. Fields, Secretary, and Arlington Rodgers, Jr., President. The annual event attracts children and their parents from the Greater San Bernardino Area.

Lynn Summers presented the University of California’s local Master Gardener/Master Food Preserver program members who taught the children the oldest secrets on food preservation, making seed paper, pickled vegetables and gave all participants free milkweed plants.

Milkweed plants are the favorite food of Monarch butterflies. The children were asked to plant them to draw butterflies to their yards and help renew the butterfly population.

Angela Encinas , Children’s Librarian described how The San Bernardino City Library allows children to check out an American Girl Doll kit. It includes ethnically diverse dolls, a carrying case, accessories, a book about the doll and a journal. Children checking out the dolls are encouraged to write about their playing with the dolls in a journal. She included a reading of one of the journal pages and the author was in the audience, imagine the surprise on her face after hearing her words two years after she wrote them.

“Another great success of the day included The Girls Scouts obtaining enough sign-ups to start a new Girl Scout Troop in the Mt. Vernon area, the first new one in many years,” said Knea Hawley, Girl Scout executive.

The doll collection and the annual tea are both made possible thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations of San Bernardino that take delight in giving children entertaining educational experiences.

Foundation President Arlington Rodgers, Jr., says, “Our deepest gratitude to our generous Foundation Partners who made the afternoon tea possible: Dr. Christopher Tickell, the Irvine Foundation, Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, the University of California Cooperative, Extension Master Food Preservers and Master Gardeners of San Bernardino, the Westside Action Group, Mary Kay DeCrescenzo, Debra Fields, Edison International, Amazon, the Inland Empire Community Foundation, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Friends of the Library, Johnnie Ralph, Shelby Obershaw, Dameron Communications and Evy Morales.

Planning for next year’s American Girl Tea Party begins next week. If you are interested in joining the planning, please call Stacy at (909) 381-8211.

About the San Bernardino City Library Foundation

The mission of the San Bernardino City Library Foundation is to make sure that our public libraries continue to be places where everyone in the community can gather, learn, grow, and interact.

Since 1995, the San Bernardino City Library Foundation has provided the San Bernardino Public Library system with the financial support it needs to provide new books for patrons, offer free tutoring for all academic levels, provide patrons with access to e-books and audiobooks, and provide innovative programs like a Makerspace and the American Girl Doll program.

https://play.americangirl.com/

Board members include Arlington Rodgers, Jr., President; Cheryl R. Brown, Vice President, Community Relations; Mary Kay DeCrescenzo, Vice President, Operations; Debra A. Fields, Secretary, Dr. Chris Tickell, Treasurer Evy Morales and Timothy Prince, Director.