WSSN Stories

RIALTO, CA – The San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees elected officers for its 2017-18 academic year at its annual organizational meeting last week. Representing District 2 (Rialto and Muscoy) Trustee Joseph Williams was elected to serve his first term as President of the Board of Trustees.

“It is an honor to be selected by fellow Governing Board Members to serve as President and I’m humbled of the opportunity to help continue fostering a community college that embraces diversity and provides a world-class education to prepare our future Inland Empire workforce,” said Joseph Williams. “I am excited about this opportunity and I am most interested increasing student success. It’s my desire to see textbooks become more affordable; increase the number of people with at least a middle skill credential and ensuring our tax dollars are spent on academic initiatives and infrastructure that will continue making our colleges the jewel of the Inland Empire.”

?Joseph Williams was appointed to fill a Board of Trustees vacancy in 2013 and then elected to the position in November, 2014.

As Founder and CEO of the Youth Action Project (YAP), Joseph Williams has served youth and adults of the Inland Empire for nearly two decades. YAP empowers youth and young adults in development of the skills and habits needed for economic and social success. YAP integrates youth popular culture in its program to engage positive dialogue, decision-making, and actions that will improve educational and workforce outcomes.
?Prior to founding YAP, Joseph Williams was employed with the County of San Bernardino for nine years, working for the Department of Behavioral Health, the Workforce Development Department and the Sheriff’s Department.

He currently serves as a Executive member of the California Workforce Develop Board and the California Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board.

Joseph served as the SBCCD Student Trustee when he was a college student, has Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is currently completing a Masters of Arts in Social Impact from Claremont Lincoln University.

To learn more about Joseph Williams, visit www.josephrwilliams.com

By Lue Dowdy

Another year gone is WHAT IT DO! Having people that truly believe in you and support you is the best feeling in the world. Sometimes you have to be your own cheerleader or roaring squad. Don’t be afraid to encourage and motivate yourself to higher heights. This year I’ve had the pleasure to feature and highlight several talented artists in the Inland Empire. I count it a blessing to be able to provide a platform and share their stories.

I’d like to thank Mr. Wallace Allen, one of my mentors, for allowing me to be a part of his amazing team at the Westside Story Newspaper; for believing in my vision. Until next year L’zzz high in the air and Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

I’ve had enough; Jesus says….The Charade… Pretending to Love Me… No More! It’s Over Now! Depart from Me, you worker of iniquity.”

Can you imagine those words falling from Jesus lips? “You don’t know what to say. You close your eyes to hide the pain you feel inside because you know that truly, it’s over now.” No More Charades! No More Pretending! For some people, this will come as the shock of their lives. They had expected to be in the kingdom, but they will be forced to walk away into the judgment. I tell you, it’s a good thing though, that none of us “church going “Christians” will ever have to hear those words. I mean, there‘s no way that Jesus would turn you away is there? You do serve Him, right? You do love him right? You do worship Him as the one and only true God, right? You do understand the necessity of being sincere and faithful in one’s worship and service to God, right?” Because of all the scripture that comes to mind, perhaps the saddest one of all is found in [Matthew 7: 23.] Here Jesus tells us that at the second coming, there will be some people who will fully expect to ascend to heaven with Him in the clouds of glory, but He will have to tell them; “….depart from Me, I never knew you.”

How terrible is this warning to the false prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers, bishops, elders and evangelist, who have prophesied, who have really preached and taught and who expect to go to heaven, but yet, will wake up in Hell, Jesus says; because everything they do is done for men to see [Matthew 23:5]. They are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside is full of dead men’s bones… On the outside [they] appear to people as righteous but on the inside [they] are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Hypocrites! Their primary concern is projecting the right image. They make sure they walk right, dress right, and talk right. But oh, on that great day, the Day of Judgment, they will be commanded to depart into everlasting shame and torment! Multitudes of people who expect to go to Heaven will go to Hell. Thousands of “good” people, “moral” people, church members, even church workers, will find themselves lost when they expected to be saved, condemned when they expected approval, cast out of Heaven when they expected to be received into eternal bliss. Jesus’ words cut to the quick. “I never knew you.” Can you imagine…. It’s Over Now!

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” [Deuteronomy 30:19]

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Nuri Freeman will gladly and expertly repair or even custom build a guitar especially for you or whomever. The young entrepreneur restores, repairs and builds guitars, speakers, amplifiers, keyboards, mixers and more.

He has been in business in some form or another from his childhood. His father is Marwan, the well-respected Bass Guitar player and owner of “Lia’s Got Good Cense” Imported Body Oils.

“I learned to work hard and to be dependable’ as a result of working with my father, and that pays off for me every day” says the creative owner of PC Productions.

Nuri’s shop is located in the Discount Mall in San Bernardino at Ninth Street and Waterman Avenue. Call Nuri at (951) 288-0819.

Visiting Nuri will also take you to “Lia’s Got Good Cense” home of hundreds of different scented body oils, located across the aisle from PC Productions.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- African art and jewelry can make great gifts. Rashad Hasan and his wife Patricia have collected and sold African art and accessories for nearly 30 years. Their product line is varied and provides you access to both general and very exclusive items. According to Hasan, “You have not shopped until you have looked through the art, jewelry and nic-nacks that Pat and I have selected and stashed in this shop, just for you!”  

Hasan’s Accessories is located in the Discount Mall located at Ninth Street and Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino. Call Rashad Hasan at (951) 315-1292.

By Lue Dowdy

LUE Productions out on the town is WHAT IT DO! This time of year you’re guaranteed to find holiday parties, cocktails, fashion, and cheer in every city. Congratulations to LA Live for another successful event.

Our team had the opportunity to attend a red carpet star studded Holiday Toy Drive /Gala held by the Brigade LA. From the time we walked in the door it was snap, snap. Major celebrities were in the building such as actress Christina Millian, former NFL player for the San Diego Chargers Shawne Merriman, NASCAR Driver Jessie Iwuji, Track & Field Olympian Will Claye, and several more.

The evening consisted of a fashion show installation featuring Lights Out Brand by Shawne Merriman and an art exhibit by Michael Farhat and Art Mobb. The music was on point thanks to the sexy female DJ, DJ Sweesh. Guest’s were able to participate in free raffles and receive free giveaways. Complimentary Margaritas were also provided by Gaviata Tequila, along with food samples from Comfort LA an organic catering company and ice cream you deserve by Gresescent.

I’d like to thank Ashley Covarrubias, founder of The Model Experience, for allowing The Westside Story Newspaper and LUE Productions to cover such an amazing event. The Model Experience was launched back in 2012. The Model Experience is a model development firm that focuses on creating unique opportunities and experiences for emerging models. For more information please contact the company via email at info@themodelexpereince.net.

Until next week L’z! (Photographer: F.W. Photography/ Interviewer: Deeveatva Foy / Writer: LUE Dowdy)

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Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Harboring unforgiveness in your heart. Don’t you know the Bible says, “If you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you?” You don’t want to put yourself in the position of God not forgiving you just because you are too prideful to forgive someone else. That’s a dangerous place to be in, and it’s not worth it. Let it go! I tell you, you cannot afford to hold on to an unforgiving spirit. Harboring unforgiveness is like getting bit by a rattlesnake. It releases a poison to the soul. It will eat you up from the inside out.  It will destroy you like a growing cancer and worst of all it will make it impossible for you to live a victorious Christian life. Let it go, forgive, and move on! If you don’t, you are in Sin. It is that simple!

If I can get one point across to you today let it be this, “Forgive… and Set YOURSELF Free!” Release the hatred, bitterness and resentment. You may not feel like forgiving, but do it anyway for it is in your own best interest to forgive. You are the one who God is trying to protect. You are the one who receive the most benefit from forgiveness, not the other person. When you forgive others there is a freedom where you are no longer shackled by your own anger. Decide today that you are not going to go through another year plagued by the curse of a bitter spirit that robs you of your peace, robs you of your joy, and robs you of your power. It need not be anymore! Even though it goes against every fiber of your being! Even though every pore of your body screams, “No, I can’t, you don’t understand!” Even though you want the other person to know the pain they inflicted on you, I will say to you as [Booker T. Washington] said, “… Let no man make you lower yourself by hating him.” Extend to them what God has extended to you, forgiveness. Besides, there is no caveat that says to forgive only when the other person deserves it or to forgive if they ask for forgiveness. God has been very clear about forgiveness. He has given us specific direction in numerous Scriptures, all of which can be summed up in just one word — Forgive! [Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37] Now if you think you have been wronged so badly that you can’t forgive, I want you to consider Jesus’ own story.

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, after being abused, spat upon, beaten, and mocked, He cried out: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” [Luke 23:34] This passage is an example of the beauty and wonder of forgiveness. It may have been a parent, an ex-spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, a sibling, a friend, a relative, or perhaps a stranger. It may have been a hurt that came from some violent or reckless act. It may have been something that somebody should have done, but didn’t. It may have been something that took place over many years. Either way, forgiveness is not an option. All of us have been hurt by people. Sometimes they hurt us on purpose. Other times, people can hurt us when it’s not intentional. The point is that we have been given a command, and the command is to forgive. You have to be very purposeful in forgiving. Ask God to show you how to forgive anyone you may be holding unforgiveness against. It’s not going to be easy, but the rewards are so worth it!  “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

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RIVERSIDE, CA- The Fair Housing Council of Riverside was the site of holiday joy and the spirit of giving on Tuesday, November 22, 2016.  The Riverside Alumni Chapter (RAC) of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and members of its Kappa League Youth Program collaborated with the Council, community volunteers and local charitable organizations to provide turkeys, canned goods, clothing, socks, shoes and toys to families in need.
Over 400 families were served with the help of community partners, which included the Silhouettes of RAC Kappa Alpha Psi, Theta Pi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., the Pi Rho Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Martin Luther King High School Black Student Union.
On the heels of its successful turkey giveaway, the Fraternity is in the midst of finalizing the details of its upcoming Shop with a Kappa event, which is its annual toy distribution to Riverside children.
“Every year we look forward to shopping with the children and their families, because it allows Kappa to impact the children in a meaningful and memorable way”, says Polemarch Demarius Carmichael.   Walmart Stores has partnered with the Fraternity to host the annual shopping spree, which will take place on Sunday, December 18, 2016. Participants are referred by the Fair Housing Council and other charitable organizations based on need.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Pretending to love the Lord! This is a clear reminder that you never know the true condition of the hearts of those around you. Just like the other disciples they never did figure out that Judas was a traitor until after he had betrayed Jesus. They always assumed that he was one of them… Keeping a low profile and camouflaging his hypocrisy. Well, “Undercover Brother” I want you to know that, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time,” and you can NEVER fool God! Jesus has warned us to examine our motivation for our good deeds and in [Matthews 7:13-28] along the same lines, He warns us that when we “hear” His words we had better respond, and respond GENUINELY. Superficiality doesn’t do us any good, and it doesn’t fool God. Genuine discipleship, however, is a gift from God to help us. But naw, we think we are so smart, we think we are able to pull a fast one on God. Well you better think again! Adam and Eve tried it to their sorrow [Genesis 2: 15-17; 3: 6, 24]. Believing the devil’s lie, they sneered at and scorned God’s law, but not with impunity. They deluded themselves, thinking they could set aside God’s law and all would be well, but the consequences surely followed and they were driven out of the garden and death came upon man. In [Joshua chapter 7] the man named Achan thought he could fool God. He concealed his sin from others but God was not fooled [READ Joshua 6: 18-19; 7: 1, 11, 20-21]. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, tried to gain personal profit by lying but God was not fooled [See 2 Kings.5: 15-16, 20-27]. The prophet Jonah tried to run and hide from God but God was not fooled [Jonah 1: 1-3, 17]. Ananias and Sapphira tried to fool God by their lies in [Acts 5] but, the seed of lies produced the awful harvest and cost them their lives. Are you sure you want to go down this road?

You know in the Book of [Mark chapter 14 verses 10-11] it deals with a man named Judas Iscariot; a man who is without a doubt, the most notorious and most vilified of all the disciples. Every time he is mentioned in the Bible, the Word of God reminds us that he is a traitor who betrayed Jesus to His death. Judas was a failure as a disciple. Even though he was exposed to the same teaching the others heard. Even though he saw the same miracles and was involved in the same ministries. Yet, Judas never came to saving faith in Jesus Christ. He spent three years with Jesus and he died lost. While Judas was a failure as a disciple, he was the most successful hypocrite of all time. He played his part so well that no one but Jesus Himself knew that Judas was a fraud and a pretender. He was as common and as ordinary as the rest of the disciples. He was so ordinary that he never stood out from the rest. He hid behind the camouflage of hypocrisy and no one but Jesus ever realized it. I wonder just who I am talking too…. Don’t be like Judas… the man who kissed the door of Heaven but went to Hell. Jesus picked him as an apostle but he went to Hell. He lived with Jesus for three years and still went to Hell. He watched Jesus walk on the water and still went to Hell. He listened to the Sermon on the Mount and still went to Hell. He ate with Jesus, talked with Jesus, walked with Jesus, and listened to Jesus day after day, month after month, year after year. He knew Jesus as well as one has ever known Jesus and still he went to Hell. And yet, none of the disciples suspected him. Even at the Last Supper, when Jesus identified Judas publicly, they still couldn’t figure it out.

I want you to know that I truly believe in the assurance of salvation through the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. I’m not in favor of constant introspection about whether or not you are a Christian. But there is a place for healthy self-examination in the Christian life. No one should take for granted his hope of Heaven. What happened with Judas could happen to any of us. The story of Judas is in the Bible for many reasons, not the least of which is that before we take anything for granted, we at least ask the question the other apostles asked that fateful night: “Lord, is it I?” It is my prayer that the Lord will use the lessons from this man’s life to cause us to look deep within our own souls; lest we also be found to be great pretenders.