Happily Divorced And After

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino County Committee on School District Organization is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy for appointment for an unexpired term in the Second Supervisorial District.

Applicants, who must be registered voters in their respective supervisorial district, should apply to the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to be considered for appointment. County Committee members cannot be employed by a school district in any county, community college district or county superintendent office. School board members are eligible to apply.

The deadline to apply is by 4:00 p.m. on March 10, 2023.

The 11-member committee deals with school district organization issues, including number of trustees, trustee and school district boundary areas, and unification.

The Second Supervisorial District includes the following cities Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Alta Loma, Etiwanda, Mt. Baldy, and northern Upland. Interested applicants can view the current district maps for the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and look up their address to determine if they reside in the Second Supervisorial District athttps://sbcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=97eabb32b34c485188edd2009a7d980f

The County Committee or County Superintendent will make the appointment, not the

County Board of Supervisors.

The interest forms for applying for the committee positions can be downloaded from the County Committee website:https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/business-services/business-advisory-services/county-committee

For more news and information, visit the SBCSS Newsroom and follow us @SBCountySchools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram andYouTube. #transforminglives.

By Tonja Myles

Use Black History Month to educate Black people about the challenges facing their community, where fentanyl overdoses and suicides have increased faster than any other time in U.S. history, says a former White House representative and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline spokeswoman.

“The history of African Americans and mental health is complicated,” says Tonja Myles, executive director of Set Free Indeed. “Many have faced systemic oppression, prejudice and discrimination, which has created a spike in mental health challenges such as higher risks of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder,” she says.

The increase in suicide rates and fentanyl deaths among the community compounds the problem and emphasizes the need for culturally appropriate mental health services and resources, adds Myles, a suicide attempt, substance abuse and sexual abuse survivor who worked with President George W. Bush’s administration on substance abuse.
Historically when communities of color are in crisis, they won’t ask for help due to sigma and fear. Myles is working on a different outcome with new resources such as the 988 hotline. She has also released a video that describes her own battle with these issues plus stories from survivors who have real-life experience with mental health or substance abuse issues and want to give others hope.

“When I was in the throes of thinking about killing myself, I thought that the pain would die with me,” she says. “I needed help to know that it doesn’t — it only transfers to every family member and friend I have. I’m glad I am alive to share my story, and I hope these new resources will be a life saver,” she says.

Link to 988:

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988

About Tonja Myles

988 spokeswoman Tonja Myles (www.TonjaMyles.com) is the co-founder and executive director of the faith-based outpatient center Set Free Indeed and the community support program Set Free Indeed Ministry. She was recognized by President George W. Bush for her work during his 2003 State of the Union, and she served for six years as the public face of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and its work on substance abuse treatment. Her Congressional testimonies have been used to assist those suffering from mental health and additional crises. She is a survivor of suicide, substance abuse, childhood and adult sexual abuse and PTSD. She has moved thousands of people to sobriety and a healthy, self-sustainable lifestyle with her work. She has won more than a dozen awards for her service including the Johns Hopkins Substance Abuse Innovators Award 2005 and the Daily Point of Light award 2004. She serves on multiple boards and health advisory councils including the Louisiana Behavioral Health Advisory Council and the Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Behavioral Health Crisis System Implementation Plan Council. She is an ordained minister, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, author, community activist and Army National Guard veteran.

Less than 24 hours after winning Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs came to the Disneyland Resort in Southern California to celebrate his team’s Super Bowl triumph. Park guests cheered as he cruised down Main Street, U.S.A., in a victory parade with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates Super Bowl LVII victory with a jubilant cavalcade complete with Mickey Mouse and his pals down Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023. Mahomes visited the Disneyland Resort during the Disney100 Celebration less than 24 hours after the Kansas City Chiefs victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. (Sean Teegarden/Disneyland Resort)

Mahomes, his wife Brittany, daughter Sterling Skye and son Patrick “Bronze” Lavon Mahomes III, came to the Happiest Place on Earth for their first family visit. They posed for a photo in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park and took a spin on the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs poses with his wife, Brittney Mahomes, their children, Sterling, 1, and Bronze, 11 weeks old, in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023. Mahomes visited the Disneyland Resort during the Disney100 Celebration less than 24 hours after the Kansas City Chiefs victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. (Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)

Mahomes joins an all-star lineup of heroes from sports and beyond that have come to Disney Parks to celebrate their personal achievements. The list of superstars includes Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, and Magic Johnson.

COLTON, CA—Democratic Majority Leader Eloise Reyes officially launched her campaign for the open 29th Senate District today, where she has represented more than two thirds of its constituents in the Assembly. As a daughter of immigrants, attorney, and dedicated public servant, Eloise Reyes says that she has spent her life standing up for her community and putting people first.

“My top priority is serving our community and putting the needs of everyday people first, not corporations or special interests,” said Majority Leader Reyes. “I’m proud of my 35-year record of getting things done for working people and supporting families, small businesses, veterans, youth, and seniors.”

“As a daughter of immigrants who worked the fields as a 12-year-old and took on three jobs after high school to put myself through college, I know all too well the struggles facing working people,” Reyes continued. “That’s why throughout my career as an attorney, public servant, and Assembly Majority Leader, I’ve worked to deliver results that make a difference for our community here in the Inland Empire, and it’s why I’m committed to doing more in the State Senate. I’m honored to have earned the support of so many of our local and state leaders for this effort.”

Entering the race with a solid coalition of state and local leaders, Majority Leader Reyes appears to be the strongest choice to represent the new and open 29th Senate District. The campaign for Eloise Reyes has enthusiastically announced the following endorsements of 5 state elected officials, 68 current and former legislators, and 15 current and former elected officials from communities within SD-29.

In 2016, Eloise Reyes began her career in the Assembly after she took on an incumbent and won. As an Assemblymember, Eloise has made it a priority to invest in our communities, ensuring clean air, access to healthcare, and good-paying jobs, and securing hundreds of millions of dollars in much needed resources for Inland Empire neighborhoods. In 2020, as a recognition of her progressive leadership and tireless work ethic, Eloise made history by becoming the first Latina to serve as Majority Leader in the Assembly.

Prior to her election in the Assembly, Eloise worked as an attorney, becoming the first Latina in the Inland Empire to open her own law firm and taking on big corporations on behalf of injured workers. Deeply involved in strengthening her community, she regularly volunteered to provide free legal services to struggling families and seniors, and she led a successful effort to stop the construction of a toxic waste dump in a residential neighborhood. Eloise also co-founded the Inland Empire Community Health Center and taught classes at Cal Poly Pomona.

With a 30-year legacy of uplifting the next generation of diverse real estate executives, the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate’s Ross Program announces 18 new graduates for their 2023 winter session. Since its launch in 1993, the program has graduated over 1,000 students and remains a pivotal academic asset to equip professionals with critical real estate development and finance skills.

“Through rigorous curriculum and real-world case studies, the Ross Program prepares real estate professionals with the next steps they need to advance their career or upskill their talents in real estate finance and development,” said Richard K. Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, who oversees the Ross Program. “Program graduates leave with a very practical skill set.”

After the Rodney King verdict and the civil unrest that followed in 1992, USC and the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA) recognized the unprecedented and immediate need for experienced real estate professionals to aid in the rebuilding parts of South Los Angeles. At the time, CRA found a lack of minority developers and joined with community leaders and USC to create a program to help foster diverse talent in real estate development. The name Ross honors the late Stan Ross, a well-known icon in the accounting and real estate industry responsible for funding the program’s endowment and an outspoken role model in the industry for students and professionals alike.

The following graduates for the 2023 winter session received the crucial skills to navigate affordable housing, office, retail and mixed-use spaces. Graduates include:

Violeta Aguilar-Wyrick, founder and principal of Xara Public Affairs

Emmanuel Choice, senior asset manager of Decro Corporation

Matej Dlabal, architectural designer for ZGF

Greg Elliott, president of Anderson Howard

Hugo Escalante, real estate broker and broker associate for RE/MAX Top Producers

Alexander Fung, senior management analyst for the City of Eastvale

Armida Garcia, real property coordinator of the Los Angeles County Development Authority

Landy Joseph, project manager for West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation

Kevin Lee, library district director of the Banning Library District

Maricela Marquez, community development analyst for the City of Santa Ana

Pauline Martinez, administrative assistant to Dr.  Manuel Castells, University Professor for the University of Southern California

Luis Melo, California realtor for Solid Work Properties LLC.

Meredith Sharkey, management analyst for the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments / San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust

Rubani Shaw, production designer for IDEO

Terrence Smalls, CA Realtor and founder of Reche Capital

Christina Sutton (PMP, PMI-ACP), founder of  O’thentik Designs

Omar Taylor, president of Nobis Management

Gina Gibson-Williams, community development and public works director for the City of Eastvale

The Ross Program continues to arm professionals with advanced real estate fundamentals and enables members of underrepresented groups and those that invest resources in emerging communities to further their careers. In the program’s 2023 winter session, 38% of graduates were black, nearly half were women and about 33% were Hispanic.

For more information or to apply for the 2023 summer session, please visit https://lusk.usc.edu/ross.

About the USC Lusk Center: The University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate seeks to advance real estate knowledge, inform business practice, and address timely issues that affect the real estate industry, the urban economy, and public policy. The Lusk Center produces relevant and timely real estate research, supports educational programs for students and executives, and convenes professional forums that bring together academics, students, business executives, and community leaders. For more information, please visit www.usc.edu/lusk.

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Talking ‘bout Celebrating Black History! Come on Celebrate Jesus Celebrate!  Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same Jesus who heard the songs of the slaves and the chants of the civil rights marchers will hear the prayers of those who now cry out for justice throughout our country.

Come on, “Celebrate Jesus Celebrate,” because as we remember the days of old and consider the years of many generations, we are reminded that what God has done in previous generations to deliver His people from darkness and bring them into the light, he will do the same for us. [Deuteronomy 32].  All we need to do is take the Word of God as our ancestors did and put it to song again, because we as a people, can still have hope; the same hope the slaves found effective and fruitful; because we serve a God that drowned Pharaoh’s army. We serve a God who gives light in the midst of darkness. We serve a God who leads us in the path of righteousness for His Name sake. We serve a God who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before His glory with exceeding great joy.

I want you to know that God has given us the “light” of Israel and the light of Christ to guide us out of the current darkness we face. So let us take the Word of God and put it to song again. God gave the slaves a song when essentially, that’s all they had when faced with the brutal realities of slavery, and the seemingly, insurmountable, impossibility of freedom and deliverance; they sang, a sermon in a song. They sang about the mysteries and majesty of Christ in the midst of a miserable, demeaning, and maniacal situation. They sang: “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep.” They later added another line, “Tell Martha not to moan.” Why? “Because Pharaoh’s army got drowned in the Red Sea. They sang the songs of Zion [Israel] in a foreign land. They sang the “Samson” story in “Witness for my Lord.” They sang the drama and the deliverance in “Daniel in the Lion’s Den,” “Hebrew Children in the Fiery Furnace,” and “David and Goliath.” They sang, “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel.” They sang the victory when they sang: “Walk in Jerusalem Just Like John.” They sang “Joshua Fought the Battle At Jericho.” They sang “We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder.” They sang “Twelve Gates to the City.” They sang about the “New Jerusalem.” They sang a sermon in a song.  And just as God gave Moses a song when He delivered His people from Pharaoh’s army [Exodus 15:1], and just like He gave Miriam and the women a dance [Exodus 15:20], He has given us a song to sing – “We’ve Come this far by Faith, Leaning on the Lord. Trusting in His Holy Word. He’s never failed us yet. [We’ve Come This Far By Faith -by Albert A. Goodson].

Come on Celebrate Jesus Celebrate – Black History Month 2023!

Disneyland Resort announced that for a limited time beginning February 15 at Hollywood Land in Disney California Adventure Park, guests will have the opportunity to encounter Moon Girl from the newest Disney series “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur,” which debuted on February 10 on Disney Channel and February 15 on Disney+.

Moon Girl arrives at Disneyland Resort as a part of Celebrate Soulfully, a combination of food, entertainment and experiences that highlight and celebrate Black stories. The series follows the adventures of 13-year-old super-genius Lunella Lafayette and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur, whom she accidentally brings into present-day New York City. The duo works together to protect Lunella’s Lower East Side neighborhood from danger.

FONTANA, CA— Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes marked the start of the 2023-24 legislative cycle at her Community Swearing-in Ceremony on Saturday, February 11 at the Steelworkers’ Auditorium in Fontana. California Attorney General Rob Bonta administered the oath of office and former State Senator Connie Leyva, now with KVCR, acted as the Master of Ceremonies. The 2023-24 session will be Majority Leader Reyes’ fourth term representing portions of the Inland Empire in the State Assembly, but this will be her first term representing the new 50th Assembly District. All legislative lines were redrawn last year using the most recent U.S. Census data.

“Thank you to my district for trusting me to serve you for another term,” said Majority Leader Reyes. “I will continue to align my work with the Inland Empire’s values. You are my neighbors and I look forward to hearing more from you and taking your words to Sacramento to fight for the resources our region deserves.”

Other event speakers included California Legislative Latino Caucus Chair Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (Corona), San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran, Loma Linda City Councilmember Bhavin Jindal, Chaffey College Superintendent Dr. Henry Shannon, Colton Joint Unified School District Board Member Bertha Flores, and UFCW Local 1167 Operating Director and Inland Empire Labor Council President Yesenia Gonzales.

In prior terms, Majority Leader Reyes has championed legislation to increase equity and inclusion in vulnerable communities throughout the state. She will continue to do so during the 2023-24 legislative session.

Shaneen Bonner is a Two-Time Grammy Considered, Award-Winning, Billboard Charting Music Artist and Record Label Executive who built a successful career in the music industry for over 10 years, first as a music artist and later as a record label executive. Her love for music came from the church and developed by multi-cultural experiences. Her soulful music is filled with positive lyrics and life-changing messages that captivated her listeners’ hearts.

Shaneen is an active member of Christian Songwriters and Musicians International, Women Songwriters Hall of Fame, and many others. She has been featured in several newspapers and magazines. She uses her activism to help the homeless community, empower teenage mothers by connecting them to a supportive community of other teen mothers & adult mentors, and women effected by domestic violence.

Shaneen is also an author who has written her first book called “Bleeding Within a Journey to Finding Healing.” The book helps people deal with inner issues that have been caused by trauma. The book helps a person to identify the issues caused by pain, disappointment, hurt that has occurred in their life.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaneen Bonner.

Tell us about you.

I’m an Award-Winning, Billboard Charting Music Artist, Author, and Record Label Executive with a successful career in the music industry for over 10 years, first as a music artist and later as a record label executive. I took on the role of executive to create financial freedom. Growing up I was always musically inclined. At the age of 8, I listened to Minnie Riperton sing the song “Back Down Memory Lane.” During junior high and high school, I auditioned for several talent shows as well as singing in church choirs. This all inspired me to create and write for my first album “God Loves You.” I grew up listening to all genres of music from Michael Jackson to Michael Bolton. My love for music came from the church and was developed by multi-cultural experiences.

What is your dream and how will accomplishing your dream benefit you and others?

My dream is to become a multi-passionate entrepreneur. It will benefit others by helping them collapse time around them pursuing their dreams.

Who or what inspired you to pursue this dream? 

My three daughters inspired me to pursue my dreams by taking risks.

What challenges have you encountered while pursuing your dream? 

I had to overcome five obstacles to achieve my dream.

1. Comfort Zone. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you must learn to step out of your comfort zone and embrace change.
2. Learn to overcome comparing yourself to others.
3. Tackle the fear of failure. We are all afraid of something.
4. Overcome perfectionism.
5. Overcome procrastination.

Who or what inspired you to keep pushing regardless of the challenges you’ve encountered? 

My family and my faith in God inspired me to keep pushing forward regardless of any challenge.

Please provide final thoughts/advice for others by finishing this sentence… dream.

Dream Big, invest often, and believe in yourself.

Who can benefit from Decree Records services?

Decree Records services is for Gospel and Inspirational artists who want to take their music to the next. The record label offers artist development, music consulting, and music submission services.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— In honor of Black History Month, the South Colton Diversity Committee is honoring individuals for their community works on Saturday, February 18. Among those honorees is LUE Productions and Westside Story News contributor, LuCretia Dowdy. She will be honored at the Black History Awards Ceremony alongside the President for the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce-Inland Cities East Chapter and Colton Sherriff, Art Satterwhite III. The ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. at the Crossing located at 165 E. O Street in Colton. There is no charge to attend, and food and drinks will be provided.