Happily Divorced And After

By Lue Dowdy, LUE Productions

La-Kyshia is a ball of beautiful energy.

La-Kyshia N. Reddick was born on May 13 in Fontana, California. Currently, she resides in Highland, California. She is inspired by her parents and grandparents who have supported everything that she has done since she was little. The support and love have given her the green light to run the race and become a force to reckon with in the world of dance.

She’s always been an honor-roll student and was placed on the Dean’s Lists at San Bernardino Valley College. She began performing in preschool; her first dance performance was Salsa, and Boy George, ” I tumble for ya”.

La-Kyshia has always loved to work-out at home. Jane Fonda and her dad were her inspirations. She was part of Jr Mission, Usher, Choir, worked in the nursery and praise dance team at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church as a youth- teen.

She has modeled hairstyles for a beauty salon, and has been part of the Coronoid Girls as Eastern Star in San Bernardino. She participated in Talent shows at Fresno State University as she attended Grand Session for the youth supervised by Eastern Stars yearly until the age of 17. She attended San Bernardino Valley College as a Liberal Arts/Arts/Graphic Design major. Taking jazz dance classes there is when her hobby became a career.

La-Kyisha began dancing with multiple choreographers doing different styles of dance such as Jazz, Modern, Caribbean, Brazilian, West African, Afro-Jazz, Hip Hop, and Praise Dance. During this time, she also modeled for WNOPhotography.

La-Kyshia’s hobbies are: organizing, Dancing, cleaning, creating looks: Fashion, nails, and interior design, museums, art, festivals, gathering with family, impacting children, working-out, having a good time everywhere she goes, teaching zumba/dance at the gym, fashion shows, and reading.

She has always been a lead/supervisor at jobs that she has had from past to present.  She enjoys everything she does in her career. She works for the county and has been running successful after-school programs for the past 18 years at 12 different schools for CAPS in San Bernardino. She is a huge impact in her program to her leaders and students.

La-Kyisha has taught dance, fashion design, fitness, sign language and art to students. She has run one of the biggest after-school programs since 2018. She has been able to show students that they can show off their talents right here in San Bernardino, by performing at Cal State University, Arroyo, and other schools and theaters. She is currently a coordinator at Paakuma’ helping to build strong leaders and expanding the children’s education. She currently is attending school in San Bernardino County.

La-Kyisha lets her work speak for itself. She considers herself as a “canvas on a daily”. Make sure you follow THE DANCE PRINCESS on all social media platforms. Until next week. L’s!

By Lou Yeboah

Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, because they have not listened to My words, and as for My law, they have rejected it [Jeremiah 6:19]. Oh, how great and bitter it is going to be for those who refuse to repent, when it is forever too late. You will cry, “Lord, Lord, open unto [me] and I will say, “I know you not.” [Genesis 27:34; Genesis 27:38; Matthew 25:11, 10, 12]. Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols [Ezekiel 6:9]. Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, so you have dealt treacherously with Me… [Jeremiah 3:20]. “You neglected the Rock who begot you and forgot the God who gave you birth. [Deuteronomy 32:18]. Consider this, I will tear you in pieces.

They were not concerned about His message of salvation. He wanted so desperately to lead His people to everlasting life, but they were not only blind, but they were also willfully blind and willfully ignorant. Repeatedly He would say with tears in His voice, “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees. Woe unto you who have ears and hear not. Woe unto you that are full, for you shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh, for the time is coming when you shall mourn and weep.” [Luke 6: 24-25]. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem how I’ve wanted to save you and gather you as a hen gathereth her chicks, but you would not listen” [Matthew 23:37].

I gave you cleanness of teeth by sending you famine and drought so that you would turn back to Me – yet you have not returned to me. I withheld rain from you so you would return back to Me – yet you have not returned to me. I sent blight, mildew, and locust – so that you would return unto Me, but you have not returned. Your young men were killed in battle with a sword – yet you did not return to me. Because you will not return to me, prepare to meet your God.” And meet Him without ever turning to Him in life on earth. Meet Him – Condemned. [Amos 4:6-12].

I ask you, what are you waiting for? Repent NOW before it is too late! For, “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” [Martin Luther King, Jr.] Repent NOW before it is too late!

The Bible warns that every human being is subject to sudden death. No one has the promise of another day or hour. Our days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle like flowers that quickly fade [Job 7:6; Job 14:2], and like a mist that appears for a little time then vanishes. [James 4:14]. Consider this, you who forget God.

My spirit shall not always strive with man” [Genesis 6:3].

But they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy. [2 Chronicles 36:16]

“And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So, the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them” [Genesis 6:6-7; Genesis 7:22–23].

Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So, the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them… One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things. Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So, the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, day, month, and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus, I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire, the smoke, and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. [Revelation 9:1-21].

SACRAMENTO, CA—Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 796. Authored by Senator Bradford (D-Gardena), SB 796 authorizes the County of Los Angeles to return the beachfront property known as Bruce’s Beach to the Bruce family.

“A century ago the Bruce’s had their land stolen,” said Senator Steven Bradford. “Now there is nothing holding back the County from doing the right thing. In the face of racism and violence by the KKK, the Bruce’s were steadfast, but ultimately could not stop the City from seizing their land and forcing them away. When the land is returned to the Bruce’s, we will have proven that it is never too late to correct injustice and that there are a multitude of ways to do so. Today, due to the leadership of so many, including Supervisors Janice Hahn and Holly Mitchell, the City’s inherited debt to the Bruce’s can finally be paid. SB 796 passed with bipartisan support and I must thank my colleagues in the Legislature for their recognition of injustice and desire to remedy it. This bill sets the tone for the future of reparations in California. I look forward to working on many more of these types of issues and solving them with the Newsom Administration.”

“This is a milestone for us, and I want to thank not only Governor Newsom for signing this bill into law, but Senator Bradford for his leadership and the entire state legislature for their unanimous support,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “We have already begun the groundwork, but now that LA County officially has the authority to transfer this property, the real work on our side begins.  My goal over the next several months will be to transfer this property in a way that not only works for the Bruce family, but is a model that other local governments can follow.  Returning Bruce’s Beach can and should set a precedent for this nation and I know that all eyes will be on Los Angeles County as this work gets underway.”

“Today’s bill signing is a significant and necessary step in the process of returning Bruce’s Beach to its rightfully owners, the Bruce family,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “Thanks to Governor Newsom, Senator Bradford and the state legislature, the County of Los Angeles now has the legal standing to give this land back – an action I look forward to supporting. This moment brings to the forefront past harms and more importantly shows us what’s possible when we are committed to correcting them.”

In 1912, Willa and Charles Bruce, a young black couple, purchased property in Manhattan Beach and built a resort run by and made for Black residents. It was one of only a handful of beaches where Black residents could go because so many other local beaches were off-limits to people of color. But the Bruces and their customers were harassed and threatened by white neighbors as well as targeted by the KKK. The Manhattan Beach City Council later seized the property using eminent domain, purportedly to create a park. The City ultimately took the property in 1929 but it remained empty for decades. In 1948, the property once owned by the Bruce family was transferred to the State, with conditions. In 1995, the County accepted control of Bruce’s Beach and other lands from the State. In 2006, the City finally began to recognize the actual history of this land by renaming Bruce’s Beach after its rightful owners. This was a result of the work of the City’s first Black City Councilmember, Mitch Ward.

In addition to authorizing the property to be sold and transferred, the language specifically updates the deed and exempts the land from several statutory restrictions that date back to when the land was first transferred to the County. On April 20, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved motions by Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell to sponsor SB 796 and to begin the County’s work to return Bruce’s Beach to its rightful owners.

The legislation includes an urgency clause which means that it will go into effect immediately.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Serving seniors during COVID has been a priority for Assembly Majority Leader Reyes. She has held a Senior Advocacy Week every year since she was elected in 2016.  This week Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Reyes visited several senior living facilities for her 5^th Annual Senior Advocacy Week from September 27^th to October 1^st, providing them with facemask, hand sanitizer and food resources that will help them during the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier this year the Majority Leader’s Office hosted a Senior Check-in Project where her office called to check-in on seniors and encouraged them to reach out to others. To complement the check-in calls, the Majority Leader sent out postcards to seniors across the 47^th District expressing her appreciation for seniors and to remind them of the constituent services her district office provides.

Senior Advocacy Week would not have been possible without the partnership with UNITEEE, Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC), State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCCD), Autism Society, and Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP). Through this collaboration, Senior Advocacy Week served over 1300 seniors and provided them with food boxes and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including facemasks, hand sanitizers, stress balls, and literature with different local and state resources for seniors. A senior from one of the visits remarked, “I received a red bag and food box. The items were lots of help because I don’t have to go out to get certain things. It was so helpful and now I have sanitizers and lots of facemasks.” – Mrs. Wynona Francis

“It is critical that we continue to check-in on our seniors. We are not out of this pandemic yet and our senior community must not be forgotten,” said Assembly Majority Leader Reyes. “This is my 5^th year of Senior Advocacy Week and I am thankful to our partners that helped us provide the important resources and food boxes for our seniors.”

The mission of Senior Advocacy Week is to listen to the issues that are affecting our seniors and provide resources to help them. We must continue to take a proactive approach to address the issues that affect their daily lives.

“I want to first start by thanking you and your team for providing these amazing resources to our residents. I received tremendous feedback from our residents who appreciated the opportunity to meet Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Reyes. It’s nice to have someone who is willing to actually put in the work to take care of their district.” – Dameon Cutrer, Property Manager I, Blue Mountain Senior Villa, Grand Terrace

“Our seniors here at Heritage  Park really enjoy our visits from the Assemblymember, it makes us feel important that she continues to keep us and our issues in mind, and they loved the red bags with the PPE and were very appreciative of the food boxes that were donated to us by her office, this year. Thank you all for the work you do!” – Andrea Rangel, Heritage Park Apartments, Rialto

“We often take for granted the basic necessities of life; food! For our Seniors, that’s often a thought that’s on their mind. We at Bloomington/Lilian Court apartments appreciate the efforts of Assemblymember Reyes and her team to ensure that they are constantly advocated for. Thank you.” – Margarito Cuen, PATH, Bloomington

On Saturday, November 21, at the Adelanto Stadium, Fathers in Hip Hop will be honoring the Westside Story Newspaper publisher, Wallace Allen IV, during the Blessed in the Mess Giveaway and Concert. Allen will be given the Acknowledgment award for his commitment to the community. Those that want to attend the show, please RSVP to fathersinhiphop@gmail.com.

LOS ANGELES, CA—Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assemblymember Chris Holden’s police reform legislation, AB 26 that establishes clear guidelines for police responsibility and accountability when witnessing excessive force by another member of law enforcement.

“Derek Chauvin was charged for killing George Floyd, but justice for George Floyd doesn’t rest in Chauvin’s conviction alone – there were three additional officers who simply stood by and watched him die,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “I thank Governor Newsom and everyone who supported AB 26 that will make it crystal clear in our state law what a peace officer’s duty is to intervene when witnessing excessive force.”

California law requires police officers to intercede when observing another officer using force that is beyond that which is necessary, but there are no universal measures used to determine that an officer has in fact interceded. In the case of George Floyd, a lawyer for one of the accused junior officers argued that there was intervention because the junior officer asked the supervising officer if they should turn Floyd on his side.

If AB 26 becomes law, police officers would be required to intercede when witnessing excessive force under the updated guidelines and report the incident in real time to dispatch or the watch commander. The officer’s due process will be protected as the employing agency would review evidence and determine if the offending officer met the standard for intervention. Retaliation against officers that report violations of law or regulation of another officer to a supervisor would be prohibited.

Last year, Governor Newsom’s Policing Advisors released their recommendations which included legislation to “Require officers to intervene to prevent or stop other officers from engaging in excessive force, false arrest, or other inappropriate conduct.”

“Today’s signing is a big step forward for police responsibility and accountability. Instituting these core values are paramount to building public trust that has eroded between law enforcement and communities across California,” said Holden.

AB 26 clarifies and establishes intervention to include, but not limited to:

• The use of de-escalation techniques
• Confronting the officer applying excessive use of force
• Physically stopping the excessive use of force, when in a position to do so
• Recording and documenting the incident in real time with body cameras
• Reporting the incident to dispatch or the watch commander in real time stating the offending officer’s name, unit, location, time and situation in order to establish that an attempt to intervene has been made

AB 26 also makes the following the changes to state law:

• Requires the peace officer to report the incident immediately to his/her supervisor
• Prohibits retaliation on a peace officer for reporting the incident
• Prohibits an officer from training other officers for a period of at least three years from the date that an excessive use of force complaint is substantiated
• Requires an officer who fails to intervene be disciplined up to and including in the same manner as the officer who used excessive force

The full text of the legislation can be found here, and full remarks from today’s bill signing here.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—-Two schools in San Bernardino County have been distinguished as 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This prestigious award recognizes schools based on overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. They are among the state’s highest performing schools.

Hidden Trails Elementary School in Chino Valley Unified School District and Valencia Elementary School in Upland Unified School District are among only 26 schools in California receiving this recognition.

“This is a distinguished award that schools all across our nation strive for, and we have two schools within our County receiving this high honor,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “I commend the efforts put forth by our educators and their outstanding commitment to transform the lives of students.”

National Blue Ribbon Schools is a program of the U.S. Department of Education designed to celebrate exemplary schools in which educators, students and families have worked to create positive and effective learning environments for all students.

The Department of Education recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Hidden Trails and Valencia Elementary Schools were both recognized as Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools for their work in establishing educational equity and for their dramatic gains in student achievement.

“At Hidden Trails, our focus has been on building the kind of school that engages students and makes them want to be here,” Hidden Trails Principal Lisa Sura said. “Our data-driven instruction and teacher collaboration have helped us build a positive school culture in which students are encouraged to reach their highest potential through a multi-tiered system of support.”

Both Hidden Trails and Valencia Elementary School principals noted this award serves as recognition of the hard work staff, students, educators and families put in to create a safe and welcoming school where students can succeed.

“Valencia believes it can collectively accomplish great things and make a positive difference in the lives of students,” said Valencia Elementary Principal Rachael Emery. “Our mission reflects the core belief that students, no matter their academic level, deserve focused instruction to achieve academic growth and to support emotional well-being. We owe our success to our staff’s collaborative work to implement evidence-based strategies with rigor to assure equitable access to quality teaching and learning.”

In total, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021. These outstanding schools will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on November 4 and 5, 2021.

For more information visit our website at www.sbcss.net and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #transforminglives.

SACRAMENTO, CA —The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) endorses Mr. Cecil Rhambo for Los Angeles County Sheriff.

CLBC recognizes Mr. Rhambo as a respected community leader with a wealth of  experience in law enforcement, protecting Los Angeles County citizens for more than 33 years. Mr. Rhambo is currently the Chief of LAX Airport. He has a strong track record of community policing and successfully reducing crime in Compton and South L.A.

He’s organized youth boxing and developed the Community Oriented Policing Bureau, which focused on suppressing violent crime, combatting homelessness, parking enforcement, quality of life programs, youth programs, and the mental health response teams that partnered with psych clinicians county-wide.

“I’ve known Cecil for many years and as chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, I am confident he would be the Sheriff all of LA could be proud of,” said Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. “I know he is the right person to lead the LA County Sheriff Department during this state and national demand for police reform and accountability, and I trust his commitment to bringing desperately-needed transparency, equity, and integrity to the Department.”

This past year the Black Caucus has authored police reform legislation to include changes in the use of force, banning chokeholds, age requirements of officers, and accountability among other improvements to law enforcement – many of which are shared strategies of Mr. Rhambo as a veteran officer in LA County. If elected, the Black Caucus is confident Mr. Rhambo will enforce these changes and provide solutions to crime both outside and inside the department.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- “We Mentor Men Towards a Better Future”, – This year marks the 65th year of the Social Lites Inc. as an organization and 55th year of them making a strong and lasting impact on our Black and Brown young men of our Inland Empire community.

This year we the organization is excited to be ushered in by President Sheri Lewis and Vice President Elsie Paulino who bring a wealth of knowledge and a combined 30+ years with new ideas to the program.

The Beautillion Program provides services that ensure that our youth are college bound and equipped to succeed in college and realize their full potential as men, career professionals, entrepreneurs, and productive citizens through the program. They also provide mentoring, leadership and character and life development skills to makes students from Elementary to High School.

In addition, participating high school seniors who express a desire to attend college may qualify for academic scholarships after completing a rigorous six-month extracurricular program that involves academics, community service projects, and refining social skills. To date, the Beautillion Program has given out approximately $2.5 million dollars in scholarships to college bound young men.  

The Beautillion Briefing will be from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 10 at The Center for Youth & Community located at 468 West 5th Street in San Bernardino.

Please call Marlene Davis at (909) 709-5502 for more information. Mark your calendars, this will be a life changing opportunity for the young men in your lives.