SACRAMENTO, CA— As part of an annual recognition of Women’s History Month in the State Capitol, Assemblymember Chris Holden announces the University of La Verne President, and first woman president, Dr. Devorah Lieberman as the 41st Assembly District’s Woman of the Year.

“I am thrilled to have Dr. Devorah Lieberman as Woman of the Year for the 41st Assembly District,” said Assemblymember Holden. “She has contributed to the well-being of the university’s students, the scholarly activity of the faculty, and the vitality of the surrounding community while also advocating for engagement, inclusivity, and respect among all.”

Dr. Devorah Lieberman, the University of La Verne’s 18th and first female president, brings more than three decades of higher education experience, scholarship, and leadership to the institution. Among Ms. Lieberman’s accomplishments are raising $128 million in the largest comprehensive campaign in the university’s history; significantly increasing funding for student scholarships; expanding the international student population; increasing the number of named colleges, endowed deans, and endowed faculty positions; and, significantly increasing the institutional endowment from $36 million to $151 million. Under Lieberman’s leadership, the university launched the La Verne Experience, a curriculum where students connect deeply with each other, with faculty, with staff, and with the greater community. Through the La Verne Experience, students “major in a mission”. Currently, she is leading the university’s establishment of a College Health and Community Well Being to help address the region’s critical need for healthcare professionals.

Women of Distinction from throughout the district include Veronica Jones, Town Council Member (Altadena), Terry Grill, Director of Sustainability for Sealed Air Corporation (Claremont), Caroline Anderson, LCF School Board Member (La Cañada Flintridge), Cynthia Cannady, Attorney and Community Advocate (Pasadena), Lois Gaston, Community Advocate (Monrovia), Jennifer Oglesby, Founder Community Services of America, (Rancho Cucamonga), Kris Boneman, Director of Educational Tech for Bonita Unified School District (San Dimas), Julie Bencosme, Small Business Owner & Community Volunteer (Sierra Madre), and Linda Clinton, Community Volunteer (Upland), and Desirea Haggard, Director of Environmental Affairs at CalPortland (Pinon Hills). Over 100 nominations were sent to Assemblymember Holden for the honor.

“The 2023 Women of Distinction are dedicated leaders who improve the lives for thousands of individuals and families in the 41st Assembly District and beyond,” said Holden. “Their commitment to excellence and service has left an indelible mark on the San Gabriel Valley and the people who call it home.”

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.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) is pleased to announce the winners of the 40th annual San Bernardino County Academic Decathlon Competition. The awards ceremony honoring 18 high school teams, took place on February 9.

“These incredibly talented and hard-working students committed hundreds of hours preparing for this year’s academic decathlon,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “It is an honor to not only recognize them for all their hard work, but also recognize their support systems and coaches for helping them excel in the competition.”

The three teams with the highest overall scores this year are:

• 1st place: Chaffey High School
• 2nd place: Redlands High School
• 3rd place: Rancho Cucamonga High School

The back-to-back champion team, Chaffey High School of Chaffey Joint Union High School District, will send its top nine scoring decathletes and coach to represent San Bernardino County at the California Academic Decathlon State Competition in Santa Clara from March 25-26. At large teams may also represent the county at the state competition.

In addition to coming in first place, Chaffey High School also won awards for the following team events:

• Art
• Economics
• Literature
• Music
• Science
• Social Science
• Speech
• Super Quiz

The award for the highest-scoring student from the Chaffey High School team went to junior classman, Dylan Ventura. Ventura earned 8,088 points out of a possible 10,000.

This year, nearly 300 students from 18 high schools throughout San Bernardino County participated in the competition.

For the first time in nearly 40 years, the San Bernardino County Academic Decathlon Competition was held as a hybrid event with portions of the competition being held virtually, while others were held in person.

This comes after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the competition to transition into a completely virtual format in 2021 and 2022.

The theme for this year’s competition was “The American Revolution and the New Nation.”

Each year, the theme is generated by the United States Academic Decathlon and is provided to SBCSS by the California Academic Decathlon.

The event competition took place over three days in December, January and February consisting of categories in essay writing, both prepared and impromptu speeches, panel interviews, objective testing and culminated with the highly anticipated Super Quiz.

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

PASADENA, CA—Assemblymember Chris Holden is seeking nominations for his annual 41^st Assembly District’s Woman of the Year and Women of Distinction celebration.

“For over 30 years, in recognition of Women’s History Month, the Legislature has honored the achievements of women throughout California during the annual Woman of the Year celebration,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “It is your chance to acknowledge the superwoman in your life and in our community.”

Nominees must live, volunteer, or work in the 41st Assembly District, which stretches from La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena in the West to Upland in the East and includes the communities of Altadena, Bradbury, Claremont, La Verne, Monrovia, Rancho Cucamonga, San Dimas, Sierra Madre, and Wrightwood.

Deadline for Nominations: February 24, 2022, at 5:00 pm

Nomination forms are available here: https://a41.asmdc.org/woman-year-nominations

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- For the second year in a row, a team from Oak Hills High School won the San Bernardino County Mock Trial championship title and will advance to the state competition in March.

“The outstanding performances by students at this year’s Mock Trial were incredibly exciting to watch,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “It’s inspiring to see the teams work together to form persuasive arguments, utilize their critical thinking skills and practice the art of public speaking.”

Citrus Valley High School from Redlands Unified School District took second place during this year’s county competition. The team may be able to compete at the state level as a wildcard.

Part of the Oak Hills High School Mock Trial team poses together at the finals competition held at the Rancho Cucamonga Superior Courthouse on Jan.14. Back row, left to right: Rubi Gamez, Sandra Martinez Rivera, Francisco Rodriguera, Danielle Mitchell, Nicholas Markloff. Bottom row, left to right: Robert Long, Sofia Palomares, Abigail Sicairos, Sara Orellana.

Members of the Mock Trial 2022-23 Oak Hills High School Team:

• Jasmine Alvarez
• Alejandra De Lira
• Ryan Douty
• Rubi Gamez
• Angel Haro
• Moniqua Jimenez
• Shantel Lewis
• Robert Long
• Nicholas Markloff
• Sandra Martinez Rivera
• Danielle Mitchell
• Sara Orellana
• Sofia Palomares
• Jasmine Persley
• Francisco Rodriguera
• Abigail Sicairos
• Coach Jeni Boulanger
• Assistant Coach John Boulanger

Members of the Mock Trial 2022-23 Citrus Valley High School Team:

• Juliana Acuna
• Eleanor Brinegar
• Alyssa Camacho
• Alexandra Carreon
• Ava Esteves-Jaime
• Morgan Fierro
• Maddox Flowers
• Alyssa Gidley
• Ariana Gutierrez
• Vivienne Igbinosun
• Brianna Ilacas
• Inara Khankashi
• Bella Moreno
• Domnic Pedroza
• Marsha Rajagukguk
• Noah Sanchez
• Rashad Tyler
• Coach Kathryn Fonken-Stoker
• Assistant Coach Debbie Muniz

More than 400 students representing 26 teams from 24 high schools competed in this year’s county competition.

Mock Trial simulates a criminal case in which high school students portray various courtroom roles including bailiffs, clerks, artists, journalists, attorneys and witnesses, representing both the prosecution and defense.

Students present their case before a real judge and use constitutional amendments and legal objections.

This event is co-sponsored by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office.

Oak Hills High School will advance to the California Mock Trial Finals scheduled for March 17-19, 2023.

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

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The “Poseidon Adventure” was No. 1 at the box office, “Killing Me Softly with His Song” topped the Billboard charts, “All In The Family” was far and away the most

popular show on TV and San Bernardino’s legendary Swing Auditorium was, well, in full swing, with a spring concert lineup that included Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple and Swing favorite Rory Gallagher.

Pop culture was thriving back in March 1973, and so was San Bernardino County, with a population that had swelled more than 700,000, a growing Cal State University campus that was about to launch its first master’s degree program, and a Norton Air Force Base that employed more than 20,000 military and civilian workers. Growth brought its challenges, too – notably, an outdated mid-century transportation grid that needed significant care and upgrading.

Determined to confront future needs, leaders from across the county formed the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) in a formal ceremony in 1973, creating the platform and mechanism to attract billions of dollars in transportation funding over the next 50 years.

Today, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) – as SANBAG is now known – has emerged as a regional and national leader in bringing innovative transportation solutions to one of the fastest-growing population and economic centers anywhere.

“As current board members, we’re grateful for the vision and determination that our predecessors showed a half-century ago. Today, we confront similar challenges, along with some new ones, but are better equipped than ever to deal with them and improve the quality of life across our county,” said Art Bishop, President of the SBCTA Board and Mayor Pro Tem for the Town of Apple Valley.

Formed as a joint powers authority, SANBAG was governed by a 19-member general assembly, including five supervisors and one delegate from each of the county’s 14 cities. Today’s SBCTA Board consists of 29 members – five supervisors and one delegate from each of the 24 incorporated cities.

Along with more cities, the county’s population has continued to grow, tripling to nearly 2.2 million today.

“We are fortunate to live in such a dynamic region, but as our own history has taught us, we need to continue innovating and finding ways to meet the needs of a population that is growing much faster than anyone could have anticipated,” said SBCTA Board Vice President Dawn Rowe, San Bernardino County’s 3rd District Supervisor.

SANBAG had little time to waste after its formal dedication. Almost immediately after its formation, the Southern California Rapid Transit District would shut down its east-west bus line across San Bernardino County. This incentivized local leaders to connect local bus service from one city to the next.

The agency’s early work was bolstered by the original state Senate Bill 325 and the one-quarter cent sales tax it authorized for transportation improvements. By early 1976, San Bernardino County had received $11.6 million in SB 325 funding.

Through the 1970s and beyond, SANBAG/SBCTA has taken a leadership role in addressing air quality issues, including endorsing annual smog inspections, promoting public transit and enhancing our highway system to reduce congestion and the accompanying greenhouse gas emissions. It played a leading role in bringing Metrolink service to San Bernardino County in 1993, extending the 210 freeway from the Los Angeles County line to Redlands, and developing the nine-mile Arrow rail line from Redlands to San Bernardino. The latter, which opened earlier this year, represents the next generation of rail transit through an innovative multiple-unit approach that allows for the current low-emission diesel power pack to be replaced by a hydrogen powered zero-emission unit currently under development.

Today, SBCTA also is on the front line of bringing a high-speed rail system from Las Vegas through the High Desert and into the recently rebranded Cucamonga Station. The agency also is seeking bids for a proposed transit tunnel between Cucamonga Station and Ontario International Airport.

“From the earliest days of SANBAG, our county transportation agency has looked for – and found – creative ways to connect people and places across the largest geographic county in the U.S. This has also helped to fortify our economy by opening up new business opportunities, attracting more jobs and helping to establish us as the place to live and work in Southern California,” said Alan D. Wapner, President of the Ontario International Airport Authority and Council Member for the City of Ontario.

Funding, of course, is key. SBCTA has been highly successful in securing grant funding for transit and transportation improvements, including more than $110 million for the future West Valley Connector bus rapid transit system linking ONT, two Metrolink lines and multiple activity centers from Pomona to Rancho Cucamonga.

Significant funding also comes from Measure I, a half-cent sales tax approved by county voters – first in 1989 and again in 2004. Over those years, Measure I has funded billions of dollars and leveraged billions more in State and Federal funding in much-needed improvements across the county. The foresight and trust shown by the voters of San Bernardino County played a critical role in the positive growth of the region.

“San Bernardino County was ahead of the game when SANBAG was formed 50 years ago, and we remain ahead of the game today. As we address regional challenges, the collaboration and cooperation of our cities and stakeholders is as important as ever, and SBCTA is the vehicle to make that happen,” said SBCTA Board Member and former Board President Larry McCallon, Councilmember for the City of Highland.

YUCAIPA, CA— Damian G. Garcia was appointed to the bench in July 2022, adding to a successful career as an attorney. When asked how he wanted to be remembered in this new role, Garcia replied, “I would just like the perception to be that Judge Garcia is a good judge. He’s firm, and he’s fair, and he does a good job.”

But most importantly, the 46-year-old Beaumont resident said he wants the public to know his story.

“I want to be known within the community particularly by going around to different schools and work [places] to break down the barrier by giving disclosure to young people about exactly what a judge does,” Garcia said. “There’s a lot of unknowns about this position.”

Born and raised in Redlands, Garcia said he was the first in his immediate family to attend college.

“My parents were just happy that I got my high school diploma,” he said. But Garcia set his sights on higher education. However, he did not have the prerequisites to attend a four-year university right after graduation. Instead, he attended a little community college, Crafton Hills College (CHC), located in the hills of Yucaipa, Calif.

“That’s where I blossomed,” Garcia explained. “It was a whole new world. I got to do what I wanted, and I liked the independence.”

After completing his general education courses, Garcia transferred to the University of California, Riverside (UCR), where he earned a bachelor’s in political science. From there, he went on to get a master’s in business with an emphasis in computers at the University of Redlands.

Initially, Garcia set his sights on becoming a police officer, but some members of his family thought that career was too dangerous.

“At the time, I was working in banking. And while getting my MBA, I had a business law class where I got the highest grade, and it was in that class where my professor asked me, ‘Why don’t you go to law school?’” he explained.

So, Garcia did. After graduating from UCR, he passed the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and was accepted to the University of La Verne’s law school. In 2005, Garcia entered the job market with his law degree in hand, though he had no experience in law. But a local firm took a chance and hired Garcia as a clerk and, later, a full-time attorney after he passed the bar.

Soon, Garcia became a partner and was co-leading the firm – Banks, Garcia & Janis, based in Rancho Cucamonga – before a Zoom meeting about how to become a judge changed his career direction.

He learned that although San Bernardino County’s population is 40 percent Hispanic, they make up only 11 percent of the San Bernardino County Superior Court judges. Garcia took that meeting as his new calling. “After that, I knew I wanted to help diversify the bench,” he said.

Balancing a career, fatherhood, and his desire to serve the community may seem difficult for a judge to juggle, but don’t doubt Garcia. He has a plan to succeed, including coming back to CHC to serve the College.

“Crafton was a gift, a springboard for those – a lot of folks like me – who don’t have the right grades or the financial resources right off the bat to go to a four-year,” Garcia said. “But once I got settled in, I joined some different organizations and thrived, and I want to do some outreach to inspire [others] by showing them my example about how I got here.”

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.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) held two events to recognize educators throughout San Bernardino County.

“Throughout the pandemic, educators played a critical role to steadfastly serve the most vulnerable students within our learning community,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “While we did our best over the past two years to virtually share our gratitude for their efforts, we felt a celebration was in order to honor all of our teachers and paraeducators for their extraordinary service amidst the most trying of circumstances.”

In partnership with the San Bernardino County Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association, SBCSS held the first Educators of the Year celebration on May 24 in Apple Valley to celebrate educators in the desert and mountain communities of San Bernardino County.

The second event took place May 31 in Rancho Cucamonga to recognize educators in the area.

1100 San Bernardino County teachers and paraprofessionals, including nurses, braille specialists and speech language pathologists, were recognized during the two celebrations. Educators were honored for the roles they played in innovating new ways to deliver instruction and overcoming challenges COVID created.

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

YUCAIPA, CA— Eight senior students within the Chaffey Joint Union High School District have been awarded with Chaffey College Trust Fund Scholarships.

The Chaffey Trust, established in 1882, created the scholarship program in 1967 to provide awards to outstanding students in the Chaffey District. Every year, scholarships are awarded to seniors at each of the Chaffey District’s eight comprehensive high schools for their academic record, participation in student activities and potential for collegiate success. Each scholarship is named after a former Chaffey District superintendent.

The recipients are:

Emily Barrera, Chaffey High School, the Bette Harrison Scholarship ($2,000). Barrera plans to attend the University of La Verne and major in education.

Navnit Kaur, Ontario High School, the Barry W. Cadwallader Scholarship ($1,900). Kaur plans to attend the University of California Irvine and major in biology/public health.

Rhema Hooper, Colony High School, the Merton E. Hill Scholarship ($1,800). Hooper plans to attend the Lehigh University and major in humanities and medicine.

Aidan Daniel, Alta Loma High School, the Gardiner W. Spring Scholarship ($1,700). Daniel plans to attend Cal Poly Pomona and major in aerospace engineering.

Annie Pan, Los Osos High School, the Daniel B. Milliken Scholarship ($1,600). Pan plans to attend UCLA or Vanderbilt University and major in applied mathematics.

Hanna Mann, Rancho Cucamonga High School, the Allan G. Smith Scholarship ($1,500). Mann plans to attend UCLA and major in psychobiology.

Richard Nguyen, Ontario High School, the Mike Dirksen Scholarship ($1,400). Nguyen plans to attend the University of California Irvine and major in nursing.

Meghann Domond, Los Osos High School, the Dean Smothers Scholarship ($1,300). Domond plans to attend the California State University Fullerton or the University of California San Diego and major in business legal studies.

The scholarship candidacies were reviewed by Bob Beck, Gary Ovitt, Susan Petrocelli, George Johnson and Joey Collisson.