By Lou Yeboah

Well, Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida, says the Lord. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you [Luke 10:13-15] Over and over again, I have sent My warnings to you, but they have gone unheard. How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? How long will you keep ignoring the warning signs and live for your own ways and desires as if there are no consequences for doing so? I’ve warned you, Repent before it is too late!

“And in Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” [Luke 16:27-28].

A lesson for all of us. “Being in torment” – “He cried” – “Have mercy on me.” That tells us two things; one, there is no mercy in Hell; second, there is torture, pain and suffering in Hell. He asked for just one drop of water on his tongue. I am tormented in this flame. There is no water in Hell. A great gulf is fixed so there will be no leaving it once a person gets there. No way to escape after arriving there. How could anyone ignore such a place as Hell? How could anyone not be concerned about their soul and the fact that they will be in Hell someday unless they come to the Savior?

Every lost person – lost without Christ will someday be in Hell for all eternity. They are headed for Hell as sure as if they were already there. For [John 3:18] says, He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. The word “believeth” used here means to have placed your trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. Those who have not done that are already condemned to Hell. “Too Little Concern About Hell!”

Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. [Romans 1:28-32].

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. [Galatians 5:19-21].

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”

To Little Concern About Hell – What tragedy!

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Over the last two months, Gov. Gavin Newsom has met with some of the state’s counties to promote CARE Court.

CARE Court – the acronym stands for Community, Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment – is a mental health framework the state created to help people who are suffering from mental illness and substance use disorder by providing alternatives to arrests and jail if they have run-ins with the law.

Newsom announced the initiative at a press conference in San Jose last month. At the event, the governor said the new statewide initiative will receive funding from his administration’s multi-year mental health budget proposal totaling nearly $10 billion per year in behavioral health programs and services.

“CARE Court is about meeting people where they are and acting with compassion to support the thousands of Californians living on our streets with severe mental health and substance use disorders,” said Newsom. “We are taking action to break the pattern that leaves people without hope and cycling repeatedly through homelessness and incarceration. This is a new approach to stabilize people with the hardest-to-treat behavioral health conditions.”

Similar programs called collaborative courts focusing on specific problem-solving solutions for offenders have already been established in a number of counties across the state.

Teiahsha Bankhead, Executive Director of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY) said the courts work.

“In some counties these courts have demonstrated very positive outcomes. They are most successful in communities that are not obsessed with over-policing and harsh punishment,” said Bankhead.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lawrence G. Brown, who has extensive experience with cases that come through these types of courts, asserted that the model has been helpful in his community.

“In our three mental health treatment courts in Sacramento, which serve between 150-200 participants at any given time, it would be a conservative estimate that well over half of those coming into our courts are either homeless or have housing instability,” said Brown.

“Based on our experience, if a person can be connected to meaningful treatment services, coupled with judicial oversight, there can be a profound impact on recidivism and hospitalizations,” he continued.

Rhonda Smith, executive director of the California Black Health Network, is pleased to see the gap that CARE Court is closing but she is concerned about people the criminal justice program might miss.

“If someone doesn’t pass the screening test, what happens to that person? What kind of safety net is there for them?” Smith asked.

Bankhead believes CARE Court is a necessary measure in a society that has been rethinking crime and punishment.

“In a humane, civil society members take into consideration disabling health considerations without punishing people for consequences of illnesses beyond their control,” points out Bankhead.

“A CARE Court should result in lower costs for custodial care of people who have caused harm as additional resources and treatment alternatives will mean fewer people serving time in county jails and state prisons for charges that are essentially health violations,” continued Bankhead.

While the US accounts for 5% of the world’s population, it accounts for almost 25% of the world’s prisoners, according to the American Psychological Association.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Black people make up almost 40% of the nation’s incarcerated population, although they are about 13% of the population.

In California, the imprisonment rate of Black men alone is almost ten times higher than the rate for White men, according to numbers provided by the Public Policy Institute of California.

“Because of the disproportionate incarceration of Black, indigenous and other people of color we would expect overall reductions in incarceration rates with accompanying improvements in community health and wellbeing,” said Bankhead.

“In CARE Court the criminalization of young Black men and women will hopefully be eliminated, shifted and lifted as seriously mentally ill people of color will be evaluated more comprehensively for mental illness and offered real support, treatment, alternatives and opportunities to heal,” she continued.

Experts estimate that about 10% to 25% of the nation’s prison population suffer from severe mental illness and 42% struggle with substance addiction.

According to California Health Policy Strategies, open mental health cases in California increased by 42% between 2009 and 2019. During that period, the yearly average of daily intakes of open mental health cases increased by 62%.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated in 2015 that 45% of the nation’s homeless population suffered from mental illness.

“There’s nothing compassionate about continuing to allow the current cycle of homelessness and incarceration to continue. My Administration will continue hosting CARE Court roundtables across the state listening to impacted Californians and stakeholders about their experiences and needs,” Newsom said.

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

A day after the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans decided who would be eligible for compensation, the nine-member panel approved a framework for calculating how much should be paid — and for which offenses — to individuals who are Black descendants of enslaved people in the United States.

The task force voted 8-0 to consider a blueprint of 13 “harms,” titled “Model 2: State Specific Harms/Atrocities Framework,” presented by an expert team it appointed.

“The Task Force will give us some directions and what to pursue to use this framework to figure out a procedure to have calculations,” said Dr. Kaycea Campbell, a member of the expert team. “(It) will allow us to identify specific atrocities or harms for which California should compensate.”

The expert panel reported that a “conservative estimate” of two million African Americans in California have ancestors who were enslaved in the United States. According to the US 2020, there are about 2.6 million Black Californians in a state that has a total population of nearly 40 million residents.

The expert team identified 13 “categories” that would be the “methodology” and “procedure to calculate damages” to determine what constitutes harms and atrocities, Campbell said.

Those harms include unjust property taking by eminent domain, intellectual property deprivation; homelessness; unwarranted police violence; segregated education; denial of representation on estate commissions; and housing discrimination; labor discrimination; environmental harm; mass incarceration; and sentencing; public health harms; transgenerational effects; among others.

The inflictions are prioritized to establish the case for compensation, with specificity to California, based on evidence gathered during witness testimonies over a course of nine months.

“The list is in no way final, can be expanded, and can be shrunk,” Campbell told the task force on March 30. “But we wanted to give an idea of these particular atrocities, as they are identified, and have the task force direct us as to what we should be looking at.”

Campbell, who is based on Long Beach, is an experienced career economist specializing in economic theory, analysis, and policy. The Chief Executive Officer for Ventana Capital Advisors and Associate Professor of Economics, Los Angeles Pierce College, she has a Ph.D. degree in Economics-Management from Claremont Graduate University.

Campbell says the five-member unit is tasked with providing an economic perspective of the work the task force is doing, helping to quantify past economic injustices African Americans faced in the state and elsewhere, and determining what or how much compensation should be for Black people living in California.

The expert team includes Williams Spriggs (former Chair of the Department of Economics at Howard University. He currently serves as chief economist for the AFL-CIO), and Thomas Craemer (Public Policy Professor at the University of Connecticut).

Spriggs and Craemer testified in front of the task force last October.

Rounding out the panel of experts are William A. “Sandy” Darity Jr., the director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University, and Kirsten Mullen, a writer, and lecturer whose work focuses on race, art, history, and politics.

Darity is a Samuel DuBois Cook professor of public policy, African and African American studies, and economics at Duke University. His research focuses on racial, class and ethnic inequality and stratification economics; education and the racial achievement gap; North-South theories of trade and development; and the economics of reparations.

Darity and Mullen co-authored the book, “From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the 21st Century.” They testified before the task force during the first meeting in June 2021.

The task force chose the Model 2 framework over Model 1, called the “National Reparations Framework.” The first option captures all the “opportunities and losses” linked to enslavement, Jim Crow laws, elements of lost wages, and others.

The expert team expressed their concerns about the national model because many of the atrocities, discrimination, and wage gap only relate to southern territories that did not happen in California.

“The national strategy of attempting to eliminate the racial wealth gap is something that is not replicated at the state level given the resources that the state of California currently possesses,” Darity said. “The second issue is the condition of racial wealth and equality in the state of California is not exclusively a consequence of a chain of events that took place solely in the state.”

On March 29, the task force voted 5-4 in favor of lineage over race as the determining factor for compensation. The members of the expert team suggested that a “reparations tribunal” would be one approach where individuals and families could establish residency and file claims of harm based on lineage.

Task Force chair Kamilah Moore said the community eligibility portion will be based on lineage “determined by an individual being African American, the descendant of a (person enslaved as chattel) or descendant of a free-Black person living in the United States prior to the end of the 19th century.”

By statute, the task force will issue a report to the Legislature by June 1, 2022, which will be available to the public.

Model 2 of the Framework for Reparations and Calculations could “potentially” arrive with modifications when the expert team reports back to the task force during the next meeting, Moore said.

After the expert team’s presentation, testimonials were provided on the “War on Drugs” and the crack-cocaine epidemic during the March meeting.

Those harms could be added to one of the categories.

“I am just putting that on our radar as a potential and distinct harm,” Moore said of the injuries not currently listed in Model 2.

The Task Force will hold its next meeting at San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church on Wednesday, April 13 at 9 a.m. and Thursday, April 14 at 9 a.m.

Third Baptist Church is at 1399 McAllister in San Francisco.

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

If it were not for the news headlines, you probably would not know California is under a state of emergency due to continuing drought conditions affecting more than 95% of state residents. Last summer was the hottest recorded in Western states. And in a 128-year stretch, 2022 has so far been the driest in Golden State history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Then, in March, evidence of worsening drought conditions in the state showed up in rainfall that didn’t. Low levels of rain during the month, prompted concerned authorities at the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) to cut delivery from the State Water Project, a storage facility, down to 5 % of the supplies that had been requested.

Reacting to those and other developments indicating a need to begin preserving water, last week, Gov. Newsom asked local water authorities to “move to Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans.”

Newsom did not recommend specific actions, leaving regional and municipal authorities open to take “locally-appropriate actions.”

“Today, I am calling on local water agencies to implement more aggressive water conservation measures, including having the Water Board evaluate a ban on watering ornamental grass on commercial properties, which will drive water use savings at this critical time,” said Newsom who has invested more than $1 billion in state efforts aimed at tackling the drought.

Last month, Newsom invested $22.5 million in immediate funds to address the state’s drought emergency. That amount included $8.25 million for outreach efforts educating Californians on water conservation.

Dale Hunter is executive director of the California African American Water Education Foundation (CAAWEF). He says he applauds the governor’s decision to invest in outreach, but he also emphasized how important education will be for this campaign because of the seriousness of this ongoing drought.

CAAWEF is a statewide nonprofit that raises awareness about water issues concerning African Americans and educates the Black community about them.

“We must embrace conservation. It will become a way of life for us,” says Hunter. “We have to give people practical tips to drive this stuff home – so that people know they are a part of it. For example, the next time you wash that T-shirt, you have to make sure you have some other stuff in the washer to save water.”

Hunter said a lot of people hear about water conservation in the media, but they do not know what it involves.

Hunter says funding for outreach would support efforts by organizations like his that educate consumers.

The governor’s executive order last week called on the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to consider asking commercial consumers to ban irrigation of “non-functional” grass on their properties. However, Newsom’s proposed ban would not affect residential customers or recreational spaces and parks.

DWR estimates the plan could save water equal to “several hundred thousand acre-feet.” One acre-foot is the estimated amount of water three households need to last them for one year.

In California, 85% of public water systems source their supply from groundwater, which, under normal circumstances, accounts for 41% of water delivered to homes, businesses and public facilities. But during droughts like the current one, as much as 58 % of those water authorities may rely on groundwater.

Hunter says he understands why Newsom didn’t push any mandates or laws but opted instead to make recommendations to local authorities.

“Water is always a local issue,” he explained. “Always.”

Hunter says increasing awareness about water and getting people to become stakeholders in conservation will not happen overnight.

“It takes a while to percolate down to the average person,” says Hunter. “It might hit us when folks in one Zip Code can only water their yards on certain days. Water is the lifeblood of our state. We have to make sure we get it right.”

 

 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The 32nd Annual San Bernardino County History Day competition featured more than 110 projects from nearly 180 participating students this year. The winners were honored during a virtual awards ceremony held on March 10.

 

“I applaud all the students involved in this year’s San Bernardino County History Day,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “They exemplify our best and brightest, and they’ve worked diligently to research local, national and worldwide events in preparation for this competition.”

 

History Day is an interdisciplinary program that encourages students to increase their knowledge of history through classroom activities within the content and process of social studies and language arts curriculum. This year’s theme was “Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.” 

 

History Day provides students an opportunity to compete in a variety of categories within three divisions:

·  Elementary (grades four through five) 

·  Junior (grades six through eight) 

·  Senior (grades nine through 12) 

 

The elementary division competes in the poster and podcast categories.

 

Both junior and senior divisions compete in exhibit, podcast, documentary, performance, website and research paper categories. Submissions are judged by historians, educators and other professionals in related fields.

 

Participating school districts include: 

·      Adelanto Elementary

·      Barstow Unified

·      Central School District

·      Chaffey Joint Union High

·      Cucamonga 

·      Hesperia Unified

·      San Bernardino City Unified

·      Snowline Joint Unified

·      Upland Unified

·      Victor Valley Union High

 

Individual and group qualifiers will advance to the upcoming California History Day competition in May. 

 

2022 San Bernardino County History Day Champions:

 

Elementary Division

Poster, Individuals

·       Alanis Acuna – Cucamonga Elementary School, Cucamonga School District

·       Ariana Nares – Victoria Magathan Elementary School, Adelanto Elementary School District

·       Oliver Nieto – Victoria Magathan Elementary School, Adelanto Elementary School District

 

Poster, Groups

·       Juliet Araujo, Jay’Len Dews – Cucamonga Elementary School, Cucamonga School District

·       Lizette Acosta, Mariah Bautista, Alissa Garcia, Tajhe Thomas – Victoria Magathan Elementary School, Adelanto Elementary School District

·      Madrid Carcano, Ailani Garcia Mendoza – Cucamonga Elementary School, Cucamonga School District

 

Junior Division 

Documentary, Individuals

·       Jennifer Camacho Duenas – Cucamonga Middle School, Central School District

 

Exhibit, Individuals

·       Emma Aldrete – Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District

·       Sebastian Gutierrez – Lenwood Elementary School, Barstow Unified School District

·       Logan Loya – Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District

 

Historical Paper, Individuals

·       Anamarie Garay – Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District

·       Heather Kohler – Cobalt Institute of Math and Science, Victor Valley Union High School District

·       Leah Todd – Cobalt Institute of Math and Science, Victor Valley Union High School District

 

Performance, Individuals

·       Alina Hazen – Pinon Mesa Middle School, Snowline Joint Unified School District

 

Podcast, Individuals

·       Genesis Caro – Pinon Mesa Middle School, Snowline Joint Unified School District

·       Riley Hunter – Pinon Mesa Middle School, Snowline Joint Unified School District

·       Zayda Mercado – Cobalt Institute of Math and Science, Victor Valley Union High School District

 

Website, Individuals

·       Matthew Martin – Pinon Mesa Middle School, Snowline Joint Unified School District

·       Lucas Schultz – Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District

 

Documentary, Groups

·       Subhan Ahmad, Babur Barakzai, Kaden Batcheller, Hajed Bhri, Nebiy Habtie – Cucamonga Middle School, Central School District

·       Andrea Mejia Flores, Norah Gallegos, Allison Jimenez-Galvan – Lenwood Elementary School, Barstow Unified School District

·       Kiara Mann, Violet Valdez – Lenwood Elementary School, Barstow Unified School District

 

Exhibit, Groups

·       Izabella Cachora, Jamyah Lindsay – Lenwood Elementary School, Barstow Unified School District

·       Aubrey Chavez, Kendra Cloyd – Lenwood Elementary School, Barstow Unified School District

·       Vincent Felix, Miguel Lucero, Amari Newton, Angel Silva – Lenwood Elementary School, Barstow Unified School District

 

Podcast, Groups

·       Benjamin Lopez-Lobos, Matthew Rosales – Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District

 

Website, Groups

·       Violet Figueroa, Madelyn Sweda – Cucamonga Middle School, Central School District

·       Jaiden Hunter, Chloe Millet – Lenwood Elementary School, Barstow Unified School District

 

Senior Division

Historical Paper, Individuals

·       Jairus Ah Ching – Barstow High School, Barstow Unified School District

·       Annalise Delgado – Chaffey High School, Chaffey Joint Union High School District

·       Justin Jaramillo – Barstow High School, Barstow Unified School District

 

Documentary, Individuals

·       Jaden Dominguez – Etiwanda High School, Chaffey Joint Union High School District

·       Maximus Hernandez – Cobalt Institute of Math and Science, Victor Valley Union High School District

·      David Zavala – Barstow High School, Barstow Unified School District

 

Exhibit, Individuals

·       Sandra Martinez Rivera – Oak Hills High School, Hesperia Unified School District

·       Danielle Mitchell – Oak Hills High School, Hesperia unified School District

·       William Ortega – Chaffey High School, Chaffey Joint Union High School District

 

Performance, Individuals

·       Elizabeth “Snow” Cameron – Upland High School Upland Unified School District

 

Podcast, Individuals

·       Julia Ann “Ell” Escano – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

·       Miko Duterte – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

·       Luke Tan – Chaffey High School, Chaffey Joint Union High School District

 

Website, Individuals

·       Angela Liu – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

·       Adrianna Rios – Cobalt Institute of Math and Science, Victor Valley Union High School District

·       Tania Torres-Gomez – Chaffey High School, Chaffey Joint Union High School District

 

Documentary, Group

·       Alison Goetz, Julia Mendoza, Alexandra Ruel – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

·       Kayla Logan, Emily McConnell – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

·       Martin Shiekh, Oliver Shiekh – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

 

Exhibit, Group

·       Christina Godinez, Christian Gonzalez, Steven Guevara – Oak Hills High School, Hesperia Unified School District

·       Denise Hernandez, Marbella Santiago – Chaffey High School, Chaffey Joint Union High School District

·       Sarah Thomas, Emily Wright, Jessica Zapata – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

 

Podcast, Group

·       Jazmin Gonzalez, Christopher Hartman – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

 

Website, Group

·       Chloe Butarbutar, Monique Robles – Upland High School, Upland High School District

·       Harrison Cameron, Thomas Chang – Upland High School, Upland Unified School District

·       Lila Hernandez, Marco Hernandez, Aliitasi Josephine Lealofi, Leslei Minguela Navarro, Hailey Stradling – Barstow High School, Barstow Unified High School

 

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

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY— The First District office was pleased to award three $500 scholarships to deserving High Desert seniors during this week’s State of Education event at the Victorville Conference Center.

Hosted by the Greater High Desert Chamber of Commerce, the event celebrated the many accomplishments of their county schools over the past year.

Constituent Services Director Samuel Shoup was pleased to honor the following seniors with $500 scholarships on behalf of our San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors First District Office. The funds will go toward the schools of their choice.

• Samantha Allen of Oak Hills High School is graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Favorite quote: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” – Forrest Gump
• Daniel Orellana of Apple Valley High School is also graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Favorite quote: “Reach for the stars so if you fall, you land on a cloud.” – Kanye West
• Emilia Yuja Matute of University Preparatory, is graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Favorite quote: “An action is worth more than a thousand words.” – Emilia Yuja Matute

A total of 27 scholarships were presented during the ceremony. Additional recipients included Ryleigh Ades, Navaho Augsburger, Tayler Avila, Ashely Awad, Sage Ginorio, Christopher Grantham, Isabella Jackson, Caitlynn Kelly, Jacob Kleinsmith, Anna Komonita, Regan Lafever, Matthew Miura, Stephanie Montealegre, Elshaddai Netsereab, Enrique Ordinal, Amara Pszoniak, Max Quijada, Bibianna Rodrigues, Gabriel Soto, Alexis Suttle, Stephenie Udeze, Brianna Vazquez, Veronica Vazquez, and Sara Wahl.

REDLANDS, CA—- Jalani Bakari and Janice Rooths were in the studio discussing Will and Chris at the Oscars with Empire Talks Back (ETB) host Wallace Allen on the April 3 edition of the radio broadcast.

Jalani and Janice are both Community Activists, Equity Advocates, and National Influencers who reside and work in the Riverside area.

ETB is broadcast each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. on KCAA 1050 AM radio. The program streams live video via http://www.kcaaradio.com.  The Empire Talks Back archive is available on all podcast sites as well as YouTube. Just ask for Empire Talks Back. If you would like to be a guest on ETB, call WssNews at (909) 384-8131.

MORENO VALLEY, CA— Learn how to create a soil amendment that’s waste free and great for gardens! On Saturday, April 2, the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources will host a free backyard composting and vermicomposting class at our headquarters in Moreno Valley (14310 Frederick Street).

Learn how to recycle organic resources, such as yard trimmings, as well as fruit and vegetable waste into a dark, crumbly, sweet-smelling soil conditioner called compost. If you don’t have yard trimmings, or lack suitable space to compost, vermicomposting is a fantastic alternative that can be done in an empty plastic bin, bucket, or kitty litter container.

Composting is nature’s way of recycling. It’s a great way to turn waste into a garden. In composting, organic material is mixed together in a pile or bin, where literally millions of tiny microbes digest the material and turn it into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Vermicomposting puts worms to work, as red wigglers will break down organic waste, such as apple cores and melon rinds, and turn them into a nutrient-rich byproduct called worm castings. The free class covers both composting and vermicomposting, with composting starting at 9:00 am and vermicomposting starting at 10:00 am.

If attendees would like to put the principles taught in the class into practice, compost and vermicomposting bins are available for purchase at the end of the class. These bins are only available for purchase by Riverside County residents and have a limit of three per household.  Credit card or cash payment only, no personal checks are accepted.

The class is free and will end by 11 a.m. The class will be held outdoors in our resource garden, so dress to accommodate current weather conditions.  Attendees will need to observe social distancing during the class.  These programs are offered to educate residents about the ease and advantages of organic material recycling and how composting preserves valuable space in county landfills.

For more information, call (951) 486-3200  or visit  www.rcwaste.org/classes

SACRAMENTO, CA— According to a 2019 PPIC report, only 13% of community college freshmen earn their associate degree within two years. While these rates partly reflect the diversity of student goals, only about 48 percent of students aiming to receive an associate degree or certificate do so within six years.

In response to these findings, Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton) introduced AB 2738: The Community Colleges Completion Act. This bill requires California Community Colleges (CCC) to reduce time to degree completion by increasing data transparency, publishing course schedules, and providing the classes necessary for students to complete their associate degrees or certificates within two years.

“Our community colleges play a key role in connecting California students, especially first-generation college students and those from low-income backgrounds to well-paying careers and four-year universities,” shared Majority Leader Reyes. “But two-year completion rates remain low, especially for our Latino and Black students. AB 2738 supports students’ goals of earning their degrees and certificates within two years by requiring colleges to take concrete steps to make this timeline possible.”

Completion rates vary by racial and ethnic groups and are particularly low for students of color. For example, while 78% of Latino students enroll with the goal of attaining a two-year degree or transferring to a four-year institution, two-thirds take six or more years to transfer.

Many students struggle to complete within two years, sometimes because of how difficult it is to plan their course schedules. While degree requirements are specified in course catalogs, students must often choose between hundreds of courses offered at inconsistent times and intervals. This makes it especially difficult for students with obligations outside of school, such as work or family, to plan for and complete their degrees.

“Because there is very little momentum through the community college pipeline, most California Community College students, especially those who are Latino, are being denied an opportunity for upward social mobility,” said Jose Fierro, President/Superintendent at Cerritos College and CALCCTA  President. “AB 2738 is a data-driven, innovative effort to close equity gaps by increasing degree and transfer rates for students of color across the State of California, and is an essential step towards equitable economic vitality.”

“The urgency to help students get ahead educationally and economically has never been greater,” said Dr. Scott W. Thayer, Interim President of San Bernardino Valley College. “With direct student support, guided academic and career pathways, state investment in community colleges, and AB 2738, we will ensure more community college students get to the finish line of their college and career goals.”

AB 2738 requires California Community Colleges to take action to reduce time to completion for students. This bill will increase transparency of data surrounding completion rates and ensure colleges develop plans to make two-year completion an achievable goal for all students.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Time for Change Foundation’s (TFCF) 20^th Anniversary Awards Gala, “Once Upon a Time” will honor outstanding individuals and organizations that go above and beyond for our community and continue to make a difference in the lives of others.

Susan Burton, Founder of A New Way of Life Reentry Project, will be honored with the Harriet Tubman Legacy Award for her outstanding dedication as an innovative model, creating both a welcoming and healing space for women to rejoin their communities after incarceration while developing leaders to work toward liberation. As a formerly incarcerated Black woman, Ms. Burton is a front-runner in the movement to reform the criminal legal system, founding committee member of the Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM), and outspoken voice to end mass incarceration.

After the 2017-18 tour in sixty-four prisons and jails, twenty-six states and three countries for her memoir, Becoming Ms. Burton, she launched the SAFE (Sisterhood Alliance for Freedom and Equality) Housing Network to replicate A New Way of Life’s effective and humane reentry model. Since 2018, Ms. Burton has mentored and supported eighteen organizations in thirteen states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington) and two countries (Uganda and Kenya) that opened their own safe homes.

Other Award Honorees include:

Patty Favela with the Ramos Family Spirit of Compassion Award, Vickie Lobo of Knock Knock Angels with the Nancy Varner Angel Award, and Carmen Perez-Jordan of The Gathering for Justice, and Jay Jordan of Time Done with the Dynamic Duo Award.

Time for Change Foundation’s 20^th Anniversary Awards Gala will be held virtually on April 28^th, 2022, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. To support the work of Time for Change Foundation, you can become a sponsor, purchase an ad in the event program book, or purchase a Gala ticket.

To purchase tickets for the event or to become a sponsor and increase your business’ visibility in the community, please visit their website at www.TimeForChangeFoundation.org, or contact Vanessa Perez at (909) 886-2994 or by email at vperez@timeforchangefoundation.org.