By Curt Hagman

A new decade has dawned and with it will come several important community events this year that will shape our future.

Among these 2020 events are the March 3 Presidential Primary Election and the November 3 Presidential General Election.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and Registrar of Voters encourages all eligible citizens to be #VoteReady ahead of these two national elections. Don’t wait until Election Day to make sure your vote counts.

The Registrar of Voters and California Secretary of State offer several resources to help citizens exercise their right to vote.

If you are one of the 25 percent of eligible residents not currently registered to vote, you may register online at SBCountyElections.com or RegisterToVote.ca.gov.

Voter registration applications are also available at the Registrar of Voters office in San Bernardino and throughout the county at post offices, city clerks’ offices, county libraries, and the Department of Motor Vehicles. A map of these locations is available on the Registrar of Voters website.

The deadline for registering to vote in the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election is February 18, 2020.

After that date, eligible citizens may conditionally register and vote by visiting the Registrar of Voters’ office, one of five early voting sites in the county during the week before the election, or any polling place on Election Day.

If you are still 17 years old today but will turn 18 by Election Day, you may pre-register to vote online or with a paper application.

If you are already registered to vote, the Board of Supervisors and Registrar of Voters encourages you to verify your registration status, including your political party preference, by using the My Elections Gateway tool on the Registrar of Voters website or the Secretary of State’s VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov website.

Your party preference will generally determine how you vote for candidates for U.S. President in the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election.

If you are registered with one of the six qualified political parties in California, you will receive a primary ballot with only your party’s candidates for President.

If you are not registered with a qualified political party but want to vote for President in the primary, you have two choices you can make.

1. The American Independent, Democratic, and Libertarian political parties have agreed to allow you to vote in their presidential primary contest without requiring you to re-register with their party.

You can apply to receive a mail ballot containing the presidential candidates for one of these three parties by returning a postcard the Registrar of Voters mailed to all permanent mail ballot voters in early December or by calling (909) 387-8300 or (800) 881-VOTE (8683) no later than February 25, 2020.

If you vote at a polling place on Election Day, you can request a ballot from one of these three parties when you show up to vote.

• The Green, Peace and Freedom, and Republican parties have chosen to only allow their party members to vote in their presidential primary contests.

If you wish to vote in the primary for the presidential candidates for one of these three parties, you will need to re-register to vote and choose that political party as your party preference.

If you are not registered with a qualified political party and do not request a party ballot or re-register with a qualified party, you will receive a nonpartisan ballot for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election that does not include any candidates for U.S. President.

All primary ballots will still include contests for other federal, state and local offices for which you are eligible to vote based upon your residential address.

The winner of each party’s presidential primary will represent that party in the November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election, when all voters, regardless of party preference, can vote for U.S. President.

For more information about how to vote for U.S. President, visit HowToVoteForPresident.sos.ca.gov.

For more information about registering, re-registering or pre-registering to vote, visit the Registrar of Voters website at SBCountyElections.com, or call (909) 387-8300.

Be #VoteReady and help make sure #SBCountyCounts.

UPLAND, CA – National Football League linebacking legend Dick Butkus paid a surprise visit to Upland High School on Monday to present his namesake award to Highlander standout Justin Flowe.

One of the most heralded linebackers to come out of California in recent years, Flowe can now add Butkus Award winner to an impressive resume that includes his ranking as the top linebacker recruit in the nation.

Flowe was unaware that Butkus was on campus or that he had even won the award – given to the top high school linebacker in the country. When the moment arrived, in a quickly arranged ceremony at the high school library, Flowe was stunned, but grateful – and showed the humor and grace that have marked his four years at Upland High.

“I thought I’d gotten in trouble,” he said of getting pulled out of class earlier in the day, only to find his parents, teammates, coaches and staff all waiting for him.

Butkus, whose Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bears earned him the distinction as one of the fiercest competitors ever to have played the game, said the choice was easy.

“Justin completely ran away with the award,” he said. “I would be honored to play with a guy like this.”

Where Flowe will play next is unclear; he’s still determining where he will go to college.

“Wherever he goes, that school will be getting an extraordinary player, and an awesome kid,” said John McNally, Upland High’s athletic director.

Justin’s father, Johnny, said he knew at an early age that his son had a gift for football.

“He was so intimidating at the age of 9 that the other teams (in youth football) would refuse to play if he played,” Mr. Flowe said.

The Butkus Award was instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, and is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, college and professional levels. Although the award recognizes prowess on the playing field, winning it is about more than football, Butkus said.

“I like to see their excitement and sincerity about winning the award,” the former linebacker said. “We hope that he understands that ‘OK, I’m the best of the best but I have a responsibility to give back to other people.’”

Flowe said he appreciates the opportunity.

“Thank you for giving me this award. It’s really a blessing. God’s watching over me.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The community is invited to celebrate the Grand Opening of the second phase of The Shops at University Park, this Saturday, January 11, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Located at 1725 -1775 W. Northpark Boulevard, at University Parkway across the street from California State University San Bernardino, The Shops at University Park offers an array of convenient dining and services for CSUSB and the surrounding communities.  

Developed by JR Watson & Associates Development Corp., the center will celebrate the recent openings of Afters Ice Cream, FireWings, Asian Fusion Eatery, Poketology and VCA Northside Animal Hospital, which join eateries Wayback Burger, Jimmy Johns, Jamba Juice, and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. It’s Boba Time will also open soon.

Visitors will enjoy a free afternoon of family fun, including a ribbon cutting ceremony, entertainment by the Cajon High School Band, a DJ from CSUSB’s Coyote Radio, face painting, a balloon artist, food samples, life-size games and giveaways. Tours of the adjacent student housing The Glen at University Park will also be available.

“We are looking forward to introducing the Shops at University Park to shoppers and exceeding their expectations,” said James R. Watson, President of JR Watson & Associates Development Corp. “I would like to thank the President and staff at CSUSB and the City Council, Planning Commission and entire staff at the City of San Bernardino for their tremendous support and all their efforts in making this shopping center a reality,” commented Jim Watson.

“Watson and Associates are committed to making a difference in the communities they serve,” said Judy Watson, who has been instrumental in spearheading the Judy Rodriguez Art program on campus. Much of the art seen in the areas surrounding the campus has been funded by this program.

Follow @TheShopsatUniversityPark on Facebook and Instagram for more information on the event and its tenants.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- A spirit of collaboration among teachers, a principal who nurtures relationships with her staff, and students eager to learn are the ingredients that landed Manuel Salinas Creative Arts Elementary School on the coveted list of 2020 California Distinguished Schools.

The California Department of Education selected Salinas, a magnet school with a focus on visual and performing arts, for the award because of its success in closing the achievement gap, a term that refers to academic disparities between different groups of students. Salinas is one of just 19 San Bernardino County elementary schools to earn the honor.

Principal Heather Regalado, who has lead Salinas since 2015, said the award is the result of years of focused work on the part of teachers, who work together to meet the academic and social needs of students.

“This is all possible because of my teachers and staff,” Regalado said. “They’re the ones who keep our students engaged and wanting to come to school so they can be confident and successful.”

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond applauded the work of the more than 300 Distinguished Schools across California.

“These outstanding schools don’t just educate students; they also provide the young people of California the tools they need to be successful after graduation,” Thurmond said. “Thanks go to all the staff at these schools—teachers, administrators, classified employees—and parents, who are working together to provide high-quality educational experiences for all of their students.”

For Regalado, success comes down to human interaction. When she became Salinas’ principal almost five years ago, Regalado made it her goal to build and nurture genuine relationships with teachers, giving them freedom to think outside the boundaries of the classroom. That resulted in greater innovation and collaboration between teachers. With the introduction of performing arts like theater and band, students became more engaged in academics and attendance improved, both essential to boosting student learning.

Now one of the highest-performing elementary schools in the San Bernardino City Unified School District, Salinas has an average yearly attendance close to 97 percent. More importantly, greater numbers of students from various subgroups, including Hispanic and African American, are achieving academically in English-language arts and math.

“We’ve seen so much academic growth in our students,” Regalado said. “At Salinas Elementary, there’s no boundaries to what our teachers and our students can do.”

Salinas and other California Distinguished Schools will be honored on February 10, 2020, during an awards ceremony at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) recently launched its San Bernardino Community College-funded Promise Program providing more students with access to a college education. Students receive two years of free college, free textbooks, $300 cash for school expenses and the use of a laptop to complete coursework or online classes.

“The program provides the opportunity for students in the Inland Empire to continue their education with resources available to them to accomplish their goals,” said SBVC Dean of Student Equity and Success Carmen Rodriguez. “Many of the students in the program are first generation college students, low income or come from single parent households and many do not have support in the home. We provide the motivation, support and, most of all, the opportunity for them to accomplish their goals.”

The program, which required students to apply by August 1, saw 1,316 students from across the Inland Empire apply to take advantage of the new program. The bulk of students, 127, 108 and 102, came from Rialto, Pacific and Cajon high schools, respectively. Large numbers of students from San Bernardino (94), Eisenhower (89), Colton (88), Citrus Valley (88), Indian Springs (83), Carter (82), San Gorgonio (79), Grand Terrace (60) and Bloomington (51) high schools also applied for the program.

Funding for the Promise Program is provided through a $10 million endowment established by the district last fall.

To participate next year, students should complete a Promise Application, campus application and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). No minimum grade point average or essay is required to apply and the program is available to students studying any major and for the completion of certificate, associate of arts or transfer coursework.

In a motion approved by county supervisors from across the state, Supervisor Chuck Washington has been asked to continue representing Riverside County on the California State Association of Counties’ Executive Committee.

“I will guide policy decisions that help Riverside County tackle ongoing challenges with homelessness, criminal justice, infrastructure and economic development, and job creation,” said Supervisor Washington. “I am excited to carry on this important work on behalf of Riverside County’s 2.4 million residents.”

The CSAC Board of Directors voted earlier this month at its annual convention to have Supervisor Washington serve an additional year on the Executive Committee, which is made up of couple dozen supervisors from urban, suburban and rural counties. 

Supervisor Washington has served on the CSAC Board of Directors since January 2017 and was an alternate on that board’s Executive Committee in 2017 and 2018.  He became a voting member of the Executive Committee in 2019. 

He is the elected representative of Riverside County’s Third District, which consists of Temecula, Murrieta, Hemet, San Jacinto, and the unincorporated areas of Idyllwild, Pine Cove, Anza, Aguanga, Homeland and Winchester. CSAC is the advocacy organization that represents Riverside County and the other 57 counties of California at the state and federal level. 

By Lou Yeboah

‘My new is not what people think.’ Then he said. “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”  Tell my people that they are entering a season in which they will be challenged to make the decision as to whether they want to live or die. They have to make up their minds and they have to make it up now because time is running out!  Tell them that they must experience that once for all conversion because then, and only then, will they have the happy, grateful, meaningful life that I have in store for them. And tell them that I am more willing and anxious to do My part – but they must be willing to do their part. So as 2019 end, and they prepare themselves to enter into 2020, they should turn their attention to change, to transformation, and a new life. See I am coming back for a Bride that will be without spot or blemish  and I am warning them once again to get their act together. And let them know that if they become willful and stubborn, and not do their part, they will die like dogs. I have spoken says the Lord!”  [Isaiah 1: 16-20]. Last but not least, let them know that this call to repentance and faith should not be looked upon and considered as a threat but as an invitation.

I tell you, when you understand God’s purpose for your life, it should give you a sense of urgency that motivates you to change – not later, not tomorrow, not sometimes, but immediately! Understand that God wants you to dedicate yourself to HIm and to His work. He does not want you trying to live for Him on the one hand and the gods of Canaan on the other. He wants wholehearted dedication or nothing! That is the clear message of today. If the Lord be God then serve Him. If He isn’t then go ahead and serve whatever has your heart. Whatever you do, stop trying to have the best of both worlds!

As Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign Gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.” [Genesis 35:2]. For, “This is not a time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”  [Martin Luther King, Jr.]  Because the call is now so loud, and so clear; REPENT! Cast aside all idols! Purify your hearts and your hands!

Know that there is a promised curse coming upon those who are not taking the things of God to heart. As the prophet Malachi warns, “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart…” [Malachi 2:1-4].

2020…. Our allegiance to God is being challenged. Will you renew your Vow to Him today and pledge your allegiance?

Beng confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ [Philipipians 1:6]

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media 

When he’s not studying, Aldon Thomas Stiles, 25, a senior at Cal State Bernardino, writes freelance articles to help pay his way through college and assist his parents with the bills at home in Fontana. 

The Fontana Herald, Screen Rant, Westside Story News and several African-American newspapers around the state have published Stiles’ articles in the past. Most of his work focuses on educating Californians about state policy or bringing light to unreported Inland Empire stories that, he says, people should know about.

“Freelancing is an incredibly convenient work opportunity,” says Stiles, who is African American. “It has helped me hone my skills as a journalist at my own pace and work on stories I’m passionate about – all from home.”

Stiles says the money he makes freelancing helps him keep a roof over his head while in school and that his schedule would have prevented him from working as a full-time writer while he pursued his degree in Criminal Justice. 

Now, AB 5, a new California law that takes effect Jan. 1, 2020 threatens the livelihood of     California freelance journalists like Stiles, critics argue, calling the legislation “unconstitutional.”

The legislation that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September and takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, limits the number of freelance articles journalists in California like Stiles can write for any one publication to 35 per year. 

For budding writers like Stiles who can get paid, on average, about $100 per article, that adds up to only about $3,500 a year. 

Last week, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc., (ASJA), a national professional organization that represents independent non-fiction authors, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the state of California to prevent AB 5 from impacting its members. 

“We have no choice but to go to court to protect the rights of independent writers and freelance journalists as a whole,” said Milton C. Toby, president of ASJA. “The stakes are too high, and we cannot stand by as our members and our colleagues face ill-conceived and potentially career-ending legislation.”

ASJA, which represents about 1,100 freelance writers across the country – with about 120 of its members living in California – is joined by the National Press Photographers Association as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.  The Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian non-profit with offices in Sacramento, is representing the groups pro bono. 

“This law as written, even if it has good intentions, sadly, is an affront to first ammendment constitutional protections,” says Regina Wilson, Executive Editor of California Black Media. “It’s unfair and inconsistent, too. How can you allow freelancers who write marketing copy and press releases to work unrestricted while taking food off the table of freelance journalists who are writers and photographers? Their words and images contribute to our national  historical record and they provide critical information to the public.”

“It will no doubt hurt the bottom lines of small ethnic-owned media businesses in the state. They already lag behind their mainstream counterparts,” Wilson added. “We have to do something about this.” 

Supporters of AB 5, introduced by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), praise the  legislation for closing loopholes, they say, employers use to underpay workers and deny them benefits like health insurance, minimum wage, paid parental leave, etc., that state law requires for full-time employees.

“Big businesses shouldn’t be able to pass their costs on to taxpayers while depriving workers of the labor law protections they are rightfully entitled to,” said Gonzalez in May when the Assembly voted 59-15 to pass AB 5.

AB 5 writes into law a 2018 California Supreme Court ruling that instructed businesses in the state to apply an “ABC” test to determine whether a worker is a freelancer or employee. For a worker to be classified as a freelancer, employers would have to prove that the person is (A) not under the contracting company’s control, (B) is doing work that is not central to the company’s business, and (C) has an independent business providing a service. If freelancers or contractors don’t meet those requirements, companies would have to employ them and provide all the pay and benefits required under California labor laws.

It’s still too early to gauge exactly how AB 5 will impact freelancers in California, but some moves in the media industry, for a while now,  have been sending early signals. Last week, Vox Media, parent company of popular niche websites, including Vox, SB Nation, Eater and Curbed, announced that it is laying off hundreds of freelancers in California. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Times hired 30 of its freelancers as full time employees after the Supreme Court decision last year, according to that publication. 

“First, this states the company had been contemplating the switch for 2 years,” Gonzalez wrote in a tweet that was widely criticized on social media for coming off as insensitive. She was responding to Vox Media’s freelancer layoffs last week. 

“Second, it clearly states that those contracted jobs are being converted to full & part time jobs,” the Assemblymember’s tweet went on.  “I understand a contractor who doesn’t want a job being upset, but that’s certainly not all bad.”

Laid-off Vox freelancers who have spoken out publicly about their loss of work fired back at Gonzales, pointing  out that the company transitioned only about 15 journalists to full-time positions while cutting hundreds of freelance gigs. 

“The government cannot single out journalists,” said Jim Manley, a Pacific Legal Foundation attorney, in a statement about the lawsuit. 

Last  week, news about the lawsuit lifted the hopes of many California-based freelancers who fear that employers outside the state might blacklist them while California-based companies might replace them with peers living in other states. 

“Freelance journalism is a whole different ballgame and this law ignoring that is a travesty,” said Antonio Ray Harvey, a Sacramento-based African-American writer who has, for more than 17 years now, wholly earned his living freelancing. He covers sports, politics,  current events, and other beats, for the Associated Press, NBC sports Radio, California Black Media and the Sacramento Observer. 

“Its not like there are a lot of journalism jobs out there nowadays,” said Harvey. “We have to maintain our careers and pay our bills. 

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

By the late 1970s, drug traffickers were shipping so much cocaine to the United States that the street price of the powdered stimulant dealers cook to make crack – the smokable rock form of the stimulant – dropped by nearly 80 percent, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

Some historians believe that new affordability of cocaine aided the flooding of crack or “rock” into cities and towns across the United States, particularly in African-American communities where the illicit trade of the drug contributed to sharp increases in gang-related violence and murders during that period.

By 1985, almost 6 million Americans admitted to using some form of cocaine, according to the DEA.

Then, in the 1980s,  President Ronald Reagan launched the government’s multi-pronged and widely criticized “War on Drugs” designed to toughen drug crime laws and aggressively pursue and incarcerate drug users and traffickers. Those policies led to the imprisonment of millions of African Americans from the early 1980s until now.

By 2013, African-American men and women accounted for more than 50 percent of the total United States prison population.

Now, more than two decades after the height of the crack era, African-American neighborhoods in California and around the country are facing another haunting drug epidemic: The Opioid Crisis, stemming from untreated addictions to potent – and potentially dangerous – drugs like Codeine, Fentanyl, Methadone, Morphine and Oxycodone, among others.

“When I watch the Republican Party hugging heroin-addicted folks, opiate-addicted folks, it makes me very happy, but it also makes me very mad,” said media personality, author and activist Van Jones, according to the website Inkredibly.com.

“Those same Republicans and Democrats, when the problem was crack, showed no mercy. No compassion. No understanding at all, and locked up a bunch of people,” Jones continued. “I do think that now its hitting everybody, hopefully we can come up with a more compassionate response.”

Although the mainstream news media has largely framed the opioid crisis as a problem America’s majority-White rural and suburban communities are wrestling with, data shows that it is, in fact, becoming a problem in predominantly African-American neighborhoods across the country as well.

“We have seen a sharp rise in communities of color and urban communities of overdoses and deaths related to illegal opioids, including heroin,” said Chet P. Hewitt, president and CEO of The Center at the Sacramento-based Sierra Health Foundation (SHF).

“Opioid use disorder is often a response to physical and emotional pain, including that of historical and systemic trauma,” Hewitt told California Black Media.

SHF is managing the state of California’s Medication Assisted Treatment Access Points Project in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services (CDHCS), the federal government, California Black Media and its network of more than 20 African-American owned media outlets, and other ethnic media around the state.

The public awareness campaign, dubbed “Choose Change California” will employ a combination of advertising as well as news stories and profiles to inform Californians about opioid abuse in the state and direct people who are affected to locations where they can seek Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).

“We can’t afford to go through another drug epidemic that kills our children, parents, brothers and sisters,” said Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media. “Our publishers are aware that we have to inform our audiences about this growing problem as well as encourage them to reduce the stigma around opioid abuse so that people suffering from it can come out of the shadows and seek treatment.”

In 2018, more than 10 million Americans misused opioids, according the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In California, there were 5.3 opioid-related deaths for every 100,000 people in 2017. Among African-American Californians, that number is about 1.4 for every 100,000, a high number based on the state’s Black population of nearly 6 percent.

And the death rate from overdoses of the synthetic opioid Fentanyl is rising fastest among African Americans.

In a statement shared with California Black Media, CDHCS says the media campaign began in April 2019 and includes digital, television, print, and billboard advertising. As of October 2019, the media campaign has had 1.2 billion impressions across media markets statewide.

The second phase of the campaign will continue through winter 2020. It was designed to launch during the holidays when there are historically high incidences of opioid overdoses. 

“The holidays are a difficult time for those experiencing addiction. We knew that promoting the campaign’s message of destigmatizing Opioid Use Disorder and promoting Medication Assisted Treatment was critical for those suffering with a substance use disorder,” Marlies Perez, Project Director of the MAT Expansion Project at CDHCS, said.

A third media campaign phase will launch in spring 2020 and will continue to target communities statewide, including communities of color and rural populations, the CDHCS statement said. . 

It is widely reported that there are more OUD treatment centers located in predominantly White areas in California and across the country, and that there exists a bias among doctors which leads them to not recommend MAT to minority patients because they fear those individuals would resell their treatments on the street, fueling the crisis.

Hewitt said it is critical that the opioid  campaign targets census tracts of the state that are often overlooked.

“An emphasis will be placed on neighborhoods of color and communities that are experiencing a rapid rise in opioid-related deaths along with decades of drug policies that have disproportionately incarcerated and penalized those with substance use disorders.”

“Because of the short time period of this project, sustainability has been prioritized, according to the CDHCS statement. “The aim is to create a community of practice that lifts up and makes available racial and culturally responsive approaches focused on prevention, education, outreach and referrals, which ultimately results in increased education and access to MAT for California’s most underserved communities.”

On Oct, 12, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 919 into law introduced by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach).

It mandates CDHCS to license all addiction treatment centers in the state and requires that they adopt the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s treatment criteria as an operating standard. 

Natural Christmas trees recycling programs divert waste from landfills

While you’re out making post-Christmas returns this week, remember to add your Christmas tree to that pile of items. Return your natural Christmas tree to the ground it grew in by dropping it off at a Riverside County landfill to be recycled into a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

Through the free Christmas tree drop-off program, natural trees collected at the Badlands and Lamb Canyon landfills will be chipped and combined with food waste from the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning to create compost. This program at Lamb Canyon is an innovative way to ensure that organic waste is diverted away from landfill burial, recycled and turned into a valuable soil amendment.

Natural Christmas trees must be prepared for recycling by removing all decorations, lights, tinsel and tree stands. Flocked trees cannot be recycled through this program and need to be cut up and placed in your regular trash container.

Other natural Christmas trees that are recycled at free drop-off sites, or at the curb, will be taken to local green-waste processors to be recycled into compost or mulch. Most trash haulers will collect Christmas trees curbside for two weeks after Christmas. Place the prepared tree next to or inside the green-waste container on your regular pick-up day.  Trees over four feet tall should be cut in half. Contact your waste hauler for more details.

For those without a curbside pickup program, several drop-off locations will accept up to three properly prepared residential Christmas trees for FREE through Jan. 4:

A. Lua Wood Recycling, 18938 Mermack Ave., Lake Elsinore

B.P. John Recycling, 28700 Matthews Road, Romoland (accepting until Jan. 31)

Burrtec Recycle Center, 41-800 Corporate Way, Palm Desert (Burrtec customers only)

Burrtec/Robert A. Nelson Transfer Station, 1830 Agua Mansa Road, Riverside (Burrtec customers only)

Riverside County Badlands Landfill, 31125 Ironwood Ave., Moreno Valley (accepting until Jan. 4)

Riverside County Lamb Canyon Landfill, 16411 Lamb Canyon Road, Beaumont (accepting until Jan. 4)

Unfortunately, trees that are not recycled at drop-off locations or through curbside pick-up will only occupy valuable space in our landfills. Make the last gift you give this year to the Earth – recycle your Christmas tree!

For more information on this program, please call the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources (951) 486-3200 or visit the waste guide on our website for additional green holiday suggestions: http://www.rcwaste.org/wasteguide/holiday.