Congressman Pete Aguilar announced grant from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOMA LINDA, CA— Loma Linda University School of Nursing has been awarded a four-year, $2.6-million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help grow the number of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in the Inland Empire.

The grant, from the federal department’s Advanced Education Nursing Grant Program, will provide funding toward tuition assistance for qualifying students and enhance training. The school recently received confirmation of the funding for year one of the 4-year grant, a $684,848 installment.

“This grant will allow us to update and enhance the training provided to students,” said Gloria Mattson Huerta, DNP, Nurse Practitioner program coordinator and assistant professor at Loma Linda University School of Nursing. “This will include the development of standardized patient scenarios focusing on behavioral health issues, as well as managing the opioid crisis — both of which are significant issues in the Inland Empire as well as nationally.”

Pete Aguilar, Representative for California’s 31st U.S. Congressional District, has promoted adding HHS funding to provide high-quality affordable healthcare in the state’s medically-underserved communities.

“By increasing the number of highly-qualified nurses in our region, we can help ensure better health outcomes for our communities while creating good jobs in a growing field in our region,” Aguilar said. “I’m proud to announce this funding, and I look forward to a continued partnership with Loma Linda University in order to increase access to quality health care throughout San Bernardino County.”

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Chief Jarrod Burguan started his career with the San Bernardino Police Department in 1992 and has served as the Chief of Police for the department since 2013.

Throughout his career, Burguan worked in, supervised or managed every division within the department. His broad range of experience allowed him to become a knowledgeable and effective leader.

Chief Burguan was a source of strength for the department and community throughout his career which included the terrorist attack on the Inland Regional Center in 2015 and the North Park Elementary School shooting in 2017.

He was able to effectively communicate with the national audience and bring the local community together.

The City of San Bernardino and it’s residents would like to thank Chief Jarrod Burguan for his years of service and dedication to the profession.

John M. Futch, Jr. was born June 15, 1950 in Merced, California. He was the oldest of four children; born into an Air Force family with parents who lovingly instilled in him a sense of structure and a strong work ethic.

He was a natural leader as the big brother in a traveling family. He kept the siblings unified as they traveled around the world – imparting in them an unbreakable alliance.

Through all the transitions John, Terry, Lois and Stan relied on each other. They relied on the solid foundation of a loving family. And the kids relied on John’s innate leadership.

John was always in charge. He was the oldest and carried the most responsibility. Mature. Articulate. Brilliant. Confident. These are words that described John at an early age.

It was no shock that John finished high school at the age of 16 without sacrificing extracurricular activities. He played football, wrestled and ran track. He was accomplished at a young age – willing to tackle any challenge. John exemplified a sense of fearlessness and strength that only grew as he did.

John moved across the country to Washington DC to start a position at the FBI at the age of 17. There, he worked as a fingerprint examiner and met his beautiful wife Liz.

On a sweltering day, he stumbled into a police trailer looking for air conditioning and found an employment opportunity. He became a Metro DC Police Officer, who helped ensure safety following the peak of the Civil Rights movement.

He was a peace keeper, a husband and a father who worked diligently to provide for his children; Marcus and Adrienne.

John retired from the police force due to injury and drove his young family back to California with a license plate that read, “Broke.” He continuously played Elton John’s song “Bennie and the Jets” on the eight-track.

John, Liz, Marcus and Adrienne made their home in Southern California, close to his siblings and parents. When John Futch Sr. was on his death bed, he lit a renewed fire in John Jr. He challenged John to further his education.
John pursued his academic goals. His intelligence combined with his boldness created a synergy that forged an esteemed community leader.

John enrolled at the California State University of San Bernardino. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science; and his master’s degree in Social Sciences at CSUSB. John continued with his passion for education as an administrator at CSUSB. He dedicated his work to honoring culture and diversity.

John was instrumental in providing a platform for Native American educators, artists and performers. He played a vital role in bringing San Manuel’s California Native American Day Children’s Program to CSUSB. The San Manuel Pow Wow, the Tribe’s largest event of the year, is hosted at CSUSB thanks in large part to John.

His service in education continued when he was elected as a Trustee with the San Bernardino Community College District. The “Friends of John Futch Textbook Scholarship” was launched in 2007 to help provide book scholarships for students, with a preference for students with community service involvement, first generation college students and historically underserved students.

John M. Futch was a name in the community that was synonymous with action, advancement and assurance. He worked as a trusted Chief of Staff to his close friend and, then, Board of Supervisor James Ramos.

Most recently, John was elected as the President of the San Bernardino Branch of the NAACP. He led the group with a focus on communication and service to the community.

John was dedicated to helping others and pursued various avenues of civic engagement, awareness and advocacy.

He served as a liaison to law enforcement as a trusted member of the Sheriff’s Information Exchange Committee. In his role, John fostered in meaningful conversations about community engagement and cultural diversity education.

John provided exemplary motivation for his son and grandson. Marcus Futch Sr. serves as a peace officer with Desert Hot Springs Police; and Marcus Futch Jr. is attending the Fullerton Police Academy. They continue the family legacy of selflessness, service and sacrifice.

John M. Futch passed away on August 11, 2019. He imparted on all of us a duty to participate, to advocate and to communicate. We honor his legacy by serving others and being our brothers’ keepers.

His celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 24 from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM at CSUSB Santos San Manuel Student Union, located at 5500 University Parkway in San Bernardino.

By Reginald Young

“Be Great in Him”

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Great praise is coming out of San Bernardino. On August 23, 2019, 6 P.M. at Ecclesia Christian Fellowship located at 1314 E Date St in San Bernardino, talented performers will bring their best praise. SB Pastors United puts on a unity mini concert and talent show every quarter to recognize youth in the city. The program allows individuals to come and compete with their gifts and talents. The performance that is the best will win: 1^st  place $300 and bragging rights, 2^nd place  $100 and, 3^rd place is $50. Each performer gets a chance to showcase their talent and skills.  

At the last event on June 28, 2019 first place winners, was Strait out of Xperience, they took us back with old gospel hymns. The second place winner was the Pacesetters, they were awesome with precision and skill, they brought the fire. The third place winner was Kalia Smith, she stole our hearts with a prophetic dance. Each of the performers did very well, the crowd was in awe.

In the upcoming event, there will be new performers that will bring their best praise. So come out and have a good time, the doors  will open at 5:30PM, light refreshments will be provided. For more information call 909-881-5551. Go to sbpastorsunited.org to register to perform.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— CHINO, CA— A Chino Girl Scout who saved her friend from choking, a citizen who helped a deputy fight off an armed suspect in Loma Linda and a San Bernardino school principal who made sure the walk to school was safe for students were among 31 Safety Heroes honored today by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, the District Attorney, the Sheriff’s Department and County Fire.

“Safety Heroes are people who come along side law enforcement and emergency services to serve members of our community and help us keep our county safe,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “These selfless and courageous individuals volunteer to serve others on their own time. In doing this, they keep our county strong and ready to face whatever emergency may come our way. It is an honor to recognize them for their efforts.”   

Vision4Safety is a campaign of the Countywide Vision to bring people together to create safer neighborhoods, schools and workplaces in San Bernardino County. Last year, the Vision4Safety campaign asked the public to nominate Safety Heroes throughout the county who have made their communities safer by volunteering in emergency preparedness programs, leading neighborhood watch groups or stepping in to save a person’s life.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson, Assistant Sheriff Lana Tomlin and Interim Fire Chief Don Trapp joined the Board of Supervisors in honoring the nominees who reside throughout the county from Barstow to Chino Hills. To read the nomination of each of the 31 Safety Heroes and their contributions to public safety and preparedness, click here.

For safety tips, information about after-school programs and links to safety programs offered by local sheriff, police and fire agencies, visit Vision4Safety.com.

The Countywide Vision was developed by the community in 2010-11 and adopted by the Board of Supervisors and the San Bernardino Council of Governments Board of Directors in June 2011 in order to create a roadmap for the future of San Bernardino County, which includes creating a safe community for all who live, work and play here. Vision4Safety is one of four public campaigns launched by the Countywide Vision Project which also includes Vision2Succeed, Vision2BActive and Vision2Read.

By John Coleman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— You missed it.  No one kept count, but, probably more than 100 people, including family and friends of Grand-ma Emma Shaw! They celebrated her 107th birthday with her at the Shirrells Park Community Center in San Bernardino. The party took place on Saturday, August 10, 2019.

The person of honor, Mrs. Emma Shaw, was born on August 9,1912,  in rural Louisiana. In her childhood, she often missed school to help her family pick cotton. In her adult years, she gave birth to 13 children (including two who died being born).

Mrs. Shaw worked  into her 60s at whatever jobs she could get. She has lived and worked in  Louisiana,  Las Vegas,  Palm Springs and San Bernardino. She also raised six generations of church and community leaders. She is a SHERO!

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Throughout the celebration, Mrs. Shaw sat quietly and attentively, responsive to the constant flow of people wanting to photo-record this moment in history. Her ‘throne’, her wheel-chair at a  decorated table soon overflowing with cards and flowers and love.   

Many magic moments! You missed it.  I’m grateful that I didn’t!

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOMA LINDA, CA—  Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital performed a robotic-assisted Nissen fundoplication surgery in July on a young patient, ridding him of lifelong painful reflux issues and further extending the hospital’s use of robotic surgery for children.

Edward P. Tagge, MD, pediatric surgeon at LLU Children’s Hospital and Victoria Pepper, MD, pediatric surgery fellow, performed the procedure.

Tagge said the robot surgical system allowed for a more precise, seamless surgery for the physician

and a better recovery for the patient.

“The robot provides improved dexterity, tremor filtration, greater degrees of freedom and improved optical magnification,” Tagge said. “Patients who undergo robotic-assisted procedures have more precise surgical procedures and potentially shorter hospital stays.”

The procedure involved wrapping the upper curve of the stomach around the esophagus.

The patient — 5-year-old Daniel Velasquez from Bloomington, California — was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux or GER a few months after his premature birth and soon developed severe gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. He went through hundreds of tests, medications, sleepless nights, food restrictions, allergies, near-constant burning throat pain and ear pressure discomfort. In his five years, he had never slept a full eight hours, regularly waking up from choking, coughing, snoring or pain.

Daniel’s mom, Natasha Velasquez, said her son had the life-changing operation within a week of having a consultation with Tagge. Her son is now pain-free.

“My son has been in and out of hospitals his entire life,” Velasquez said. “He’s had to suffer for five years, but now, in one short week, it’s all gone — his life is completely changed.”

LLU Children’s Hospital joins the ranks of the few pediatric hospitals offering fully-functional pediatric robotic surgery programs. Robotic-assisted surgeries performed at LLU Children’s Hospital have included cholecystectomy, complex inguinal hernia repair, urachal cyst excision, splenectomy, pancreatectomy and IBD bowel resection.

“We have now equipped our hospital to have another tool to serve our patients better,” Tagge said. “It won’t be used for every surgery, but now it’s an accessible tool to treat patients in the Inland Empire and beyond.”

Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan (“Blue Shield Promise”) collaborates with community organizations and local artist to create “Promise” mural that will be unveiled in the Boys & Girls Clubs Challengers Clubhouse

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOS ANGELES, CA— “Speak Life,” “Share Life,” and “Take Flight,” are some of the positive messages on a new colorful mural painted by South Los Angeles at-risk middle school and high school students and community artist Moses Ball.

The 8-week Blue Shield Promise Community Art Therapy program was held in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles, Challengers Clubhouse and Wellnest (formerly Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic). The project helps local youth deal with everyday trauma they face by using their creativity to help design a mural based on their hopes and aspirations.

Each week, social workers and behavioral health specialists from Blue Shield Promise and Wellnest joined accomplished artist Ball who encouraged youth aged 11 to 17 to lend their creativity as they participated in the program. Art was used as a tool to help the program participants share their feelings and talk about difficult issues in a safe, nurturing space. As part of the program, a “Promise” theme mural was painted on the 20-foot by 60-foot wall outside the playground of the Boys and Girls Challengers Clubhouse.

The design is a brightly colored blue wall representing the faces of the children and showcasing their dreams about future occupations. For example, a young girl inspired by aviator Bessie Coleman is dressed like a pilot with an image of a plane taking flight behind her. Another shows a young girl rapper inspired by Nipsey Hussle’s music as well as his community work.

“The vision that inspired the mural is to repair the hurt from the challenges the youth face and in turn foster the dreams that still live inside them,” Ball said.

“It gives me great satisfaction to mentor youth both artistically and in life,” said Ball. “I hope to inspire the next generation to become Los Angeles muralists and beautify the community. With the support of Blue Shield Promise that provided resources and staff, I was able to focus on the artistic instruction and guidance of kids who played a key role in creating the mural.”

“It’s exciting to think that every time I come to the center, the mural gives me a sense of pride  knowing that I helped paint it,” said Brailyn (12 years old), Boys & Girls Clubs Challenger Clubhouse member.  

The mural is part of the Community Art Therapy Program, which includes guidance from trained behavioral health professionals. The goal is to help at-risk youth express their emotions in an invisible form, and assist them in building relationships with others. This program enables kids who are undergoing physical, emotional or mental crisis to increase their ability to explore, discover and interpret reality in a safe space.

“Blue Shield Promise is committed to investing in the communities where our members live to ensure they have every opportunity to have healthy and vibrant lives,” said Dr. Greg Buchert, President and CEO of Blue Shield Promise. “We are thrilled to have the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles and Wellnest joining our effort to create community programming like the youth art therapy that focuses on addressing the health needs of youth using art and engagement.”

“This was a great program for our youth because it provided them with an opportunity that they will be able to experience for years to come with the creating of this colorful new mural at the Challengers Club,” said Calvin Lyons, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles. “We’re delighted to work with Blue Shield Promise and Wellnest who understand the needs of healthy communities and offer their time and resources to boost children’s self-esteem and confidence through art therapy.”

“Commenting on the power of art, Charlene Dimas-Peinado, President and CEO of Wellnest added, “We know that art can be used to engage, educate, express powerful emotions, and develop creative thinking and problem solving that can contribute to their future success. We are honored to be a partner on this program to give these young people those tools.”

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Inland Center, Macerich’s regional mall destination in the heart of Southern California’s fast-growing Inland Empire, today announced a series of important updates to benefit shoppers at the market-dominant property. 

A major component of the refresh is the complete update of the 53-year-old freeway pylon sign, located at the high-profile I-215 and Inland Center Drive exit. The new signage features modern graphics, new metal and stone veneer cladding, LED lighting throughout and the addition of individual sign panels promoting major anchors at the property. Updates at Inland Center, all expected to be complete in fall 2019, also include new comfortable furnishings in common areas, remodeled restrooms and more. 

“We’re very pleased that Macerich continues to invest in its Inland Center retail powerhouse property that means so much to our community,” said John Valdivia, Mayor of the City of San Bernardino. “The highly visible new outdoor signage, in particular, will showcase major destination and attractions at the property, which has been a vital part of our City for more than 50 years.” 

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Newly elected City of San Bernardino Third Ward Councilman Juan Figueroa said “I fully support Inland Center’s efforts to enhance and update their presence, and appreciate the positive impacts it has had on the greater San Bernardino community for over five decades. As shopping centers evolve into their next iteration, and begin to introduce non-traditional offering and new experiences, we will continue to support our hometown retail destination. Specifically in the 3rd Ward, I’m encouraged and thankful of the mall’s investment in our community.” 

 Office of Mayor John Valdivia 

Arun Parmar, Inland Center’s Senior Manager, Property Management, added, “Inland Center is a vital part of life in San Bernardino and the surrounding communities and a top choice for successful retailers and brands. While the new outdoor signage certainly will appeal to shoppers, it also provides a tangible benefit to our retail and major partners that more than ever value prime placement and positioning at key properties, like Inland Center. Great experiences matter to shoppers and retailers today, which is why our refresh also includes welcoming new common area furnishings, remodeled restrooms and a variety of other amenity updates all of which will be complete in stages over the next three months. Construction on the I-215 freeway pylon sign is underway and is expected to be unveiled in August.” 

When Will More Than $2.7 Billion The State Has Invested  in Fighting Homelessness and Building Affordable Housing Reach the People Who Need it?

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

When Coleen Sykes Ray started an organization with her daughter in 2015 to help homeless women, the Stockton, California resident had no idea she, too, would be homeless four years later. 

Now, she, her husband and two children live in an Extended Stay America hotel in Stockton. The family pays a costly $610 hotel bill every week as they struggle to find a place to live.

“When you tell landlords you have a Section 8 voucher, its like saying a dirty word,” says Ray who is African American and works as a Community Outreach Specialist for a local public health organization. “It’s heartbreaking because we’re good people. I’m working and I’m college-educated.”

Ray says she gets why landlords refuse to rent their properties to her family. Some of them explain that they have been burnt many times by people who pay them with vouchers. Other property owners, she says, tell her that it is a hassle to have to deal with the Section 8 administration.

But understanding the landlords’ reluctance  – after going great lengths to impress them, only to be rejected in the end – doesn’t make life easier for Ray and her family. They live cramped in a single hotel room, preparing almost every meal in a microwave, with no sign in sight that they will have a new home soon.

From 2017 to 2019, the number of homeless people in San Joaquin County, where Stockton is the largest city and the county seat, tripled, increasing from 567 to more than 1,500. During that same period in the city of Stockton itself, the homeless population skyrocketed, too, reaching 921 from 311 people two years prior, according to a 2018 “point-in-time” census report compiled by San Joaquin County.  

“While we certainly understand that the number of homeless people have tripled in the county, that number might not be a true reflection of what has happened over the last two years,” says Adam Cheshire, Program Administrator for Homeless Initiatives in San Joaquin County.

Cheshire says in 2017, there were only 35 volunteers who signed up to help count San Joaquin’s homeless population. In 2019, there were 400 volunteers, which helped his organization achieve a more accurate count, including the unsheltered homeless population.

Homelessness is not just a problem for San Joaquin county. It’s a statewide issue. Every major city in California has been hit by the crisis. Across California, the homeless population jumped by 16 percent between 2018 to 2019. With a total of about 130,000 people without a permanent place to live, California has the largest homeless population in the United States.

The high number of people in California without stable housing or a permanent address poses a serious problem for the state as it takes steps to avoid an undercount in the 2020 Census. 

For African Americans, California’s homelessness crisis is even more severe.

“Black Californians make up nearly 7 percent of the state’s general population yet are nearly 30 percent of the homeless population,” wrote Mark Ridley-Thomas, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, in an open letter to Gov. Newsom in June. Ridley-Thomas was reaching out to the governor asking him to address some of the problems specific to African Americans in the state.

As the homeless problem started to become more noticeable in Stockton, Ray says she and her daughter would see women, some of them mentally ill, walking around “free-bleeding” during their menstrual cycles. Disturbed by what they saw, they decided to package bags of women’s sanitary hygiene products – washes, wipes, tampons and napkins, etc. –  and hand them out to homeless women.

Soon, what they began as a one-time goodwill gesture grew into a non-profit they started and still run called Bags of Hope. In their first year, Ray and her daughter handed out 30 bags of the feminine products every month. Between 2017 and 2018, as the homelessness crisis spiraled in their city, they donated about 65 bags every month to homeless women in Stockton. This year, Ray says they have been fortunate to reach about 100 women living in shelters and on the streets every month.

Most of the funding they use to buy the products comes from donations from local businesses and individuals and a gala they hold once a year. The biggest gift  their organization has received so  far came from the Black Employee Network at Proctor and Gamble.

“Doing the work of Bags of Hope is a kind of ministry,” says Ray. “Helping other homeless people, gives me and my family hope now that we find ourselves in the same situation. There is no reason to be ashamed. We are not homeless because we are bad people, bad parents or we are lazy. There are investors, buying up properties in neighborhoods, raising the cost of housing, and pushing people out of places where they have been living for years.”

Ray, her husband, daughter and son, who is autistic, became homeless in May of this year. It was about eight months after Blue Shield of California laid her off last September along with about 400 other employees. 

Ray’s husband is a diabetic who became permanently disabled seven years ago after doctors amputated one of his feet following an injury. After her layoff last year, the couple scraped up money together to continue paying their $1,200 monthly rent – until January.

That’s when the landlord increased their rent to $1340, which Ray says they “simply could not afford.” After getting help from her church and making payment arrangements with the landlord for the next couple of months, the family fell behind on rent payments and agreed to move out.

Because every apartment or house they looked at before they left their rented home cost between $1,500 and $1,700 a month, the family decided to move into the hotel where they currently live. 

Fortunately for Ray, she landed her current job on June 24, this year.

But with the high weekly hotel cost, almost “every dime we earn,” says Ray, from her salary and her husband’s disability payment, goes toward their hotel bill. 

Around the time Ray and her family moved into the hotel in May, Gov. Newsom presented his revised 2019-20 budget to the legislature with unprecedented spending in it to take on the state’s homelessness crisis. The state plans to invest approximately $2.7 billion on shelters, prevention, support services, and more, as well as funding new affordable housing initiatives, according to Christopher Martin, Legislative Advocate for Housing California, a Sacramento-based organization focused on helping to solve California’s homelessness problem.

The budget took effect July 1.

Then, two weeks ago, Gov. Newsom signed into law AB 101, a trailer bill detailing budget dollars and issuing guidelines on how the monies allocated to fight homelessness will be spent. A provision tucked into the bill now prevents local governments from blocking the building of homeless shelters and navigation centers in communities across the state.

A few of the budget items in AB 101 are: a $45.9 million allocation to support Census outreach to hard-to-count communities; $25 million to support housing and benefits for homeless people who are disabled; and $16.4 million in rental assistance for former prisoners .  

About $250 million in the state budget will be funneled to counties across the state to fund homeless initiatives.

Together, California’s counties and  cities will receive a total of $650 million from the state over the next year for homeless housing, assistance and prevention programs. 

Cheshire told California Black Media that his team is coming up with ideas for the most effective ways to spend the new state funding in San Joaquin County so they can help families like Ray’s. But it is still too early, he says, to share those plans because they are not yet finalized and the state has not yet released the money.

Most of the money will start to kick in after April of 2020, says Martin.

As Ray balances adjusting to her new day job with the difficulties of being homeless, and helping other homeless women through  the work of Bags of Hope, she remains upbeat and optimistic.

“I can’t go out and preach love, light and strength and have a negative spirit,” she says. “No matter what I’m facing.”