RIVERSIDE COUNTY- Ten women and young ladies chosen by the Riverside County Commission for Women were recognized on Tuesday, May 23, for their work to bring about social and economic change, for acting as role models and for improving the status of women in Riverside County. 

The Commission for Women’s 2017 Woman and Young Lady of the Year awards were presented at the Board of Supervisors meeting in Riverside. The women and young ladies also were recognized for the efforts to promote women’s equality, and for their work on behalf of women’s issues or providing outstanding performance in their professions to further advocate women’s rights.

Young Lady of the Year

First District: Gina Tran is a junior at Norte Vista High School in Riverside where she is president of the school club portion of the AVID program, historian for the Best Buddies club, involved with the girl’s tennis team, and an active member of the Riverside County Youth Commission program for the first district.  Her selfless attitude and dedication to serving others shines during her work with the community through both the Best Buddies club, an organization that works with developmentally disabled student on the Norte Vista campus, as well as comforting families of fatal patients with SICU at the Riverside Community Hospital. With well over 400 hours of community service on top of taking numerous Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes, Gina Tran is a wonderful asset to the community and those she serves.

Second District: Carolina Hernandez is a senior attending Corona High School. She currently holds a weighted 4.02 grade point average and intends to continue her education at the University of California, Berkeley, where she plans to study education and pursue a career in teaching. Carolina is the president of the Big Brothers Big Sisters club at Corona High School where she serves as a role model to young women and men her age and younger. In addition, she serves as the Co-president of the AVID Council, Vice President of the Library Club and the K-Pop club, and recently received the UNITY award for her outstanding community service. Carolina is an inspiration to many students and has a bright future ahead of her. 

Third District: Despite life challenges Andrea Mares faced at an early age alongside her mother, she has continued to go above and beyond in both her academics and extracurricular activities. Carolina is a senior at the Western Center Academy and currently holds an overall 4.35 grade point average. She has taken numerous advanced placement and college courses and has continued to excel. Over the course of her high school career, Carolina has held several leadership roles such as Class of 2017 Secretary, Vice President of the Community Service Interact Club, as a member of the Associated Student Body, was named president of the National Honors Society, and recently became a member of the Yearbook Committee. The list of her accomplishments and awards is endless. Carolina is a natural and kind leader who is a role model to young women her age.

Fourth District: Ngan Nguyen arrived in the United States from Vietnam less than six years ago as a seventh grader and before the end of eighth grade she was reclassified from an English Learner to Fluent English Proficiency. This was the beginning of Ngan’s determination to persevere and become a role model to the other students at her school. Ngan is a senior at La Quinta High School where she holds a 4.3 grade point average as an International Baccalaureate student. She has been the recipient of La Quinta High School’s highest academic award honor for three consecutive years, was recently crowned Queen Scheherazade of Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, is an active member of the Knot’s for Tots club, Key Club, and involved in serving her parish. Ngan also works as a server at her family’s restaurant. Ngan has both graciously and successfully maintained her academics, school commitments, and duties as Queen Scheherazade; she has also recently been accepted to both California State University, Fullerton and San Diego State University.

Fifth District: Madison Demaris has a true passion for theatre and arts education. She is a senior at Nuview Bridge Early College High School where she has dedicated the last four years to the arts and mentoring others so that they too can share in the vibrant and lively experience theatre has brought her. Madison developed a Project PART, which partners with the schools troupe, local organizations, and two local elementary schools where she directed and produced “The Little Mermaid Jr.” with minimal adult help. She has been a peer tutor, volunteers her time to help younger high school students with their competition pieces, and was selected to be on the State Board for the California State Thespians, which is an honor society for high school theatre students. Madison is an eloquent problem solver who is dedicated to serving and sharing her passion for the arts with the students around her.

Woman of the Year

First District: Carol Roquemore is the leader and founder of Canine Support Teams, which was established in 1989. She is a firm believer in serving her clients first and her staff second. Carol’s passion for providing independence for individuals with disabilities comes from not only personal physical limitations stemming from early childhood but her selfless want to help others in need. In addition, Carol has been a tireless champion and inspiration for incarcerated women through the life changing Prison Pups Program she created in 2002. She dedicates 10 hours a week to Prison Pups training sessions with her staff, and has also been influential in rehabilitation programs within the California Corrections and Probation Departments. In 2012, Carol established the Paws for Wounded Veterans program that provides Service Dogs to disabled veterans at no charge to them or their families. Carol is a tireless and inspirational leader.

Second District: Kathy Azevedo has been a resident of the Second District for more than 45 years and demonstrated a sincere and passionate commitment to improving the community. A two-time breast cancer survivor, Kathy is the driving force behind the nonprofit organization Support Sisterz. Support Sisterz provides empowerment and moral support to breast cancer survivors as well as raises money for women who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Kathy is also a member of the National Grant Review Board for the American Cancer Society, owner and instructor of a Jazzercise franchise for almost 35 years, and a former city councilwoman and Mayor of the city of Norco. She has dedicated countless hours to improving not only the community but to the health and wellbeing of women.

Third District: Alice Sullivan began her career at the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1989. She has worked her way up through every position until becoming the President/CEO in 1994. She has launched several organizations that have tremendously affected and benefited the Temecula Valley, including the Southwest California Legislative Council, the Economic Development Coalition, and the Temecula Valley Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. Alice initiated the Valley Young Professionals, which provides up and coming professionals with the opportunity to connect with other professionals, share experiences, better understand corporate culture, and identify career growth opportunities. Alice has also served on countless committees and boards that have greatly influenced the Temecula Valley area.

Fourth District: Barbara Keller and her husband Jerry are business owners in the Palm Springs and La Quinta area–LULU a California Bistro and Bistro 60. Barbara is also a trustee of the Palm Springs Art Museum, past president of the Museum Associates Council and co-chaired the museum’s 75th anniversary gala. Her love for the arts goes back to the 70’s and 80’s where she wrote and directed plays at the North Shore Community Arts Center in Great Neck, New York. She has held leadership roles on Humanitarian Boards, LGBT Boards, and Jewish Family Services committees. Barbara is the recipient of several awards such as the Vi Felix Award for Outstanding Volunteer from Jewish Family Service of the Desert, the Jackie Lee Houston Philanthropy Award granted by Palm Springs Women in Film & Television, the 2014 Humanitarian Award from Equality California, and countless others.

Fifth District: Dr. Denise Fleming is a well-known leader in the prosperous and educated Fifth District of Riverside County. She is a personal mentor to many youths in the Inland Empire, including Miss Moreno Valley. Dr. Fleming is the director and founder of the African American Coalition, is an elected member on the School Board for Moreno Valley Unified School District, a docent for the Mission Inn Hotel in Riverside, and is one of the facilitators for the “Dream It Be It” program at the Bridges Learning Center. Her career as an educator and business professional expands throughout California including University of California Los Angeles, California State University San Bernardino, and University of Redlands. Dr. Fleming also sat on many non-profit boards serving the Inland Empire communities in public service including Care Conexus, an Alzheimer’s Daycare Center, Harvest Community Development Center, and PSN International. Her dream to educate and empower women is clearly evident by her numerous contributions and dedicated time.

For more information, contact Rebecca Chavez, Commission for Women Liaison at (951) 955-0226.

MORENO VALLEY, CA- Beginning June 9, Pigeon Pass Road will be closed to traffic from Old Lake Road to Meadow Lark Avenue because of the continuing development of the Meadow Creek Community. Pigeon Pass will reopen August 8.

Construction on Pigeon Pass was scheduled to coincide with the school district’s summer break to limit the closure’s impact on neighboring school traffic.

Please contact the City of Moreno Land Development Division at 951.413.3120 with any questions regarding the partial closure of Pigeon Pass.

By Naomi K. Bonman

If you’ve been following the movement for a while, then you probably remember Gerald D. Thomas, a young, successful millennial who is making an impact in his community. For those that are unfamiliar with Mr. Thomas, he is the founder of the marketing and public relations agency, The GDT Agency. He recently launched a new campaign entitled, “The Love Project,” and I recently caught up with him again where he chatted about his inspiration behind starting the project and where he plans on taking it. 

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By Lue Dowdy

BBW Model Tasha Rene is WHAT IT DO! I love working in entertainment and meeting new talent. It gave me the opportunity to meet the beautiful Tasha Rene. I fell in love with her spirit, energy, and passion.

From San Bernardino, California this Diva has been modeling off and on since 2000. This beauty is making a name for herself in the Plus Size world of fashion. Tasha has rocked runways all over Southern California. She competed in Miss Plus Top Model and modeled for Baby Doll Couture and Belo Noir Diamond Couture by Tanya Marie. Ensuring that she stays relevant, this model auditions and competes all over.

Tapping into her acting skills, Tasha landed herself a gig on BET’s My Black is Beautiful and a modeling gig for Fashion Bug.

I’m currently working with Tash on the set of a new reality show called “Entertainment At A Glance” where she plays a main character. I’ve seen this Queen in action and yes she slays. Make sure you support Tasha Renee the BBW Model/Actress. Until next week L’z!

In the words of Tash Rene, “I’m me 100 percent of the time. What you see is what you get. I live life to the fullest. I want no regrets.”

CHINO-CORONA, CA- On Thursday, June 1 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., advocates and families will convene a vigil and rally at the prison, California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino, marking one year since the devastating death of 27-year-old African American, Shaylene “Light Blue” Graves. Graves was imprisoned at CIW at the time of her death and was only six weeks away from release.  For days, Graves begged guards to move her to a different cell when she felt endangered, but CIW staff ignored her.  Since 2013, at least 15 women have died at CIW due to multiple forms of abusive practices which amount to psychological torture.  These practices include ignoring desperate pleas for help by imprisoned people in mental health and medical crisis.  Despite changes in CIW’s top administration in 2016, reports of ongoing psychological torture at CIW continue.

Sheri Graves, mother of Shaylene, has been working with advocates at the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) to bring more attention to the human rights crisis at CIW.  “CIW staff failed to protect my daughter’s life,” she stated.  “The fact that Shaylene’s death is part of an ongoing pattern of disregard for human life at CIW makes this loss [even] more devastating. Shaylene was an exceptional person with a big heart and so much promise. She was looking forward to her release and was working on her vision to begin a non-profit organization called Out of the Blue to support people coming out of prison. In memory of Shaylene and all the people who have lost their lives at CIW, we demand full transparency, full accountability, and an end to these torture practices.”

CIW’s suicide rate is more than 8 times the national rate for people in women’s prisons, and more than 5 times the rate for all California prisons.  “Shaylene’s death is part of a pattern of neglect and psychological torture at CIW,” said Colby Lenz, an advocate at CCWP.  “CIW uses “suicide watch” confinement as another form of solitary confinement, which has been identified as a form of psychological torture by incarcerated people, human rights experts, and legal advocates.  As part of this torture, CIW punishes people in “suicide watch” confinement with intensive isolation that blocks them from visits and calls from families and friends.  CIW also regularly fails to notify families about the status of their endangered loved ones, including blocking access to their legal and medical files even after death.  Currently, “suicide watch” is overcrowded and CCWP continues to receive weekly reports of suicide attempts at CIW.”

Shaylene Graves died shortly after 35-year-old Erika Rocha hung herself at CIW in April 2016 after being forced in “suicide watch” solitary confinement. “I don’t want any other family to go through what my family has gone through,” stated Rocha’s sister, Freida Rocha.  Advocates and families demand the end of all forms of psychological torture within CIW, including the end of “suicide watch” confinement practices.  As part of fulfilling the demand for transparency and accountability, the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) should make available public reports on compliance with the August 2016 Coleman settlement court order regarding mental health services and suicide prevention protocols.  They also demand that those in confinement have full access to visits and calls from families and friends, and the immediate transfer of all medical and legal information to family members if their imprisoned loved ones are in life-threatening situations or have died while incarcerated at CIW.

In efforts to impact chronic diseases like obesity and Type 2 diabetes among low-income populations, the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health’s Nutrition Program is partnering with the faith-based community to host a series of events and activities on June 4 that support healthy lifestyles and communicate positive health messages. 

Ecclesia Christian Fellowship will host a free Body & Soul Health and Wellness Gospel Jam that will feature gospel singers, delicious healthy food samplings from the Champions for Change Soul Food Cookbook, praise dancers, and free goodie bags for all attending. Dr. Joshua Beckley, Senior Pastor, Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, will be the event’s keynote speaker. The Jam begins at 5 p.m. at the church’s 1314 E. Date Street location in San Bernardino.

“The Body & Soul program is designed to raise awareness among faith-based organizations about the serious health disparities that put their parishioners at greater risk of obesity and other chronic health issues like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and certain types of cancer,” said Teslyn Henry-King, Program Coordinator for the county’s Nutrition Program. “We want the entire San Bernardino community to join us for this free event as we both reflect on our current condition and rejoice in the power to change for the better.”

During the Body & Soul Jam program, the Nutrition Program also will release the findings from a quantitative health assessment that surveyed approximately 150 parishioners from three partner churches.  The initial findings, which indicate a significant presence of hypertension, obesity, diabetes and stress among the congregations, will be used by church leadership and health ministries to guide and influence the development of programs and initiatives to address the health issues identified in the survey.    

Henry-King added, “We believe that understanding the health conditions we’re facing in our community will better prepare us for making healthy change happen. We wanted the Body & Soul Gospel Jam to also be a time for assessment and self-improvement, as well as a time for beginning to build a legacy of health in San Bernardino County.”

The Public Health Nutrition Program is also calling on all faith-based leaders throughout the county to participate in Perfecting the Temple Sunday on June 4 by delivering inspirational messages that connect healthy living with spirituality and encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles.

“We want faith-based leaders regardless of their religion or denomination to partner with us and our Perfecting the Temple Sunday by delivering important messages that will help people throughout San Bernardino County live healthier lives,” said Bronica Martindale-Taylor, Health Education Assistant for the county’s Nutrition Program. “Because so many families are touched by faith-based organizations, we see them as very important partners in our fight against chronic diseases in the county.”

She added that for this year’s event, five churches already have pledged their support and plan to participate in Perfecting the Temple Sunday. Those churches include The Light Church, San Bernardino First Church of the Nazarene, Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, The Kingdom Worship Center, Our Lady of Hope, and Ecclesia Spirit Lead Fellowship of Churches International. The Nutrition Program is also working with churches on other healthy lifestyle programs ranging from weight-loss programs, community walking events, church gardens, to mobile vans used for health screenings.     

According to Martindale-Taylor, the Nutrition Program plans to make Perfecting the Temple Sunday an annual event.  “Over time, we want Perfecting the Temple Sunday to help us create a legacy of health throughout San Bernardino County,” said Martindale-Taylor. 

The Countywide Vision, www.sbcounty.gov/vision, identifies wellness as one of the key elements of a complete county. The Vision is emphasizing wellness in its recently lunched Vision2BActive campaign, http://wp.sbcounty.gov/vision2bactive/.

For more information about Perfecting the Temple Sunday, the Body & Soul Health and Wellness Gospel Jam, and the health assessment survey, contact Donna Panganiban, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, at 909-388-5689, or Bronica Martindale-Taylor, Health Education Assistant, at 909-649-6900.

The Champions for Change Body & Soul program is funded by USDA SNAP-Ed, an equal opportunity provider and employer. Visit www.CaChampionsForChange.net for healthy tips.

Alumni, whom are also professors at San Bernardino Valley College. (Photo Credit: Lou Coleman)

By Lou Coleman

On Friday, May 26, San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) bid farewell to another Graduating Class.   It was a wonderful graduation – the largest class of seniors, great speeches, a huge crowd, many alumni in attendance, plenty of emotion, and no rain as we gathered in the heart of the campus.

The graduation ceremony was the culmination of years of hard work and dedication by students from many cultures, countries and walks of life. Many have overcome personal, financial or other barriers to achieve their success and now have reached their graduation from SBVC, a venerable 90-year old institution.

We salute the graduates from all the different schools and divisions of San Bernardino Valley College and we look forward to seeing them follow in the footsteps of thousands who have made a difference in the community, the city, the country and the world.

“Sending you a day full of sunshine, a heaven filled with rainbows, and a pocket full of dreams. May the future ahead of you be as wonderful as you are.” [Judith Wibberley]

SAN BERNARDINO, CA– Local youth can get around town a little cheaper this summer, thanks to a special discounted bus fare on Omnitrans.  Riders 18 and under will pay just $1 per trip in June and July.

While Omnitrans offers Youth discounts on its 7-day and 31-day bus passes, there was not a youth discount for single trips until this summer.   In comparison, the regular one-way cash rate is $1.75; a 1-day pass is $5.

“Summer is a great time to get out and explore,” said Omnitrans spokesperson Wendy Williams. “We hope the discounted summer youth fare will make it more affordable for youth and families to get to the community pool, the library, the mall or the movies.” 

The discount is good on all Omnitrans bus routes serving the San Bernardino Valley including 26 local routes, three freeway express routes, five OmniGo community shuttle routes and the sbX bus rapid transit line in San Bernardino and Loma Linda. 

During the traditional school year, Omnitrans averages nearly 40,000 youth trips per month.  That drops to about half during the summer months.

Students who appear to be close to age 19 should be prepared to show bus drivers proof of age or a high school ID card to prove they are eligible for the discount.

Personalized routing assistance is available at 800-9-OMNIBUS (800-966-6428) or online at www.omnitrans.org.

LOMA LINDA, CA- Pediatric patients at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) were treated to an afternoon of crafts, reading and fairy tale visits at the annual “Spring into Reading” event in the hospital lobby on Monday, May 15.

Hosted by the Big Hearts for Little Hearts Loma Linda Guild, each patient received an age appropriate book to keep and a teddy bear. Young family members were also able to take a book and do crafts. 

As a special treat, author Shereen Rahming read aloud her new children’s book, “Ahni and Her Dancing Secret,” to those in attendance.

Patients who were not able to leave the units were given kits to craft at their bedside, as well as books and a teddy bear.

LLUCH patient Nixxin Castille, 2, from Hemet enjoyed making crafts with her mom, Nastacia Jones, who also helped her pick out a new book.

The Loma Linda Guild is committed to supporting the children hospitalized at LLUCH by developing programs and projects that address the critical needs of these children and their families. They have raised over $1.6 million since its inception in 1999.

MORENO VALLEY, CA- On Saturday, May 13, Music Changing Lives, (MCL) hosted a spectacular evening of student performances at the 6th annual Changing Lives Showcase.  The Showcase was held at the Moreno Valley Conference Center and featured talented students from Moreno Valley Unified who have worked passionately for 21 weeks on their performance to see ‘Who is the Best at Music and Art.’ 

The Showcase is no ordinary school competition, MCL rolled out the red carpet for its talented performers and  the fate of these young artists were in the hands of  celebrity guest judges from the EDMHipHopRebels group ZupaNova and the popular Pop group Holiday State.

The evening was a night to remember. As nearly 500 guests arrived they walked onto the red carpet, which led them to an art display to view the incredible student paintings, and then they entered the theater to be entertained by fantastic vocal, instrumental, audio production and dance performances. Guests were also treated to delicious food, delectable desserts, exciting raffles and the event was completely free for everyone invited.

Five schools from the Moreno Valley School District, where MCL offers its programs, brought their A-game to compete for the Bruny Awards. Participants competed for the Bruny Award in five categories – Musical Instruments, Vocal Performance, Production, Dance and Visual Arts, while the schools competed for Overall Performance.  Plus one student from each MCL school-site who held the highest GPA and had the best School Attendance was awarded with laptops!

The competition was fierce, but in the end Butterfield Elementary beat Edgemont Elementary and Mountain View Middle triumphed over Palm Middle and Bayside High reigned on top!

First place winner for the Bruny Award in Musical Instruments was Tanya Hernandez from Butterfield Elementary, Bonnie Murillo from Palm Middle and Isaac Ramirez from Bayside High!  In the Vocal category, Travonn Lester from Butterfield, Jehnny Carrion from Mountain View and D’ashawn Brown from Bayside reigned in first place.

Butterfield Dance Team dominated the elementary Dance category and took home the first place Bruny Award. Kamarie Henderson from Mountain View Middle triumphed over all other dancers and also took home the first place Bruny Award.  The very talented Ariana Gomez from Butterfield and Gabriela Sandoval from Palm both took home first place in Visual Arts.

Every student who participated was honored with a certificate from Senator Richard Roth’s office and Assemblymember Jose Medina for their dedication to make a difference in their community through the arts.  Each student who performed was required to volunteer for a minimum of five hours. Participants were instilled with the message, “Together we can be the change we would like to see in our community.”

Music Changing Lives, (MCL) created the Showcase six years ago for youth in Moreno Valley, and since then they have produced several musicians, artists, fashion designers and more.  The program was designed to ignite passion through performance by using music and art as a motivation for students to stay focused on their education and their future.

The Showcase is sponsored by Moreno Valley Unified School District, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Edison International, Wells Fargo Foundation, Niagara Cares Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation and more. 

For more information about Music Changing Lives, please contact Josiah Bruny at MusicChangingLives@gmail.com or call 951-992-0721.  You can also visit them on the web at www.musicchanginglives.org.