HIGH DESERT, CA- There is a part-time position available as an Administrative Assistant for a marketing company. Potential candidate must be willing to work weekends and have reliable transportation and flexibility. Duties may require some traveling of up to approximately a 60 miles radius. Computer skills are a plus. Candidate must be personable and have a professional appearance. The salary is negotiable. For more information and those that are interested, please call (760) 298-1787

2014 Miss Inland Empire Rita Garabet, 21, of Redlands (right) and Miss Inland Empire Outstanding Teen Sophia Torres, 14, of Apple Valley, visit with Aubrey Olivas, 2, of Rancho Cucamonga, during the title holders’ stop at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

LOMA LINDA, CA  – Representatives from Miss Inland Empire spent time on Wednesday (Sept. 10) catching up with the young patients at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

2014 Miss Inland Empire Rita Garabet, 21, of Redlands, and 2014 Miss Inland Empire Outstanding Teen Sophia Torres, 14, of Apple Valley, spent time playing and interacting with the children at the hospital. They also toured some of the units at the hospital, including the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit and the Stem Cell Transplant Unit.

“I absolutely love visiting Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital; it’s a great place where children get the best care,” Garabet said. “I’m honored to visit the children, to interact with them, and hopefully help make their day,” she said.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Friday, September 12, the San Bernardino Black Cultural Foundation is proud to be celebrating 25 years of honoring unsung heroes. The Black Rose was the brainstorm of Dr. Juanita Scott, Jim King and Jeffrey Hill.  It was evident to them and to us that many individuals, companies and organizations were doing exceptional volunteer work in the Inland Empire but were not getting recognition.  These are, indeed, our unsung heroes because these volunteers do not look for compensation or recognition.

This year’s honorees include Tim Evans, founder of the Unforgettables Foundation; Dwaine Radden, Sr., newly appointed CEO of The PAL Center and PAL Academy High School; and The California Gas Company. Other long time sponsors being recognized include  The City of San Bernardino; Edison International; Arrowhead Credit Union; San Bernardino Unified School District; Dameron Communications; Derrick Vasquez; Community Hospital of San Bernardino; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; and Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja. The Black Rose winners are as follows:  Arthur & Fredda Davis Foundation, Angela Brantley, Keynasia Buffong, C.O.P.E., Walter Hawkins, Patricia Nelson, and Dr. Gary Thomas.

The Awards Banquet will be held at the National Orange Show Valencia Room, 689 South E Street (entrance on Arrowhead Avenue). Social hour is at 6 p.m. with dinner and program beginning at 7 p.m. The cost for this event is $60 per person or $600 for a table of ten. Contact Margaret Hill at (909) 864-3267 or (909) 991-6422 for tickets.

WHO: All county departments, community and faith based organizations, and community members interested in learning about suicide prevention. Suicide Prevention Week is September 8 through September 14 and World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10.

WHAT: September 8 through 14 marks the 40^th Annual National Suicide Prevention Week and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. The purpose of Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day is to create awareness and provide information and education about the warning signs of suicide as well as reduce the stigma surrounding the topic of suicide.  The warning signs of emotional pain or suicidal thoughts aren’t always obvious.

WHY: Suicide is real, but can also be preventable.  According to the International Association for Suicide, the number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined.  Knowing what to look for and finding the words to show concern and support may be a life-saving act.

Here are some warning signs:

• Talking about wanting to die or suicide
• Increased drug or alcohol use
• Feeling hopeless, desperate, trapped
• Withdrawal
• Giving Away possessions
• Anxiety or agitation
• Putting affairs in order
• Changes in sleep
• Reckless behavior
• Sudden mood changes
• Anger
• No sense of purpose

WHEN:  National Suicide Prevention Week is the week of September 8 through 14, 2014. World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10, 2014.

WHERE: More information on the warning signs and ways to help can be found at www.suicideispreventable.org.  The national suicide prevention lifeline phone number is 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255).

CONTACT: For more information regarding Suicide Prevention please contact Erica Porteous at (909) 252-4050.

For County of San Bernardino residents in need of a Crisis Walk-in Clinic (CWIC) the following CWICs are available:

CWIC Rialto: 850 E. Foothill Blvd. Rialto, CA 92376 (909) 421-9495. Open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CWIC High Desert: 16460 Victor Street, Victorville, CA 92395. (760) 245-8837. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

CWIC Morongo Basin: 55475 Santa Fe Trail, Yucca Valley, CA 92284 (entrance to Inca Trail). (855) 365-6558. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

For residents who are experiencing a mental health related emergency the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) is available for assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:

East Valley: Office (909) 421-9233 Pager- (909) 420-0560

West Valley: Pager- (909) 535-1316

High Desert: Office- (760) 956-2345 Pager- (760) 734-8093

Morongo Basin: (855) 365-6558

For all numbers listed, TTY users may dial 711.

Hakim Hazim

By Hakim Hazim  

People call us loud and rightfully so. History teaches us that we must seize the opportunity to channel national attention toward the injustices we face. We are a loud people with voices that carry and at times we get caught in the emotion and don’t demonstrate proper restraint (I’m not talking about looting and the destruction of property. I’ll never give the criminal opportunists in our community the same standing as our sages and upstanding folks.). Wisdom provides restraint. This essay is an attempt to bring clarity to the events in Ferguson, Mo. It is an attempt to wrest the narrative away from all of the negative things perpetuated about our community and shine a light on how codified social stereotypes continue to be used against us in the media. The Black victim or the Black victimizer seems to be the only choice offered.  I believe Black Angst and anger and how these cousins are handled by us and law enforcement should be given equal time.

Angst is essentially the feeling of being told you are free to choose, but it’s accompanied by a perpetual anxiety about the outcomes of your choices. You believe your options are restricted to limited, insignificant rewards or heavy consequences. Anger at the injustice limited access to the American dream is the internal response. Authority is external imposition; leadership is internal elicitation. Authority is the art and science of imposing limits upon people and their actions, whereas leadership is the art and science of eliciting or drawing out the best in people’s decisions. Ferguson’s initial reaction was authority and the militarization of the city after the event. Its second response was leadership—drawing out the internal elements of trust, justice and responsible advocacy from the citizenry through the appointment of Captain Ronald Brown.

Society has progressed for us as a people, but for many financially struggling or impoverished Blacks, they don’t see it and are stuck. Ferguson has its own economic setting events.Alex Tabarrok is an internationally recognized economist and he has taken Ferguson to task based on his own research and a white paper by the ArchCity Defenders. What we are seeing is how cash-strapped local criminal justice systems in need of money use the law to secure resources. Citations of all types spiked. There are some glaring statistics.

Here’s the data:  Ferguson has 21,203 residents living in 8,192 homes. It’s 67% black and has violent crime rates consistent with the national average. However, its second largest source of revenue is court fines and fees: $2,635,400. That averages to three warrants and 1.5 case loads per home. Approximately 22% of the people are in poverty. If that’s not a powder keg, I’m not sure what is.

Now for us to continue to be proactive we must remember there are four things you can do with Angst and Anger as a Black person when it comes to dealing with our government:

1. Stay passive and submit to injustice and grow bitter.
2. Fight for reform,constructively,to better your situation and others.
3. Seek an occupation with the government apparatus and fight for change.
4. Become a token and profit from a system entrenched in ostensible narratives.

We really only have two legitimate options and I have done both: number (3) as an educator and correction specialist, and (2) now as a consultant. I’m most concerned about the narratives taking place on both sides. People use ostensible language narratives and theories that appear to be true, but in reality simply act as a cover for furthering misinformation—to create plausibility and then push their agenda ahead. As Black folks, we still need to hear the facts before making up our minds. And as far as the people perpetually against us, they will continue to recruit and place their mouthpieces in our community. I’ll also say this: we need to seek out new voices to address these crises that emerge in our community. We need nuanced, dexterous leaders who are focused on the future and securing the promises still afforded to us by a Creator who has not forgotten His covenant. Deal with the government, but put your faith in God folks. We know the epidemic of death among Black men through Black on Black crime and law enforcement sends the message that our lives have no value. I utterly reject this. Let’s love them before and after tragedy.

District Attorney Investigator Karen Cragg and the young boy play games and color with crayons while waiting for the father to arrive at the DA’s Office.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Child Abduction Unit (CAU) assisted in the successful reunification of a 4-year-old boy with his father last Tuesday, after the young boy’s mother took him out of state.

“When the father and grandparents arrived at our office, we all watched as the little boy ran to his grandma and gave her a big hug,” said Supervising Deputy District Attorney Denise Trager-Dvorak, who oversees the CAU. “When his father appeared, he ran into his Dad’s arms and told him how much he missed him and that he was sorry he hadn’t come back sooner.”

The work of the CAU focuses on protecting the custody rights of parents and legal guardians.  On a routine basis, the CAU partners with courts and law enforcement throughout the United States to recover abducted children who are carried across state lines. In cases of international child abduction, the CAU implements the terms of the Hague Convention, an international treaty signed by more than 60 countries.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s CAU staff consists of Deputy DA Kurt Rowley, DA investigators Karen Cragg and Larry Jackson, and Secretary Bert Mendez. In this case the CAU was operating under a statutory mandate to enforce the family law court’s child custody orders.

“The work they do every day is very emotionally-charged, and they continually do their best to ensure that children are safe and that the court’s child custody orders are followed,” said Trager-Dvorak. “In this situation, it was very rewarding to watch Dad, with tears in his eyes, happy to have his son back, and hugging him like he would never let go. I had to fight back tears myself.”

For more information regarding the Child Abduction Unit, please visit http://ow.ly/AS6cr

A 9/11 Memorial Ceremony and Ride is planned for Sunday, Sept. 7., to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and other worthy causes. In this photo are, front row, left to right: Carlie Mason, a patient at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital; Jake Feenstra, firefighter, Loma Linda Fire Department. Back row, left to right: Glenn Quaid, owner, Quaid Harley-Davidson; Don Benfield, battalion chief, Colton Fire Department; and Jimmy Todorovitch, of Quaid Harley-Davidson

LOMA LINDA, CA  – Firefighters from the cities of Loma Linda and Colton, and other community groups, will host a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony and Ride on Sunday, September 7, to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and other worthy causes.

A memorial program is planned for 10:30 a.m. at Loma Linda Fire Department Headquarters, 11325 Loma Linda Drive, Loma Linda, Calif. The ceremony will feature a joint Honor Guard presentation by Loma Linda and Colton firefighters, along with members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The Honor Guard presentation will include a flag-raising and bell ceremony. Members of Firefighters Local 935 Pipes and Drums will perform in remembrance of those who were lost during the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001. U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Jaime Magallanes and representatives from the cities of Loma Linda and Colton will give brief remarks.

Leading up to the ceremony, Quaid Harley-Davidson and Loma Linda H.O.G. will host a 9/11 Memorial Ride that will travel in procession through the city of Loma Linda to the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony. People interested in participating in the ride may register by 8:30 a.m. at Quaid Harley-Davidson, 25160 Redlands Blvd., Loma Linda, Calif. Registration is free, and donations are encouraged to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, The Loma Linda and Colton Injured Firefighter Fund, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

For more information, call (909) 796-8399.

As of August 20,2014, residents of Villas at San Bernardino have been participating in a new on-site fitness program from Live 2 B Healthy® Senior Fitness of Minnetonka, MN.  The residents are able to attend a one-hour custom fitness class that supports The Villas at San Bernardino’s commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Classes are held every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday at 9:30am.

Each participant’s fitness is assessed every 4 months against a baseline test. Many studies have concluded that regular exercise allows senior citizens to improve balance and reduce falling; control weight and diabetes; lower risk of heart disease and stroke; improve sleeping and eating habits; improve cognitive skills and even reduce medication and agitation.

“I absolutely love the new fitness program! This program has improved how I feel. I have less cramping and stiffness in my legs. The deep breathing exercises have helped my bronchial problems immensely. The residents not participating don’t know what they are missing!” says Jim Krauser, Villas at San Bernardino Resident.

Live 2 B Healthy® Senior Fitness is an industry leader in senior fitness because of their age-specific exercises, nationally certified trainers, consistent on-site programs and class design that focuses on both results and enjoyable socialization.  As a SilverSneakers® Partner, we encourage outside area SilverSneakers® Members to participate in our classes.

The fitness program is offered at no charge to the residents of Villas at San Bernardino.

For more information please contact Jana at (909) 883-7703.

Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod speaks with Dorothy Grant Elementary students as they contact the International Space Station using amateur radio.

MONTCLAIR, CA – This past week, Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino) visited Dorothy Grant Elementary School in the City of Fontana where seven students from Ms. Beverly Matheson’s 4th grade class made contact with astronauts aboard the International Space Station using amateur radio.

The Amateur Radio International Space Station Program (ARISS) is a joint venture by NASA and the Amateur Radio Satellite Corporation to facilitate communication between astronauts aboard International Space Station and schools around the world.  ARISS’s goal is to inspire interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.

“Promoting STEM education is very important because it opens many doors of opportunities for our students interested in pursuing these fields,” said Rep. Negrete McLeod.  “I applaud Ms. Matheson, Dorothy Grant Elementary School, and the Fontana Unified School District for facilitating this event because it helps motivate our next generation of scientists, engineers, and astronauts here in the Inland Empire.”

The event was a great success.  Dorothy Grant Elementary plans on contacting the International Space Station next year.

TAMPA, FL- Donald MacLaren, Ghostwriter and Screenwriter, has helped more than 30 books get published and his screenplays are being introduced to producers. He is looking to help those who want to write a book about their experiences or ideas.

Mr. MacLaren has a Master’s Degree from a seminary, so he is comfortable talking about spiritual matters and beliefs. In talking about his clients’ backgrounds, Mr. MacLaren keeps an open mind: “I don’t judge people when I hear their stories. I let God do the judging. After all, we have all sinned in different ways, made mistakes, and made wrong choices. My goal is to provide an excellent book or screenplay so that others can learn something from what is shared.”

Mr. MacLaren has worked on many projects with many different people from all walks of life. Some of his book and movie clients have included a doctor, former state senator, retired corporate lawyer, postal worker, restaurant manager, psychologist, entrepreneur, insurance broker, retired banker, retired teacher, retired librarian, and New York City chemist. As he often says, “I’m glad I can come in and help get people’s stories told which they would never have been able to do on their own. I’m on a mission to help write all kinds of stories that can be of value to others.”

The published books include all types of genres including memoirs, biographies, how-to stories; fiction, children’s books as well as inspirational self-help books. Mr. MacLaren, who prefers to be called Don, says, “I tell clients not to hold back, but just tell your stories or write about your ideas, and I can work to organize and structure what has to be done.”

Donald MacLaren has been able to help his clients in the following ways:

• Works with a Ph.D. associate who reviews and rereads, adding insight and suggestions.
• Helps with the design of the book covers.
• Makes the books available as paperbacks and eBooks internationally on the Internet.

Donald MacLaren can be seen on www.YouTube.com Search: Avoid Gangs and Ghostwriter Donald MacLaren. Please subscribe for updates.