ROSEMEAD, CA — Thanksgiving Day is usually full of food, family and football. Southern California Edison (SCE) reminds its customers to add safety to the list since cooking fires are three times more likely on Turkey Day than any other day, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Cooking equipment, overloaded circuits and extension cords are leading causes of electrical accidents and home fires during the holiday season, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International. About 2,000 fires occur annually in the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day, causing an average of five fatalities, 15 injuries and $21 million in property damage, said the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).
“An increase in indoor activities combined with cooking and entertaining family and friends can cause many customers to forget basic home safety,” said Bill Messner, principal manager of Health and Safety at SCE. “Safety should never take a holiday.”
The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking, said the USFA. Never leave cooking equipment or appliances, such as toaster ovens, unattended. Turn them off if you leave the room. Another key precaution is to check for the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) mark on appliances. UL is the leading independent product safety organization and is a trusted symbol among consumers and manufacturers.
SCE recommends some other safety tips for Thanksgiving:
•         Plug countertop appliances into Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)-protected outlets.
•         Replace appliances that have frayed electrical cords. Contact with them can cause electric shock and serious injury.
•         When using electrical appliances, keep electric cords out of reach of children.
•         Do not overload outlets with multiple adaptors or power strips.
•         Do not use extension cords with major appliances.
•         Unplug appliances that aren’t in use, preventing them from being turned on accidentally.
•         Locate all appliances away from the sink. Remember that water and electricity do not mix.
•         Never fight an electrical or grease fire with water. Keep a fire extinguisher, UL listed and rated for electrical fires and grease, nearby.
For more on electrical safety at home, visit www.sce.com/safety. Follow SCE on Twitter and Facebook.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Young Visionary Youth Leadership Academy in partnership with the Black Voice Foundation have been awarded a major grant by the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health to provide a resilience promotion in African-American children and their families within San Bernardino County targeting students primarily within the San Bernardino  Unified School District (SBUSD). The three year funded grant, Successfully Motivating  African-Americans in Resiliency Training (SMAART), is a 12-week, multi-year, intensive K-8 program that will be a hub of high expectations. The program will directly support the SBUSD strategic plan.
“Our goal is to support community organizations, parents and students to achieve the goal of inspiring families toward their successful future” Terrance Stone, CEO of Young Visionaries, said.
SMAART is partnered with the Department of Equity and Targeted Student Achievement, and the African-American Parent Advisory Council from the San Bernardino City Unified School District and Hardy Brown College Prep, a charter school located in downtown San Bernardino.
The program’s goals and objectives include:   reducing the risks of juvenile justice involvement; weekly lessons completed in collaboration with SBUSD schools; conflict resolution among students; effective Black parenting; mentor workshops; history and heritage that will bring greater understanding to families; and health and wellness workshops to increase awareness.

Linda L. Smith

A Profile of Courage: Linda L. Smith. On Saturday, December 21 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Hour Glass Wine and Art Gallery, 8200 Haven Avenue, Suite 103, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730; the screening of independent filmmaker, Reginald D. Brown’s documentary “A Profile of Courage: Linda L Smith” will be screened. Smith is the Founder and CEO of Four-D College, a vocational nursing school in Colton and Victorville.  Today, she remains the only African American to have a fully accredited career college offering vocational nursing and other allied health programs in the State of California. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. For tickets please visit www.eventbrite.com/e/a-profile-in-courage-linda-l-smith-tickets-9251474409.

East and Be Well is back this Thanksgiving season.

FONTANA, CA – A follow up to its successful experience last year, East and Be Well is back this Thanksgiving season. The second annual, one-day event will be held on Wednesday, November 27  from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Seville Park and Cypress Neighborhood Center, 8380 Cypress Avenue, Fontana, CA 92335. Led by a socially conscious steering committee from the Inland Southern California’s business and non-profit communities, including co-founders Christopher A. Suchánek (CEO/Firm Media) and Ana Karina Suchánek, Eat and Be Well supports the underserved of San Bernardino County. Not only does this occasion provide a hearty Thanksgiving meal to the community, it provides participants access to free health and wellness resources. Last year’s  event was a success right off the bat, pulling in over 20 nonprofit, for profits, and county and government agencies together to work together to serve 1,600 plates and provide health services. The steering committee’s objective for this year’s event is to serve 2,500 plates, while maintaining the overall goal and vision of being able to “establish consistency”. According to Josiah Bruny, a member of the Eat and Be Well steering committee and founder of Music Changing Lives (MCL) the second annual event will be “bigger and better!”

ETA NU OMEGA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY INC

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-  In partnership with St. Paul A.M.E. Church, High Calling Christian Church and New Focus Community Development Outreach Corporation, the Eta Nu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., will be providing Thanksgiving meals and food baskets for the Inland Empire community on Saturday, November 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Inghram Community Center, 2050 North Mt. Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino. This is a free community event where there will be health and medical services provided along with children’s activities and a clothing give away. Free mammogram screenings will be provided for women.  Please call ahead for appointments 1-714-871-4488 ext. 210.  Other health screenings offered will be blood pressure checks, blood sugar and diabetes, cholesterol, hemoglobin, vision, dental hygiene, lupus, obesity, WIC, mental health services, resources for pregnant women, and information on the Affordable Care Act.

teen dating

LOS ANGELES, CA – On Saturday, November 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Positive Results Corporation (PRC) will be hosting its 3rd Annual ‘STOP THE PAIN’, a teen summit on dating violence, sex trafficking and bully prevention, at California State University Dominguez Hills, 1000 E Victoria St, Carson, CA 90747. This is a free community event designed for youth and young adults ages 12 to 24, and their families. Sessions and workshops include Bully Prevention; Sexting and Texting; Dating Violence Prevention; Sex Trafficking Awareness; Teen Exploitation Warning Signs and several others. Each workshop and session will also feature  interactive networking opportunities and honest and helpful tools for creating healthy relationships. Students will also earn 10 community service hours for their participation.  PRC’s 3rd Annual Teen Summit will also feature a performance from singer and songwriter, RaVaughn, known for her hit single, “Best Friend.”  Youth can register for the event by visiting stopthepain-3rdannual-es2.eventbrite.com. A continental breakfast, lunch and gift bags will be provided. For more information about PRC, sponsorship opportunities or how to get involved, please contact Kandee Lewis, Executive Director at 323-787-9252 or by email at kandeele@prc123.org.

Marques Houston

UPLAND, CA-  United Swag of America will be presenting a special one night only performance featuring  music sensation Marques Houston on Sunday, November 17 at The Palace, 1276 W. 7th Street, Upland, CA 91786. In addition to the music performance by Houston, there will be $3 drinks, $2 shots, food and hookah. Platinum producer Tony Touch will also be spinning Hip-Hop, R&B, Latin and Top 40 jams throughout the night. Cover charge is $15 before 10 p.m., and all guests must 21 and over to enter. Concert tickets can be purchased at www.marqueshoustonlive.eventbrite.com. For VIP tables and bottle service please call 702-409-5388.

The San Bernardino City election is partially over and there is the expected run-off for mayor; however, City Council members have been selected. Don’t “hate” on the winners, especially if your chosen candidate did not win. The election is not about creating a winning candidate. It is about electing a candidate that will make the city a winner. If your candidate did not win you still have a representative that needs your input, not to just complain, but to help with solutions.  Regardless of who is in City Hall, we each have the ability to help the City of San Bernardino.
I suggest that we start with the one thing that we each can control, which is our individual attitudes.  Our attitudes are truly the only thing that we should expect to control.  We cannot control everything that happens, but we can control how we respond.  It is not important that you did or did not vote for the winning candidate, what matters in that you dedicate yourself to being properly served.  Write and congratulate the winner and explain how anxious you are to help. Request a written list of priorities and at the same time make your suggestions as what should be on the list.  If you don’t know what you want, how will you recognize it?
The city of San Bernardino will ultimately survive and thrive. Will you be a benefit to its rise from the ashes or will you be attracted to the distractions and eventually give up your stake to the benefit of some opportunistic interloper?  I say, “Don’t give up on Berdoo!”

Young Stress

What it do Inland Empire!

It’s ya girl, LUE and I’m back with this week’s artist review. This week I am happy to feature one of the hottest Hip-hop artists from the Inland Empire, Gerald Martin also known as YOUNG STRESS. When it comes down to performing and getting the crowd going this artist always delivers.

YOUNG STRESS is a  rapper, producer and engineer who was born in San Bernardino, California. He started music at the tender age of 5. Coming up under his father who was an amazing pianist and his talented uncles, Young Stress learned how to play the drums and piano by ear. Realizing his talents, his parents and older sisters kept him involved with music. At the age of 17, he learned how to produce his own beats. After mastering the skill of producing he began to write, rap and perform.

This young man has been on several radio shows and has performed throughout Southern California and beyond. When it comes to having faithful and devoted followers, believe me when I say, he got it. I’ve seen him pack a house first hand. He drives the young ladies crazy with his looks, locks and lyrics. If you haven’t heard his hit “Kurt Covian”, you must check it out. A crowd pleaser fo’ sho’. Make sure you remember the name because this artist is going places.

For more information on this talent artist please look him up under “YOUNG STRESS”, on Facebook, Reverbnation and Soundcloud. Until next week!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-  The San Bernardino City Unified School District is looking to fill Groundsworker, HVACR Mechanic, School Police Officer and Educational Interpreter III positions. Groundsworker positions pay from $2,703.26 to $3,288.92 per month. HVACR Mechanic positions pay between $3,628.44 and $4,414.54 per month. School Police Officer positions earn from $3,699.50 to $4,501.00 per month. Educational Interpreter III positions pay between $19.07 and $23.20 an hour. Benefits for all positions include paid holidays, sick leave, and vacation days; medical, dental, and vision insurance; and retirement. Benefits are based on a 40-hour workweek. Groundsworker applications must be submitted before midnight on Sunday, November 3. HVACR Mechanic and School Police Officer applications are due before midnight on Sunday, November 10. Late applications will not be accepted. Applicants for all positions must have a valid California driver’s license. Educational Interpreter III applicants must be fluent in sign language. View the job flyers at www.sbcusd.com/employment for additional minimum experience and qualifications. Only online applications will be accepted. Free computer access is available for applicants at the Personnel Commission office and the District’s Family Resource Center. All applicants must be willing to submit to a pre-employment drug/alcohol screening, background check, and T.B. (tuberculosis) screening. For more information, call the Personnel Commission at 909-381-1280 or visit www.sbcusd.com/employment.