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On Saturday, December 2, Pastor Michael B. Kelly, II, International Speaker and Pastor of the Mt. Rubidoux, SDA Church in Riverside, along with Kevin Carrington, CEO and Founder of Carrington Case, and guest speaker Dina Walker, President and CEO of the BLU Educational Foundation, held #METOO: A Conversation about sexual assault and harassment.  Within the last few months, this hashtag became ubiquitous on all platforms of social media, which sparked the discussion to be held on the church platform.  The hashtag #churchtoo became prevalent, and thus was a must that this discussion take place in a safe environment.

Due to the nature of the content of the discussion, with approximately 90 percent of the participants in the venue being women, during the introduction, Pastor Kelly and Kevin addressed what they called, “the white elephant in the room,” by being two men who were compelled to lead this conversation on behalf of so many women who have endured harassment and assault.  They led the conversation with poise and respect for everyone there who told their truths, in such an open forum.

Per the American Association of University Women, sexual harassment is described as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.” The Huffington Post notes that every 1 in 3 women experience sexual harassment or sexual misconduct at work, with 29 percent report such heinous advances, while a whopping 71 percent never report.  During the conversation, Kevin noted that every 98 seconds in America, someone is sexually assaulted and the number of victims are increasing at an alarming rate.

Speaker Dina Walker stated that in an uncomfortable situation, the primary issue that most women have is feeling empowered to say something. She asked the questions, “What happens to your opportunities if you say something?” “What makes you uncomfortable?”  Ms. Walker had experiences in the workplace that she shared, and she also discussed how women need to be alert and cognizant more so than men.

During the question and comment portion of the evening, a few women and a gentleman stood up to speak their story, experience, expertise of sexual assault and harassment.  One comment in particular that stood out to me was

“Traditionally, we are brought up to hug family members whether we want to or not.  Listen to the “uh oh.” We have to teach our children to trust their instincts and if something doesn’t feel right, empower them to say something.” 

Another participant stated how much of a cultural and societal issue sexual assault and harassment really is, particularly being in the entertainment capital of the world.  In addition, another participant provided a solution in that, “We teach people how to treat us by creating strict boundaries for ourselves.”

This will be an ongoing discussion since there are men and children who experience these unspeakable acts as well.  We must be open to hearing one another to come to a consensus on how we can solve these pertinent issues in our society.

You can contact Pastor Michael B. Kelly through the Mt. Rubidoux church secretary’s office at (951) 276-8374 or you may visit www.mtrubidouxsda.org.  Kevin Carrington of Carrington Case at www.carringtoncase.com/contact/.  Dina Walker of BLU Educational Foundation at 909.685.9995 or email, info@bluedfoundation.org or you may visit their website at www.bluedfoundation.org/contact-us

The Mt. Rubidoux SDA church is focused on going beyond the walls of the church to satisfy the needs of the community whether they are members of the church or if they have never stepped foot inside of a church.  The church’s motto is to Love, Grow, and Serve, and impact initiatives, such as the mega-clinic, helps the church to achieve the goals and vision of the pastoral staff along with the members in the congregation.

LOMA LINDA, CA-Patients at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) got into the holiday spirit this week by creating a gingerbread village display in the hospital lobby.

Both in- and out-patients were invited to visit the hospital lobby on Monday, December 4 to build and decorate a gingerbread house of their own creation. Patients who were unable to leave the units were given everything they needed to make a house in their rooms.

The annual event is made possible by the Big Hearts for Little Hearts Loma Linda Guild, along with the generosity of two community supporters, Alta Vista Credit Union, which donated $3,200 toward the event; and Costco Wholesale, which donated over 130 gingerbread house kits.

Lynn Sleeth, president of the Loma Linda Guild, enjoyed watching the children assemble the cookie houses and festoon them with white frosting roofs and assorted, colorful candies. Whenever a house was completed, Santa or one of his helpers placed it on a large display structure designed to evoke the shape of a Christmas tree. Patients were also able to take a teddy bear and book of their choice.

Members of the Loma Linda Fire Department also came out for the event to assist patients with building and decorating.

“We are so blessed to have friends who believe in what we are doing for the children

DeNetria  Champ is featured artist in The Soulful Sounds of Christmas Concert along with Host Jammin Jay Lamont from Def Comedy Jam & Comic View

When: Saturday, December 9

Where: Steelworkers Auditorium, 8437 Sierra Avenue, Fontana

Time: 7 p.m.

Tickets: $35 (Advance) $45 (at the door)

Los Angeles native DeNetria Champ has the pipes. Boy, does she have the pipes!

DeNetria Champ is often compared to Aretha Franklin and spent a large amount of her career providing background vocals for James Ingram, Barry White and Patti LaBelle. However, her vocals are so strong and distinctive that it was clear that she would eventually move beyond a backup role to shine as a lead vocalist and solo artist.

Reported via The Los Angeles Times

Southern California wildfires raged into an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood on Wednesday, forcing evacuations, threatening multibillion-dollar homes and temporarily shutting a major highway.

The new fire also threatened the hilltop campus of one of the world’s richest museums, even as more than 1,000 firefighters in nearby Ventura County battled the biggest of the wind-fed blazes, which threatened more than 12,000 homes.

A brush fire erupted overnight and quickly spread, creating an alarming spectacle for pre-dawn commuters on the hillsides east of Interstate 405 before the California Highway Patrol closed the heavily traveled freeway.

The Skirball Fire, the newest of several uncontained brush fires that have sprung up in Southern California since Monday, prompted officials to order residents of the hilly, wooded area west of the Bel Air neighborhood out of their homes.

It was not immediately clear how many people were affected by the evacuation order in the area south of scenic Mulholland Drive and north of Sunset Boulevard.

“It would be safe to say there are hundreds of homes in the area,” said Brian Humphrey, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Fire crews in the area were starting to see some structural damage, he added.

The nearby Getty Center museum said it shut down for the day to protect its art collection from smoke damage.

The largest of the fires, known as the Thomas Fire, raged in and around the city of Ventura, some 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Los Angeles, fire officials said. The blaze has charred more than 65,000 acres in Ventura and its foothills, they said.

The entirely uncontained blaze was whipped by intensifying, dry Santa Ana winds blowing westward from the California desert. Gusts were forecast to top out at 70 miles per hour (115 km per hour) on Wednesday and remain strong through the week.

California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, freeing state funds and resources to assist firefighters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it approved grants to help cover the cost of emergency work for the Thomas Fire and two others.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his thoughts and prayers were with everyone in the path of the wildfires.

“I encourage everyone to heed the advice and orders of local and state officials,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “THANK YOU to all First Responders for your incredible work!”

Although no casualties have been reported, the fires have destroyed at least 150 homes, forced mass evacuations, cancellation of classes of dozens of schools and resulted in the loss of power at more than 250,000 homes in Ventura County.

In the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, the Creek Fire destroyed at least 30 homes, blackened more than 11,000 acres and forced the evacuation of 2,500 homes and a convalescent center north of Interstate 210 on Tuesday.

Three firefighters were injured and hospitalized in stable condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-     During the weekend of December 2, and 3, 2017, the Social Lites, Inc., Beautillion Knights enjoyed seeing “Port Chicago 50” play at Rialto High School in Rialto, California.  Participants learned or relearned in 1944, segregation in the United Sates was prevalent and World War II was in full swing.  The event takes place in San Francisco, CA.

African American soldiers were being pushed by their commanders to load ammunition and other explosives onto two large ships.” Not one of these men were properly trained to handle dangerous cargo. 

“Explosion after explosion! So, fierce, it shook the ground with the force of an earthquake.  Knocking out windows and shaking buildings as far east as Boulder City, Nevada.  That night Port Chicago was changed forever, as 320 seamen lost their lives.  Not one officer in the higher rank was willing to take responsibility for this tragedy.”

Community leader, Mrs. Marlene Davis, Executive Director of the Bethune Center for the National Council for Negro Women educated Knights and their court on resume writing and interviewing techniques for future employment opportunities. 

Weekly meetings are held on Sundays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club of San Bernardino.  The 51st Beautillion program will commence on March 24, 2018 at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino.

For more information, please telephone chairperson, Mrs. Donna Little-James at 909-528-9793 or co-chairperson, Mrs. Bridgette Shaw at 909-648-6165 or publicity chairperson, Mrs. Twillea Evans-Carthen at tevanscarthen@yahoo.com.

Naomi K. Bonman

LOS ANGELES, CA- Taking the Exquisite Podcast Radio Network to the next level will require demonstrations and leadership from a professional journalist that has been hosting her podcast radio network show “Purposely Awakened Radio” on EPRN. Ms. Naomi K. Bonman is a talented journalist and entrepreneur with an eye for design, ear for entertainment, and she’s committed to bringing insightful news to communities. Bonman is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. She also holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University.

As President of West Coast Operations for the Exquisite Podcast Radio Network, division of Exquisite Conglomerate Communications LLC, Naomi will be in charge of ramping up the network show lineup along the West Coast. Currently there are 3 network shows that have been activated in California, and with Ms. Bonman’s direction EPRN will be looking to increase that number to more than 25 over the course of the next six to eight months.

The Exquisite Podcast Radio Network is looking to not only launch new shows in California, but they are also looking to reach audiences in Nevada, Washington, Oregon, as well as cities in western Canada. Ms. Bonman’s EPRN show “Purposely Awakened Radio” will be the flagship show for the Exquisite Podcast Radio Network on the West Coast.

EPRN is a unique podcast radio network that trains, develops, markets, and distributes content for aspiring podcasters and radio personalities. Since the 1st quarter of 2017, the network has taken off and can now be heard in more than 250 cities worldwide. Listeners can log onto the Exquisite Podcast Radio Network at www.eprn.us and listen to more than 20 shows with over 300 episodes of original content.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Tuesday, December 5, the San Bernardino Valley College campus will once again transform into a holiday wonderland from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the college’s second annual “WinterFest.”

This campus-wide celebration of the coming of the holiday season is estimated to have attracted over 2,000 students, staff, and community members to campus last year. Visitors were especially drawn to the holiday light show, the free musical performances and theater productions, and the delicious treats offered by food trucks and the college’s culinary arts and food services programs.

The evening will be filled with fun events for all ages, including holiday film screenings, live music, theater performances, Santa pictures, and story time for children among the many activities. For those looking to pick up the perfect gift, a holiday sale with a wide range of items will run throughout WinterFest. College staff will also be on hand to provide information about enrollment and the many degree and certificate programs available at San Bernardino Valley College.

This exciting event is free to attend and open to the community. Valley College is located at 701 S. Mount Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino.

RECAP Written by John Coleman, Community Photographer

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) and Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy provided 1,000 Turkeys and Food Boxes to needy families in San Bernardino County.  Approximately 2,000 people attended the Turkey Giveaway and Resource Fair which was held at CAPSBC on Saturday, November 18.

“The CAPSBC Food Bank has been serving San Bernardino County since 1984.  Every year we provide thousands of holiday food baskets, in addition to our regular food operations serving 40,000 households per month.  $19 million in food went out in 2016 and that number will be even higher this year.  San Bernardino County suffers some of the highest levels of poverty in the nation, and this food is greatly needed,” stated Patricia L. Nickols-Butler, CEO of CAPSBC.

Fifty-seven (57) community organizations, county agencies and nonprofits were on hand at the event Resource Fair providing information, goods and services to assist low-income families.  In addition, approximately 100 volunteers provided vitally important assistance.  All in all, hundreds of people who care about struggling San Bernardino County families, came together to make the holidays a little brighter for their neighbors in need.

The CAPSBC Food Bank continues its mission for the upcoming Christmas holidays providing thousands of additional holiday baskets for those needing food assistance.  If you are interested in supporting the CAPSBC Food Bank in its efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition in San Bernardino County, you may make a check payable to CAPSBC and mail to 696 S. Tippecanoe Ave., San Bernardino, CA 92408, or a secure donation can be made on our website at:  www.capsbc.org/donate   If you would like to volunteer, please e-mail:  msalcido@capsbc.org or fill out a volunteer form at www.capsbc.org/volunteer.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- As a child growing up in San Bernardino, Dr. Milton Clark’s weekly Saturday visits to the central library on Arrowhead to read started him on a path of academic achievement that culminated in his earning a Ph.D. and a distinguished academic career as a faculty member for more than 30 years before retiring as the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies at Cal State San Bernardino.

He has also returned his fondness for public libraries and their value in communities such as San Bernardino by serving on the San Bernardino Public Library Board of Trustees since 2005 and as its president since 2007. That time period marked a decade of the city’s economic challenges since the national economic crash of 2008 that culminated in San Bernardino filing for bankruptcy in 2012.

The economic challenges SBPL faced in that timespan resulted in several budget cuts which threatened the closure of the Howard Rowe, Dorothy Inghram and Paul Villaseñor Branch Libraries in 2009, 2012 and 2014.

Dr. Clark’s leadership and advocacy working with the other trustees has been instrumental in keeping those libraries open, according to San Bernardino Public Library Director Ed Erjavek. The members of the SBPL Board of Trustees are city residents who volunteer their time without compensation to administratively govern the library with the funding amount allocated by the Mayor and City Council.

His leadership and advocacy were honored earlier this month as he was named the Best California Library Trustee for outstanding service to a specific library system by the California Public Library Advocates (CPLA) during an awards dinner at the California Library Association’s annual conference in Riverside. CPLA seeks to strengthen California libraries through advocacy and education.

“Dr. Clark is most deserving of this honor since I doubt there’s a Library Board President in the country who has done as much in advocating for their library system in the last decade, “ said Erjavek, who nominated him for the award. “His leadership and passion for library service in San Bernardino have been instrumental in helping to preserve library service in this community. I tell people he is the finest Library Board President in America. He was the right man to lead the Library Board of Trustees during this last challenging decade in San Bernardino.”

“I’m not sure what motivates the other Board members, but my passion for this institution is deep rooted.  I grew up in San Bernardino, and as a young child, I used to walk to the library on Saturday morning and lose myself among the stacks of books.  Those visits to the library gave me a glimpse into a broader world than the one to which I was confined living in the de facto segregated city of San Bernardino,” Clark said, when reminiscing about his childhood in his acceptance speech. Among the dinner attendees were California State Librarian Greg Lucas, family and friends of Dr. Clark, and Board Vice President Carolyn Tillman and Secretary Val Lichtman. Dr. Tom Rennard is also a member of the Board.

“In part, because of the library, I went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in English at California State College, San Bernardino,” he continued.  “I subsequently went on to earn a Master’s degree and then a Ph. D at UC Riverside.  Because San Bernardino had a Public Library, the world of opportunity was opened up to me. It is my duty, my responsibility, and my honor to make that same amazing resource available to the citizens of my city, young and old.”

SBPL had an annual budget of almost $3 million and 31 full-time staff position in 2008 before the national economic crash but the budget had been reduced to a little over $1.7 million in 2014 when the library was facing a proposed cut of $1 million, which would have not only closed the branch libraries but even operations at the Feldheym Central Library might not have been possible with a budget cut of that size.

Thanks to the leadership and advocacy of Dr. Clark and the other library board members and an alternative budget proposal from Erjavek – the library was allocated almost $1.4 million of annual funding for FY 14-15 by the Mayor and Common Council which resulted in full-time staff being reduced to 10 and zero city dollars for books and library materials but at least the weekly 37 public service hours at Feldheym and the 20 weekly hours at each of the three branches were retained.

Erjavek wrote in his nomination: “He has volunteered his time waiting to speak (often for more hours sitting on hard plastic chairs than he would care to recall) to the city’s mayor and city council at many a budget meeting during the last 10 years to give a voice for the voiceless for the importance of library service in this community.  Dr. Clark is keenly sensitive to continuing library service to the underserved and underprivileged who are many in this city and those who may not have the means to go to another library if their neighborhood branch closed.”

VICTORVILLE, CA- On Friday, November 3, the Hilton Garden Inn in Victorville hosted the NAACP Branch 1082 Annual Freedom Fund Dinner. The evening featured a delicious full course meal, exciting musical sounds by local band Willie Cockrell “Strings ‘n Things”. The event was ‘sold out’ as many community members, leaders and organizations gathered in recognition of the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization.

NAACP President Bill Thomas warmly welcomed everyone, as Jiles Smith was introduced as MC for the evening. A few noted representatives and organizations in attendance included Supervisor Robert Lovingood, Delta Sigma Theta, NCNW, San Bernardino Sherriff’s Department, Burning Bush Church, Emmanuel Temple and First Missionary Baptist Church.

Shonda Scott, an entrepreneur, community leader and activist was introduced by Windsor Richmond, Anthem/Blue Cross Field Sales Manager, as keynote speaker for the evening. Scott is the CEO of 360 Total Concept, a corporation based in Northern California that provides services to organizations needing support with program management, communications, contract compliance, logistics and general management. 

Scott, passionately shared her journey as becoming involved in community service during her early years. Raised by her father, a college professor and mother a retired Navy Officer, they each instilled in her the importance of serving her community and making a positive difference. 

Scott commented, “Though I was too young to vote, my parents would often have me ‘phone bank’ and distribute flyers” along with many other miscellaneous tasks”. Scott humbly performed her duties that would later define her attitude and approach to politics. The early on work ethics experience attributed to Scott’s career lead to serving alongside great leaders such as Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Senator Kamala Harris including working with Pres. Barak Obama’s Whitehouse platform committee.

Scott encouraged the audience, specifically the youth to become in her words “Disrupters” in their communities. Further clarifying her statement, she closely described the meaning, “”Disrupters” as prioritizing justice, equality and the integrity of the political process, not to settle for the ‘status quo’. She further stated, “Dr. Martin Luther King was a ‘Disrupter’, Rosa Parks, John F. Kennedy and many other great historical leaders that made tremendous strides to better our nation”. “We would not be where we are today without these prolific “Disrupters”. It is a reality that we have to cultivate the next generation to maintain what many have fought and died for. Scott continued to comment regarding today’s youth saying, “If we are hosting events and the room is not half filled with young people or if we are not teaching our youth wisdom and knowledge on how to become positive “Disrupters”, then their outcome is our fault, and that’s the truth”. 

Shonda Scott is the embodiment of an empowered woman, who grew up in an ordinary family and made extraordinary developments in her career. She is an ‘Agent of Change’, dedicated to serving her community, as she inspires and influences us all. Concluding her speech, she exited the stage amid a standing ovation. 

An exciting highlight for the evening was the introduction of youth from the Millionaire Minds Kids Program and other young achievers. Standing onstage, they each had an opportunity to share their education and career goals/achievements. Their impressive career choices included accomplishments with obtaining degrees in the various fields of Medical, Engineering and Legal Studies.

An Inspiring student commented that her sibling, a previous NAACP recipient, was not in attendance due to her on- duty employment as a Pilot for a major airline carrier. They each vowed to continue being positive “Disrupters” of their generation as they took photos with speaker Shonda Scott.

Former NAACP Scholarship Recipients Attorneys, Phyllis Morris-Green, San Bernardino County Public Defender and Garner C. Morris, Jr. Deputy District Attorney, Santa Clara, CA were acknowledged. Both have excelled immensely in their chosen fields. 

Peggy Moore, Chair for the NAACP Scholarship committee was introduced by MC-Jiles Smith.   Acknowledging the past recipient’s success stories, Smith thereby challenged the audience, requesting donations to assist students with their future academic scholarships. Eager and generous hands began to spontaneously wave checks in the air donating contributions that will create college access and success for many motivated youth and young adults. 

Award recipients were recognized for their outstanding community service; Charley and Evelyn Glasper- (Political and Educational Achievement); Cara Denise Hutson (Judicial Excellence); Regina Weatherspoon-Bell – (Community Service).

The NAACP wishes to recognize and thank these outstanding sponsors for the event, Platinum Sponsors-The GEO Group, Frontier Communications, Gold Sponsor-Edible Arrangements.

Table Sponsors included Attorneys Jim Terrell/Sharon J. Brunner; Burning Bush Church; City of Adelanto; Delta Sigma Theta; Emmanuel Temple; First Missionary Baptist Church; Mr. & Ms. Rick Hudson; Mr. & Ms. Garner Morris; San Bernardino County Sheriff Dept.; NAACP President Mr. & Ms. Bill Thomas; Mr. & Ms. Charley Glasper; Mrs. LaVern Scriven; Ms. Yolande Culbreth; Ms. Gloria Roberts.

Special thanks to Mrs. Terry Thomas, Chairperson of the Freedom Fund Banquet and her outstanding committee. 

On behalf of High Desert/Inland Valley News, we wish to applaud NAACP-High Desert Branch 1082 for their outstanding efforts in making the Annual Freedom Fundraiser Dinner a great success!