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On Saturday, November 21, at the Adelanto Stadium, Fathers in Hip Hop will be honoring the Westside Story Newspaper publisher, Wallace Allen IV, during the Blessed in the Mess Giveaway and Concert. Allen will be given the Acknowledgment award for his commitment to the community. Those that want to attend the show, please RSVP to fathersinhiphop@gmail.com.

LOS ANGELES, CA—Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assemblymember Chris Holden’s police reform legislation, AB 26 that establishes clear guidelines for police responsibility and accountability when witnessing excessive force by another member of law enforcement.

“Derek Chauvin was charged for killing George Floyd, but justice for George Floyd doesn’t rest in Chauvin’s conviction alone – there were three additional officers who simply stood by and watched him die,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “I thank Governor Newsom and everyone who supported AB 26 that will make it crystal clear in our state law what a peace officer’s duty is to intervene when witnessing excessive force.”

California law requires police officers to intercede when observing another officer using force that is beyond that which is necessary, but there are no universal measures used to determine that an officer has in fact interceded. In the case of George Floyd, a lawyer for one of the accused junior officers argued that there was intervention because the junior officer asked the supervising officer if they should turn Floyd on his side.

If AB 26 becomes law, police officers would be required to intercede when witnessing excessive force under the updated guidelines and report the incident in real time to dispatch or the watch commander. The officer’s due process will be protected as the employing agency would review evidence and determine if the offending officer met the standard for intervention. Retaliation against officers that report violations of law or regulation of another officer to a supervisor would be prohibited.

Last year, Governor Newsom’s Policing Advisors released their recommendations which included legislation to “Require officers to intervene to prevent or stop other officers from engaging in excessive force, false arrest, or other inappropriate conduct.”

“Today’s signing is a big step forward for police responsibility and accountability. Instituting these core values are paramount to building public trust that has eroded between law enforcement and communities across California,” said Holden.

AB 26 clarifies and establishes intervention to include, but not limited to:

• The use of de-escalation techniques
• Confronting the officer applying excessive use of force
• Physically stopping the excessive use of force, when in a position to do so
• Recording and documenting the incident in real time with body cameras
• Reporting the incident to dispatch or the watch commander in real time stating the offending officer’s name, unit, location, time and situation in order to establish that an attempt to intervene has been made

AB 26 also makes the following the changes to state law:

• Requires the peace officer to report the incident immediately to his/her supervisor
• Prohibits retaliation on a peace officer for reporting the incident
• Prohibits an officer from training other officers for a period of at least three years from the date that an excessive use of force complaint is substantiated
• Requires an officer who fails to intervene be disciplined up to and including in the same manner as the officer who used excessive force

The full text of the legislation can be found here, and full remarks from today’s bill signing here.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—-Two schools in San Bernardino County have been distinguished as 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This prestigious award recognizes schools based on overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. They are among the state’s highest performing schools.

Hidden Trails Elementary School in Chino Valley Unified School District and Valencia Elementary School in Upland Unified School District are among only 26 schools in California receiving this recognition.

“This is a distinguished award that schools all across our nation strive for, and we have two schools within our County receiving this high honor,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “I commend the efforts put forth by our educators and their outstanding commitment to transform the lives of students.”

National Blue Ribbon Schools is a program of the U.S. Department of Education designed to celebrate exemplary schools in which educators, students and families have worked to create positive and effective learning environments for all students.

The Department of Education recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

 

Hidden Trails and Valencia Elementary Schools were both recognized as Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools for their work in establishing educational equity and for their dramatic gains in student achievement.

“At Hidden Trails, our focus has been on building the kind of school that engages students and makes them want to be here,” Hidden Trails Principal Lisa Sura said. “Our data-driven instruction and teacher collaboration have helped us build a positive school culture in which students are encouraged to reach their highest potential through a multi-tiered system of support.”

Both Hidden Trails and Valencia Elementary School principals noted this award serves as recognition of the hard work staff, students, educators and families put in to create a safe and welcoming school where students can succeed.

“Valencia believes it can collectively accomplish great things and make a positive difference in the lives of students,” said Valencia Elementary Principal Rachael Emery. “Our mission reflects the core belief that students, no matter their academic level, deserve focused instruction to achieve academic growth and to support emotional well-being. We owe our success to our staff’s collaborative work to implement evidence-based strategies with rigor to assure equitable access to quality teaching and learning.”

In total, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021. These outstanding schools will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on November 4 and 5, 2021.

For more information visit our website at www.sbcss.net and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #transforminglives.

 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- “We Mentor Men Towards a Better Future”, – This year marks the 65th year of the Social Lites Inc. as an organization and 55th year of them making a strong and lasting impact on our Black and Brown young men of our Inland Empire community.

This year we the organization is excited to be ushered in by President Sheri Lewis and Vice President Elsie Paulino who bring a wealth of knowledge and a combined 30+ years with new ideas to the program.

The Beautillion Program provides services that ensure that our youth are college bound and equipped to succeed in college and realize their full potential as men, career professionals, entrepreneurs, and productive citizens through the program. They also provide mentoring, leadership and character and life development skills to makes students from Elementary to High School.

In addition, participating high school seniors who express a desire to attend college may qualify for academic scholarships after completing a rigorous six-month extracurricular program that involves academics, community service projects, and refining social skills. To date, the Beautillion Program has given out approximately $2.5 million dollars in scholarships to college bound young men.  

The Beautillion Briefing will be from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 10 at The Center for Youth & Community located at 468 West 5th Street in San Bernardino.

Please call Marlene Davis at (909) 709-5502 for more information. Mark your calendars, this will be a life changing opportunity for the young men in your lives.  

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—-After a mask-wearing and music-filled event on Saturday, September 25 that brought much joy and excitement to the San Bernardino High School (SBHS) community, Abdel-Rahman Hussein and Jamie Villalobos were crowned the new Mr. and Miss Cardinal City, respectively.

The 2021–2022 pageant was unlike any held before. According to pageant

director and SBHS bilingual school outreach worker Jaime Rios, due to COVID-related cancellations of the separate 2020–2021 Mr. Cardinal and Miss Cardinal pageants, he made the decision to combine the pageants for 2021–2022.

“The students and staff have waited so long for the pageant,” Rios said. “It’s become a tradition and something that everyone looks forward to. Once we had the proper safety precautions in place to make it happen, I wanted to involve both sets of contestants.”

Rios worked closely with staff from SBHS and Sturges Center for the Fine Arts, where the pageant was held, to make sure that everyone would be as safe as possible from COVID. He also consulted with District officials, including the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Safety & Emergency Manager Eric Vetere.

The COVID safety measures involved limiting the pageant audience to 250 invited guests only, which included only 10 members of each contestant’s family, pageant judges, performers, and a small, select group of Sturges and SBHS staff and judges’ guests. Since Sturges can accommodate 700 audience members, the extra space allowed the audience to be grouped by household with empty seats between groups.

Additionally, every person in attendance was asked to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth at all times, excluding when sipping water or for children under age 2, as allowed by law. Signage reminded attendees to assess their health before entering Sturges, and everyone had to submit to a temperature check. Hand sanitizer stations were available for the judges, backstage for the contestants, and for the audience. An industrial-sized, HEPA-grade air filter in the auditorium filtered the air for virus particles.

Filling out Mr. Cardinal City’s court are first runner-up Carmel Gonzales and second runner-up

Saul Felix.

Miss Cardinal City’s court includes first runner-up Kylee Bravo and second runner-up Laura Galindo. Miss International Beauty 2021 Trinity Ortega and Teen International Beauty 2021 Ashley Torrez were also crowned Saturday night and will be part of the Miss Cardinal City court.

The pageant also included several special presentations. Ivan Cruz, a SBHS Class of 2021 graduate, was named Mr. Cardinal City 2020–2021.

“The Mr. Cardinal City 2020–2021 pageant was cancelled just weeks before the event due to the COVID-19 lockdowns,” Rios said. “The contestants had been practicing and providing hours of community service up to that point, but they never got to take the stage. I couldn’t give that back to them, but I could crown an honorary Mr. Cardinal City 2020–2021 from among the contestants.”

Cruz was crowned shortly before Mr. Cardinal City 2021–2022 was announced, so his reign was short lived, but he will be listed as a former Mr. Cardinal City in official documents.

Dr. Harold Vollkommer, retired SBCUSD interim superintendent and former deputy superintendent, was honored for his longtime support of the Mr. and Miss Cardinal City pageants. He has judged several pageants and been the master of ceremonies for others.

Mr. and Miss Cardinal City and their Courts will represent Cardinal City, which is an official chartered city that encompasses the SBHS campus and all of its current students and staff, at various in-person and virtual functions.

According to Susan Jeske Irvine, the holder of the trademark for Miss International Beauty and Teen International Beauty, both titles focus on using the exhilaration of pageantry to teach women and girls important life skills, encourage involvement in community service, and use their “Crown for a Purpose,” while shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Miss International Beauty and Teen International Beauty were incorporated into the Miss Cardinal City pageant this year as part of a set of unique circumstances because of COVID and the passing of founder Louise Madlin.

Mr. and Miss Cardinal City are eligible for college scholarships when they graduate from SBHS. To donate to the Cardinal Scholarship fund, contact Communications/Community Relations secretary Susan Zavala at (909) 381-1250. Miss International Beauty 2021 and Teen International Beauty 2021 will each receive $100 in prize money.

INDIAN OCEAN—-Seaman Carissa Ledesma from San Bernadino, California stands communications watch during a replenishment-at-sea aboard the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan, flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman George Cardenas)

FONTANA, CA—Victor Glover was escorted into the press conference at the Jesse Turner Center on the arms of Miss Black Awareness and her Court, where he was greeted by his fraternity Brothers, elected officials, and the press.

This took place on Saturday, September 18 during the 5^th Annual Concerned Citizens for the Development of North Fontana. The event was a day of, “UNITY in the CommUNITY”. Other festivities of the event were the Chillin’ N Grillin’ BBQ competition.  A big thank you goes out to all the grillers for your participation, and Congratulations to the Riverside County Fire department for taking home the MasterChef award for 2021-2022. 

Representatives from Ted Porter Elementary School 5th grade class was invited to attend a VIP press conference with Commander Victor Glover, while over 100 of their classmates anxiously waited at the North Fontana Park Sports Pavilion.  The four Representatives asked very pertinent questions to astronaut Glover about how life was living in space for six months, and presented him with a banner that 5 grade classes had made for him.  

Victor Glover was pleasantly surprised to receive the key to the City from Fontana’s City Council members presented to him by Mayor Acquanetta Warren. After the press conference, he was transported by Fiona the movie car and her owner Elaine Francisco where he was led into the Sports Pavilion by Chaffey  High School Honor Guard Naval ROTC to a beautiful rendition of America the Beautiful sang by Amore’ the Songstress, accompanied by a 116 piece band from Summit High School under the direction of Mr Sharp.

The goal of the organization is not only to break bread together, but to bring CommUNITY Awareness to the Inland empire.  their initial purpose was to

bridge the gap between law enforcement agencies and the community.  However, the vehicle that fuels this event is education as stated by Ellen Turner, president of the Concerned Citizens, she further states that knowledge and partnership is the essential.

This annual event would not be possible without the help and support from the City of Fontana, and the Police Officers Association. It truly “takes a village”.

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RIVERSIDE, CA- The Pink Ribbon Place, a program of Riverside Community Health Foundation, is proud to announce the return of its 10th annual breast cancer awareness walk – Pink on Parade -with virtual and in-person activities that highlight the importance of raising breast cancer awareness, screenings and early detection to save lives.
 
According to the CDC, the total number of cancer screening tests received by women through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (Early Detection Program) declined by 87 percent  for breast cancer during the pandemic.
 
“Breast cancer screenings and treatments have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic; many have delayed, and some have even skipped annual screenings, which can be instrumental in the early detection of breast cancer,” said Nicole Stovicek, Director ofThe Pink Ribbon Place. “Pink on Parade is a celebration of strength, hope and survival, but it is also an opportunity to remind every one of us of the importance of early detection and to increase knowledge of breast cancer signs and symptoms. We ask everyone who can get involved in raising breast cancer awareness with us, to do so.” 
 
The Pink Ribbon Place invites you to kick off breast cancer awareness month early this year with two virtual contests, “Art on Parade” and “Paint the Town Pink”. “Art on Parade” invites community members to create an art piece inspired by the breast cancer journey in any medium and “Paint the Town Pink” invites locals to decorate the interior or exterior of their home and/or business in pink. Community members can enter the contests and vote for their favorite entries throughout October. All entries must be submitted by October 2 via pinkonparade.org.   
 
In addition to the virtual contests, the Pink on Parade route will return on Saturday, October 16th at Mt. Rubidoux (Ryan Bonamino Park 5000 Tequesquite Ave, Riverside, CA 92506) from 8AM-5PM. Individuals, family, friends, and co-workers are encouraged to start a team, fundraise, and walk the decorated route at their leisure and enjoy activities which include a Hula celebration and dedication at 8:30AM on top of Mt. Rubidioux, a Jeep Club car show, and breakfast & BBQ provided by Riverside Police Officers Association’s Lost in Sauce food truck are just a few highlights community members can look forward to at this year’s in-person walk.
 
Though registration is free for this year’s event, Team Captains are encouraged to register and engage their family and friends to fundraise and raise breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from Pink on Parade will go towards the no-cost services at The Pink Ribbon Place, which supports individuals and families impacted by cancer by providing education, client navigation, counseling, support groups, headwear, post mastectomy products, treatment kits and much more.  
 
The event is proudly sponsored by Aetna, who is committed to providing individuals, employers, health care professionals, producers and others with innovative benefits, products, and services.  
 
Important Dates to Remember: September 1?-?Contests Open; October 2 – Contests Deadline; October 8-22 – Community Votes; October 16 – Pink on Parade; October 29 – Winners Announced  
 
For more information about the Pink on Parade visit www.pinkonparade.org. 

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey?, California? ?Black? ?Media?

It looks like Gov. Gavin Newsom will remain in the office he won in 2018 after he secured an insurmountable lead in votes counted so far in Tuesday’s gubernatorial recall election. 

Several media outlets projected shortly before midnight Tuesday that the attempt to remove Newsom from office failed. 

About an hour after thanking Californians for keeping him in office, Newsom tweeted, “Now, let’s get back to work.”

Larry Elder, a conservative Republican Los Angeles-based talk show host, who was the leading candidate vying to remove Newsom from office conceded the race. A total of 46 candidates were on the ballot to replace Newsom. 

“Let’s be gracious in defeat,” Elder said after the results started pouring in and it was obvious, he had no chance of winning.  “We may have lost the battle, but we are going to win the war.”

According to preliminary results, just under 65% of the voters have said “no” to recalling Newsom in the special election that is estimated to have cost California taxpayers $276 million. With about 67 % of all votes counted so far, only a little over 35% voted yes on the recall. 

Reactions on social media included the following:

Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo), Assembly Speaker pro Tem tweeted, “A $276 million waste just to reaffirm 2018’s results with an election coming in 2022. The CA recall process must be reformed including elevating the Lt. Guv in the event of a recall. But to avoid partisan power grabs the Governor/LG should be a ticket of the same party (like NY).”

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis wrote, “Thank you California for recognizing that @GavinNewsom is exactly where he needs to be, in the Governor’s office! His commitment to the people of California is unwavering and I look forward to his continued leadership of our great state!”

Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA 37) tweeted, “Proud of our governor. Proud of our people. Proud of California.”

Newsom told supporters, although Californians voted “no” to the recall, he wants to focus on all the things they were saying yes to by their votes. 

“‘No’ is not the only thing that was expressed tonight,” Newsom said. “I want to focus on what we said ‘yes’ to as a state. We said yes to science. We said yes to vaccines. We said yes to ending this pandemic. We said yes to people’s right to vote without fear of fake fraud or voter suppression.”

The gubernatorial recall was the fifth statewide vote Dr. Shirley Weber has overseen since she was appointed Secretary of State on Jan. 19. Throughout the process, Weber, a former Assemblymember who represented the 79^th District in San Diego County, says she worked hard to make sure that voter fraud or the talk of fraud of would not interfere in the results of this election. 

“We worked hard to secure our elections. There’s no evidence of fraud or miscounting,” Weber said on CNN. “As Secretary of State, we’ve been even-handed in how we’ve handled every issue. I was sued by the governor as well as by others because of some of the decisions we made that were fair and just.”

Weber’s office has 30 days to certify the recall election once all of the votes have been counted. If there are any discrepancies, Weber said those issues will be addressed.

“I like to say to those that continue to challenge this issue of fairness and so forth, I always say, ‘where’s the evidence?’” Weber said. “We are willing to accept the evidence as it is not just to simply open-ended allegations of fraud and deceptions. Those things are easy to say. But we have yet to get evidence of fraud and deception.”

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey?, California? ?Black? ?Media?

Soon after Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) was sworn in last week to represent California’s 18th Assembly District — which covers parts of East Bay — she signed on as a member of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus (CLWC), the California Latino Legislative Caucus (CLLC), and the California Black Legislative Caucus (CLBC).

Bonta is the 11th member of the Black Caucus and the only lawmaker representing a district in the Bay Area. In the Latino Caucus, she is the 30th member, and out of 120 lawmakers in both houses of the state legislature, she is the 39th woman.

“Special congratulations to our newest member @MiaBonta, who was sworn into the Assembly this morning! #AD18 has chosen a fantastically fearless representative, and I look forward to working with you Assemblymember Bonta! #CALeg,” Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D- San Diego) wrote.

Mialisa “Mia” Tania Bonta, who is Puerto Rican of African descent, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1993 and a Master of Education (Ed.M.) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1996. Bonta also received a J.D. from Yale University Law School in 1999.

Her work experience includes over 20 years working with nonprofits, including serving as CEO of Oakland Promise, a college and career prep program for Alameda County high school students. She was also president of the Alameda Unified School District Board from 2018 to 2021.

“Congratulations to @MiaBonta on her election to the Assembly, which not only made her the first Afro Latina in the Legislature, but also raised the number of women in the Legislature to an all-time high,” California Lt. Gov., Eleni Kounalakis state on Twitter.

The 18th Assembly District includes a large portion of the city of Oakland and the cities of Alameda and San Leandro. Bonta was elected in a special election on Aug. 31, defeating fellow Democrat Janani Ramachandra.

“I am deeply honored to represent the 18th Assembly District. Our district has a long history of bold, progressive, leadership and I plan to continue this work in our diverse district,” Bonta tweeted Sept. 7. “I’m ready to fight for bold solutions to

issues like homelessness, housing affordability, climate change, and criminal justice reform for AD-18 and all Californians. I am ready to get to work.”

Bonta steps in to replace her husband, Rob Bonta, who vacated the AD 18th seat in April after Gov. Newsom appointed him California Attorney General, replacing Xavier Becerra, who is now United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.