SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The City of San Bernardino Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department is offering Pee Wee Flag Football for youth ages 4 – 7 years.  The program includes instruction in flag football fundamentals, basic skills, practice, and games.  The Department will be taking registrations from July 15, 2013, through August 24, 2013.  Fees are $35.00 for city residents and $38.50 for non-residents.  Fee includes a T-shirt, an award, and six weeks of play.  Parents may register their child and coaches may register their teams at the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Main Office located at 201 North ‘E’ Street, Suite 301, or at your local community center.  For additional information on this program and other Youth Sports programs, call 909-384-5420.

Pee_Wee_Flag_Football

ADBL_Basketball

CHINO, CA- ADBL basketball league is back for another exciting season. We will have sign ups every sat from 10am-1pm at Heritage Park in Chino. ADBL stands for Athletic Development Basketball League. Training in basics for all ages. The league games will be played at Upland High school and will run from June-August for 1st grade-9th graders and the League fee is $100. Anyone interested should come to Heritage Park or call Coach Tara or Coach Gene at 909-590-3762, visit online at adblbasketball.com

San_Bernardino_Bears_Football_and_Cheer

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino Bears, part of the Snoop Youth Football League will host pre-season sign-ups for cheerleaders and football players. Unlimited Weight, Kids Play by Age, In-Season Practice will be Monday through Friday, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for ages 7 to 14.  The Bears offer Flag Football for ages 3 to 6. Part of the Snoop Youth Football League. Sign Up and Practice Location is at Arrowview Middle School, 2299 N. “G” Street, San Bernardino, CA 92405. Other sign-up locations available.  Information: 909-556-6571, snoopyfl.net.

Swimming_Lessons

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- For those “fish” in the family who are of age 11-14 years, the Jerry Lewis Family Swim Center at Perris Hill Park will offer the Junior Lifeguard Program with three-week swimming lessons. This can be a first step toward employment opportunities as a lifeguard. The Swim Center offers “learn-to-swim” lessons for youth ages 3 to 17 years old. City Parks and Recreation’ Beverage Exchange Program provides bottled water and unsweetened tea in exchange for sugary beverages (sodas, juices) as a part of the Network for a Healthy California’s “Rethink Your Drink” campaign at the Jerry Lewis Family Swim Center from 12 noon to 5:30 p.m.

Open recreational swimming is available at the Hernandez, Mill, and Nunez Pools, with open swim afternoon sessions Mondays through Saturdays.  Low-income residents are encouraged to attend FREE learn-to-swim classes and apply for FREE family swim passes at the Hernandez and Mill Pools (Scholarships are available.) Programs supported by a Kaiser Permanente So. Cal. Grant.  Register for swim lessons at the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept. main office at 201 North E Street, Suite 301, 3rd Floor (corner of 2nd & E), San Bernardino, CA.  Information: 909-384-5233.

Summer_Day_Camp

REDLANDS, CA – Registrations are being accepted for San Bernardino County Museum Summer Day Camp sessions in late June and July. Each week-long (5-days, Monday through Friday) session at the museum is from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for children ages 7 to 12. Campers will be engaged in our cultural and natural history while expressing their individual creativity. Fee: $155 per child ($135 per child for members of the Museum Association). Registration forms are available at the museum’s front desk or on line at www.sbcounty.gov/museum or call 909- 307-2669. A limited number of scholarships are available by application through the museum’s Education Division. for information. Session 1, June 24 to June 28: Exploring Animals Around Us. Session 2, July 8 to July 12: Playing with History.Session 3, July 15 to July 19: Paper Creations in Art. Session 4, July 22 to July 26: Make It, Play It, Take It, Share It. The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Ln, Redlands, CA 92374. Information: www.sbcounty.gov/museum or 909-307-2669 ext. 256.

Catholic_Charities_Summer_Meals

Started June 3 and Ends August 2

Catholic Charities Offers a Free Summer Food Program

at the Focus 92411 Hope in the City Youth Center

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Catholic Charities of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties will provide a FREE Summer Food Program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture this summer at the Focus 92411 Hope in the City Youth Center located at 1859 Western Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92411.  The program will operate during the lunch hour from 12 noon until 1 p.m. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. For more information about the summer meals program, call 909- 806-1544.

Renea Wickman

Denise Fleming

MORENO VALLEY, CA— The California Democratic Party African American Caucus (CDPAAC) will host a “Family Reunion Project” to bring the Black and African American community together for educational purposes surrounding Get Out The Vote (GOTV), Voter Registration, Community Outreach, Community Resources, establish a Political Database, and Increase Membership of each organization represented by the Coalition.  Organizers are anticipating 100-200 guests for a fun and informative experience.  The event is scheduled for August 31, 2013 at Celebration Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  There will be a stage area available in the park for entertainment and focus purposes.

The entertainment will be informational speakers, including local Politicians, Pastors, Dignitaries, representatives of Social Service agencies and organizations, members of the African American Caucus, Business Owners, the National Congress Negro Women, the National Council Black Women, the local chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Cops and Clergy Representatives, Area Fraternity and Sorority chapters, Young Black Contractors Association, as well as local DJs who can be instrumental in getting out the youth vote.

Free food and drinks will be offered.  However, families are encouraged to bring their own food and park recreational items. No vendors are allowed.  Celebration Park is located at 4965 Morgan Avenue, Moreno Valley, CA 92555.  For more information or to co-sponsor the event, contact Black Caucus Regional Director 13, Denise Fleming at 951-259-2581 or Director over RDs, Renea Wickman at 909-567-0222.

Keith Sweat

Award-winning R&B sensation Keith Sweat, will be heating up the San Manuel Auditorium June 27, 2013. Keith Sweat, a man of many talents who started out on Wall Street has wooed the ladies over the years with his silky-smooth vocals. Keith Sweat started performing at nightclubs throughout New York City until he was discovered and offered a recording contract with Elektra Records in 1987. Some of his hits include, “Make It Last Forever”, “I Want Her”, “Something Just Ain’t Right”, and “Nobody”. Get your tickets now! Tickets: $20, $30, & $40 at Ticketmaster. Doors Open at 6:30 p.m.

Nikia Chaney

By Lue Dowdy, SANBERNARDINO, CA – Artist Review: This week I selected the lovely and talented Nikia Chaney. Nikia was select because of the wonderful work she does in the community and at the colleges highlighting Creative Writing. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing this amazing talent recite poetry. I can’t say enough how gifted she is.

Nikia is a wife and a mother of five beautiful children. Nikia is currently an educator, teaching English composition at San Bernardino Valley Community College and a community service leader, organizing and working with several literary organizations here in the Inland Empire.

Receiving two MFAs in Creative Writing, Nikia’s life is filled with literature, teaching, reading to children, and writing. While the subjects of her writing vary, Nikia finds herself writing about the places here in Southern California and the Inland Empire. “I’ve been in San Bernardino/Rialto for over 15 years.  I have been a poet for only a few years.  I have always loved to read.  But when I discovered poetry I couldn’t let go. I also love teaching and working with in the community”- Says Nikia.

Nikia pays respect and homage to the women that have paved the way for her such as, writers, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker. Inspired by the wonderful women entrepreneurs and community organizers surrounding her, she’s currently working on a few projects.     Nikia is editing an anthology of “call and response” poetry for Black History Month with Orange Monkey Publishing.  The book launch is scheduled for Feb, 2014.

She has two chapbooks published: Sis Fuss (Orange Monkey Publishing, 2013) and ladies, please (Dancing Girl Press, forthcoming). She’s also in the process of partnering with Salt + Spice and organization that creates community events.  They’re planning to open up a small venture called Local Treasures that can feature the artwork of local artists. Please check out her online magazine, shufPoetry, which showcases experimental poetry.  Nikia will be conducting poetry workshops at a local bookstore coming soon. What an amazing woman!

For more on Nikia and her work, visit these links: www.nikiachaney.com,http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0615752373, www.callanthology.com, www.shufpoetry.com, www.saltandspice.wordpress.com,www.orangemonkeypublishing.com, www.inlandiajournal.org,www.localauthorpe.com.

Dinah Washington

LOS ANGELES, CA— LA’s ‘Queen of Jazz & Blues’ Barbara Morrison relives the stories of the legendary Dinah Washington through her music in an excellently staged performance piece written by Michael Cornier and Ms. Morrison herself, and directed by Keenan Zeno. Backed by the excellent John Stephens and his 18 piece orchestra, Barbara Morrison commands the stage embodying the mood and sensibilities of the great Dinah Washington, who died suddenly at the age of 39 in 1963, while married to her seventh husband, NFL Hall of Famer Dick “Night Train” Lane..

“I Wanna Be Loved: The Stories of Dinah Washington” shows why Barbara Morrison is called a living legend “one of the living links to the era of Ella, Billie, and Ms. Dinah W.”  Dinah (born Ruth Lee Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) was known as “The Queen of Blues” but her range of hits included R&B and Jazz, and in addition to vocals, Dinah could playthe piano and the vibraphone. She led an exciting life, married seven times, with sons by her second and third husbands, became a star with the Lionel Hampton Band, and had some of the greatest hits of her era “Teach Me Tonight,”  “I Wanna Be Loved,” and two very popular duets with Brooks Benton:  “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)” and “A Rockin’ Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love),” and recorded with Cannonball Adderly.

World renowned across Europe, Asia and Australia, Barbara Morrison’s reputation is immense in the world of jazz singers. With over 20 recordings to her credit, she has performed with the A-List in jazz and blues, such as Gerald Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Etta James, Esther Phillips, David T. Walker, Jimmy Smith, Johnny Otis, Kenny Burrell, Terence Blanchard, Joe Sample, Nancy Wilson, Mel Tormé, Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, and Keb’ Mo; and has guest-starred with the Count Basie Orchestra, the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra and Doc Severinsen’s Big Band.

She continues to wow audiences at jazz festivals worldwide, and she performed in San Bernardino when she and bluesman Taj Majal headlined the Juneteenth Jam presented by the Westside Story Newspaper and the Improve Association at Perris Hill Park in 1998. This Michigan native, who has made Los Angeles her home, is s a fighter and a survivor, coming back strong from illness and complications due to diabetes, she is staying busy and is already booked for cruise line performances in 2014.

Miss Barbara Morris continues to impress audiences and critics alike with this uniquely crafted show paying tribute to Dinah Washington, and proving “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes.”  The show will be performed on stage at the Barbara Morrison Performance Art Center on Sunday June 23, 2013. Cover $40, includes champagne and snacks.  Reservations only at 310-462-1439. Tickets sale fast for each performance so hurry to get tickets to the upcoming performance on June 23.  Performances will continue on June 30, as well as July – 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21.

Don’t Miss a chance to see this great lady, a master of jazz performance. The Barbara Morrison Performance Art Center is located at 4305 Degnan Blvd #101, Los Angeles, CA. 90008. Information: 310-462-1439, www.barbaramorrison.com. (L.E. Pezant, ENN)