Local

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Yesterday, the Rail to Redlands Working Group held its fifth meeting in a continued effort to bring awareness and build public support for the Redlands Passenger Rail Line project.

Committee members heard a special presentation from the Deputy Executive Director John Standiford of the Riverside County Transit Commission and the lessons they have learned during the expansion of their Perris Valley line. “I wish we had formed a working group like this one before we started our expansion,” stated Standiford. “Finding champions such as you have found in ESRI founder, Jack Dangermond is crucial in being successful with such a major infrastructure expansion.”

Supervisor Ramos was pleased to have RCTC present at the meeting. “I think it is important to collaborate with Riverside County in finding common ground on ways to address some of our transportation challenges.  We need to look at our infrastructure needs from a regional viewpoint and work together to find solutions.”

The working group also viewed a short video clip from Mr. Dangermond where he expressed his strong support of the Redlands Passenger Rail Line. This video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PPrhTxpH1s.  Also in progress is the development of a website for the working group as well as social media outlets.

Mitch Alderman, Director of Transit/Rail Programs at SANBAG, provided an update on the status of the rail project.  In the upcoming months, public hearings will be conducted on the Environmental Impact Statement and the Environmental Impact Report where public comment will be requested. More information can be found at http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/projects/redlands-transit.html.

As always, members of the public were able to provide comments and ask questions at the end of the meeting. Ryan Berk, founder of A La Minute in Redlands, was present at the meeting where he offered support for this project. “As local business owners, I feel it is our job to beautify the City of Redlands and bring a sense of uniqueness to attract visitors to our downtown area. I am very much in support of this project and what it will do for our local economy.”

The next Rail to Redlands Working Group meeting will be held on November 13, 2014, location TBD.  To contact the Rail to Redlands Working Group, please send an email to rail2redlandsworkinggroup@gmail.com.

RIALTO, CA- Amos Temple presents the 3^rd Annual Jazz Gospel Dinner Celebration on Saturday, July 26 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., come to the beautiful Benedict Castle in Riverside. The cost is $55 per person and the attire is all white. Call Latanya for more information at (951) 675-0897 (By Noelle Lilley).

Linda L. Smith

RIVERSIDE, CA- If you missed it the first time, no fret you have a second chance to view the documentary film by Reginald D. Brown entitled, “A Profile in Courage: Linda L. Smith”, on Sunday, July 27 at 5 p.m. at The Box located at 3801 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside. The documentary goes behind the scenes of Smith’s journey to success as the CEO and Founder of Four-D College in Colton. General admission is $8, and students and senior citizens are $5. Tickets will be sold at the door, no pre-sales. Bring a friend or two and enjoy a nice, relaxed evening out.

H. Frank Dominguez Elementary School

San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) will welcome students back for classes on Monday, August 4, the same day it opens the new H. Frank Dominguez Elementary School and the renamed W. R. “Bob” Holcomb Elementary School.

Dominguez Elementary School, located at 135 S. Allen Street, will serve 408 students in grades kindergarten through six. It is named for Vanir Group of Companies founder H. Frank Dominguez, who passed away in 2004 and left a legacy of community and philanthropic service.

Dominguez Elementary will be an exploratory school, where students will begin learning about potential careers while developing 21st-Century skills, like creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and civility, said Principal Alejandro Hernandez.

“We’re not going to put limits on our students,” said Hernandez, who previously served as principal of Muscoy Elementary School. “Our job is to help them explore the world and find their passion, whether it be engineering or culinary arts.”

Dominguez Elementary will hold a weeklong open house for parents and students starting on July 28 from 9 to 11 a.m., Monday through Friday.

The former Little Mountain Elementary campus, located at 1345 West 48th Street in San Bernardino’s north end, has been renamed W. R. “Bob” Holcomb Elementary School in memory of the man who went on to become the city’s longest-serving mayor.  Holcomb, who championed civil rights and helped bring Cal State San Bernardino to the city, died in 2010.

Superintendent Dr. Dale Marsden believes both schools will be a renewed source of pride and hope for San Bernardino.

“The namesakes of these two schools were great community leaders who dedicated their lives to instilling hope in our city,” Marsden said.  “Their legacy will remain alive as students learn about them and are inspired to aim for a bright future of their own.”

Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and Eta Nu Omega Chapter were among the “Divine Nine (9)” being honored on Sunday, July 20 at Immanuel Praise Fellowship Church by Pastor La Quetta Simmons, Pastor Kelvin Simmons and Minister Jenise Bush.

The “Divine Nine (9)” includes Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Founded 1906, Cornell University; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Founded 1908, Howard University; Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Founded 1911, Indiana University; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Howard University; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Founded 1913, Howard University; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Founded 1914, Howard University; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Founded 1920, Howard University; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Founded 1922, Butler University; and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Founded 1963, Morgan State University. Collectively, these organizations make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

These organizations may be found in many college-educated Black families with a strong spiritual faith with a connection to “Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Scholarship, and Service.”   The “Divine Nine (9)” history is known for having a long tradition of benevolent, forefront of civic action, community service and philanthropy, including such trail blazers as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Coretta Scott King, Thurgood Marshall, Maya Angelou, Bill Cosby, Toni Morrison, Arthur Ashe, Lena Horne, Rosa Parks, Hattie McDaniel, Johnnie Cochran, Tavis Smiley, Harry Belafonte and George Washington Carver to name a few.

Members of these organizations take great pride in the sacrifices that the great men and women before them made through the grace of God that provided their current prominence as strong African American fraternities and sororities with a solid, achievement-based history and ongoing tradition of excellence in “servicing all mankind.”

Applications are now being accepted for an intensive program of workshops, business planning and business counseling for women who want to start their own businesses.

“It’s Your Time: An Entrepreneurial Training Series for Women,” is offered by the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center, a program of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship at Cal State San Bernardino, in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and sponsored by Citibank.

The workshops offer women the opportunity to receive education, counseling and individual support to help develop a workable business idea. Participants chosen for the program must attend a minimum of 12 workshops, work individually with a business counselor for at least two hours, and write a business plan to complete the program.

Three graduating participants will be selected to receive an award to help launch their new ventures.

Applications for “It’s Your Time” are available at the IEWBC website and must be completed and submitted by Monday, July 21, at 5 p.m.

Late applications will not be accepted.

Program orientation for qualified participants will be held on Monday, Aug. 11, and participants will have until November to complete the program requirements.

Located at 3780 Market St. in Riverside, the IEWBC provides business counseling, training and mentoring designed for women business owners.

The center’s hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday by appointment only. For more information, visit the IEWBC website or contact Nicole Kinney at (909) 890-1242.

The Inland Empire Women’s Business Center is a program of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship at Cal State San Bernardino.  Located in the College of Business and Public Administration, IECE, which administers the program in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration, is Inland Southern California’s leading organization dedicated to supporting and promoting entrepreneurship.

For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.

As California faces its most severe drought in recent history, 15 water agencies and city governments from around the Inland Empire will launch iEfficient, a coordinated multimedia public outreach campaign to urge water conservation.

A dynamic advertising campaign including freeway billboards, social media engagement and a kickoff event at the Inland Empire 66ers game on July 22 will support this effort and ask thousands of local residents and businesses to do their part to end water waste in the Inland Empire.

“By collaborating we are able to reach more people with the message that they are a vital part of the solution,” said Bob Tincher, manager of water resources, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. “We’re partnering with other agencies, but most importantly we’re partnering with the community to conserve. It is time for the IE to show the rest of the state that we take water
conservation seriously.”

iEfficient.com connects customers to existing tools and provides information on how to put those resources to work protecting local water resources. The site, and a mobile app under development, marries the knowledge and experience of 15 water agencies and local governments, making water efficiency convenient for residents and businesses alike.

iEfficient is one way local agencies are meeting the state mandate to cut water use 20 percent by 2020. Due to historic drought conditions, Governor Brown declared a state of emergency and asked all Californians to cut their water use by 20 percent. Real impacts are being felt across the state and the Inland Empire is no exception. These dry conditions mean that regions like ours are at increased risk for wildfires and must learn to live without imported water from Northern California.

“This drought is not going away any time soon,” said Amanda Kasten, water conservation coordinator for West Valley Water District. “By making conservation a way of life we can secure our water resources now and in the future.”

Together with the public’s support, the Inland Empire will serve as a model of regional cooperation and set an example for the rest of the state.

Participating agencies and governments include: City of Redlands, City of Loma Linda, City of Colton, City of Rialto, City of Riverside, City of Corona, Jurupa Community Services District, Yucaipa Valley Water District, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, San Bernardino Municipal Water Department, Riverside Highland Water Company, San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, West Valley Water District, Western Municipal Water District, and East Valley Water District.

To learn more about iEfficient and to do your part to end water waste today, visit iEfficient.com.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- San Bernardino High School is seeking sponsors for its 10th annual Miss Cardinal City pageant, scheduled for Saturday, September 20 at Sturges Center for the Fine Arts. Bilingual School Outreach Worker Jamie Rios founded the Miss and Mr. Cardinal City pageants to promote school pride and self-esteem among the students. The pageants have blossomed into a chance for students to develop leadership skills and become involved in their community.

Miss Cardinal City contestants, all high school seniors, compete in both on- and off-stage events. A panel of community judges will rank contestants in the September 20 on-stage events, including evening gown, interview, and sportswear. Off-stage rankings include grades and attendance.

Rios hopes local businesses will support the school and young ladies by sponsoring the event with cash or in-kind donations. Miss Cardinal City 2014-2015 will represent San Bernardino High School alongside reigning Mr. Cardinal Samuel Moreno and his court, Rosalio Cruz and Joseph Ortega.

Sponsors for the Mr. Cardinal City 2014-2015 pageant, held in April, included Toyota of San Bernardino, Fairview Ford, D’Arca Formal Wear, San Bernardino Councilwoman Virginia Marquez, Pat Williams of Angels’ Closet Charities, First Presbyterian Church, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hickey, Trophy House, Mr. Jim Smith, The Way World Outreach, Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Arellano, The Sun newspaper, Dr. and Mrs. Michael A. Lawrence, San Bernardino High Class of 1952, and Stater Bros. Markets.

To sponsor the Miss Cardinal City pageant, contact Jamie Rios at (909) 881-8058.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Saturday, July 12 the Devore Animal Shelter received 100 dog beds from Animal Rescue Aid, a non-profit that focuses on helping animals at other non-profits, The beds were delivered and assembled by volunteers of Animal Rescue.

The City of San Bernardino Animal Control is dedicated to providing a wide range of services for people and animals in the cities of San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Grand Terrace, Colton and Fontana. Services include pet adoption and licensing, spaying and neutering, vaccinations and informing the community about responsible pet ownership.

RIALTO, CA- Rain Mobile Boutique presents, “Ribbon Cutting”, a grand roll-out celebration, Saturday, July 19. A pink carpet affair; come sip, shop, and celebrate at Raquel’s Jazz Lounge located at 134 S. Riverside Drive in Rialto from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., look forward to a lovely evening. (By Noelle Lilley)