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IONIAN SEA (June 4, 2022) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 2nd Class Josiah Garcia, from Chino Hills, Calif., signals to the pilot of an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the “Sunliners” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81 for launch from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), June 4, 2022. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., Allied and Partner interests.
City of San Bernardino Awarded $4.2 Million as Part of California Youth Jobs Program
SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The City of San Bernardino, in partnership with California Volunteers, Office of the Governor has announced that it has been awarded a $4,169,142 grant to hire nearly 70 young and early career staff members over the next two years. The City will hire individuals in the Parks and Recreation, Animal Services, Library, and Police Departments, along with additional positions in partnership with local Community Based Organizations (CBO’s).
Part of the Office of the Governor, California Volunteers oversees the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps program, which is working to employ local youth under the age of 30 across the state to help address urgent challenges in California while participants learn key job skills, develop career pathways, and serve their communities.
“The ability to create so many positions for young, early career individuals that can make a difference across the city is not something that happens very often,” said San Bernardino City Manager Robert Field. “We will be able to place new staff members, inspire them to pursue careers in public service, and teach them the skills and knowledge they need to advance. When their term is over, they will have the experience to qualify for permanent positions in San Bernardino or at a nearby agency.”
In addition to creating opportunities and job experience for local youth, the positions being created are intended to assist in restoring valuable local programs in San Bernardino that had to be shut down or curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Parks and Recreation positions will help expand senior citizen programs, youth and teen after school activities, and recreation opportunities. The City Library positions will restore youth literacy and academic enrichment programs. Animal Services will provide training and experience vital for career pathways into veterinary services, an industry that is severely understaffed in the region. The Police Department, unable to hire during much of the pandemic due to delayed recruitments and closed academies, will be able hire additional police apprentices, one of its most effective pipelines for local youth to become police officers.
“The #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps is a win for our young people, the City of San Bernardino and the state of California,” said Josh Fryday, California’s Chief Service Officer in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. “California is investing in underserved youth and bringing people together in service to uplift our communities.”
“Congratulations to the City of San Bernardino for receiving this $4.2 million grant from California Volunteers, said Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes. “This hiring program has the opportunity to change the lives of so many local youths, and the work they will be doing will positively impact even more residents.”
The city positions will be full-time or half-time paying between $16 to $27 an hour along with applicable benefits and run through May of 2024. San Bernardino’s Human Resources website (https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/citysanbernardino) will be posting many of the positions in the coming weeks. The process for CBO positions will be announced soon.
San Bernardino is committed to providing our youth with a pathway to succeed,” said Mayor John Valdivia. “Too often people say that you need experience to get a good job in public service. This program will provide up to two years of valuable work experience and training so our local youth can succeed. We are very excited to be receiving this grant.”
The #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps Program is a $185 million California Volunteers program funded over two years through the 2021 Budget Act, an investment made by the Governor and State Legislature. $150 million was distributed directly to the largest 13 cities in the state. All other agencies, including San Bernardino, were able to submit proposals as part of a competitive process to determine the allocation of the remaining $35 million.
For more information on California Volunteers Youth Job Corps Program, visit cayouthjobscorps.com.
Crafton Hills College’s largest graduating class celebrated at in-person ceremony on campus quad
Thousands gathered at Crafton Hills College (CHC) on Wednesday, May 25, for a special kind of celebration — three years in the making. Graduates of the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 celebrated their respective graduations during a campus-wide commencement ceremony, the first in-person event of its kind following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ceremony included the largest graduating class in CHC’s 50-year history, with 1,071 graduates earning 808 degrees and 853 certificates. Graduates ranged in age from 18-years-old to 70-years-old and included 34 military veterans. Of the 1,071 graduates, more than 315 earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, including 63 students who earned a perfect 4.0.
“I can’t begin to tell you how exciting it is to see all of your wonderful faces in person,” said CHC President Dr. Kevin Horan during the ceremony before taking a selfie with those in attendance from the commencement stage.
The May 25th ceremony was the culminating event following a month of graduation-related activities held throughout the month of May at CHC. Each scheduled speaker stressed to the audience the hard work that every graduate endured – the new normal of remote services and online learning.
“The last two years have defined what it takes to be persistent, and you encouraged all of us by showing up and doing the work,” said Brandi Bailes, CHC Academic Senate president.
Brandice Mello, CHC’s Classified Senate president agreed.
“Every day is a moment to be proud of. It is easy to highlight the times we want to give up and throw it all away, but happiness is limitless,” Mello said.
In addition to the awarding of diplomas, graduates and their families were treated to music by Plays Well With Others, the National Anthem sung by graduate Lucy McIntosh, and remarks from student commencement speaker and 2022 CHC graduate Victoria Karalun.
Graduation day was years in the making for Karalun, a re-entry student and mother who has become a published author and presented her research at over 40 conferences during her time at CHC.
During her address, Karalun reflected on her path to and at CHC and recalled a quote that changed her life – “Do one thing every day that scares you,” — inspiring her to enroll at CHC in 2017.
“Much of our learning has taken place online,” she said. “We’ve had no choice but to take a path that pushed us out of our comfort zone. Any one of us could have given up on our education. But being here today is proof we are here to work hard.”
“We are the ones graduating in this crazy, unique time,” Karalun continued. “Let us not take for granted how special it is that we are here together today.”
Graduation highlights can be found on CHC’s social media channels, including its Facebook page at facebook.com/CraftonHillsCollege, and at craftonhills.edu.
San Bernardino Chief of Police, Darren Goodman, is Officially Sworn in
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The City of San Bernardino held a public swearing in ceremony for its new police chief Darren Goodman on Wednesday, June 15 at the Feldheym Main Library located at 555 West 6th Street in San Bernardino.
Goodman, whose starting date was June 6th, joins a department with 262 sworn officers and 150 civilian staff. He is the first African American police chief in the San Bernardino Police department’s 117-year history.
Goodman has been in law enforcement for over 31 years, and came to San Bernardino from the City of Upland, where he spent four years as its Chief of Police. Prior to joining Upland, he spent 27 years with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, including serving as the Police Chief for the Chino Hills Police Department and Commander of the Frank Bland Regional Training Center. He also worked in Corrections, Patrol, Narcotics, Emergency Operations, Regional Gang Enforcement, Fugitive Apprehension, and SWAT.
For those that missed the ceremony, a recording should be available on the city website at https://sbcity.org.
Photo Recap: Street Renaming Ceremony in Honor of Rialto Music Pioneers, JJ Fad, was a Success
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. hosted a street renaming ceremony at the San Bernardino County Government Chambers on June 11th, 2022, in honor of the Rialto music pioneers, J.J. Fad. The public was invited to join in on the celebration and a large outpour of local supporters, family and friends of the group, and artists attended the ceremony. Jesse Duran from KOLA-FM emceed the ceremony. J.J. FAD, the locally grown female artist group performed their hit song, “Supersonic” for the crowd. A street has been renamed “J.J. Fad Way” in honor of their support to the community throughout their rise of fame. The street name has already been updated and can be found on Cactus Ave. in the unincorporated area of Rialto, California.
“I am so excited to get a street in the Rialto area, where the music group JJ Fad were raised, to be renamed in their honor! The street is called J.J. Fad Way and is named after the group who always supported their city no matter how famous and busy, they got. I would like to thank all who came out, I would like to thank Jesse Duran for emceeing the event, and I would also like to thank the members of World Class Wreckin’ Cru and Arabian Prince for coming out and showing support to our girls and our city!” -Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.
San Bernardino City Unified Board Of Education Establishes Leadership Transition Plan
On July 1, the daily operations of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD), the state’s seventh largest, was assigned to be the responsibility of four members of the executive leadership team.
Collectively, those four leaders have vast experience in public education, have worked in SBCUSD for decades, and two of them attended District schools as children. They will alternate monthly to serve in the District’s top spot while the Board of Education conducts a thorough search for a new superintendent following the June 30 retirement of Doc Ervin. That search will continue after the November election when four seats on the governing board are filled. The Board of Education’s goal is to announce a new SBCUSD superintendent in January 2023.
Board President Dr. Scott Wyatt, a local educator, is confident the day-to-day operations of SBCUSD will be taken care of and teaching and learning will continue under this leadership plan, which starts with Associate Superintendent Harold Sullins, who runs the Business Services Division and will be the District’s administrator in charge in July. Sullins currently leads all of the business, maintenance, and information technology programs for SBCUSD. His leadership is especially important as the District prepares to open schools on August 1 for a new school year.
“As a Board, we have the utmost confidence in our executive cabinet, that is why we believe in this rotation,” Wyatt said at the June 21 Board meeting. “We have outstanding talent here in our own District and we trust our executive cabinet to lead us in the interim as we continue our search. Our schools, students, staff, and families will be in the same good hands that currently serve them.”
Also serving monthly stints in charge until a permanent leader is named will be
Ana Applegate, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. She will guide the District in August as schools welcome 46,000 students back to classrooms across San Bernardino and Highland. Applegate is a product of San Bernardino City Schools, still lives in the community, and has earned accolades for her leadership of the District’s multilingual programs.
In September Dr. Sandra Rodriguez will take the leadership post. Dr. Rodriguez is now the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. A graduate of Cajon High School, Dr. Rodriguez is the former principal of San Bernardino High, grew up in the community, and still lives in San Bernardino.
In October, Dr. Marcus Funchess, the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, will serve as the administrator in charge. Dr. Funchess has previously served as a teacher, principal, and director in the District. He was recently recognized as Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators.
Once the Board of Education resumes the search for a permanent superintendent following Ervin’s retirement at the end of June, a new leader is slated to be appointed in January.
“I have been exceptionally impressed with the strong leadership of our cabinet team,” Ervin said. “The Board’s decision to rely on a rotation of leadership is a validation of the talent and dedication we already have.”
The Los Angeles Lakers Have Signed Scotty Pippen Jr. and Shaq’s Son, Shareef O’Neal
LOS ANGELES, CA— Shareef O’Neal and Scotty Pippen Jr., the sons of former NBA legends, have recently signed two-way contracts with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Shareef, who is 22-years old, is the son of Lakers icon Shaquille O’Neal who played in the NBA from 1992 to 2010. Scotty, Jr., who is 21-years-old, is the son of six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen who played in the NBA from 1987 to 1999.
Shareef is a 6-foot-10 power forward who previously played at LSU. He struggled during his last season due to his health and some injuries. Shareef even revealed his father wanted him to just stay in school because of his condition. Still, he pushed through and will start playing for the Lakers in next month’s Summer League.
Meanwhile, Scotty had played for Vanderbilt’s Commodores for the past 3 years. He was initially undrafted in both rounds of the NBA Draft but eventually received a call from the Lakers.
The two players expressed their excitement on Twitter after signing the deal.
“Thank you for this opportunity,” Shareef said, along with a throwback video of his young self-wearing a Lakers jersey.
“Dream come true. Let’s get to work #lakeshow,” Scotty wrote.
Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County Seeks Nominees to its Board of Directors
SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) is urgently seeking new members to serve on its Community Action Board (CAB). Currently, there are three vacancies in the following sectors: Public Sector, Low-Income District 1, and Low-Income District 5. All applicants requesting consideration to represent these sectors on the board must reside in San Bernardino County. Board members provide critical input, expertise and perspective to CAPSBC in the organization’s work of supporting, advocating for and empowering residents to achieve self-reliance and economic stability.
Any applicants requesting consideration to represent the vacant Low-Income District 1 on the Community Action Board must reside in the Supervisorial District 1 which includes the following cities: Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville. Any applicants requesting consideration to represent the vacant Low-Income District 5 on the Community Action Board must reside in the Supervisorial District 5 which includes the following cities: Rialto and portions of Colton and San Bernardino. Applicants need not be low-income themselves as long as they are selected in a manner that ensures that they truly represent the poor.
Board meetings are held at 11:30 a.m. on the third Tuesday in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Meetings are typically held at CAPSBC’s Administrative Office located at 696 S. Tippecanoe Ave. in San Bernardino. However, due to the pandemic, Board meetings are temporarily being held virtually.
If you are interested in applying or nominating an individual to serve on our Board, complete the nomination form for the specific sector along with the additional required documents. All documentation must be returned to our office by mail or email as soon as possible since we have an urgent need to fill these vacancies. The following information pertains to the specific board vacancies, board job description, and the required nominee profile and nomination forms that each interested candidate must submit:
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We look forward to your support in assisting us to identify the best candidates to represent the low-income residents on our Board of Directors. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Xiomara Henriquez-Ortega, Manager of Administrative Support, via email at xhenriquez@capsbc.org or call (909) 723-1525.
Letter to the Editor: Save time, skip the line! The DMV now offers online driver’s license testing options
By Carrie Stanton
Did you know that most DMV transactions are currently being handled online? The newest options available may allow you to complete the driver’s license knowledge test from the comfort of your home before visiting a DMV office.
If you’re renewing your license with a knowledge test requirement, or are an adult taking it for the first time, the DMV offers two resources – a remote version of the traditional knowledge test, and an interactive eLearning course. Eligible customers are prompted to choose the remote knowledge test or eLearning course after filling out the online driver’s license application and paying the fee.
Currently, the remote knowledge test is available for the nearly 2 million tests taken by Californians renewing their license each year, the more than 1.3 million tests taken by adults getting their license for the first time who also don’t have a California identification card and Californians getting a REAL ID or motorcycle license for the first time. The eLearning course is available for Californians renewing their license.
The newly offered eLearning course can be taken on a computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile device and is available 24/7. There are seven interactive modules that must be completed, including quizzes, after each module. The eLearning course takes approximately 45 minutes and is currently only available in English.
When you choose to use an online testing resource, it significantly saves time by eliminating the need to wait in line and take your test in a DMV office. Customers with a testing requirement for their license are still required to go to a DMV office after completing one of the online options to provide the required identity and residency documents, take a photo, provide a thumbprint, complete a vision screening, and be issued a licensing document.
The online knowledge test is available in 35 languages to customers who have an internet-enabled computer or laptop with a webcam. The test cannot be taken on a tablet or mobile device. Customers can begin the online exam between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays.
For identity verification and as a fraud prevention measure, online test participants are required to verify their identity and agree to be monitored throughout the exam.
The test can be attempted online twice. If a customer fails to pass the test after two tries, they will be prompted to go to a DMV office to take the test a third time.
This is just one more example of how the DMV is modernizing to add more convenient services online that used to be only available in an office. Checking things off your DMV to-do list is now a lot faster . It all starts here: dmv.ca.gov.
It’s Time to Come Out and Play!!
LOS ANGELES, CA—- You’re invited to be our guests at “JOY ALL DAY” presented by BET on Saturday, July 2nd at the Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans! This star-studded event kicks off at 8:30 am where the party begins when you step on site. Doors officially open at 9:00 am followed by a motivational fitness and dance party led by Tai Beauchamp, Kym Whitley and Tina Lifford. Get ready to grow beyond your limiting beliefs, discover your innate power and align with your authentic self.
Pampering experiences, including aromatherapy and mini facials, will be provided by MELE and Sienna Naturals.
For the afternoon, the party continues at 12:30 pm once you step on site. Doors reopen at 1:00 pm, when the “Play All Day” Party gets started with beats from DJ Spinderella! You can engage with your favorite BET and BET+ stars – the cast of Sistas and The Ms. Pat Show, as they will be in the building for a meet and greet, exclusive conversations, and more. Come and get your fun on in our “Play” areas which includes Rise-n-Fly Spades and Bid Whist, Rubik’s Cubes, Connect 4, Jenga, prizes and more!
So, Slay and Play with BET…All for FREE!
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