SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- District Director Kimberly Mesen was pleased to join the San Bernardino County Fire department in celebration of Assistant Chief Dave Corbin’s retirement. Corbin has served the County for 33 years, most recently as Assistant Chief of the North Desert (Division 5).

Chief Corbin’s last day is July 29th. He will be followed by Battalion Chief Kelly Anderson, who will continue oversight of fire, rescue and emergency medical response in communities including Wrightwood, Hesperia, Phelan, Adelanto, Silver Lakes/Helendale, and Spring Valley Lake.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – (July 18, 2022) – Teens from around the country are trying to put their best foot forward in hopes of being among the 100 students selected for the 2023 Disney Dreamers Academy. Applications are now underway for the inspiring and transformational mentorship program at Walt Disney World Resort for Black teens and students from underrepresented communities.

The application process for the 16th annual program, set for March 23-26, 2023, runs through October at www.DisneyDreamersAcademy.com. The 100 teen participants receive an all-expense-paid trip along with one parent or guardian to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida to experience a combination of inspiration, education and fun at The Most Magical Place on Earth.

The program is an important part of Disney’s commitment to supporting diverse communities by encouraging the next generation of Black students to think big, so they can relentlessly pursue their dreams and make a difference in the lives of others.

“We’re excited to find the next group of Disney Dreamers and welcome them to Walt Disney World Resort for an experience they won’t soon forget,” said Tracey D. Powell, Disney Signature Experiences vice president?and Disney Dreamers Academy executive champion. “If there is a teen in your life who has a dream, I would highly encourage them to apply. Taking a first step towards your dream is a hugely powerful moment. And, for those who are selected, the experience can be life changing.”

Since 2008, Disney Dreamers Academy has inspired more than 1,400 students from across the country who were selected from thousands of applicants who submitted written essays about their personal stories and dreams for the future.

During the four-day event, the students interact with community and business leaders, Disney cast members, celebrities and other special guests while participating in sessions teaching valuable life tools such as leadership skills, effective communication techniques and networking strategies. Past celebrity participants have included stars from the big screen and television, noted sports figures, popular musicians as well as personalities and cast members from across the Disney family, including “Good Morning America,” ESPN, Disney Channel and the TV series “black-ish” and “grown-ish.”

The students also take part in career workshops covering a variety of disciplines aligned with the students’ dreams. These workshops introduce the Disney Dreamers to diverse career paths within business, entertainment and sciences, including career opportunities within The Walt Disney Company.

After taking part in the academy, graduates have gone on to become doctors, nurses, engineers, pilots, journalists and more, and some have transitioned into mentors to the Disney Dreamers who followed them.

For more information, visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com, or follow on social media at Facebook.com/DisneyDreamersAcademy, Twitter.com/DreamersAcademy and Instagram.com/disneydreamersacademy/

By Lou Yeboah

“I’m telling you right now! You have taken my forbearance for granted and have ignored my warnings. I gave a command: I said, “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, that I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. I told you, your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. I told you, I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid. I told you, I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. I told you, you will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. I told you, I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. For I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high, but yet instill, you have taken my forbearance for granted and have ignored my warning. I tell you; it’s going down!”

I am going to bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. I am going to set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. I am going to punish you for your sins seven times over. I am going to break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Your strength will be spent in vain because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit. I am going to send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.

And if in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile towards you. I am going to bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I am going to send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. I myself will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.

But if you will confess your sins and the sins of your ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward Me, which made Me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—I will remember My covenant with Jacob and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For I am the Lord their God, and for their sake I will remember the covenant with your ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. [Leviticus 26:3-46] Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning; and rend your hearts, for I am gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and I will relent over disaster. [Joel 2:12-17]. For the times of this ignorance, I winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent [Acts 17:30]. Once My wrath begins, it will not end until it has accomplished its purpose. [Jeremiah 30:24]. Repent before it is too late! “For in the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. Now is the time of My favor, Now is the day of salvation.” [2 Corinthians 6:2]. Don’t wait until it is too late! If you do, you will see My power and might. I will bring terror to you. You will not escape My wrath and judgment. I will use My wind, water, and fire to open your eyes. You will see the truth. You will understand your error when you see the destruction and hear the war drums. You will know I AM THE LORD. I will make everything desolate. You will fall on your knees and beg for mercy. Repent or Perish, Now! “For in one hour is thy judgment come.” [Revelation 18:10]. It’s Going Down!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is eager to enroll the Class of 2035 to start school on Monday, August 1. Families may enroll now or at the Saturday, July 30 SBCUSD Enrollment Fair.

Online enrollment for kindergarten and transitional kindergarten in SBCUSD is underway. Children who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2022, are eligible to enroll in kindergarten for the 2022–2023 school year. Transitional kindergarten (TK) is available for students who will turn 5 years old from September 2, 2022, to February 2, 2023.

Kindergarten is an important academic milestone for children. Since most kindergarteners only attend for half a day, it provides children a chance to get used to a school schedule before they are required to attend for a full day. Kindergarten students also learn a number of skills that are necessary for success in first grade and beyond, including:

• Counting to 100
• Writing numbers 0–20
• Identifying shapes (ex. square, circle, rectangle)
• Basic addition and subtraction
• Writing upper- and lower-case letters
• Recognizing ending punctuation (i.e. period, question mark, exclamation mark)
• Recognizing letter names and sounds

“Programs such as transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten are essential,” said SBCUSD Director of Elementary Instruction Amy Coker, “In kindergarten, students learn fundamental skills in reading and math in fun and engaging ways that set the stage for future learning.”

In addition to completing an online enrollment packet, parents and guardians will need several documents to register their child for school:

• Child’s birth verification (i.e. birth certificate, hospital certificate, baptismal certificate)
• Child’s immunization record
• Parent/guardian photo identification
• Address verification (i.e. utility bill lease/rental agreement, or affidavit from landlord)

Children who have some, but not all, of their required vaccinations may still be eligible to enroll so long as required immunizations are completed before the first day of school on August 1.

San Bernardino City Unified School District families may visit the online School Site Locator to determine their child’s home school. For more information about determining your child’s home school or how to enroll, contact Enrollment and Placement Services at (909) 889-7576.

The Enrollment Fair is Saturday, July 30, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Jones Elementary School, 700 North F Street in San Bernardino. SBCUSD staff will be able to assist families in enrolling students in grades TK through high school.

Schools have limited staff and office hours during July to assist with enrollment. SBCUSD families can visit the online School Site Locator to determine their child’s home school. Families are encouraged to call the school before visiting to verify hours for enrollment. Families can refer to the District’s School Telephone Listing for complete contact information.

ATLANTA, GA— chromatic black™ launches Season Two of the Ida B. Wells Fund and calls for entries in short filmmaking and two new categories – visual arts and creative placemaking. This season, the fund expands to offer awards ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 in three categories—short-form filmmaking, creative placemaking and visual arts.

Ida B Wells Fund competition is open to storytellers whose original work explores the spirit of exploration and deepens our collective literacy.   Here are key dates for the fund.

Ø  The Short Film Fund applications will support five Black filmmakers with $15,000 each (a total of $75.000).  Short form film applications open on July 16, 2022.  Deadline for submission is August 27, 2022.  Short Film winners will be announced on September 23, 2022.

Ø  The Visual Art Fund will support 12 visual artists at $1000 each (a total of $12,000).  Visual arts applications launch on July 21, 2022. Deadline for submission is August 31, 2022.  Visual arts winners will be announced on September 23, 2022.

Ø  The Creative Placemaking Fund will support four creative placemakers at $25,000.  Creative placemaking making applications open on October 1.  The deadline for submission is December 1. Winners will be announced on February 14th, 2022.

The Ida B. Wells Fund partners with artist – activists across a spectrum of creative disciplines.  This year, the fund has two new developments – a new curatorial leadership of chromatic black™’s Artistic Director, Jessica Green and three categories—short-form filmmaking, creative placemaking and visual arts.

“We are equity architects. We are building cultural power by partnering with dope artists, creative teams and communities. For impact investors, we tie up the messy middle  connecting folks to the next wave of Black smarts, creativity, vision, grit, and determination” says Angela Harmon, co-founder and an Emmy-nominated storyteller, filmmaker, and creative director chromatic black™.

Ida B. Wells Fund Short Film Competition

The award recipients will be chosen by an interdisciplinary panel composed of expert curators, filmmakers, producers, other arts professionals, scholars, and winners from last year in a thorough, multi-step review process.

“Ida B Wells Fund enables filmmakers to take disruptive risks with new original works,” says Aunjanue Ellis, Oscar Nominee, Actress, and Writer.

The fund will invest in five projects that critique dominant social and historical narratives and embody artistic attributes: commitment, communal meaning, disruption, cultural integrity, emotional experience, risk-taking, coherence, openness, stickiness, and resourcefulness.

Winners of last year’s film fund at $10,000 each include Lamard W Cher-Aime’s “Captain Zero: The Animated Series” which speaks to the importance of mental health awareness in the Black communities and Christine Swanson’s “Sunflower: The Fannie Lou Hamer Story” staring Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis.

Ida B. Wells Fund Expands to Include Visual and Creative Placemaking

In addition, the Ida B. Wells Fund will expand to visual arts and creative placemaking.

“Not only are artists producers of aesthetic objects and creators of experiences, they help to make places healthier, more equitable, and sustainable,” said Artistic Director, Jessica Green. The expansion of the fund to include creative placemaking is an acknowledgment of creativity as a radical act of resistance.”

Black placemaking is a reclamation of space rooted in remembrance. The fund acknowledges this praxis of remembrance, reclamation, and renewal as a creative act of resistance. The fund will partner with cultural bearers fortifying our participation in the public commons.

Visit the Ida B Wells Fund  to apply and for additional updates.

The San Bernardino County Preschool Services Department is accepting applications from individuals interested in serving as Community Representatives on the Head Start Policy Council for the 2022-2023 program year. Applications will be accepted through August 5, 2022.

According to the Federal Head Start Act, membership of the Policy Council must consist of parents of currently enrolled children, community representatives drawn from former Head Start parents, the private community, civic and professional organizations, and others who are familiar with resources and services to low-income preschool age children and families. Visit www.westsidestorynewspaper.com to read the article online and to retrieve the link to apply.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Building on the success of a similar event last year, San Bernardino will once again be the site of a record expungement and community resource fair on July 30th. The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 1650 South E Street, Suite E during which The Pact will celebrate the grand opening of their newest location in San Bernardino County. The event will include many services, food vendors, a massive giveaway, as well as record expungements at no cost provided by the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s office. The Way World Outreach, The Pact Community Employment Center, and CityWay are the lead agencies for the event, and they are being supported by the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board, and 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. Based on the achievement of serving a multitude of residents last year, all parties involved are expecting another resounding triumph for this year’s event.

“This event brings county agencies, non-profit organizations, retailers, faith-based organizations and community members together in one location. Through a collaborative effort, which allows our constituents to access the aid and resources they need, they can clear their records so that they may attain full employment status to build upon their futures.”-Supervisor Baca, Jr.

LOS ANGELES, CA— The University of California Board of Regents today (July 20) appointed University of California, Los Angeles doctoral student Merhawi Tesfai to be the 2023-24 student regent.

Tesfai is the 49th student regent, a position established in 1975. He will serve as the student regent-designate for the coming year, able to participate in all deliberations, and will have voting privileges when his one-year term as a regent begins in July 2023.

Currently, Tesfai is a doctoral student in social welfare at UCLA, where he earned dual master’s degrees in social welfare and public policy. He also received his bachelor’s degree at UCLA in African American Studies, and his associate degree for transfer from Los Angeles City College.

Born in Eritrea, Tesfai immigrated to the U.S. as a child and is a first-generation, non-traditional transfer student. Tesfai has a background in counseling and uses his own experience to engage in outreach to assist community college students in navigating the transfer process. He also encourages students from underrepresented communities to apply to graduate school.

“UC offers incredible opportunities for learning, research and economic mobility to countless students from California and beyond. I am grateful for this opportunity to bring my experiences as a first-generation, non-traditional student to be one of two representatives of the student voice to the Board of Regents and advocate for our priorities and needs,” said Tesfai. “There is much work ahead for the University to provide critical academic resources and necessary support to ensure students have the tools for success. I cannot wait to get started in this important work.”

Panels appointed by the UC campus student body presidents and the UC Student Association and UC Graduate and Professional Council reviewed the applications for the student regent position and interviewed semifinalists. A special committee of the Regents interviewed the finalists and nominated Tesfai.

You may find more information about the Board of Regents’ policy on appointing a student regent here.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

SACRAMENTO, CA — The office of California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Webber has qualified seven ballot initiatives for the November 8 statewide General Election. Seven is the lowest number of measures to appear on a statewide general election ballot since 2014.

One initiative is Senate Constitutional Amendment 10 (SCA 10). It is asking voters to safeguard a person’s right to reproductive freedom. To qualify for the November ballot, SCA 10 received the required 2/3 supermajority vote in each chamber of the Legislature.

The other six measures initiated by citizen groups are asking voters to decide on sports betting, funding K-12 art and music education, kidney dialysis clinic requirements, income tax to fund zero-emission vehicle projects, and a flavored tobacco products ban. To be on the ballot, the initiative proponents were required to gather a minimum of 623,212 signatures verified by county elections officials. June 30 was the deadline for the measures to qualify for the November ballot.

Two other measures could have qualified for the ballot but were withdrawn by their sponsors. An initiative to increase the cap on medical malpractice lawsuits was withdrawn when the sponsors reached agreement with the Legislature and Assembly Bill 35 by Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes and State Senator Tom Umberg, was passed and signed by Gov. Newsom. An initiative to reduce plastic waste reduction was withdrawn after it was clear that Senate Bill 54 by State Sen. Ben Allen would pass. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law in June.

Assembly Constitutional Amendment 3 (ACA 3), the California Abolition Act, which would have removed a clause in California’s Constitution that allows the practice of involuntary servitude as a means of punishing crime is not on the ballot because, while it passed the Assembly with the required 2/3 vote, it failed to get enough votes in the Senate.

Special interest groups have raised more than $370 million to convince voters to either pass or reject the initiatives. Over 88% of the money raised is for settling whether two sports betting proposals should be legalized.

The following are details on the fall ballot measures.

Proposition 1 – California Constitutional amendment to prohibit the state from denying an individual’s reproductive freedom

In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn federal protections for women seeking abortions, California lawmakers proposed a California Constitutional amendment to protect the reproductive freedom of women. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Gov. Newsom stated “Abortion is legal in California. It will remain that way. We will not cooperate with any states that attempt to prosecute women or doctors for receiving or providing reproductive care.”

Proposition 26 – Authorizes new types of gambling 

This proposition would allow federally recognized Native American tribes to operate dice games, roulette and sports wagering on tribal lands. On-site wagering at privately operated horse-racing tracks in four specified counties for betters 21 years or older would become legal. Prop 26 also imposes a 10% tax on sports-wagering profits at horse-racing tracks and directs portion of revenues to enforcement and problem-gambling programs.

Proposition 27 – Allows online and mobile sports wagering

Currently, sports’ betting online is illegal in California. This proposition would allow Californians 21 and older to place bets online through federally recognized Indian tribes and eligible businesses like Draft Kings and FanDuel. Prop 27 is estimated to increase state revenues by tens of millions of dollars yearly and potentially direct hundreds of millions of dollars in fee revenue to housing services for homeless Californians.

Proposition 28 – Provides additional funding for arts and music education in public schools

This proposition sponsored by former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Austin Butner would require the state to set aside $800 million to $1 billion annually beginning in 23-24 for arts education in school. A greater proportion of the funds would be allocated to schools serving more economically disadvantaged students.

Proposition 29 – Requires on-site licensed medical professional at kidney dialysis clinics and other state requirements 

This measure requires a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant with six months’ relevant experience to be on site during treatment at outpatient kidney dialysis clinics. It authorizes an exemption for staffing shortages if a qualified medical professional is available through telehealth. Prop 29 prohibits clinics from closing or substantially reducing services without state approval and prohibits clinics from refusing to treat patients based on source of payment. This is the third attempt by SEIU United Health Workers West, a union representing over 100,000 health care workers and patients across the state, to pass the measure. Opponents of Prop 29 cite it would cost tens of millions of dollars annually for clinics to implement.

Proposition 30 – Provides funding for programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Individuals with a personal income of over $2 million would receive a tax increase of 1.75% to raise between $3 billion to $4.5 billion a year to fund greenhouse gas initiatives. A majority of the funds would go toward incentives for Californians to buy zero-emission vehicles and build new electric charging or hydrogen fueling stations. 25% of the funds would go toward wildfire fighting and prevention initiatives.

Proposition 31 – Referendum challenging a 2020 law prohibiting retail sale of certain flavored tobacco products 

This proposition sponsored by the tobacco industry, aims to overturn Senate Bill 793 signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020 banning the sale of all flavored tobacco products. A “yes” vote keeps the law and a “no” vote overturns the law.

California ballot measures require only a simple majority of the votes cast to be approved.

As new initiatives enter circulation, fail, become eligible for, or qualify for an election ballot, the Secretary of State’s office will issue status updates.