What it do with Lue

NOW HIRING: Burlington Hiring for Distribution Center in Riverside

?RIVERSIDE, CA— Burlington Stores, the national retailer delivering amazing deals to customers every time they shop, is growing with the addition of their newest distribution center in Riverside opening May 17. ? 

They’re hiring more than 100 full-time positions, and new hires can expect a base wage of?$16 $18/hour. The available positions include first and second shifts, full-time warehouse associates and supervisors. Perks include health benefits, a 401(k), flexible shift choices, and opportunities for performance-based bonuses. And what’s more, this new distribution center will be equipped with the latest pallet technology and will be one of the largest distribution centers for Burlington – measuring at close to 900,000 square feet.?? 

For Interested candidates looking to schedule an interview, they can select a time that works?best for?them. Job offers are often made on the spot. Additionally, Burlington will have Spanish-speaking associates available to assist with relevant interviews.  

To start filling the open positions, there will be a hiring event on Thursday, May 13 from 9 AM to 1 PM PST. Location address can be found below.  

Burlington Stores: Riverside Distribution Center  
21600 Cactus Avenue Riverside, CA 92518 

Real ID Deadline Now Extended to May 3, 2023

The deadline to get a travel-compliant Real ID driver’s license has been extended another 19 months by the Department of Homeland Security. Instead of Oct. 1, 2021, residents will have until May 3, 2023 to get their Real ID in order to board domestic flights and enter some federal buildings. If you choose not to get a Real ID, a U.S. passport or DHS trusted traveler card are also travel compliant. The Transportation Security Administration does not require IDs for children younger than 18 if they are traveling with an adult within the United States.

To apply for a REAL ID card, you must present ONE identity document that includes your date of birth and your true full name (first, middle, and last). You can complete the application online, and then go to the DMV to finish the process.

Chief Joseph Paulino Speaks Virtually on Leadership to Beautillion Youth

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, Mr. Joseph G. Paulino, Chief of Police for San Bernardino City Unified School District Police Department spent time on Saturday, April 24, speaking virtually to youth and others of the Social Lites, Inc. 54th Beautillion program on leadership. Chief Paulino came across as an inspirational and influential leader sharing words of wisdom on how important to motivate others to be their best.  Chahan JhuMaani Chess stated what he learned was “A leader is someone who helps build others up and not only do they help prevent the chaos and malice of the present, but they also help build the fundamentals and encourage others for the possibilities and greatness of the future.”

The 54th Beautillion program is sponsored by The Social Lites, Inc. of San Bernardino under the leadership of Lisa Blacksher Owens, president, and Tina Darling Beautillion Chair. This past year, due to COVID-19 did not prevent this program from moving forward.  This year the Beautillion program continued to be an extracurricular virtual program which included the signature involvement with civic engagement, academics, and virtual cultural awareness through the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and virtual workshops that included Dr. Samuel Gibbs who spoke on life skills and health.

The 54th Beautillion program will commence virtually on Saturday, May 22, 2021.  For more information, please contact: knight.beautillion@gmail.com

California Restaurants and Bars Can Apply for Aid From $28.6 Billion Relief Fund

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is currently accepting applications to provide emergency assistance to restaurants and bars.

U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) was an original co-sponsor of the proposal to create the lifeline for restaurants and she advocated for its inclusion in the American Rescue Plan (ARP).

“Black and minority-owned restaurants and businesses, as well as women and veteran-owned restaurants and businesses, have been hit hardest by this pandemic,” Lee said in a written statement. “I’m pleased that the SBA will prioritize applications for restaurants in economically or socially disadvantaged communities in the first three weeks of the grant program.”

The $28.6 billion restaurant relief legislation was signed into law as part of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion ARP.

Just 7% of U.S. businesses before the coronavirus pandemic were Black-owned, according to data from compiled by the University of California Santa Cruz study last year. In contrast, about 13% of the United States population is Black, and about 13% of restaurant employees are Black, according to federal data.

The SBA relief fund portal began accepting applications on Friday, April 30 at 6:00 a.m., Pacific Standard Time. In preparation for the grant program’s opening, the SBA released detailed guidance for those seeking relief money through the restaurant revitalization fund.

The SBA has tapped Lendistry, a Southern California-based lending firm, to help administer the restaurant relief funds. The Black-led and operated firm is the largest minority-led firm that has been disbursing both federal and state COVID relief money in California.

The program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss — up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as the funds are used for eligible purposes no later than March 11, 2023.

SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman stated that the visionary leadership of congressional Democrats “laid the groundwork” for the SBA to deliver targeted relief swiftly and efficiently to the millions of small business owners and workers in restaurants.

“We’ve designed the Restaurant Revitalization Fund program to ensure this relief is delivered with a focus on equity. America’s small businesses are the engine of our economy,” Guzman said. “If we’re going to build back better, we must ensure all of our nation’s entrepreneurs have the tools they need to bring businesses back, create jobs and grow our economy.”

Lee encouraged restaurant owners across California to submit applications.

“I encourage all business owners that need funding to cover food costs, payroll, or any other business expenses to apply for this grant,” Lee stated. “My office is here to help you through this process.”

For information about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, detailed guidance, and how to apply, visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options/restaurant-revitalization-fund

“Oh, My Dear, Sweet Mother, Where Do I Even Begin?”

By Lou Yeboah

As ‘Mother’s Day’ approaches, words cannot begin to express the gratefulness and appreciation I feel for you, neither can they define the thanks that I would love to give you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for being the first and most influential role model in my life. Thank you for your selfless sacrifice, and your pure, unconditional and eternal love. Your affection, your protection, your maternal kindness and your daily love rocked my life, a treasure of inestimable value. By your life you taught me to trust God with everything. You confirm for me that no matter how big the problem may be, God is bigger. You live a life of trust, a trust that holds firm during the darkest night, a trust that hangs on in the roughest storm, a trust that keep climbing up the steepest mountain, a trust that refuses to give up, a trust that rejects defeat, and relishes a challenge, a trust that rushes to do God’s will, and a trust that replies on the Holy Spirit and rest in Jesus Christ. And for this example of trust, we, your children, and grandchildren, thank you. We thank you for your unshakable example of trust and devotion. A devotion we hope to live out.  Happy ‘Mother’s Day’ to you my dear, sweet, amazing mother, I will always admire, appreciate, and love you!

To mothers, both biological and adopted, connected by blood and by experience, torn apart by circumstance and sometimes by choice. To those who have given life both in birth and in formation, to those who have lost life before birth and before old age, to those who have done what only mother’s can do, to those who have been “the perfect mother,” and to those who live with regrets. To those who are close to their children, and to those who feel like they are a million miles away, we bless you always, not just on “Mother’s Day.” We would not be who we are and where we are if it was not for you. No, we haven’t always done a good job of honoring you, thanking you, appreciating you. We haven’t always loved you as you have loved us. For that we ask for your forgiveness and grace. But may we be people to honor and encourage and bless you from this day forward for whom God has made you. For “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” [Proverbs 31:10-29].

A woman of worth, who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household. Her hands hold the spindle, and all her household are clothed in crimson. She reaches out her hands to the needy. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness her children rise up and call her happy. Her husband, too, and he praises her. [Proverbs 31:25- 27].

Echoing the incredible words of Helen Steiner Rice and Abraham Lincoln ?

“A Mother’s love is something that no one can explain. It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain, It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may for nothing can destroy it or take that love away. [Helen Steiner Rice]. ?

“All that I am and hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” [Abraham Lincoln].

For these reasons I pray, Lord God, bless every mother with the finest of your spiritual blessings today. Bless them with the grace of Your presence, and the honor they deserve for their tireless work and love. Fill them with your peace and mercy. Grant forgiveness for mistakes, for we all make them. But let love cover all our memories with a blanket of compassion and joy. Confirm in her heart and spirit the work of her hands and the love that she has freely given to the children under her care.  Let her rest in knowing that she has done all she can and that those she loves truly belong to you. Let her joy be contagious; let her passion be pure; and let her life overflow with all the blessings she deserves—not just on special days, but every day of her life. In Jesus’ name. Amen and Amen!

Happy Mother’s Day to ALL Mothers!

Jazzlynn Woods a.k.a. Jazzy and CHEER is What it Do!

By Lue Dowdy, LUE Productions

Smart, talented, gifted, and more: Jazzlynn Woods is a youth that brings along a light and positive energy when she enters a room, but please do not get it twisted because when she hits the floor for competition, the light turns into a flame, and that positive energy becomes competitive energy but still positive. I love, love, love her spirit, so let’s hear it! Below is more about this amazing young lady.

Jazzlynn Woods is 19 years old and is the daughter of Lawrence and Kimberly Woods. She has two older brothers, Tobias VanBuren Jr., 32, and Charles Smith 22. Jazzy has been a resident of the City of Rialto for her whole life. She graduated from Kucera Middle School with honors and was a Kucera cheerleader and also participated in a program at Kucera Middle School called ‘Shine Bright like a Diamond”, a Mentoring After School Program designed for girls. 

Jazzlynn graduated from middle school and the SBLD Mentoring program where she became a ‘Diva Ambassador’ of the program helping other young ladies. Jazzlynn attended Carter High School in Rialto. In her freshman year she was on the CHS Cheer Team. In her Senior year she participated in the nursing program.

Jazzy has been a cheerleader the age of five. She was a professional cheerleader for ‘California All Stars Cheer’ in Ontario and has won two National Champion Rings. She also cheered at ‘Prime Cheer and Stunt’ in Corona for two seasons as a flyer. Now that she has aged out to cheer, she is now training to become a cheer coach. Jazzy wants to become a registered nurse and is planning on attending a CNA school to become a CNA this summer. She will then attend a four-year college to become a registered nurse. 

Currently, Jazzy is helping her mom with her business Fabulous Chic Boutique in San Bernardino and working part time at Youthbuild in San Bernardino as she waits to attend her CNA school. 

I’m extremely proud of this young lady and all her accomplishments thus far. Jazzy is definitely a firework and someone to watch for. Until next week Folks. L’s!

Victorville Awards $3.2 Million To Local Programs

VICTORVILLE, CA— The City of Victorville announced Tuesday that it will award more than $3.2 million in federal grant money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to local service organizations and programs designed to increase economic opportunities, improve living conditions, expand affordable housing, and assist with Coronavirus response and recovery for Victorville residents.

The recipients include High Desert Homeless Services, High Desert Second Chance (pictured above), Victor Valley Family Resource Center, Community Health Action Network, Victor Valley Domestic Violence, and San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services. Additionally, monies were awarded to various City programs such as the Library, graffiti abatement program, Senior Home Repair Program, Wellness Center Campus, and the homeless shelter at Westwinds Sports Center.

County Moving Closer Toward the Yellow Tier

San Bernardino County continues to make great progress in the fight against COVID-19 and has now administered 1,209,066 doses to our residents.

On Tuesday, the County’s adjusted case rate was 2.9/100,000 with an overall positivity rate of 1.7 percent and an equity positivity rate of 1.8 percent. In order to move into the less restrictive yellow tier, the County’s overall positivity needs to be below 2 percent and equity positivity below 2.3% for at least two weeks. 

“We continue to make progress toward the yellow tier and want to thank our staff, entire community, network of trusted communicators and vaccine providers for that progress,” said County Chief Operating Officer Leonard X. Hernandez.

Hernandez said that Pfizer is currently working on approval with the FDA to administer vaccines to youth ages 12-16, and that the state may be releasing new guidance regarding a “green tier” shortly. As soon as that happens, we’ll be sure to share the information in our newsletter and social media sites.

COVID-19 Vaccines Now Available at Planned Parenthood Health Centers in San Bernardino and Victorville

New Vaccination Sites Will Provide Equitable Access to Latinx, Black and Other Communities Disproportionately Affected by Pandemic

Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC) has opened two new COVID-19 vaccination sites, in their San Bernardino and Victorville health centers, dedicated to eliminating barriers to vaccine access for Latinx and other diverse communities. PPOSBC’s patient population in San Bernardino — 81% of whom identify as Black, Latinx and people of color — have been disproportionately affected by both the virus and the pandemic’s economic fallout. PPOSBC has capacity to vaccinate up to 180 community members a week at the centers and offers both weekday and weekend appointments. The new vaccination sites are dedicated to making it as easy as possible to schedule an appointment, as well as providing accurate information and answering any questions a patient might have about the vaccine.

“At Planned Parenthood, we understand the only way to end this deadly pandemic is with COVID-19 vaccines, and we are proud to be part of the solution by offering these safe, effective vaccines to the communities we serve,” said Dr. Janet Jacobson, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties. “We are dedicated to being a trusted health care provider and that includes helping those facing inequitable access to comprehensive medical care and resources. We trust the vaccines to help make our future stronger and having them readily available at our health centers is key to increasing confidence that the best thing to do to keep you and the ones your loved ones safe is to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.”

As the vaccine rollout accelerates across the country, and officials focus on ensuring the hardest-hit communities get access to shots, PPOSBC has launched an educational campaign including social media and digital ads to help build public confidence around the vaccines in these areas with a special emphasis on vaccinations in the Latinx community. Both health centers offering COVID-19 vaccines are located in zip codes that have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus. PPOSBC staff accurately reflect the populations in the communities they serve, and most of the support staff working at both sites are official translators and can provide care in multiple languages.

The organization will be offering the Moderna vaccine and will be a part of BlueShield’s “MyTurn” web appointment system. Anyone who is eligible (currently, any Californian aged 18 and up) can choose to get vaccinated at a PPOSBC location through the MyTurn scheduling system. The vaccine is free and available to all eligible people, regardless of citizenship status. Insurance is accepted, but not required.

Vaccination Sites

PPOSBC’s vaccination sites are located at:

  San Bernardino Health Center

1873 S. Commercenter Dr. W., San Bernardino, Calif. 92408

Vaccines offered on Thursday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please check the MyTurn website for most up-to-date information. Vaccination walk-ins are currently being accepted on the days and times above only, but advance appointments are encouraged.

Victorville Health Center

15403 Park Ave. E., Victorville, Calif. 92392

Vaccines offered on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please check the MyTurn website for most up-to-date information. Vaccination walk-ins are currently being accepted on the day and time above only, but advance appointments are encouraged.

To Make an Appointment

?      Visit www.MyTurn.CA.gov or call (833) 422-4255

?      Register and check your eligibility on the website

?      Enter your address or zip code after confirming eligibility

?      Scroll down to look for a Planned Parenthood location. In addition to the new locations in San Bernardino and Victorville, vaccines are also available in Orange County at Planned Parenthood’s Anaheim locationlocated at 801 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, Calif. 92805

?      Appointment slots are limited, so if you don’t see one of the Planned Parenthood locations, it means the appointments are full for that day. But you can check back later. 

Helping Hesitant Family and Friends 

For those with family or friends who are hesitant or have questions about the vaccine, Dr. Jacobson offers three helpful tips for handling conversations about why they should get their shots: 

  1. Listen to their concerns with empathy. “These vaccines, while remarkably effective, are still very new. It’s natural for people to have questions about them. The sheer amount of information—and misinformation—about COVID-19 vaccines out there can be overwhelming for anyone. That’s why it’s so important to listen without judgement when a family member or friend expresses fear about getting vaccinated and identify the root of their apprehension.

“Acknowledge their emotions so they know they have been heard. For example, you can say something like, ‘It sounds like you’re stressed both at work and at home, and concerns about the vaccine are another source of stress. That’s really tough.'” 

  1. Ask open-ended questions to explore those concerns. “Open-ended questions are meant to get more than a “yes” or “no” response. Asking open-ended questions can help you understand what a person is worried about, where they learned any troubling information, and what they have done to get answers to their questions. For example, you can ask, “How did watching that news report make you feel? What did you do next?” 

“As difficult as it may be when you are passionate about making sure everyone is vaccinated, do not be judgmental. Respectfully ask open-ended questions that help you understand their fears, and avoid saying things like, ‘That’s silly to think that,’ or ‘why would you be worried about that?'”

  1. Once you understand their concern, ask their permission to share information with them. “Once you feel you understand where they are coming from, even if you do not agree, ask if you can provide some information. Tell them where you get information you trust and be careful not to push information on them. You can find answers to common questions they may have from reputable sources, including the CDCSan Bernardino County of Public Health, or other trusted sources such as the person’s doctor, nurse or pharmacist. 

“Sometimes, simply sharing quick, accurate answers to common concerns your friends or family members can go a long way toward moving someone from worry to confidence to empowerment. If you don’t know the answers to their questions, offer to help them look for information. Remember that the overwhelming data regarding the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines may not be enough to change someone’s mind about getting vaccinated right away. It may take a while for the idea to grow so be patient and kind.” 

“We are always here for every patient who walks through our doors, helping them make informed decisions about their health,” said Dr. Jacobson. “We will never let up on our commitment to giving everyone who uses our services high quality essential care, the most up-to-date information and the resources available to help them live the life they envision for themselves.” 

To book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, please visit www.MyTurn.CA.gov or call (833) 422-4255. 

For more information about Planned Parenthood’s COVID-19 vaccination sites, and for answers to frequently asked questions, please visit: www.pposbc.org

The Lookout: Dems in Sacramento Take Steps to Make Voting Easier

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Watching your tax dollars, elected officials and legislation that affects you.

The electoral process is foundational to the durability of America’s democratic structure.

And as the battle for fairer voting laws rages on, politicians and activists on the political Right claim they are responding to allegations of widespread voter and election fraud. Those on the Left say they are rallying to fight a coordinated political offensive to restrict access to the polls and increasing reports of voter suppression.

Recently, in some states, most notoriously Georgia and Florida, lawmakers have taken steps to restrict voting access and rights for many Americans.

But in California, policymakers and legislators are doing the opposite, making proposals to simplify the voting process and expand access to the polls.

Invoking the violent history of voter suppression in the South that her parents endured, which sometimes involved murders — California Secretary of State Shirley Weber says it is a priority of hers to “ensure the right to vote.”

“I tell people all the time that no number is good unless it’s 100% in terms of voter participation,” Weber told the Public Policy Institute of California. “Why didn’t 5 million go to the polls? We need to figure out where they are and what stopped them from going.”

In the California Legislature, an amendment to Senate Bill (SB) 29, which passed earlier this year, was one bill in a broader legislative effort to secure the right to vote in vulnerable communities.

Before that amendment passed, California law dictated that a ballot would be mailed to all eligible voters for the Nov. 3 statewide general election in 2020 as well as use a Secretary of State vote-by-mail tracking system to ensure votes are counted.

SB 29, which the governor signed into law in February, extended those requirements to any election “proclaimed or conducted” prior to Jan. 1, 2022.

2020 saw a record number of voter participation in California. Some political observers attribute that spike to the vote-by-mail system instituted last year.

“To maintain a healthy democracy in California, it is important to encourage eligible voters to vote and to ensure that residents of the state have the tools needed to participate in every election,” the bill reads.

Senate Bill (SB) 583, introduced by California State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) would require the Secretary of State to register or preregister eligible citizens to vote upon retrieving the necessary paperwork from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Citizens who do not wish to be registered can opt-out of the process altogether.

Newman stressed the importance of access and simplifying the voter registration process.

“In our state there are an estimated 4.6 million U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote who have not yet registered,” Newman said. “Our obligation as the people’s elected representatives is to make the process simpler and more accessible for them.”

On April 27, the Senate Transportation Committee passed SB 583 with a 13 to 3 vote. The Appropriations Committee has set a hearing for May 10.

Senate Bill (SB) 503, introduced by Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), proposes that if a signature shares enough characteristics with a previous signature from the same voter, then it would be recognized as official on voting paperwork.

Current law dictates that a signature has to match exactly for it to be considered valid.

Disability Rights California (DRC), a non-profit advocacy organization that

advances and protects the rights of Californians living with disabilities, has come out in support of SB 503.

“Studies have shown that signature matches disproportionately impact voters with disabilities,” Eric Harris, director of public policy for the DRC wrote in a letter.

“Voters with disabilities, including seniors, are more likely to vote by mail and would have to sign their name on their ballots,” Harris argued. “A voter’s signature changes over time and for people with disabilities, a signature can change nearly every other time one is written. Some people with disabilities might have conditions that make it difficult to sign your name the same way multiple times.”

For now, the Senate Appropriations Committee has tabled SB 503, placing the bill in what the Legislature calls a “suspense file,” where it awaits further action by lawmakers.

At the federal level, lawmakers have introduced two bills in the U.S. Congress to expand voting rights, the For The People Act of 2021 and the John L. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

The For The People Act, or H.R.1, proposes a three pronged approach to expanding election access: Voting, campaign finance, and ethics.

Hilary Shelton, Director to the NAACP’s Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy, compared the current voting rights battle to that of the Civil Rights Movement in a press conference about H.R.1 and the John L. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

“If you look at some of those 1960s shots of the C.T. Vivians of the world, of the Joe Lowerys and so many others that helped lead Americans to those registration sites, you’ll see them actually literally being beaten to the ground,” Shelton said, referring to well-known Civil Rights Movement activists.

The John L. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, or S.4263, would amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to restore the powers it lost after the

Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby v. Holder. In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that laws requiring states and local communities to first clear any changes to voting their local laws with the feds, was unlawful.

“Well, we’ve become more sophisticated in our disenfranchisement,” Shelton continued. “We want to make sure that we stop that disenfranchisement all along the way and that’s why we’re convinced that a bill named for John Lewis and a bill that speaks for the people are bills that need to pass.”