Local

By Frances Grice

 Please join area children at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. statue ceremony Monday, January 16, 2017, starting at 10:30 a.m. at San Bernardino City Hall, 300 North D Street.

The Martin Luther King Restoration and Maintenance Committee is inviting the area youth, parents, and businesses to participate in the MLK Annual birthday celebration in downtown San Bernardino. The area youth elementary children will conduct the “Laying of the Wreath” program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The statue is the first bigger than life statue in the world, the vision of Dr. Gertrude Whetzel. Funding for the construction of the statue was spearheaded in 1971 by Mayor Bob Holcomb with donations by area residents from various races, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. For many years, the statue served as the focal point in bringing together all cultures as a testament to Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.

As you are aware, the City of San Bernardino entered into financial challenges that have prohibited the City from providing the statue with proper maintenance and repair for years. To address the need for annual maintenance of the statue, community residents came together and raised the needed resources to restore the statue which stands as a beacon of hope for area residents.

We are trying to reach out to as many elementary schools as we can to participate in this year’s event. Dr. King’s greatest motivation was to make the world better for our children. It would be an honor for the children to be the main focus on the program. If you have any further questions you may contact Frances Grice at fnetwrk@aol.com or Faye Pointer at fpoint1122@sbcglobal.net.

By Joandrea Reynolds

Initiation of positive change and progression brought members of Westside Christian Center together at City Hall on January 7 at 10 a.m. under hovering clouds in sixty degree weather participating in a walk to help restructure a community. Newness of hope was birthed for San Bernardino under the life changing inspirational leadership of Dr. Clyde A. Stewart, who speaks newness into existence and demonstrates belief in it for residents of not only this city but inclusive of all those surrounding.

By Naomi K. Bonman

Many of us watched, and probably got emotional, our 44^th President Barack Obama’s farewell address on Tuesday, January 10. Can you believe 8 years flew by!

The quote that struck out the most in Obama’s address was this one: “I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written: Yes, we can.” -President Barack Obama

Many of us watched, and probably got emotional, our 44th President Barack Obama’s farewell address on Tuesday, January 10. Can you believe 8 years flew by! The quote that struck out the most in Obama’s address was this one: “I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written: Yes, we can.” -President Barack Obama We have watched the girls, Malia and Sasha, grow up into beautiful and sophisticated young women. We have also watched in admiration of the chemistry and commitment that Michelle and Barack have towards one another. And as a country, although we still have a lot more to accomplish, we have seen countless accomplishments made by President Obama and his administration. More jobs gave been created that has brought the economy back to a much stable state, and millions of Americans now have affordable healthcare. I commend Barack for all his hard work and for staying strong and grounded with every racist and prejudice remark that was thrown against him. He proved the odds, that yes a Black man can become President or any other profession that others may try to deny him. Barack, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia…you all will be sincerely missed. have watched the girls, Malia and Sasha, grow up into beautiful and sophisticated young women. We have also watched in admiration of the chemistry and commitment that Michelle and Barack have towards one another. And as a country, although we still have a lot more to accomplish, we have seen countless accomplishments made by President Obama and his administration.

More jobs gave been created that has brought the economy back to a much stable state, and millions of Americans now have affordable healthcare.

I commend Barack for all his hard work and for staying strong and grounded with every racist and prejudice remark that was thrown against him. He proved the odds, that yes a Black man can become President or any other profession that others may try to deny him.

Barack, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia…you all will be sincerely missed.

Elizabeth Estrella

By Lue Dowdy

Singer, Elizabeth Estrella from the City of Rialto is What It DO!

Elizabeth Estrella lives in Rialto, California. She is sixteen-years-old and attends Etiwanda High School where she is currently a junior. Estrella is a 4.0 student and has received several awards for her academic achievements. She dreams of one day being a professional performer. Elizabeth attended The Musicians Institute Summer Shot Program where she composed an original song entitled,” I’m Yours.”

Elizabeth won the 99.1KGGI IE Salsa Festival and IE Taco Festival 2015 competitions, as well as the San Gabriel’s Got Talent competition at the age of 13. She is currently a member of an all-girl rock band named “Alive in the Lights” who performed at this year’s Riverside Festival of Lights. She wants to thank her family and friends for their support. Her mentors are her vocal coach JC Bentley and past teacher Charon Aldredge. Make sure you keep an eye out for this talent young lady.

Until next week L’z!

New Report on Future of Transportation Discusses Key Challenges in Southern California and Across the Country

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced that California State University, San Bernardino has been selected as one of 18 institutions across the country to lead research on the major transportation challenges that our nation will face over the next three decades.

California State University, San Bernardino’s designation as a Beyond Traffic Innovation Center was announced on the same day that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) released the final report, Beyond Traffic 2045. The report is the culmination of a two-year analysis of the transportation challenges presented by trends including population growth, increased freight shipping, and the movement of people into concentrated megaregions.

“In the next 30 years, our country will have 70 million more people competing for the use of our roads, transit and rail networks, and airports, and we are going to have to make some big choices about how we fund and prioritize transportation,” said Secretary Foxx. “The Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers will bring together researchers, students, and thought leaders to develop the ideas we need to keep Americans moving and build a transportation system that works for everyone.”

Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers are non-profit institutions of higher education and non-profit organizations which will promote study and thought leadership around the challenges raised in the Beyond Traffic report. Centers will convene leaders and other key decision-makers in each of the megaregions around the United States, as well as in rural communities, to discuss these challenges and coordinate related research, curriculum, outreach, and other activities.

As part of the research for the Beyond Traffic 2045 report, USDOT officials held a public forum with local leaders and stakeholders in Long Beach, California, on September 28, 2015, to understand the major issues that were facing people across the Southern California megaregion. The report released today notes that the region is home to some of the largest ports in the nation, and the population is expected to increase by over 61 percent to 39 million by 2050.

The full list of Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers and more information about Beyond Traffic 2045, including the full report, is available at: www.transportation.gov/beyondtraffic.

By Sheryl Estrada

“Hidden Figures” came in almost $2 million above expectations for its wide-release debut. The film has taken the top spot at the box office, slightly edging out “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

“Hidden Figures” sold $22.8 million in ticket sales at North American theaters this past weekend. The Walt Disney Company’s (No. 38 on the DiversityInc 2016 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) “Rogue One” earned $22.1 million in its fourth weekend, according to Friday-to-Sunday box office revenue tallies released on Monday.

The film is based on the true story of a team of African American women, Katherine Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), who provided NASA with important mathematical data at the start of the Cold War. The women computed trajectories needed to launch the program’s first successful space missions, including John Glenn’s famous 1962 voyage.

“Hidden Figures” had a limited release on Christmas Day but expanded by more than 2,400 locations on Friday. It received an A-plus grade from ticket buyers in CinemaScore exit polls. Forty-three percent of viewers were white, 37 percent were Black and 13 percent were Latino. Women made up 64 percent of the audience, while 56 percent of all ticket buyers were age 35 or older, according to The Hollywood Reporter. To date, the film has earned a total of $24.7 million against a $25 million budget.

Civil rights attorney Steve Phillips, keynote speaker at DiversityInc’s conference in September and author of the New York Times bestselling book “Brown Is the New White,” used the entertainment industry as an example of how highly talented people of color are often “hiding in plain sight” in the workplace.

He said the now widely famous Lee Daniels, co-creator of Fox’s “Empire,” and Taraji P. Henson, a star of the show, “were there all along, hiding in plain sight waiting to be believed in, invested in, promoted and empowered.”

From a Book Proposal to the Big Screen

The No. 1 film was inspired by the nonfiction book “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race,” written by Margot Lee Shetterly. The Sloan Foundation awarded Shetterly a writing grant to complete the book.

FOX 2000 optioned the rights to the book based on her 55-page proposal. So, Shetterly was writing her book as screenwriters Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder wrote the screenplay at the same time. Melfi is also the director of the film. Pharrell Williams is a producer of “Hidden Figures” and a composer of its score.

During a discussion session in August at the joint convention of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in Washington, D.C., Shetterly said it was essential to support the film during opening weekend.

“Go to the movie theaters when it first comes out,” Shetterly told journalists.

She said it would make a powerful statement if people were to support the film and it became successful.

Actor Aldis Hodge, who plays Levi Jackson in the film, said “Hidden Figures” is about American triumph.

“Why do people go to those superhero films?” Hodge said. “We see the hero being that stand out guy or that girl who’s saving the world. This is nothing different.

“At the root of its core, this is about American triumph. The entire country benefited and still benefits from this accomplishment. So, this is a hero story for the country.”

View the trailer for “Hidden Figures”:

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

For “It was you who practice ungodliness; but now you want to turn around and spread error concerning the LORD…” [Isaiah 32:6] Quit blaming God for your problems! You ruined your own life by your own foolishness, not God! [Proverbs 19:3]. Man up and take responsibility for your actions and stop playing the blame game!

I tell you every time things go bad for us the first thing we want to do is blame someone else; just like Adam did. Adam explained his sin to God by saying, “It was the woman you gave me she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate,” forgetting all along that no one made him eat the fruit. He did not eat because his wife handed him the fruit. He ate because he chose to eat. He knew and understood what was expected of him and what he was not to do. He knew the consequences of his choice and he did it anyway. [Genesis 3:12] And Eve, she blamed the whole calamity on the serpent. “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” [Verse 13]. Instead of manning up neither one of them took responsibility for their own actions. I tell you holding God accountable for Satan’s work and your choice is simplistic and naive. Quit blaming God for your problems! The revelation of God being your solution, not your problem, is one that the people of the Old Testament did not have. However, we do have it today and we are responsible for it. So stop playing the blame game! Face up to your wrongdoing! “If you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive your sins, and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1: 9]

I tell you, if you don’t have the revelation that God is not the source of your problems, the Bible is a locked book to you. Although God does at times test us in order to strengthen us and teach us to stand; the idea that God would be the source of our sin is warped and antithetical to his nature. I want you to know that David path to forgiveness began when he admitted his sin to God. He didn’t try to evade responsibility; he didn’t blame it on Bathsheba or anyone else. He said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” This is exactly what you need to do: ACCEPT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! Even though it is our human nature to blame others, our circumstances or even to blame God, there is no need for us to do so! God knows our sinful condition. He knows every sinful thing that we have done. And He is still willing to forgive us. If you want God to become a more powerful, helpful force in your life, learn to stop holding God responsible for Satan’s work and your choices. Wise indeed is the person who makes no attempt to either hide his sins or to blame others for them. There is great victory in honest and forthright confessing your sins and in accepting full personal responsibility for them. Doing this, you have the assurance [1 John 1:9].

Wisdom has sent out her invitation; will you heed the call and attend the feast? “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…. “[Deuteronomy 30:19]

RIALTO, CA– The Mu Xi Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., in collaboration with the Eta Nu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., partner with the Riverside Unified School District to present the 28^th Annual Oratorical Contest, being held at Central Middle School in Riverside, on Saturday, February 4, 2017, beginning at 9 a.m.

The aim of the contest is to give area students an opportunity to showcase their speech writing, and oral delivery talents for distinguished guests, family, friends, and community leaders. The event is open to any student in grades 1 through 12. Participants are grouped into 3 grade groups, and three cash awards are presented in each group.

Deadline for applications to be received is January 26, 2017. Due to initial expressed interest, participation will be limited. Students interested in competing are urged to submit an application early. Speeches do NOT have to be completed, to submit an application.

For information on the contest, or to request an application, contact Mr. Kevin Eastman at: eastke1@yahoo.com, or Mrs. Samantha Dotson at: samantha.dotson524@gmail.com. All Riverside Unified School District students should contact Dr. Keyisha Holmes for information: kholmes@rusd.k12.ca.us.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., are community service organizations that service the Inland Empire, by providing mentoring programs for adolescents, and are in involved in numerous social activities and causes through the Inland Empire.

For more information on Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, visit: www.apa1906.net. For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, visit: www.aka1908.com. Information on the Riverside Unified School District may be found on the district web page: www.rusdlink.org.

By Joandrea Reynolds

Initiation of positive change and progression brought members of Westside Christian Center together at City Hall on January 7 at 10 a.m. under hovering clouds in sixty degree weather participating in a walk to help restructure a community. Newness of hope was birthed for San Bernardino, CA; under the life changing inspirational leadership of Dr. Clyde A. Stewart who speaks newness into existence and demonstrates belief in it for residents of not only this city but inclusive of all those surrounding.

Rosalyn Bryant stated, “There is power behind and within unity and this march signifies the start of reversing hopelessness.” Too many deaths have altered the course of expectations for San Bernardino and futures have permanently been removed but this new day brought forth a year of change.

“The common cause for restored hope is why we are here”, First Lady Florence Stewart said. Actions led by faith brought down strong holds with each unified step. As this year progresses change is mandatory because of a walk destined to happen. Eyes were opened, joy ignited, and unity displayed. Thirteen year old Alexia Miller was quoted as saying “I need to help with change by inspiring adults and kids to be part of the change that will bring us all together.”

Lisa Donavon of West Virginia was on hand to work on the Donor’s Float her daughter Nicole was a donor.

By Earl Heath

Before the drive down Colorado Blvd., Tamara Henderson put the final touches on the Rotary float. “I see the fun people are having and the joy the colors bring to them and it all worth it,” said the veteran who teaches at Bassett High in La Puente.

There are some 935 volunteer members of the Tournament of Roses Association. Each volunteer is assigned to one of 31 committees, with responsibilities ranging from selecting parade participants to directing visitors on New Year’s Day,

Gay Norris is known as “White Suitors” because of her distinctive white uniform that she and every volunteer wears. It’s been a part of her life for some 20 years. She has no intentions of letting go.

Not even her move to Tyler Texas six years ago stops her from returning to Pasadena annually to put in her volunteer time. “It’s a joy to be here and be part of something this special“, said Norris. “ People really appreciate us and its gives me a warm feeling whining you get things done and it brings a wide smile to some faces.”

Norris is one of several community-spirited men and women give up their evenings, weekends and holidays to ensure the success of the Parade and Game.

She has a great philosophy for those who wear the suites.” We are all equal, we all make decisions. You make a mistake you get teased, one motto is under promise and over deliver.”