The 35^th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast will be held this year on January 19 at the National Orange Show Valencia Room at 468 N. Arrowhead at 7:30 am. Tickets are $25.00 and may be purchased at the following sites, Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and Temple missionary Baptist Church.

This year’s speaker is Assemblyman Chris Holden a bright, articulate new star who is exhibiting dynamic leadership at the state capitol on behalf of our communities. His message will address the theme of “Remembering the Past to Strengthen the Future”.

IECAAC once again is sponsoring the event, community award recipients this year are Ratibu Jacocks, Creative Business Services, “Gertrude Whetzel Award”, Carolyn Tillman,  “Public Service Award”, from the Office of County Schools,  Andre Bossieux, “Public Service Award” of Behavioral Health Services, Westside Action Group, “Community Service Award”, Jack Hill, “Patriot Award”, of Jack Hill Catering Services, Beverly Earl, “Trailblazer Award” of Catholic Charities, and Keith Lee, “Beyond the Boundaries Award”, of San Bernardino County CAO Office.

It promises to be an atmosphere of unity and enjoyment as we salute and pay tribute to an honorable individual who dedicated his life to civil justice for us all.

For further information please call the IECAAC office at 909-474-7036

Eric Holder

The Honorable, Attorney General of the United States, Eric H. Holder, Jr. is set to receive the NAACP Chairman’s Award during the 46^th NAACP Image Awards, broadcast live on Friday, February 6 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delayed) on TV One, the civil rights organization announced today.

The Chairman’s Award, chosen by Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, Roslyn M. Brock, is bestowed in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service. Past honorees include United States Navy Vice Admiral Michelle Howard, Radio One Founder and Chairperson Cathy Hughes, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, Tyler Perry, Former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai, Aretha Franklin, Bono, then-Senator Barack Obama, The Dave Matthews Band, Danny Glover, and Forest Whitaker.

“Eric H. Holder, Jr. has a national reputation for his significant work around civil rights and race in America, voting rights, and criminal justice reform.  In honoring Attorney General Holder, the NAACP focuses on his life’s work and accomplishments as our nation’s first African American Attorney General” stated Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “I am personally inspired by his many civic commitments including service on the board of Columbia University, the National Center for Victims of Crime, the Meyer Foundation, and the Save the Children Foundation, his expansive legal career including working for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, as well as his positions on a number of tough race-related issues to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all Americans.  It is my honor and privilege to recognize Mr. Holder.”

President Barack Obama nominated Mr. Holder to be Attorney General and his nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 2, 2009. Mr. Holder began his service as the eighty-second Attorney General of the United States the next day. Eric H. Holder, Jr. was born in New York City and attended public schools there, graduating from Stuyvesant High School, before earning a B.A. in American History from Columbia College in 1973 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1976.

Upon his graduation from law school, Mr. Holder joined the Department of Justice through the Attorney General’s Honors Program.  He was assigned to the newly-formed Public Integrity Section, where he investigated and prosecuted corruption involving officials in local, state, and federal government.  In 1988, President Reagan appointed Mr. Holder to serve as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, where he presided over hundreds of criminal and civil trials during his five years on the bench.  In 1993, President Clinton appointed Judge Holder to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.  In 1997, President Clinton appointed Mr. Holder to serve as Deputy Attorney General of the United States, a position that he held until the end of the Clinton administration.  At the request of President George W. Bush, Mr. Holder served as Acting Attorney General in 2001 pending the confirmation of Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Mr. Holder has received numerous awards in recognition of his professional and civic contributions, including the Department of Justice’s Special Achievement Award, the District of Columbia Bar Association’s Beatrice Rosenberg Award, and George Washington University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Medal for Outstanding Service in Human Rights.  The District of Columbia Bar Association recognized Mr. Holder as its Lawyer of the Year in 1997.

The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishment of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be voted upon by NAACP members and announced when the envelopes are opened on Thursday, February 5 during the Awards Ceremony for non-televised categories. The remaining categories will be announced LIVE on stage during the two-hour star-studded TV One telecast on Friday, February 6 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delated). The telecast will also include a one-hour pre-show airing live from the red carpet (8:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delayed).

The 46^th NAACP Image Awards are sponsored by: AT&T, Bank of America, FedEx, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Gilead Sciences, Hyundai Motor America, PepsiCo, Southwest Airlines and Wells Fargo.

For all information and latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at http://www.naacpimageawards.net.

IMPORTANT DATES

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. PEACE MARCH /

       CIVIL RIGHTS MEMORIAL DEDICATION

 Presented by Victor Valley NAACP Branch 1082

 Join us in the commemoration and Dedication !!!

 Hear brief updates on the issues and concerns of the community from Honorable Darren Parker, San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, and Victorville City Manager Doug Robertson presenting the Civil Rights Memorial.

Date & Time: 10:a.m.

 MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015(MLK Holiday) 

Location : Corner of Seneca Rd. and Civic Dr . near Victorville City Hall     

14343 Civic Dr., Victorville, CA 92393

This event is FREE to the public. ALL ARE WELCOME!!!!!!!

William E. Spriggs

By William E. Spriggs

So, too, common sense dictates that a high school degree in a world of computer processors and cell telephone communications cannot meet the needs of a changing world where webpage designers, “app” writers and cybersecurity specialists are in high demand.

The president is simply asserting the obvious in extending free associate’s degrees as a democratic right. The price of the basic ticket to the game has changed. That means the full access to society has a new predicate.

Unfortunately, we live with a dysfunctional democracy where anti-democratic forces are strong. There are those who are fighting hard to limit voting rights instead of the American ideal to protect and strengthen those rights. So it isn’t surprising that voices are being raised to limit economic rights, and to instead rail against “government” extension of opportunity. Of course, the movie “Selma” reminds us that small minds have sought to limit opportunity in America for a long time.
But beyond the obvious need to redefine the right to a basic education in a world in which “basic” has clearly changed, the rest of the president’s case is short on the fuller problems and issues facing America.

First is the notion that the extension of the educational right is a solution to the sagging earnings of Americans. At the beginning of this century, in 2001, the median earnings of American men was $42,755, but in 2013 they had dropped to $39,602. This was despite an increase in the share of men with associate’s degrees from 7.5 percent to 9.1 percent and declines in the share of men with less education than an associate’s degree from 63.4 percent to 58.1 percent. It also came despite an increase for those holding bachelor’s degrees or higher from 29.0 percent to 32.8 percent.

So, despite increasing educational attainment, the income of men fell. More to the point, the income of men holding associate’s degrees fell from $51,144 to $42,176. More emphatically, the median earnings of men with bachelor’s degrees fell from $65,769 to $58,170.

Second is the argument that a better educated workforce will lead to a more productive workforce. This is clearly the case. Productivity of America’s workers increased from 2001 to 2013 by 27 percent. And increases in productivity are traditionally the source of increasing wages. But wages did not increase.

The president’s proposal deserves immediate support. But it must be supported in the framework of extending rights and opportunities that is the hallmark of America-the nation that always looks forward. And we must fight against those who want to take us backward.

Still, as the AFL-CIO’s recent National Summit on Raising Wages highlighted, the United States is facing a more fundamental structural problem that must be addressed. We have a better educated and more productive workforce, but a workforce that is getting paid less. Those lower wages are not the workings of the market or some economic necessity. Those lower wages are the result of clear choices to feed corporate coffers at the expense of an economy that functions for all. As AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said, we must have policies that treat corporations as part of America, not above America.

We must commit ourselves to reinvest in America. Those who look backward will see costs; those who look forward see dividends.

Q:   I just paid my registration online, but forgot to change my address.  Can I go back online to make the correction so I can receive my registration tags at my new address?

A:    Unfortunately, it is too late.  When you pay for your registration tags online, our system immediately updates your information and your tags are mailed to you in approximately three days.   Changing your address takes our system a little longer to update.  If you do not receive your new registration tags within 30 days, please apply for duplicate registration tags.

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Q:  I heard that select DMV offices will be open on Saturday beginning in January 2015. Which offices will be open and which types of transactions will be handled?

A:   Beginning January 3, 2015, the DMV began offering Saturday hours at 60 select offices statewide from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. where customer representatives will process ONLY driver license transactions for individuals who have scheduled an appointment.

The DMV has also opened four temporary driver license processing centers in Granada Hills, San Jose, Stanton, and Lompoc where individuals with or without an appointment can receive assistance with driver license transactions only.

For a list of offices open Saturday: http://dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/fo/fotocds

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Q:  When will the Legacy license plate be issued?

A:  There is a lot of excitement building for our new Legacy license plate and you will soon be seeing them on vehicles driving down our roads and highways.  It’s estimated that production will begin within nine to 12 months.

Legislation introduced the California Legacy License Plate program which offers vehicle owners the opportunity to purchase replicas of California license plates similar to those issued in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.   View them at www.dmv.ca.gov.

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Q:  What happens if applicants, under AB60, cannot provide the primary identification documents necessary to verify their identity and residency to obtain an original driver license?

A:   AB 60 applicants may provide additional documentation to verify their identity and residency through the Secondary Review process. An appointment will be scheduled to meet with our specially trained staff in order to review the additional documentation which must be original or certified. The interview may last as long as one hour.

The following documentation may be considered during this appointment: school documents, marriage license or divorce decree, expired foreign passports, foreign driver license, income tax return, and other DMV approved documents. For a full list of DMV approved documents visit ab60.dmv.ca.gov .

If an applicant cannot provide the necessary documentation to verify identity and residency, the AB60 driver license application will not be completed.  Individuals can appeal the decision through the DMV Driver Safety Appeal process.

Photos by Earl Heath

L to R New Rose Bowl inductees Dick Vermiel UCLA, Knute Rockne lll (Notre Dame) Kijana Carter (Penn State)as
M-Cee Harvey Hyde looks on.

Larry Mellon (L) and Ki-jana Carter new Hall of Famer share a moment

The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Delta Rho Chapter, held its 4th Annual Educators Prayer Breakfast in December 2014.  This year’s honorees are Gloria Macias-Harrison, San Bernardino Community College board member and Dr. Gloria Fisher, newly appointed president.  Mr Ted Alejandre, newly elected County Superintendent, was the keynote speaker.

This sorority of educators was chartered in 1982 and is proud of its many contributions to the community.  Not only do we recognize contributors to education, but also provide scholarships to graduating seniors, partner with San Bernardino Valley College and host an annual Teach-A-Rama, and sponsor a Black History Bee for all students in grades 3-8 each year.

For additional information, please visit our web site at: www.pdkdeltarho.org and/or e-mail us at jep431@yahoo.com.

Loma Linda University School of Dentistry’s 25th “Clinic With A Heart” event will provide individuals with free limited dental care on Sunday, January 11. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. and concludes when all patient care times are filled. A limited number of patients will be seen on a first-come-first-serve basis.  Procedures provided may include a cleaning, a filling, or an extraction.  No crowns, root canals, or dentures will be performed. Children under 18 will not be treated without an accompanying parent or legal guardian, who must remain with the child the entire time that care is provided. For directions or more information, please call (909) 558-4697.