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What it do I.E. and neighboring cities! Happy to be back again this week to let you know WHAT IT DO! Well, it’s about our young folks. Our community is saturated with talented youth and teens looking for events to showcase their skills. I’ve witnessed children on more than one occasion at several neighborhood events singing, dancing, and rapping. Come on let’s be honest, how many of you have given Lil’ Jon Jon or Sara a dollar or two to perform at the family function because they have amazing talent? I know I’m guilty of it.

Please help us spread the word about our FREE YOUTH auditions. Let’s get them off the streets and on the STAGE! The “Youth Holiday Talent Showcase” is sponsored by LUE Productions, Westside Story Newspaper, Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Cities, Family First Entertainment, Pretty Pockets, Cold Cutz Barber Shop, and Blaim Society. The event will be held on Saturday, December 13th.

We are calling all Gospel acts, singers, singing groups, poets, dancers, rappers, comedians, and more, as well as youth hosts and models. Registration is free to sign up, and if you are selected you must sale tickets. All participants must be 19 and under. Auditions will be held on Sunday, September 14 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You may send us an audition tape if unable to make the auditions. Please send it to Lue.info@yahoo.com. Please make sure that your footage is no longer than 3 minutes. All final contestants will be contacted by Monday, September 29.

2014 Miss Inland Empire Rita Garabet, 21, of Redlands (right) and Miss Inland Empire Outstanding Teen Sophia Torres, 14, of Apple Valley, visit with Aubrey Olivas, 2, of Rancho Cucamonga, during the title holders’ stop at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

LOMA LINDA, CA  – Representatives from Miss Inland Empire spent time on Wednesday (Sept. 10) catching up with the young patients at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

2014 Miss Inland Empire Rita Garabet, 21, of Redlands, and 2014 Miss Inland Empire Outstanding Teen Sophia Torres, 14, of Apple Valley, spent time playing and interacting with the children at the hospital. They also toured some of the units at the hospital, including the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit and the Stem Cell Transplant Unit.

“I absolutely love visiting Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital; it’s a great place where children get the best care,” Garabet said. “I’m honored to visit the children, to interact with them, and hopefully help make their day,” she said.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Friday, September 12, the San Bernardino Black Cultural Foundation is proud to be celebrating 25 years of honoring unsung heroes. The Black Rose was the brainstorm of Dr. Juanita Scott, Jim King and Jeffrey Hill.  It was evident to them and to us that many individuals, companies and organizations were doing exceptional volunteer work in the Inland Empire but were not getting recognition.  These are, indeed, our unsung heroes because these volunteers do not look for compensation or recognition.

This year’s honorees include Tim Evans, founder of the Unforgettables Foundation; Dwaine Radden, Sr., newly appointed CEO of The PAL Center and PAL Academy High School; and The California Gas Company. Other long time sponsors being recognized include  The City of San Bernardino; Edison International; Arrowhead Credit Union; San Bernardino Unified School District; Dameron Communications; Derrick Vasquez; Community Hospital of San Bernardino; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; and Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja. The Black Rose winners are as follows:  Arthur & Fredda Davis Foundation, Angela Brantley, Keynasia Buffong, C.O.P.E., Walter Hawkins, Patricia Nelson, and Dr. Gary Thomas.

The Awards Banquet will be held at the National Orange Show Valencia Room, 689 South E Street (entrance on Arrowhead Avenue). Social hour is at 6 p.m. with dinner and program beginning at 7 p.m. The cost for this event is $60 per person or $600 for a table of ten. Contact Margaret Hill at (909) 864-3267 or (909) 991-6422 for tickets.

WHO: All county departments, community and faith based organizations, and community members interested in learning about suicide prevention. Suicide Prevention Week is September 8 through September 14 and World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10.

WHAT: September 8 through 14 marks the 40^th Annual National Suicide Prevention Week and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. The purpose of Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day is to create awareness and provide information and education about the warning signs of suicide as well as reduce the stigma surrounding the topic of suicide.  The warning signs of emotional pain or suicidal thoughts aren’t always obvious.

WHY: Suicide is real, but can also be preventable.  According to the International Association for Suicide, the number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined.  Knowing what to look for and finding the words to show concern and support may be a life-saving act.

Here are some warning signs:

• Talking about wanting to die or suicide
• Increased drug or alcohol use
• Feeling hopeless, desperate, trapped
• Withdrawal
• Giving Away possessions
• Anxiety or agitation
• Putting affairs in order
• Changes in sleep
• Reckless behavior
• Sudden mood changes
• Anger
• No sense of purpose

WHEN:  National Suicide Prevention Week is the week of September 8 through 14, 2014. World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10, 2014.

WHERE: More information on the warning signs and ways to help can be found at www.suicideispreventable.org.  The national suicide prevention lifeline phone number is 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255).

CONTACT: For more information regarding Suicide Prevention please contact Erica Porteous at (909) 252-4050.

For County of San Bernardino residents in need of a Crisis Walk-in Clinic (CWIC) the following CWICs are available:

CWIC Rialto: 850 E. Foothill Blvd. Rialto, CA 92376 (909) 421-9495. Open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CWIC High Desert: 16460 Victor Street, Victorville, CA 92395. (760) 245-8837. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

CWIC Morongo Basin: 55475 Santa Fe Trail, Yucca Valley, CA 92284 (entrance to Inca Trail). (855) 365-6558. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

For residents who are experiencing a mental health related emergency the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) is available for assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:

East Valley: Office (909) 421-9233 Pager- (909) 420-0560

West Valley: Pager- (909) 535-1316

High Desert: Office- (760) 956-2345 Pager- (760) 734-8093

Morongo Basin: (855) 365-6558

For all numbers listed, TTY users may dial 711.

District Attorney Investigator Karen Cragg and the young boy play games and color with crayons while waiting for the father to arrive at the DA’s Office.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Child Abduction Unit (CAU) assisted in the successful reunification of a 4-year-old boy with his father last Tuesday, after the young boy’s mother took him out of state.

“When the father and grandparents arrived at our office, we all watched as the little boy ran to his grandma and gave her a big hug,” said Supervising Deputy District Attorney Denise Trager-Dvorak, who oversees the CAU. “When his father appeared, he ran into his Dad’s arms and told him how much he missed him and that he was sorry he hadn’t come back sooner.”

The work of the CAU focuses on protecting the custody rights of parents and legal guardians.  On a routine basis, the CAU partners with courts and law enforcement throughout the United States to recover abducted children who are carried across state lines. In cases of international child abduction, the CAU implements the terms of the Hague Convention, an international treaty signed by more than 60 countries.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s CAU staff consists of Deputy DA Kurt Rowley, DA investigators Karen Cragg and Larry Jackson, and Secretary Bert Mendez. In this case the CAU was operating under a statutory mandate to enforce the family law court’s child custody orders.

“The work they do every day is very emotionally-charged, and they continually do their best to ensure that children are safe and that the court’s child custody orders are followed,” said Trager-Dvorak. “In this situation, it was very rewarding to watch Dad, with tears in his eyes, happy to have his son back, and hugging him like he would never let go. I had to fight back tears myself.”

For more information regarding the Child Abduction Unit, please visit http://ow.ly/AS6cr

A 9/11 Memorial Ceremony and Ride is planned for Sunday, Sept. 7., to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and other worthy causes. In this photo are, front row, left to right: Carlie Mason, a patient at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital; Jake Feenstra, firefighter, Loma Linda Fire Department. Back row, left to right: Glenn Quaid, owner, Quaid Harley-Davidson; Don Benfield, battalion chief, Colton Fire Department; and Jimmy Todorovitch, of Quaid Harley-Davidson

LOMA LINDA, CA  – Firefighters from the cities of Loma Linda and Colton, and other community groups, will host a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony and Ride on Sunday, September 7, to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and other worthy causes.

A memorial program is planned for 10:30 a.m. at Loma Linda Fire Department Headquarters, 11325 Loma Linda Drive, Loma Linda, Calif. The ceremony will feature a joint Honor Guard presentation by Loma Linda and Colton firefighters, along with members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The Honor Guard presentation will include a flag-raising and bell ceremony. Members of Firefighters Local 935 Pipes and Drums will perform in remembrance of those who were lost during the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001. U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Jaime Magallanes and representatives from the cities of Loma Linda and Colton will give brief remarks.

Leading up to the ceremony, Quaid Harley-Davidson and Loma Linda H.O.G. will host a 9/11 Memorial Ride that will travel in procession through the city of Loma Linda to the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony. People interested in participating in the ride may register by 8:30 a.m. at Quaid Harley-Davidson, 25160 Redlands Blvd., Loma Linda, Calif. Registration is free, and donations are encouraged to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, The Loma Linda and Colton Injured Firefighter Fund, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

For more information, call (909) 796-8399.

Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod speaks with Dorothy Grant Elementary students as they contact the International Space Station using amateur radio.

MONTCLAIR, CA – This past week, Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino) visited Dorothy Grant Elementary School in the City of Fontana where seven students from Ms. Beverly Matheson’s 4th grade class made contact with astronauts aboard the International Space Station using amateur radio.

The Amateur Radio International Space Station Program (ARISS) is a joint venture by NASA and the Amateur Radio Satellite Corporation to facilitate communication between astronauts aboard International Space Station and schools around the world.  ARISS’s goal is to inspire interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.

“Promoting STEM education is very important because it opens many doors of opportunities for our students interested in pursuing these fields,” said Rep. Negrete McLeod.  “I applaud Ms. Matheson, Dorothy Grant Elementary School, and the Fontana Unified School District for facilitating this event because it helps motivate our next generation of scientists, engineers, and astronauts here in the Inland Empire.”

The event was a great success.  Dorothy Grant Elementary plans on contacting the International Space Station next year.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The Pete Aguilar for Congress campaign launched “Women for Pete”, a group of grassroots supporters from all over San Bernardino County who are standing with Pete because he has a proven track record of working hard for the needs of Inland Empire women and middle class families. Following three outstanding “Women for Pete” events this week highlighting his commitment to equality for women, the coalition will continue to organize women supporters and build on the grassroots momentum of his campaign.

“Women need an advocate in Congress who will be committed to fighting for equal pay, raising the minimum wage, providing quality education for our children and preserving their right to make their own health decisions,” Aguilar said. “I am humbled that women from across the Inland Empire have put their trust in me to fight for them and am honored that they have come together to stand with me in this campaign.”

Pete has earned the support of women leaders and advocacy groups across the region including U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Congresswoman Julia Brownley, Congresswoman Janice Hahn, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod, Assembly Member Cheryl Brown, Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Yesterday, on Women’s Equality Day, Aguilar hosted a “Women for Pete” luncheon at Olive Avenue Market in Redlands, followed by a women-to-women phone bank in San Bernardino and then closed out the day with a “Latinas for Pete” event

Pete Aguilar is a small business owner and Mayor of Redlands. He is a strong advocate for economic growth and fairness in the Inland Empire, a leader who has reached across party lines to serve the best interests of middle-class families in San Bernardino County

LOS ANGELES, CA- Macy’s ninth annual “Shop For A Cause” one-day shopping event has raised $60,000 in support of the March of Dimes mission to help moms in our community have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies, it was announced today. Programs for moms and babies in our area that will benefit from these vital funds raised include:

Supportive group prenatal education to teach pregnant women to have a healthy pregnancy and promote healthy behaviors and equip women to make better decisions about their health care.

Services to hospitals and health care providers to help them reduce the numbers of elective cesarean sections and inductions of labor between 37 and 39 weeks of pregnancy.  Reducing early elective deliveries is safer for mothers, reduces the risk of medical complications for babies, and results in lower health care costs.

The March of Dimes was the exclusive national beneficiary of in-store and online savings pass sales for Macy’s 2014 “Shop for A Cause.” For more information about “Shop For A Cause,” visit macys.com/magicofgiving.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-Applications are being accepted to award diplomas to men and women whose high school education was interrupted due to military service or internment in a Japanese American camp.

In partnership with the County Department of Veterans Affairs, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools is offering an opportunity to provide veterans and internees who qualify for a high school diploma.

The deadline to apply for the sixth annual County Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project is September 26.Diplomas will be awarded to qualified applicants at a presentation in November. Applicants will be notified of their status and qualified applicants will be provided with the date, time, and location of the presentation.

Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project provides veterans and internees, who were unable to complete high school due to military service or internment, the opportunity to receive a high school diploma, according to the state education code. Veterans who served in and receivedan honorable discharge from World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War; or individuals who were interned in a Japanese American relocation camp and are San Bernardino County residents are eligible to participate. There is no charge to participate.

Applications can be downloaded from the County Schools’ website at vdp.sbcss.k12.ca.us. For assistance with verification of military service and/or discharge papers, contact the County Department of Veterans Affairs at (866) 472-8387 or (909) 387-5516.For more information, contact Stacie Diaz at County Schools at (909) 386-2412.