Local

By Carrie Stanton

The California Department of Motor Vehicles remains open for business both virtually – through online service options at dmv.ca.gov/online – and in our offices with health and safety precautions.

During this surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, customers are encouraged to use our online services as the safest and fastest way to take care of DMV business. Most things you need to accomplish at the DMV can be done online. Of course, if you have to come to an office, we are happy to serve you, but ask that everyone be cautious and follow public health guidelines during this pandemic.

To protect the health and safety of DMV employees and customers, the DMV requires everyone in its offices to wear face coverings, keep their distance, wash hands frequently, and stay home if they are sick. Customers are also asked to limit the number of family members who accompany them to an office to those who are necessary to complete a transaction, and to be patient while waiting to be served.

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 to our team members and the public is our priority as we provide service to our customers.

Many DMV transactions, including vehicle registration and driver’s license renewals, and changing an address can be completed at dmv.ca.gov/online. Californians also can save time by filling out the online driver’s license application, including for REAL ID, before they visit a field office. Customers may also upload required REAL ID documents beforehand to save time during their office visit.

Starting May 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will require a valid passport or other federally approved documents, like a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card, to board flights within the United States and access secure federal facilities and military bases.

In addition to providing more services online, the DMV has accommodated customers in many ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the DMV announced the extension of commercial driver’s licenses, learner’s permits, endorsements and special certificates expiring between March 2020 and February 2022, through February 28, 2022.

The DMV also offers many services through its 365 self-service kiosks located in retail establishments statewide, its business partner locations, over the phone and by mail.

San Bernardino County has jobs that will be opening on Saturday, January 29. We encourage you to apply and share these job openings with those who may be interested in them. Recruitments listed are subject to final department approval. Check sbcounty.gov/jobs for the most up- to -date recruitments.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) believes that all families should have choices and input when it comes to their children’s education. To that end, SBCUSD offers several Signature Programs, middle school lottery programs, and School of Choice options.

If your child is currently enrolled at an SBCUSD school, you can apply now for a change of school for the 2022–2023 school year. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2022.

“School staffing is based on student attendance, which is usually based on the number of children living in a school’s attendance area,” Leonard Buckner, director of Enrollment & Placement Services, said. “However, if students apply early for a change of school, we may be able to alter our staffing, to the extent possible, to accommodate parents’ requests.”

Families are not able to request a transfer to Chavez Middle School, Richardson PREP HI Middle School, or Rodriguez Prep Academy Middle School since all three schools are part of the middle school lottery system. Paakuma’ K–8 School does not have space to accommodate any additional students. Middle College High School has a unique application process. Most other SBCUSD schools are available as a School of Choice option.

Learn more at https://sbcusd.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=59953&pageId=201467.

SOUTH CHINA SEA—Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 2nd Class Victor Rodriguez, from Apple Valley, Calif., assigned to the “Vigilantes” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151, conducts maintenance on flight gear aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abraham Lincoln Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Aleksandr Freutel)

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has named City of San Bernardino Council Members Kimberly Calvin and Damon L. Alexander to their 2022 Housing Policy Leadership Academy.

With State legislation focusing on regional housing needs and market forces accelerating housing production, the SCAG Housing Policy Leadership Academy will expose emerging and established leaders to best practices to increase the availability of affordable housing in their communities. The program will focus on five specific issues: producing housing for all; preserving vulnerable housing, promoting equity and inclusion, protecting tenants and small landlords, and preventing displacement.

“Affordable and inclusionary housing is a critical issue for both the residents of San Bernardino and our region,” said Calvin. This is a tremendous opportunity for Councilmember Alexander and I to take what we learn during this program and apply it locally.”

During the Academy, program participants and issue experts from across the state and region will examine housing issues from diverse perspectives and apply their learning to current policy challenges. Discussions will examine solutions that consider both the physical and social aspects of a healthy housing ecosystem for all.

“With more developers looking at opportunities in San Bernardino, we are poised for growth. We need to be sure that inclusionary and affordable housing is part of that growth,” said Alexander, who represents San Bernardino’s seventh ward. “The timing of this Academy could not be better, and we look forward to being a part of it.”

The Housing Policy Leadership Academy consists of ten monthly sessions and runs through November. SCAG is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six southern California counties, 191 cities and more than 19 million residents.

Mrs. Moses moved to Perris Valley in 1957 and hit the ground running—taking on leadership roles in a variety of organizations that initiated infrastructure improvements, including installing roads, water and natural gas; and construction of an elementary school, community center, and fire station in the rural area of Good Hope, where she resides.

Mrs. Moses’s leadership in Perris Valley’s first Human Relations Commission facilitated dialogue and training for community leaders that helped move race relations forward in the community and schools.  Mrs. Moses’ vision, and her respect for the diverse needs of her community and fair-minded leadership style have earned her the respect of residents and community leaders alike.  Willie Lee has served the community well and her wisdom and stalwart example will no doubt have lasting impacts in Perris Valley, and beyond. Mrs. Moses is deeply cherished in her beloved community, where she is often dubbed “The Mayor of Good Hope.”  Although Willie has slowed a bit in in the past few years, the fruits of her good work and shining example are ever present.

Willie’s daughter Eleanor stated, “My mom’s optimism, and commitment to shape the world around her and make it a better place, are constants. She really embodies that adage “be the change you want to see. Hard to find a more stalwart and hopeful public servant. She’s such an inspiring role model in these fractious times.”

A celebration in her honor of Willie Moses and her purpose filled life will be held at the Riverside County Moses Schaffer Community Center on her 100th Birthday on Friday, February 18, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 4 PM.  The event will be held both virtually and in person.  For additional information or to RSVP, please contact Eleanor Moses at willieleemoses@gmail.com, or 510 290-4563.

Facts about Willie Moses

• It did not take long for Willie Lee and Henry Moses to discover Perris Valley was conservative and resistant to change when they relocated to Good Hope from Compton in 1957.
• The Moses’s were active in the community from the beginning taking a leadership role in community development, quality education, working as an activist during the civil rights era. They were involved with many Democratic political campaigns, and public education efforts.
• The couple worked with other leaders to build strategies for improving race relations in Perris Valley and help the community evolve in positive directions.  Every race, nationality, and religion could be found in the Moses home which was a hub for many community, political and family events. They were a constant resource and support for family, neighbors, and community leaders over the years.
• Willie Lee Moses Nee Wanza was born February 18, 1922, in a small Louisiana town. Despite encountering many difficulties living in the racially charged South Willie developed a strong belief early on that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.  She has maintained that self-assuredness and spirit of resilience throughout her life and speaks lovingly of family and community members who believed in her and guided her early development.
• Willie migrated West in 1944 after graduating valedictorian of her high school class, attending several years of teacher training at Grambling College and teaching school for a short period.
• Looking for better opportunities, Willie joined her future husband Henry in Washington state, where they both worked in the war effort. Willie worked in an armory processing ammunition before moving on to monitor ammunition inventory coming on and off ships. The couple relocated to Southern CA in 1946 where they purchased a large home and business enterprise, hosting many friends and relatives migrating from Louisiana.
• Just three generations from slavery, Willie broke many barriers in Perris Valley as the first African American to take assertive leadership roles in a variety of community organizations. Her legacy of deeply principled activism, service, and community building are still evident throughout Perris Valley.
• Willie was instrumental in helping bring water, natural gas, roads, and other critical infrastructure to her rural community, and successfully advocated for development of an elementary school, community center and fire station in Good Hope. She was tireless in her work to provide resources for the elderly and needy, coordinating a free food program for low-income seniors nearly 35 years.  Concerned about the quality of her children’s education Willie stepped up without hesitation to serve as president of the Perris Elementary, Middle and High School PTAs.  Sometimes serving as president of multiple PTA at the same time.
• Instrumental in developing a new elementary school in the neighborhood, Willie also served as first PTA president of the new Good Hope Elementary School where she helped raise funds for free lunches, the purchase of clothing and shoes for underprivileged children and distribution of food baskets to seniors in addition to school oversight duties.
• Willie had a leadership role in Perris Valley’s first Human Relations Commission, which was successful in opening dialogue and improving race relations among community leaders in Perris Valley, and students in the Perris Unified School District.
• A Perris Elementary School District food service manager for nearly 25 years, Willie also served as a job steward for classified employees in the region. All of this and more while keeping up a large turn of the century home and raising five girls on a five-acre property filled with fruit trees, pigs, chickens, rabbits, and the occasional cow.  While her husband worked, Willie was often left single handedly keeping five girls in either Brownies, Girl Scouts, band, drill team, cheerleading, school plays, speech contests, sports teams, Sunday School and church.
• The Moses home was the nucleus of a large extended family, and the broader community. Often the hub of large gatherings, meetings and political events.
• A stalwart public servant, Willie has an open heart, and endless energy for family and community. The most notable testament to her years of advocacy is when she is lovingly referred to as “Mayor of Good Hope”.  Riverside County renamed their community building in Good Hope, Moses Schaffer Community Center.  In honor of Willie and another super volunteer and former co-worker.  In 2018 she received an honorary theology PHD for a lifetime of community service. She has many formal acknowledgements for her work over the years..
• Willie was a member of Bethel AME Church nearly 60 years, where she served as a missionary and exhorter.
• The pandemic has prevented Willie from participating in-person with clubs and organizations, but she continues to be involved and give council. Approaching 100, she still has an extraordinary ability to mix her faith and love of life, family, community and friends into a living storybook that deserves celebrating.  She’s defiantly an inspiration in these fractious times.
• When asked advice she has for leading a good life. Moses responded: “Just, treat others the way you want to be treated;” “give the best you have, and the best will come back to you.” “I draw a lot of strength from the 23^rd  It’s my favorite scripture.” “When our ancestor had to pray in the bushes and arbors, for a better future for themselves and their children.  They may not have known what it looked like, but they were good folks, and they believed, and just kept pushing forward.  I never forget, or let my children forget that we stand on the shoulders of those elders and their toil, and we need to keep carrying the torch forward.”
• “Almost eighty-five years ago as a fifteen-year-old girl I was fortunate to win a regional speech contest competing with many older students.  Thanks to good schooling, and the confidence that was instilled in me at an early age, I went on to become valedictorian of my high school in Farmersville LA. The poem I recited in that competition The House by the Side of the Road https://allpoetry.com/The-House-By-The-Side-Of-The-Road has been a guiding light for me throughout my life.  Its a constant reminder to be tolerant and compassionate.”

Andre Herndon talks about his journey to his new role, some of his most proud achievements, and his relationship with his family in an exclusive interview with Westside Story Newspaper.

By Savannah Thomas

Working in politics takes a special kind of drive and personality: thankfully, Andre Herndon is the man for the job.

On January 26, 2022, Herndon was promoted to Mayor Garcetti’s Chief of Staff. Herndon has been a part of Garcetti’s team since 2015 and has spent his entire career in politics working his way through multiple roles to get to where he is today. Now, it seems as though years of hard work are finally paying off.

Herndon has always had an interest in public service, but it would be many years before he would work directly in politics. He started his career as a journalist in the mid-1990s, working for the Westside Story newspaper before moving to the LA Wave in 2000. He worked as an editor at the paper for nearly a decade before shifting gears to becoming communications director for the city council, then into Parks and Rec, and finally accepting a job offer working for Mayor Garcetti. Now, Herndon has graduated from reporting on the city budget to helping write it.

And Garcetti couldn’t be happier to have him.

“Andre’s thoughtful leadership and dedication have been essential to everything we’ve done to make Los Angeles a safer, more prosperous, and well-run city,” wrote Garcetti in an email to Westside Story. “In my years of working with him, I have seen that he isn’t just a strong leader—he inspires people to work harder and embrace new ways of solving our most pressing challenges. That’s the kind of leadership Los Angeles needs, and it’s why I know he will make an excellent Chief of Staff.”

In 2021, Mayor Garcetti and his team unveiled their Justice Budget, an ambitious project aimed at targeting underserved communities in Los Angeles. According to Herndon, the process to create and launch this project was time-intensive but resulted in being one of his most impressive projects to date.

“That was my baby for over a year,” Herndon admits, referring to Basic Income Guaranteed: KA Economic Assistance Pilot (BIG: LEAP), a pilot program that will provide 3,000 Angelenos with $1,000 a month for 12 months. It’s a big step towards trying to assist low-income individuals by setting an income floor for them in this time of need.

Given his dedication to making the city of Los Angeles a more equitable place for everyone, it should come as no surprise that Herndon also had a hand in creating Los Angeles Reforms for Equity and Public Acknowledgement of Institutional Racism (LA REPAIR): a program designed to provide $8.5 million in funds to low-income communities of color that were struck the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It should come as no surprise that this field of work requires a lot of time and dedication. In fact, Herndon admitted that he often “spends more time with his [coworkers] on a weekly basis than his family”. But that doesn’t stop him from finding time to be present in his son’s lives when he clocks out at the end of the day.

Herndon, who had thus far come across as a somewhat closed-off public figure, finally cracked a smile when talking about his family. He recalled taking one of his sons to the Kanye West and Drake benefit concert late last year, and the fond memories that came from it.

“It was very cold, but I braved it,” Herndon said, laughing. “Because I want [my children] to have those experiences.” According to Herndon, his family is something he holds very dear, and he wanted to make an attempt at being a present figure in the lives of his children since being in public service is often-times demanding.

It takes a very special kind of person to do well in politics, but thankfully, Andre Herndon is more than qualified.

RIALTO, CA— San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor, Joe Baca Jr. is joining Darious Harris, the founder of Never Stop Grinding (NSG), to host the third free dental and vision services event. This event is meant to serve those who need exams, cleanings, fillings and extraction, full eye exams and free prescription glasses, all at no pocket cost to participants. The event is open to the public and will have dentists and optometrists on site. The event will take place in Rialto on Saturday, February 5 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. This event is available to all those who fill out the application and receive a notification of their appointment time. Spaces are limited, so we please urge you to apply promptly as walk-ins will not be accepted.  We cordially invite community members to sign up for this free dental and vision services event.

“Dental and vision health is pivotal to the quality of our lives and to our individual health. Being able to spread the word and assist those who would appreciate this free event is something I am more than ecstatic to do. Considering the recent surge of COVID-19 in our county, we will also be providing rapid COVID-19 tests to be performed before each appointment. All CDC and COVID-19 guidelines will be followed. We cannot wait to have a lot of the community come out and receive necessary dental and vision services at no cost. Again, I would like to thank Darious Harris and all at NSG for their constant support to San Bernardino County.” -Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

Address will be disclosed to only those who are selected to render services. Register for the event at this using this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nsg-impact-free-dental-vision-event-tickets-237115638257?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Having health care coverage and getting COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are critical to protecting your health and the health of your family and community.

Covered California is urging those who do not have health insurance to sign up for affordable, brand-name health plans by its Jan. 31 open-enrollment deadline to have their coverage start Feb. 1.

This open-enrollment deadline comes as the COVID-19 Omicron variant continues to surge across California and is still disproportionately impacting African Americans and other people of color. With the cost of an emergency room visit averaging $8,000 and COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU care at $127,000 — if you don’t have health insurance — it underscores the importance of having health coverage to avoid medical debt.

Covered California estimates that there are more than 1 million Californians who currently don’t have health insurance and are eligible for more financial help than ever before through Covered California or Medi-Cal to enroll in brand-name health plans. Right now, two out of every three Covered California enrollees can get comprehensive health coverage for $10 or less per month.

Marva Neal said she has truly benefitted from having an affordable, quality health plan through Covered California health. Neal lives in Los Angeles and immigrates from Belize to California more than 40 years ago but didn’t have health insurance until early last year, when she got enrolled into a Covered California plan with Molina Health.

“It’s been nothing but easy going since I’ve gotten a health plan,” said Neal.

Neal works as an aide at a Los Angeles senior day care center and is paying $49 per month for her health coverage. Shortly after getting coverage last year, she spotted a lump on her neck and scheduled an appointment with a physician.

“The doctor said that I had a tumor growing on my neck, and 10 days later I had surgery,” Neil said. “Luckily the tumor was benign, and I didn’t have any problems. Everything went so smooth.”

Signing up for a Covered California or Medi-Cal health plan for 2022 can not only help you avoid high medical bills, but it can also prevent you from having to pay costly penalties at tax time. Consumers who can afford health care coverage but choose to go without could pay a hefty penalty when they file their state taxes next year, which could be as much as $800 for an individual and $2,400 for a family of four. This penalty is administered by California’s Franchise Tax Board

Those interested in learning more about their health coverage options through Covered California and Medi-Cal can:

• Visit CoveredCA.com.
• Get free and confidential assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
• Have a certified enroller call themand help them for free.
• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.