Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan (“Blue Shield Promise”) collaborates with community organizations and local artist to create “Promise” mural that will be unveiled in the Boys & Girls Clubs Challengers Clubhouse

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOS ANGELES, CA— “Speak Life,” “Share Life,” and “Take Flight,” are some of the positive messages on a new colorful mural painted by South Los Angeles at-risk middle school and high school students and community artist Moses Ball.

The 8-week Blue Shield Promise Community Art Therapy program was held in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles, Challengers Clubhouse and Wellnest (formerly Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic). The project helps local youth deal with everyday trauma they face by using their creativity to help design a mural based on their hopes and aspirations.

Each week, social workers and behavioral health specialists from Blue Shield Promise and Wellnest joined accomplished artist Ball who encouraged youth aged 11 to 17 to lend their creativity as they participated in the program. Art was used as a tool to help the program participants share their feelings and talk about difficult issues in a safe, nurturing space. As part of the program, a “Promise” theme mural was painted on the 20-foot by 60-foot wall outside the playground of the Boys and Girls Challengers Clubhouse.

The design is a brightly colored blue wall representing the faces of the children and showcasing their dreams about future occupations. For example, a young girl inspired by aviator Bessie Coleman is dressed like a pilot with an image of a plane taking flight behind her. Another shows a young girl rapper inspired by Nipsey Hussle’s music as well as his community work.

“The vision that inspired the mural is to repair the hurt from the challenges the youth face and in turn foster the dreams that still live inside them,” Ball said.

“It gives me great satisfaction to mentor youth both artistically and in life,” said Ball. “I hope to inspire the next generation to become Los Angeles muralists and beautify the community. With the support of Blue Shield Promise that provided resources and staff, I was able to focus on the artistic instruction and guidance of kids who played a key role in creating the mural.”

“It’s exciting to think that every time I come to the center, the mural gives me a sense of pride  knowing that I helped paint it,” said Brailyn (12 years old), Boys & Girls Clubs Challenger Clubhouse member.  

The mural is part of the Community Art Therapy Program, which includes guidance from trained behavioral health professionals. The goal is to help at-risk youth express their emotions in an invisible form, and assist them in building relationships with others. This program enables kids who are undergoing physical, emotional or mental crisis to increase their ability to explore, discover and interpret reality in a safe space.

“Blue Shield Promise is committed to investing in the communities where our members live to ensure they have every opportunity to have healthy and vibrant lives,” said Dr. Greg Buchert, President and CEO of Blue Shield Promise. “We are thrilled to have the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles and Wellnest joining our effort to create community programming like the youth art therapy that focuses on addressing the health needs of youth using art and engagement.”

“This was a great program for our youth because it provided them with an opportunity that they will be able to experience for years to come with the creating of this colorful new mural at the Challengers Club,” said Calvin Lyons, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles. “We’re delighted to work with Blue Shield Promise and Wellnest who understand the needs of healthy communities and offer their time and resources to boost children’s self-esteem and confidence through art therapy.”

“Commenting on the power of art, Charlene Dimas-Peinado, President and CEO of Wellnest added, “We know that art can be used to engage, educate, express powerful emotions, and develop creative thinking and problem solving that can contribute to their future success. We are honored to be a partner on this program to give these young people those tools.”

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Inland Center, Macerich’s regional mall destination in the heart of Southern California’s fast-growing Inland Empire, today announced a series of important updates to benefit shoppers at the market-dominant property. 

A major component of the refresh is the complete update of the 53-year-old freeway pylon sign, located at the high-profile I-215 and Inland Center Drive exit. The new signage features modern graphics, new metal and stone veneer cladding, LED lighting throughout and the addition of individual sign panels promoting major anchors at the property. Updates at Inland Center, all expected to be complete in fall 2019, also include new comfortable furnishings in common areas, remodeled restrooms and more. 

“We’re very pleased that Macerich continues to invest in its Inland Center retail powerhouse property that means so much to our community,” said John Valdivia, Mayor of the City of San Bernardino. “The highly visible new outdoor signage, in particular, will showcase major destination and attractions at the property, which has been a vital part of our City for more than 50 years.” 

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Newly elected City of San Bernardino Third Ward Councilman Juan Figueroa said “I fully support Inland Center’s efforts to enhance and update their presence, and appreciate the positive impacts it has had on the greater San Bernardino community for over five decades. As shopping centers evolve into their next iteration, and begin to introduce non-traditional offering and new experiences, we will continue to support our hometown retail destination. Specifically in the 3rd Ward, I’m encouraged and thankful of the mall’s investment in our community.” 

 Office of Mayor John Valdivia 

Arun Parmar, Inland Center’s Senior Manager, Property Management, added, “Inland Center is a vital part of life in San Bernardino and the surrounding communities and a top choice for successful retailers and brands. While the new outdoor signage certainly will appeal to shoppers, it also provides a tangible benefit to our retail and major partners that more than ever value prime placement and positioning at key properties, like Inland Center. Great experiences matter to shoppers and retailers today, which is why our refresh also includes welcoming new common area furnishings, remodeled restrooms and a variety of other amenity updates all of which will be complete in stages over the next three months. Construction on the I-215 freeway pylon sign is underway and is expected to be unveiled in August.” 

When Will More Than $2.7 Billion The State Has Invested  in Fighting Homelessness and Building Affordable Housing Reach the People Who Need it?

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

When Coleen Sykes Ray started an organization with her daughter in 2015 to help homeless women, the Stockton, California resident had no idea she, too, would be homeless four years later. 

Now, she, her husband and two children live in an Extended Stay America hotel in Stockton. The family pays a costly $610 hotel bill every week as they struggle to find a place to live.

“When you tell landlords you have a Section 8 voucher, its like saying a dirty word,” says Ray who is African American and works as a Community Outreach Specialist for a local public health organization. “It’s heartbreaking because we’re good people. I’m working and I’m college-educated.”

Ray says she gets why landlords refuse to rent their properties to her family. Some of them explain that they have been burnt many times by people who pay them with vouchers. Other property owners, she says, tell her that it is a hassle to have to deal with the Section 8 administration.

But understanding the landlords’ reluctance  – after going great lengths to impress them, only to be rejected in the end – doesn’t make life easier for Ray and her family. They live cramped in a single hotel room, preparing almost every meal in a microwave, with no sign in sight that they will have a new home soon.

From 2017 to 2019, the number of homeless people in San Joaquin County, where Stockton is the largest city and the county seat, tripled, increasing from 567 to more than 1,500. During that same period in the city of Stockton itself, the homeless population skyrocketed, too, reaching 921 from 311 people two years prior, according to a 2018 “point-in-time” census report compiled by San Joaquin County.  

“While we certainly understand that the number of homeless people have tripled in the county, that number might not be a true reflection of what has happened over the last two years,” says Adam Cheshire, Program Administrator for Homeless Initiatives in San Joaquin County.

Cheshire says in 2017, there were only 35 volunteers who signed up to help count San Joaquin’s homeless population. In 2019, there were 400 volunteers, which helped his organization achieve a more accurate count, including the unsheltered homeless population.

Homelessness is not just a problem for San Joaquin county. It’s a statewide issue. Every major city in California has been hit by the crisis. Across California, the homeless population jumped by 16 percent between 2018 to 2019. With a total of about 130,000 people without a permanent place to live, California has the largest homeless population in the United States.

The high number of people in California without stable housing or a permanent address poses a serious problem for the state as it takes steps to avoid an undercount in the 2020 Census. 

For African Americans, California’s homelessness crisis is even more severe.

“Black Californians make up nearly 7 percent of the state’s general population yet are nearly 30 percent of the homeless population,” wrote Mark Ridley-Thomas, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, in an open letter to Gov. Newsom in June. Ridley-Thomas was reaching out to the governor asking him to address some of the problems specific to African Americans in the state.

As the homeless problem started to become more noticeable in Stockton, Ray says she and her daughter would see women, some of them mentally ill, walking around “free-bleeding” during their menstrual cycles. Disturbed by what they saw, they decided to package bags of women’s sanitary hygiene products – washes, wipes, tampons and napkins, etc. –  and hand them out to homeless women.

Soon, what they began as a one-time goodwill gesture grew into a non-profit they started and still run called Bags of Hope. In their first year, Ray and her daughter handed out 30 bags of the feminine products every month. Between 2017 and 2018, as the homelessness crisis spiraled in their city, they donated about 65 bags every month to homeless women in Stockton. This year, Ray says they have been fortunate to reach about 100 women living in shelters and on the streets every month.

Most of the funding they use to buy the products comes from donations from local businesses and individuals and a gala they hold once a year. The biggest gift  their organization has received so  far came from the Black Employee Network at Proctor and Gamble.

“Doing the work of Bags of Hope is a kind of ministry,” says Ray. “Helping other homeless people, gives me and my family hope now that we find ourselves in the same situation. There is no reason to be ashamed. We are not homeless because we are bad people, bad parents or we are lazy. There are investors, buying up properties in neighborhoods, raising the cost of housing, and pushing people out of places where they have been living for years.”

Ray, her husband, daughter and son, who is autistic, became homeless in May of this year. It was about eight months after Blue Shield of California laid her off last September along with about 400 other employees. 

Ray’s husband is a diabetic who became permanently disabled seven years ago after doctors amputated one of his feet following an injury. After her layoff last year, the couple scraped up money together to continue paying their $1,200 monthly rent – until January.

That’s when the landlord increased their rent to $1340, which Ray says they “simply could not afford.” After getting help from her church and making payment arrangements with the landlord for the next couple of months, the family fell behind on rent payments and agreed to move out.

Because every apartment or house they looked at before they left their rented home cost between $1,500 and $1,700 a month, the family decided to move into the hotel where they currently live. 

Fortunately for Ray, she landed her current job on June 24, this year.

But with the high weekly hotel cost, almost “every dime we earn,” says Ray, from her salary and her husband’s disability payment, goes toward their hotel bill. 

Around the time Ray and her family moved into the hotel in May, Gov. Newsom presented his revised 2019-20 budget to the legislature with unprecedented spending in it to take on the state’s homelessness crisis. The state plans to invest approximately $2.7 billion on shelters, prevention, support services, and more, as well as funding new affordable housing initiatives, according to Christopher Martin, Legislative Advocate for Housing California, a Sacramento-based organization focused on helping to solve California’s homelessness problem.

The budget took effect July 1.

Then, two weeks ago, Gov. Newsom signed into law AB 101, a trailer bill detailing budget dollars and issuing guidelines on how the monies allocated to fight homelessness will be spent. A provision tucked into the bill now prevents local governments from blocking the building of homeless shelters and navigation centers in communities across the state.

A few of the budget items in AB 101 are: a $45.9 million allocation to support Census outreach to hard-to-count communities; $25 million to support housing and benefits for homeless people who are disabled; and $16.4 million in rental assistance for former prisoners .  

About $250 million in the state budget will be funneled to counties across the state to fund homeless initiatives.

Together, California’s counties and  cities will receive a total of $650 million from the state over the next year for homeless housing, assistance and prevention programs. 

Cheshire told California Black Media that his team is coming up with ideas for the most effective ways to spend the new state funding in San Joaquin County so they can help families like Ray’s. But it is still too early, he says, to share those plans because they are not yet finalized and the state has not yet released the money.

Most of the money will start to kick in after April of 2020, says Martin.

As Ray balances adjusting to her new day job with the difficulties of being homeless, and helping other homeless women through  the work of Bags of Hope, she remains upbeat and optimistic.

“I can’t go out and preach love, light and strength and have a negative spirit,” she says. “No matter what I’m facing.”

Californians Urged to Apply by August 19

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— The California State Auditor recently reminded Californians that there are only five days left to submit an initial application for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. With less than a week left before the August 19 deadline, to date 17,791 people have applied to serve on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission, of which 15,110 are tentatively eligible.

“Now is the time to apply,” said California State Auditor Elaine M. Howle. “The deadline for the initial application period is Monday, August 19, and we are asking eligible applicants not to delay any longer. I urge you to take up this once in a decade opportunity to be part of one of California’s most important processes – redrawing the lines of California’s congressional and state electoral districts.”

The initial application takes about ten minutes to complete. Applicants must submit an application online at shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov during the initial application period, which ends this Monday, August 19 at 5:00 p.m. 

Information requested through the initial application is used to determine tentative eligibility and is a required first step in the application and selection process for becoming a member of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. A supplementary application will be made available at the end of the initial application period to the applicants who are tentatively eligible. The supplemental application period begins Wednesday, August 21, and runs through

September 20, 2019.

For information about eligibility requirements and to apply, please visit shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov or call (833) 421–7550. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @ShapeCAFuture.

About the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission

Every ten years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts.

In 2008, California voters passed the Voters FIRST Act authorizing the creation of an independent Commission comprised of 14 members. The 2020 Commission will include five Democrats, five Republicans, and four who are either registered without, or “independent” of, any political party (decline-to-state or no party preference) or with another party. The Commission is responsible for drawing the lines of each district. The open application period for new Commission members began June 10, 2019, and will run through August 19, 2019. 

The California State Auditor’s Office is a state entity that is independent of the executive branch and legislative control. The purpose of the California State Auditor’s Office is to improve California government by assuring the performance, accountability, and transparency that its citizens deserve. For more information on the State Auditor’s Office, please visit www.Auditor.ca.gov.

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The California State Auditor is tracking applicant demographic data on a daily basis and it is available to the public at https://applications.shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov/.

By Lou Yeboah

I don’t know about you, but when I think about that phrase, “This far and no more!” it becomes  an “Aah” moment for me! You see, knowing that God watches over you, working things out for you, and blocking the assault of the enemy against you, can’t be but an “Aah” moment! “This far and no more,” means the enemy can only come but so far and then he must stop. For He said, “thus far and no father will you come.”  I don’t know about you, but that an “Aah” moment for me!

You see, when God got behind Israel, He put a separation between them and the enemy. The Egyptians, who sought to attack them from behind, were neutralized. God blocked the attack. I want you to know that, you don’t have to run away from the enemy, be intimidated, or fearful, because God  got your back. He is your defense.  That’s why what the devil  tries won’t work!

As Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”Place your hope, confidence and trust in the Lord who defends you.  Don’t panic! Don’t fear.  God has you covered and has the enemy blocked. Know that He’s blocking the attack on your family. He’s blocking the attack in every area of your life where Satan has tried to stop you from possessing the promises of God.

I tell you, when the devil and his imps are waging war in your life, don’t worry, be happy! Because the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.  God got your back! The same God who showed Himself strong on Hezekiah’s behalf is showing Himself strong on your behalf. Top of FormBottom of FormNo weapon formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. [Isaiah 54:17]

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, God preserve my life, He stretch out His hands against the wrath of my enemies, and His right hand delivered me….[Psalms 138:1-8].

As David said, “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield…” [Psalm 33:20-22]

Potential homebuyers turned out in droves to receive know-how, financial assistance through landmark program

While statistics may paint a grim picture of Black homeownership, a recent event in Baltimore laid out a clear path for turning those numbers around across the country.

Anyone questioning whether the Black community is primed to join the ranks of homeowners need only look to an innovative event in Baltimore that took place June 22. Nearly 700 people came away with the inspiration, education and motivation to make the goal of homeownership a reality when HomeFree-USA launched its Step Into Your Power: Prepare for Success Through Homeownership initiative to an enthusiastic audience of African American homebuyers in Baltimore City. 

More than 500 homebuyers participated in a live event at the Reginald Lewis Museum, while an additional 166 participated via live stream and a second event that was held to accommodate the overflow crowd.

Homeownership is the number one wealth indicator and accounts for 92 percent of Black wealth. Yet, the Great Recession of 2008 wiped out 48 percent of that homeownership wealth and African Americans are continuing to fall even further behind in homeownership compared to other segments. In fact, the Black homeownership rate has fallen to the lowest level ever as of the first quarter of 2019, according to Census data.

With Black Americans making up 63.3 percent of Baltimore’s population, the decline in Black homeownership poses a particular threat to Charm City. Step Into Your Power is a groundbreaking way to turn those homeownership numbers around and the kickoff event showed that many Baltimore residents agree. 

HomeFree-USA Founder Marcia Griffin welcomed attendees and talked candidly about the crisis in the Black community around the wealth gap, sharing how homeownership can help Black Americans improve their financial standing. HomeFree-USA also shared that homebuyers may be able to take advantage of up to $42,000 in financial assistance.

Some attendees pointed to the gentrification that has taken place in Washington, DC in the last few years and expressed their belief that Baltimore may realize the same fate. As a result, several attendees saw buying in Baltimore as an opportunity to both stop gentrification from pushing people from the city they love and a chance to be a homeowner in the city where they were born and raised.

Other attendees expressed their desire to buy a home so they can pass it down to their children and grandchildren.

Attendees also learned that organizations like HomeFree-USA can provide them with the financial education and the know-how to make their dream of homeownership a reality.

HomeFree-USA will host a series of Step Into Your Power events in Baltimore over the next 5 months designed to guide, educate, and coach first-time Baltimore City homebuyers to mortgage readiness, default resistance and homeownership. Upon success in Baltimore, the initiative will be launched in other cities with a significant number of African American residents. One goal of the Step Into Your Power program is to get 10,000 African American families mortgage-ready around the country by the end of 2020.

Entrepreneur and educator Stedman Graham, author of the recently released book, Identity Leadership, delivered the keynote address in Baltimore and spoke about how one must learn to lead oneself before one can lead others. Graham has been teaching self-actualization principles that help people discover who they can be, and he brought those insights to energize Baltimore residents as they prepare for success.

Strong partnerships underscore the strength of the initiative and were highlighted at the event.

“Step into Your Power: prepare for success through homeownership is a terrific example of working together to make a positive impact toward boosting Baltimore City homeownership,” said Lisa Thomlinson, program manager with Wells Fargo Housing Philanthropy.

Wells Fargo showed its commitment to Baltimore by offering qualified homebuyers up to $15,000 for down payment and closing costs through a program called NeighborhoodLIFT.  “Just as in many communities across the country, far too many families struggle with housing affordability in Baltimore,” Thomlinson says. “That’s why Wells Fargo teamed-up with HomeFree-USA and Stedman Graham to make a concerted effort to bring our business expertise forward and combine it with available resources including NeighborhoodLIFT Home Ownership Counseling grants for interested homebuyers.”

Freddie Mac is also providing financial support to ensure that Step Into Your Power reaches as many potential homebuyers as possible.

Step Into Your Power is a means for increasing the homeownership rate among African Americans and reducing the wealth gap in America. It also is designed to help Black Americans break the cycle of renting and begin to make homeownership an achievement that is passed down from generation to generation.

“This event marks the revival of the spirit to buy in Baltimore,” says Milan Griffin, Vice President of Marketing and Outreach for HomeFree-USA. “Thanks to Step Into Your Power, Baltimore residents see the opportunity homeownership presents and have a pathway to get there.”

Learn more about Step Into Your Power here, https://www.homefreeusa.org/company_news

(SAN BERNARDINO, CA)— Assemblyman James Ramos delivers a $3 million check to Mayor John Valdivia and City Councilman Juan Figuroa of San Bernardino. The state of California issued the check as a result of Ramos’ advocacy! The money is earmarked for updating the City Plan for San Bernardino. Mayor Valdivia also presented The Assemblyman with a Resolution thanking him for his support. A series of community meetings will occur to facilitate creating the development document. Call the San Bernardino City Clerk for more information.

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(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—- FONTANA, CA—- The Fontana Boxing Club will hold the Ring of Champs Boxing Show on August 10, 2019, at 1 p.m., in the Jessie Turner Center in Fontana, CA. This event is scheduled to hold 20 bouts of young amateur boxers and will showcase the work of the Fontana Boxing Club and the young boxers that are learning boxing skills, training in building self-confidence and self-discipline.

City Pride Magazine is partnering with the Fontana Boxing Club and Fighting 4 the Tatas to help promote the Ring of Champs Boxing Show. We are providing advertisement and media promotion and providing a special issue of City Pride Magazine that will be a souvenir program for the Ring of Champs Boxing show. This special edition will feature stories about the activities at the Fontana Boxing Club and the young people that they are helping to grow into champions. This edition will also feature Fighting 4 The Tatas Breast Cancer Awareness Organization and the work they are doing to alert the community of this dangerous health threat. We will also cover other important events and news in Fontana and the Inland Empire. 

We are offering business, community leaders and individuals an opportunity to join us and be a part of this great event. We are offering pages in the magazine/program where businesses can advertise and show their support for what these community organizations are doing. The advertisement will help support the activities of the Fontana Boxing Club and Fighting 4 The Tatas Breast Cancer Awareness Organization. 

Join us by getting a full-page ad for only $200 and ½ page ad for only $100. Cover page ads for front and back page is only $500. Please join us in our efforts to make this event successful and continue to provide these great services to our communities. Call City Pride Magazine at (424) 222-2296 or email citypridemag@gmail.com for more information on how you can participate. 

The Ring of Champs Boxing Show will be a great event for the entire community.. The cost is only $10 General, $20 Ringside and part of the proceeds will go toward Fighting 4 the Tatas Breast Cancer Awareness. For more info on Fontana Boxing Club visit at 7893 Sierra Ave. Fontana CA or call (909) 997- 5724 or view www.fontanaboxing club.com

By John Coleman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK)—- REDLANDS, CA— Special  members of the public were invited to join officials who represent federal, state, county, local communities and business interests in the ceremonial groundbreaking of the extension of the passenger rail service to, and eventually through Redlands. The ceremony was held on July 20, 2019.

For the period necessary for the ceremony, Redlands traffic was diverted from Stuart Street between Texas Street and Orange Street in Redlands. A small number of residents from the area were also in attendance. The event was covered by local, regional and electronic media.

The Redlands Passenger Rail Project (RPRP) describes itself as an advanced regional transportation project designed to connect residents, businesses and visitors to a variety of leisure, education, healthcare and other destinations. The nine-mile rail project provides new transportation choices through the implementation of a new rail service that integrates conveniently with other transportation modes such as auto, bus and bicycle.

The route starts at it’s national and Metrolink rail services base located at the Santa Fe Depot near Downtown San Bernardino then it proceeds locally to the San Bernardino Transit Center where it connects with the (non-rail) Omnitrans, Mountain Transit, Pass Transit, Victor Valley Transit systems and the SB/X route that flows from north of CSUSB to the Loma Linda University and Medical Center and to the VA Medical Center. 

The Redlands Passenger Rail Project proceeds through the SBTransit Center, jogs south and east to cross the Santa Ana River, stops at the to-be-built new Tippecanoe Ave Station, runs along-side the 10 freeway and Redlands Blvd to the to-be built station at ESRI , on to the under- construction Redlands Train Station, & University (of Redlands)  station.

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Aviation Electronics Mate 2nd Class Vinh Nguyen, from Orange County, Calif., right, and Aviation Electronics Mate 3rd Class Andrew Cancino, from San Bernardino, Calif., use a multimeter on an MH-60R Sea Hawk, assigned to the “Scorpions” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 49, on the flight deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115). Rafael Peralta is conducting routine operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Isaacs/Released)