MORENO VALLEY, CA- Construction of a new culvert on Pigeon Pass Road is proceeding on schedule. The project is part of continuing development of the Meadow Creek Community. Pigeon Pass remains closed to traffic from Old Lake Road to Meadow Lark Avenue.

Pigeon Pass is scheduled to be partially reopened August 8, a day before school resumes.

Construction was scheduled to coincide with the school district’s summer break to limit the closure’s impact on neighboring school traffic. Homebuilder Lennar has worked closely with area residents to inform them of the construction schedule as well as alternate routes.

Roadway improvements will include completing the East side of Pigeon Pass Road along the Meadow Creek Community.

The City appreciates your patience.  If you have any questions or comments regarding this project, please contact the City of Moreno Valley Land Development Division at (951) 413-3120.

MORENO VALLEY, CA- Thousands of Moreno Valley residents came together to celebrate the Fourth of July at the City’s parade and Family Fun Fest.

Crowds lined Frederick Street to cheer on a variety of musical ensembles, community groups, floats, Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez, members of the City Council and other local dignitaries as they made their way down the parade route.

Live bands So Rad, Latin Fusion, and MVP provided the entertainment at Family Fun Fest while attendees browsed the vendor and food offerings. 

Bounce houses and a petting zoo in the KidZone kept children busy until the Fireworks Spectacular lit up the sky with an impressive firework display. Radio Station KOLA 99.9 played patriotic music synched to the fireworks show.

The City’s Fourth of July events were generously sponsored by Skechers, Waste Management, Les Schwab Tire Center, Duke Realty and The Sares-Regis Group.  

San Gorgonio High Girls’ Softball Team (Photo courtesy of SBCUSD)

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- San Bernardino High School is offering $10 sports physicals to any middle or high school student on Friday, July 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education policy requires all students participating in organized, competitive sports to undergo a medical examination, also known as a sports physical.

The $10 sports physicals are available to all high school and middle school students, regardless of their health-insurance status or family income levels. A parent or guardian signature is required for students to be examined. Cash payments must be made at the time of the physical exam.

San Bernardino High School is located at 1850 North E Street, south of Highland Avenue in San Bernardino. Physicals will be held in room N-3. For more information about the low-cost sports physicals, call Jamie Rios, bilingual school outreach worker, at (909) 881-8217.

By Lue Dowdy

Alfred Parker, Maurice Cunningham, Daniel Fromm, Michael Angelo, and Clyde Gatewood is WHAT IT DO! Competing for a $500.00 cash prize, get ready for this one of a kind event happing right here in the Inland Empire. LUE Productions presents its 1st ‘Big Sexy Men Competition’ and BBW Fashion Show.

The event host will be Comedian Tamiko Kirkland with special appearances by BBW Queen Dee Dela Cruz and Queen Krystal Yvonne. There will be a special performance from LUE Productions’ rap group GWAAP FAM.

The evening will consist of the following: red carpet, BBW Fashion Show, live performances, and raffles and prizes. Featured designers include Diva’s Outlaw and Babydoll Couture. The pabel of judges this year are Lia Freeman, 2015 Miss California Plus; Jamie Lopez, VIC Camp of VIC Camp Entertainment, Brittany Sheraz ‘Just so Jazzy’, Jamila Choyce of Choyce TV, and Tonya Marie, Fashion Consultant and Radio Host. Vendors that will be in attendance are Pitstop BBQ, Lula Roe, It Works, FW Photography, JH Boutique and Thrift, Joshua Home, MKY Petite Modeling Agency, and Paparazzi Jewelry.

The show will be on Sunday, October 27 at the Women’s Club of San Bernardino located at 503 W 31^st Street in San Bernardino. Don’t wait, get your tickets now! Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For tickets, text (909) 567-1000 or (909) 566-7637 or email LUE.INFO@yahoo.com.

POMONA, CA- God is enlarging and expanding the territory of Covenant Sisters International from Coast to Coast. They recently launched their new Phoenix, Arizona chapter last month under the leadership of Apostle Dr. Regina Lindsey, The Overseer. In addition to their recent accomplishment, the West Coast chapter is inviting all ladies to join them for fellowship and an anointed evening of divine impartation and prophetic revelation. The conference will be taking place on Friday, July 14 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 15 at 8 a.m. at New Life Word of Faith located at 607 N. Towne Avenue in Pomona.

These two days will be hours filled with empowerment to strengthen, refresh, and undergird the body of Christ. On Friday, Apostle Dr. Joyce Thornton will be the keynote speaker with Lady Sharon Ann as the special musical act for the evening. On Saturday, there will be a Morning Glory Session with Apostle R. Lindsey at 8 a.m. followed by workshops hosted by Pastor Davis and Foundress, Apostle Dr. Joyce Thornton. The theme for the conference is “Empowering Women to ARISE for Purpose and Destiny.”

For more information, please visit www.covenantsisters.org.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Positive Women Meet Up, a networking platform for women of color in the Inland Empire, recently hosted the melanin rich, cultural event, “Natural Beauty”, at the Garcia Center for Arts in San Bernardino. Keona Anntionette, the founder of Positive Women Meet Up, has been loc’d for 5 years and natural all her life. As a firm believer that natural hair is beautiful, Keona facilitated the Inland Empire’s first Loc Appreciation Day. With the help of co-producers, Cleo Upshaw, Susan Henderson, and RayVaughn Upshaw, Natural Beauty encouraged the community to celebrate natural hair, out loud.

“Natural Beauty” included a question and answer session with dynamic speakers: Niketa Calame (actress), C.A. Henderson (Realtor, Author, and Educator), Tynesia Evans (Holistic Health and Wellness Coach), James Woods also known as “Dat Yoga Dude” (Author and Health Educator), Wentrelle Damarr (Artist), and Sebrena Thurton (Blogger). Sponsors of the event included Taliah Waajid, Jane Carter for Men, Brilliant Like Me, Alaffia, Dr. O’s Skin and Hair Care, Harmless Harvest, KIND Snacks, Los Angeles Urban League of Young Professionals, and Dr. Lakieta “Dr. Elle” McMurray-Emanuel. Natural Beauty event vendors included Totally Jaz’d, Bold Look Head Wraps, Kreatiewe World, Bundlez N Beauty Hair Salon of Bloomington, Artsy Black Fam, Brilliant Like Me, and Mama’s Tea Cakes. “Natural Beauty” also included a live head wrap tutorial from Juanita Morris of Bold Look Head Wraps, a live hair show produced by Hairstory Natural Hair Salon of Upland, live spoken word from artists: JT Sweet, Brittany Abraham, and Lasia Lynnai, as well as delicious, custom made, desserts from CupKaekes by Chef Kae.

“Natural Beauty” was a celebration of melanin, natural hair, entrepreneurship, natural beauty, and our rich culture. With a bonus of live music from Fingerprint IE, Natural Beauty was simply beautiful.

“Producing this event in San Bernardino was necessary because not only did it bring the community together, it opened a safe space to discuss necessary topics in the African American community: the beauty of our natural hair, best natural hair practices, and to instill confidence and culture into our children and our community. We are proud that the growth of Positive Women Meet Up has allowed us to expand and bring new events to the community,” Keona Anntionette, founder of Positive Women Meet Up, stated.

Announcing the success of Positive Women Meet Up’s special event, “Natural Beauty” will bring awareness to the efforts of Positive Women Meet Up, and create value in the community, as well as inspire art, collaborative efforts, and celebration of African American culture in the city of San Bernardino.

“The city of San Bernardino has suffered tragic losses within the past two years,” Porsche Bowie, creator of the upcoming blog BlackAboutItQueerAbout It.com, lamented. “The terror attack of 2015 and the Northpark Elementary school shooting in April of this year has given the city a lot to mourn about. Events like Positive Women Meet Up and Natural Beauty gives residents and visitors a better view of the city and creates value for the community. This is very important work.”

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Keona Anntionette at info@positivewomenmeetup.com.

By Lou Coleman

Pretending to be a Christian! Pretending to love Me! You don’t love Me! [John 5:42]. You profess to know Me, but you deny Me by your works. You are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good works.” [Titus 1:16]. Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said: You hypocrite! You honor Me with [your] lips, but [your] heart is far from Me [Isaiah 29:13; Ezekiel 33:31-33; Matthew 15:7-8]. You Pharisees, “brood of vipers” and “evil.” Sons of Hell, fools, blind guides, white sepulchers, murderers, a generation of snakes [Matthew 23] imitating righteousness but as evil as all get up [2 Corinthians 11:13-15]. I want you to know that you will be sent to Hell [Matthew 23: 13-29; John 3:5; Hebrew 6:8; Luke 20: 45-47] if you do not repent and serve Me with your whole heart. [Matthew 23:27]. If you don’t believe anything else about me, you better believe that! I will whoosh your behind straight to Hell! Say something…. I dare you! I will gather you, and blow upon you in the FIRE of My wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof…, and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out My fury upon you” [Ezekiel 22:18-22].

I want you to know that Jesus didn’t pull any punches. He didn’t mince His words. He spoke harshly, demeaningly, and with great anger in His voice to the scribes and Pharisees when it came to the sins and hypocrisy of their lives. Snakes hiding in the garden known as the Church, apostates whose doctrines are poisonous, you better learn what their markings are because there are many in the church today that are running neck to neck with Judas Iscariot who was the most successful hypocrite of all time. He played his part so well that no one but Jesus Himself knew that Judas was a fraud and a pretender. He was as common and as ordinary as the rest of the disciples. He was so ordinary that he never stood out from the rest. He hid behind the camouflage of hypocrisy. To who am talking too; running neck to neck with Judas; keeping a low profile and camouflaging your hypocrisy. If you pretend to know God when you don’t… the penalty for that makes every other form of punishment man can come up with seem like a walk in the park.   It will be worse than any other from the beginning of the world until now, says the Lord [Matthew 23; Matthew 24]. I want you to know that the story of Ananias and Sapphira warns us of the danger of the sin of hypocrisy [Acts 4:36-5:11] It was literally deadly for this couple.  [Acts 5:1-11]. This couple, who put on the mask of hypocrisy, was struck dead by God. You better get some get right quick and in a hurry!

You see the Bible calls hypocrisy a sin and clearly indicates that those who practice it will be sent to Hell. You must repent while “it is still day: while there is still time; while the doors remain open.  I urge you today to stop trifling with the patience and mercy of God, and allow God’s Word to confront your life. If you’re playing the religion game, quit now! Get real with the living God. Spend time each day with Him. Judge your sins and turn from them. Seek to grow in godly character. If you don’t know that one day the storm of GOD’s wrath will come sweeping down upon you and you will know then what your sinful stubborn heart will not let you understand now.  May God pit you in that day!

“Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” [Luke 13:3]

FONTANA, CA- On June 16, The California State Parks Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) awarded the City of Fontana $1,000,000 to construct an artificial turf soccer field, field lighting and water conservation measures at Fontana Central City Soccer Park.

The Youth Soccer and Recreation Development (YS) Program provides one-time financial assistance for recreational projects that target low-income and heavily populated urban areas with high crime and unemployment rates.

“I applaud the City of Fontana for working with State Agencies to building quality of life amenities for our communities. Building adequate recreational facilities are an important component to developing a sustainable community where people choose to live, work and play,” said Assemblymember Reyes.

When completed the newly constructed artificial turf soccer field equipped with lighting and water conservation measures will provide sustainable, year around recreational opportunities for the residents of Fontana.  

To learn more about OGALS grant programs, go to the State Parks website at www.parks.ca.gov/grants.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Each of five San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) high schools awarded students more than $1 million in college scholarships, with the total scholarships awarded to all SBCUSD graduates totaling $8,134,645.

Students at San Bernardino High School (SBHS) earned $1,856,489 in scholarships, the most of any SBCUSD high school. Cajon High School students earned the second largest amount, $1,680,014, which included $646,000 in military academy appointments and scholarships for the U.S. Army, Marines, and Coast Guard.

“I’m not surprised that San Bernardino High students earned so many scholarship dollars,” said Corina Borsuk, whose family funds an annual scholarship for SBHS graduates. “As the oldest high school in the area, many famous and successful people have graduated from the school, and they often give back by establishing scholarships specifically for Cardinal City graduates. Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal.”

The San Bernardino High School mascot is a cardinal, and the school is a chartered city known as Cardinal City.

With 481 scholarship recipients, Cajon High School boasted the largest number of students earning scholarships. Arroyo Valley High School had the next largest group of scholarship recipients, totaling 293 deserving students.

Cajon and Arroyo Valley High Schools both offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate (I.B.) program, which awards both a California diploma and an internationally recognized diploma to students who successfully complete the rigorous coursework. Earning top grades in these classes is often a sign that students will do well in college and attracts scholarship donors.

Of Middle College High School’s 79 graduates, 72 earned scholarships. That’s 91 percent of the graduating class. More than 87 percent of San Bernardino High School’s graduating class of 287 students received scholarships.

Unlike other SBCUSD high schools, Middle College High does not have attendance boundaries. Interested students must apply to attend, and those who are accepted are enrolled in high school classes on the Middle College campus and college classes at San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC). SBCUSD covers the cost of attending SBVC, including text books.

While Middle College High serves high school students who want to get a jump on their college education, Inland Career Education Center (formerly San Bernardino Adult School) serves adults who are returning to school to earn a G.E.D. or high school diploma. The 197 members of the ICEC class of 2017 earned $22,450 in scholarships.

Rounding out SBCUSD high schools, Indian Springs High School graduates earned $540,001 in scholarships, Pacific High School graduates earned $424,511, San Gorgonio High School graduates earned $1,156,858, San Andreas High School graduates earned $23,700, and Sierra High School graduates earned $43,322 in scholarships.

SBCUSD graduates received scholarships from a variety of public and private donors, but a large share of the scholarship money came from the Making Hope Happen Foundation and the San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association.

The Making Hope Happen Foundation is a non-profit foundation that supports the educational mission of the San Bernardino City Unified School District. For more information about the Foundation or to make a donation, visit makinghopehappenfoundation.org or call (909) 381-1294.

The San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association coordinates the contributions of groups and individuals who wish to give scholarships to SBCUSD graduates. Donors may contribute to an existing scholarship or create a new scholarship of their own based on criteria that is important to them. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.sbcusd.com/SBCSA or call (909) 381-1250.

High school students nationwide can now apply at DisneyDreamersAcademy.com to be among 100 selected to participate in the 2018 Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE, the innovative, outside-the-classroom, mentoring program that takes place in March at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

The program has produced many success stories, inspiring students to become authors, nurses, pilots, doctors, journalists and engineers following the three-day all-expenses-paid experience at Walt Disney World Resort where the theme parks become vibrant ‘classrooms’ leading to career discoveries and fun memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Program applicants must answer essay questions about their personal journeys and dreams for the future. Students are selected based on a combination of attributes, including strong character, positive attitude and determination to achieve their dreams. Selected applicants, along with a parent or guardian, will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World Resort.

Applications are open to U.S. high school students, ages 13 to 19, through Oct. 31, 2017. A distinguished panel of leaders will evaluate the applications, and selected participants will be announced in early 2018.

For more information regarding applications, interested applicants can visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com, or learn more about the program on Facebook.com/DisneyDreamersAcademy or Twitter.com/DreamersAcademy.