POMONA, CA- The City of Pomona and Trudy Coleman, Founder/CEO, of Juneteenth Education Technology Mobile Arts, (J.E.T.M.A.C.), Co-founder of the California National Juneteenth Freedom Day Holiday Observance Bill sponsored by Juneteenth America, Inc. This bill signed by Governor Gray Davis in 2002, states that “Juneteenth” is to be celebrated every June 19, and every third Saturday in June. We are inviting you to come celebrate at the “25th Yr. Anniversary of Pomona Valley Juneteenth Family Gospel & Jazz Arts Festival, on June 20, 2015, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Ganesha Park, 1575 White N. Ave.  Event is Free and Open to the Public.

June is also Black Music Month/African American Jazz Heritage Month, World Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness month.  It is also the 150th year anniversary of Juneteenth (June 1865 – June 2015), representing when the last slaves in Texas were freed 2 1/2 yrs. after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. There is also a National Campaign to have President Obama sign the Resolution to have Juneteenth on the National Calendar.

There will be a variety of Gospel Performances, a Jazz Zone – African American Jazz, Cuban Jazz, Poetry, guest performance by Jay Jackson & Lou Rawls Revue, Mel Cole, the Las Vegas Al Green Impersonator, and Denise Lyle-Cook “Oracle”, spiritual poetic, and Songstress Amore, and many more. There will be Multicultural Food Vendors, Arts & Crafts Vendors, swimming pool will be open, and other fun activities for the kids. Bring your blankets and lounge chairs and enjoy one of Pomona must beautiful parks.  In honor of the Ancestors, there will also be a Healthy Living 5K Run/Walk in the morning, meet-up time is 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., to pre-register, Walk/run kick-off at 9:00am, in Ganesha Park. For the 5K Walk/Run pre-registration information, please call Dr. Bettye Anderson at (323) 737-2323.

This multicultural celebration of American Unity is coordinated by the Southern California Juneteenth Committee.  For vendor and sponsor opportunities information, ask for Trudy Coleman at (909) 418-8530 or (909) 989-4844, or by email: at trudycoleman@jetmacinc.com. You may also visit www.jetmacinc.com.

I know it’s been a minute but ya’ girl been busy putting together an Indie Artist Award Show honoring artists and entities in the Inland Empire; please be on the lookout for, “My Music, My MIC” scheduled for Saturday, August 1 at the San Bernardino Women’s Club. So, this week What it Do with LUE, is the 1st lady. Noooooooooo, I’m not talking about Michelle Obama. I’m talking about Crystal Scott a.k.a. LowLA Scott, 1st Lady of LUE Productions.

This Gemini baby started out as a model and jumped into the rap game with no fear. This young lady is literately blazing her way to the top. LowLA is what I like to call that sexy, gangsta’, fire spittin’ lyricist. She’s’ truly a tall drink of water. Having to overcome obstacles, her love for her two-year-old son, Neo, keeps her grounded and grinding for better opportunities in LIFE.

Please don’t sleep on this talented artist she is one to watch for. Her star is shining BRIGHT! Our management company is proud to call LowLA Scott the 1st Lady of LUE Productions. Please follow her on Facebook and Instagram at LowLA Scott. For booking please email us at Lue.info@yahoo.com. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LowLA and L’s UP!

Her projects include: LowLA Scott’s freshman album yet untitled will drop 1st week of August; Her Single, “LowLA’s Got a Burner” will be available June 11 on iTunes, Google Play, Xbox Radio, Spotify, and Amazon. Special thanks to Producers S. Fresh, Maniac, Topsy, C. Rich, and all that; Boss Cartell Mixtape will be dropping at end of June with Paul Douglas;and she also has collaborations with Paul Douglas, Aaron Swift, Fitz Taylor, Dada Doe, Tecnic, Sabre, Firelane Faulty, and others. LowLA’s Upcoming shows include Tierra Marie and Big Hutch a.k.a. Cold 187 (Above the Law) coming soon.

Dorothy Pryor Rose and daughters Tekesha and Tedra

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) is proud to recognize Mrs. Dorothy Pryor Rose, founder of Mommie Helen’s Bakery, as her Small Business person of the Year. Mrs. Pryor Rose will be acknowledged with an award during the annual California Small Business Day hosted by the California Small Business Association on Wednesday, June 10, in Sacramento.

Mrs. Pryor Rose’s business has been in the Inland Empire for nearly 15 years. Her menu consists of: Sweet potato pie, pecan pie, rose berry pie, peach cobbler, apple cobbler, lemon cake, 7-up cake, sock-it-to-me cake, red velvet cake, and a variety of cookies, all made from scratch.

Her cakes and pies are enjoyed by people around the world, especially by renowned celebrities. Her list of celebrity clientele include: Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, NFL players Ronnie Lott  and Willie Gault,  NBA player Dr. J, and her regular customer, NBA legend Magic Johnson, to name a few. One of her most notable achievements include baking and serving 250 peach cobbler pies for the wedding of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and his wife Shaunie O’Neal. Additionally, every year, she participates in the annual Celebrity Golf Tournament hosted by NFL player Marcus Allen.

“Her passion, love and dedication to this community led me to select her as my Small Business person of the Year.  Although other cities have tried to lure her away, she chose to stay here and bring a positive influence to our area. Despite adversity, she is a constant source of inspiration,” said Assemblymember Brown.

In 2000, Mrs. Pryor Rose established Mommie Helen’s Bakery in the city of Colton.

She credits her mother as her inspiration for starting her business.

“My mom’s baking inspired me. She was a very good cook,” said Mrs. Pryor Rose. “As I was praying to the Lord, as I regularly do, He instructed me to open up a bakery. I told him, I don’t know the first thing about running a bakery, but I trusted Him and He directed me.”

She said the most rewarding aspect of her job is witnessing the expressions on the faces of her customers. “Some of our clients are brought to tears when they taste the pies. They say it reminds them of the pies they enjoyed as youngsters.  Many of them no longer have the experience of enjoying the cakes and pies made by their loved ones because they’ve passed on.  It’s wonderful to know that people are satisfied with our products. We put a lot of love into our work,”  said Mrs. Pryor-Rose.

Currently, she serves as a consultant to the business while her daughters, the second generation of family-owned business entrepreneurs, manage the bakery.

Mrs. Pryor Rose and her husband Bobbie currently reside in San Bernardino and have two children, Tedra and Tekesha.

For more information, contact Ashley Jones at (909) 381-3238.

Photos by Naomi K. Bonman

RIVERSIDE, CA- On Saturday, June 6, the City of Riverside celebrated its annual Juneteenth celebration. It was a fun and educational day filled with live entertainment, food from Big Dees BBQ, and plenty of vendors.

By McKenzie Jackson/ California Black Media

Los Angeles County resident, Diyon Clark, is relieved to learn that his Medi-Cal renewal will be automatic this year. In 2014, he remembers his re-certification process being especially confusing and frustrating.

“That’s cool,” said Clark, a 20-year-old who lives in the San Fernando Valley. “That is one thing I hopefully won’t have to worry about.”

Late last year, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced that county human services agencies across the state will renew coverage for most Medi-Cal members by using the information they already have on file. That includes information pertaining to a person’s place of residence, immigration status, and income. If the county is able to verify all of an individual’s information their coverage will be renewed.

In a March 25th email, DHCS spokesperson Anthony Cava said re-certifications begin well ahead of the date members’ plans are set to expire.

“For renewals due January 1, 2015,” he wrote, “the process started approximately 60 days in advance (end of October/early November 2014).”

For Californians who qualify, Medi-Cal offers health care benefits at either no or low cost. The coverage funds a prevention-oriented approach that promotes well-being through 21 managed and county-specific health plans such as Anthem Blue Cross, L.A. Care and Molina.

The health program is open to low-income adults; individuals with disabilities; families with children; senior citizens; children in foster care as well as former foster youth up to age 26; and pregnant women. According to numbers from DHCS, as of last month approximately 927,280 African Americans were enrolled in Medi-Cal.

This year, DHCS expects to renew the insurance plans of about 12 million Medi-Cal members. “If all the information is available and it indicates continued eligibility, the individual’s coverage will be continued for another 12 months,” said Cava. Clark, who is half African American and half Jewish and has been covered by Medi-Cal for most of his life, says the most painful part of his renewal process last spring was completing it by phone.

“It took about three months for me to get renewed,” said Clark, a college student and wireless phone salesman. “I was told to call and ask for Medi-Cal, then Covered California, then Medi-Cal.”

Clark said needing to have surgery on his torn rotator cuff last year further complicated the process and heightened his frustration. And he was not the only person angered by the 2014 renewal process. There was a significant amount of chatter among health care advocates and Medi-Cal users alike, lamenting the fact that due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the questions asked on the renewal forms had become too complicated.

Elizabeth Landsberg, director of legislative advocacy at the Sacramento office of the Western Center on Law & Poverty, an organization that works to secure housing, health care, and a strong safety net for low-income Californians, said the renewal process seems to be more streamlined now.

“The process we have been seeing in 2015 is quite different,” she said. “Essentially in the past we had been expecting people to re-apply for Medi-Cal all over again. Now the onus is on the state to check people’s records.

Cava said Medi-Cal users will only have to complete renewal forms if their Medi-Cal service cannot be automatically renewed, for example DHCS cannot verify certain information like income or residency.

“Then, a pre-populated renewal form is sent to them, outlining the information used for the redetermination and what information is still needed from them to complete the renewal process,” he said.

Cava said that any forms must be completed within a 90-day period or a current enrollee could lose his or her Medi-Cal coverage.

“This is our standard Medi-Cal policy,” he said. “If the information is provided within this timeframe, the counties will accept the information as if it had been submitted on time and complete the redetermination process. If the person remains eligible, their coverage will resume and be treated as if there was never a break in coverage.”

Besides providing an opportunity to have surgery on his rotator cuff, Clark says having Medi-Cal also allowed him to have surgery on his broken right hand – all within the past year. Inserting a metal plate into one of his appendages wasn’t cheap, he said.

“Medi-Cal has saved me at least $20,000 in medical bills, easily” he said.

For more information on renewals, visit your local county human services agency, go to www.coveredca.com/medi-cal/renewing-medi-cal-coverage/ online or call 1-800-300-1506.

The article above is brought to you by California Black Media, a coalition of Black -owned media outlets committed to making a difference in our communities.  It is made possible via a grant for public outreach from The California Endowment. We share the common goal in reaching as many residents as possible with useful information that will help expand access to affordable, quality healthcare to all Californians. 

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

In the waiting room – ever been there, I have and it is not easy.  I think that at some point and time in our lives all of us go through a stage in our life where we wonder if God will ever show up. It seems as if we are always falling into a life of constant hard times and nothingness. Every time you turn around there is a different trial, a different problem and a different tribulation. But, year after year, you are told that this is your year. Year after year, preacher after preacher has spoken sermon after sermon telling you to get ready for your blessing. Prophets have called you up and told you to get ready for the move of God in your life, and you wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and nothing seems to happen. You began to get so frustrated and tired of waiting that you began to lose faith in what God has promised you and that loss of faith eventually turns to disbelief. You began to think that maybe God didn’t tell you what you thought He did, so you decide that you will no longer wait; you have waited long enough!  Guess what, you have just stopped God’s movement in your life and killed your blessings. The reason that God had not moved in your situation so far is because it was not yet your appointed time for a visitation.

What I know is that we as people of God or people in general have a problem with waiting. We want what we want; when we want it and how we want. We are a spoiled generation. It doesn’t matter if it is good for us or not, we just want it. And if it doesn’t happen when we think it should we begin to come up with our own plans on how we are going to make it happen.  We tend to want to move too fast instead of waiting on God.  I tell you we will save ourselves some trouble, hard aches and pain if only we will remember what Ecclesiastes 3 tells us, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” But we want to pluck the fruit before it has had time to ripen.  I tell you as soon as you do that, Satan will come in with his sneaky conniving self and give you a right now counterfeit blessing; something that will take your mind and focus off God. It always seems to be in our nature to go for the right now thing, instead of the right thing that which God has for us. But as Ms. Aretha Franklin, said, “You better think!”

Listen, the Scriptures says in Habakkuk 2:3, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” One of our problems today is that we have lost the biblical perspective of the majestic greatness of God, and we have a completely wrong focus on God.  We are just like Habakkuk… “How long, O Lord, must I call for help?” Habakkuk’s words are a complaint; he has major issues to take up with God. I suspect we do as well, if we are honest. Apparently, Habakkuk had repeatedly called upon God to act, to intervene, to set things right, to just do something. Yet it seemed that God had not heard him and God would not act to save. Finally, out of a deep sense of frustration and confusion, he cries out to God, “How long, O Lord, must I call for your help, but you do not listen?” “Lord, please do something! Act like God. Can’t you see we are weary of fighting against wrong and trying to do good?” I tell you the Lord intends to keep His people dependent upon Him. Amazingly though in the midst of all his crying, Habakkuk decides to takes God at his word. Habakkuk trusts that God is already at work, even if he can’t see it. He trusts that God has more to say, and he commits himself to waiting on God rather than taking matters into his own hands. This is the rub in the story. Habakkuk assumes a disposition of waiting with confident trust in God. We too must be persuaded that God is in control of the timing and intensity of our trials. If you are a child of God I want you to know that you have the means by which to stand firm in the face of any trial. Trust that God has a reason for your sufferings and waiting. Submit yourself to whatever He desires to teach you. The road may be rocky, but a wise response will lead you into the joy He has promised. I’m telling you what I know.  You see, I know about waiting to give birth to the promises of God and never seeing it come forth. I know about waking up in the middle of the night crying and asking God what’s next and not receiving an answer. I know about travailing for a promise, year after year, and having it never come to pass. I know about never ending disappointment but I am here to tell you on today that God has not forgotten about any of us. Galatians 6:9 says at just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t’ give up. I’m so thankful that we have the Bible to help us understand how God works in all the seasons of life to help us find faith and grow and mature. God always have a purpose. I often have to stop and consider this. That all that happens in my life – the bitter things, the hard things, the hurtful things, the triumphs and the victories – can work for good.  I want you to know that waiting is the process of becoming what God wants us to be. What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we are waiting for.

If you’re going through a season of life and you don’t think much is happening, be faithful to God; trust Him. The promises of God remain Yes and Amen! The fact that God would send a word like this at this particular time should be confirmation to you that you are close to what God has promised you! I come to tell you to wait on it! Don’t compromise with the devil. Wait on it! Don’t break down your standard, wait on it! No matter how long it takes He might not come when you want Him to come, but He is always on time. Give God the Glory!

GARDEN GROVE, CA- R. Byron Stringer, a Las Vegas Cop for over 26 years, took the stories he saw on the street and created the Toe Tag Monologues.  He presented the Toe Tag Monologues last weekend at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Garden Grove.

The Boys and Girls Club hosted their 1^st Annual Teen Leadership Conference from May 29 to 31, and was pleased to include Toe Tag Monologues.  This performing troop, coming from Las Vegas, consists of teenagers who performed life changing monologues about Bullying, Teen Suicide, Human Trafficking, Gang Violence, Drug Abuse, Drunk Driving, School Violence and much more.  There is no other program like it in our country!

Stringer, a native of San Bernardino, believes that the rest of America is only a moment away from becoming a Ferguson or Baltimore. The Toe Tag Monologues uses Drama to help kids get through their own Drama.

“We have to do what the City of Garden Grove, California is doing and begin to heal our children.  We can no longer just lecture our kids but we have to learn to listen as well,” Stringer said. “This conference, “Turn Up For Success”, is laying a template for others to follow.”

For more information on the Toe Tag Monologues, please visit byronstringer.com.

Front row: Dr. Gloria Fisher, President of SBVC (holding SBVC award); Nickolas Zoumbos, Trustee; Donna Ferracone, Trustee; Board President John Longville (holding SBCCD award); Board Clerk Joseph Williams; Gloria Macías Harrison, Trustee; and Board Vice President Dr. Kathleen (Katy) Henry. Back row: Dr. Donald Singer, Trustee; Chancellor Bruce Baron; Interim Vice Chancellor, Fiscal and Business Services Jose Torres; and Hussain Agah, Kitchell BRj Senior Campus Manager.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD) and San Bernardino Valley College received the Project Management Award for the renovation of the San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium from the Southern California Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA). The award was presented to the SBCCD Board of Trustees at the May 28 board meeting by Hussain Agah, Senior Campus Manager with Kitchell/BRj, which oversaw the construction project.

Chancellor Bruce Baron noted, “The renovation of the Auditorium at San Bernardino Valley College was a complex undertaking of a landmark site and taking into consideration the San Jacinto Fault Zone. Kitchell/BRj was instrumental in the cost-effective, on time, efficient completion of the project. The renewal of this beautiful building resulted in the addition of an elevator tower so the building is now ADA compliant, two outdoor courtyards and the expansion of the restrooms. None of this would have been possible without the support of the community through the Measure M and P bonds. The bonds allow us to maximize our resources as we design a quality learning and working environment for our students and employees.”

The second oldest building on the SBVC campus, the Auditorium is an academic, performance and community space. Its historic architecture created construction issues as all historic buildings do; the original construction documentation was unreliable and the project team was continually uncovering unforeseen conditions. Kitchell/BRj was involved in an exhaustive reconnaissance effort, working with numerous municipal and state agencies to ensure work could proceed on time and according to the budget. The project team also had to be especially resourceful in locating and even fabricating materials to fit the specifications of a 76-year-old building.

Started in July 2013 and completed in August 2014, the project came in under budget (less than $10 million), and included making the building earthquake-safe. The Auditorium is the closest of any building on campus to the San Jacinto Fault zone. A highly valued historic and visual landmark on campus, demolition and replacement was not an option. Due to the fault and folding zones, the new elevator tower was designed to split from the main building if an earthquake were to occur. In addition, a unique solution was utilized to minimize structural intrusion into the existing building. Fiberglass reinforcing was added to several walls to increase their structural capacity, which meant that no columns had to be added to building, which would have cut space and altered the building’s design.

Kitchell was originally tasked with providing Program Management services for the San Bernardino Community College District’s Measure M Bond program. The bond program was passed in 2008 for $500 million, but the SBCCD saw the available bond funds shrink by nearly half in the midst of the economic recession. The SBCCD and Kitchell worked together to eliminate non-essential projects from the Master Plan. Opportunities for the SBCCD to save money and even offset costs were identified so that much needed improvements to the San Bernardino Valley College campus, such as the Auditorium, could be completed.

Dorella Anderson

By Naomi K. Bonman

Family members, extended family, friends, and community residents came together on Friday, May 29 to celebrate the life of Riverside community trailblazer, Dorella Anderson, better known as Dorie to most, or Mrs. And Sis. Anderson to others. The homegoing services were all that the late community leader would have wanted. The sanctuary of Park Avenue Baptist Church in Riverside was overflowing to capacity, filled with those that loved and cherished Dorella, Godmother Dorie (as I called her).

Mrs. Anderson, 79, served has a champion and advocate for families and youth on the Eastside of Riverside for the past 35 years at the Community Settlement House, just minutes away from Downtown Riverside. She played a pivotal role in assisting immigrants adapt and settle into life in the States by helping them obtain citizenship and addressing issues that assited them to remain in the country legally. Her work with families on the Eastside spans two generations.

“She led a life that supported the Eastside children for more than 50 years. She was talented, beautiful, athletic, and had a confidence that drew people towards her. The events at Lincoln Park and the Community Settlement Association continued the work of a prior generation of local families who truly made the area a community,” Dorella’s cousin, Craig Goodwin stated.

Anderson was the founder and lifetime member of the Riverside African American Historical Society and will be remembered for bringing “Toys for Tots” to Riverside, teaching crafts, dancing, and for her involvement in numerous community affairs.

As a personal extended family and church member of Anderson’s I will miss her gentle and sweet spirit and her willingness of speaking her mind to anyone and saying how she felt, and because she was not afraid to speak her mind and speak out you felt even more comfortable around her.

She will definitely be missed among Riverside and surrounding cities, but she lives on in our hearts forever until we all meet again.