MONTCLAIR, CA – Ontario City Councilmember and Retired Ontario Fire Chief Jim Bowman announced his endorsement of Gloria Negrete McLeod’s campaign for County Supervisor today.  Bowman joins a growing list of local elected leaders that are supporting Negrete McLeod.

“Gloria Negrete McLeod is a no nonsense local leader that brings people together to get things done,” said Bowman.  “She understands that government should be an ally to small businesses, not a roadblock and she works as hard as anybody on the issues that matter most to San Bernardino County families.  I’m looking forward to continuing to work with her as she continues her legacy of local leadership.”

Bowman has served 6 terms on the Ontario City Council and is a former Fire Chief in the City of Ontario and the City of Upland.  He has lived in Ontario for 68 years.

A 44-year resident of San Bernardino County, Negrete McLeod has an unparalleled record of winning elections in San Bernardino County.  She won election to the Chaffey College Governing Board in 1995 and 1999, State Assembly in 2000, 2002, and 2004, and State Senate in 2006 and 2010.  In 2012, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.  Negrete McLeod currently serves over 68% of the Fourth Supervisorial District in Congress.  She previously represented large portions of the district in the State Assembly and State Senate.  She served all the communities in the district on the Chaffey College Governing Board.

Throughout her two decade career in public service, Negrete McLeod has distinguished herself as an effective advocate for creating quality jobs, reforming government, strengthening neighborhood safety, and improving local schools.  She and her husband Gilbert McLeod, a retired police lieutenant, have 10 children, 25 grandchildren, and 29 great grandchildren.

The Inland Empire will soon see a flood of red and white fezzes as it gears up to receive visitors from all around  the state this month to celebrate the 54^th annual Desert Conference/Gala Day for the A.E.A.O.N.M.S and the 47^th  Desert Conference/Gala Day for the Daughters of Isis.

The Desert Conference is an annual business meeting and celebration of the Prince Hall Shriners and the Daughters of Isis (an Auxilliary to the A.E.A.O.N.M.S., P.H.A.), which is composed of 8 temples and 7 courts (chapters) throughout the state of California.  The Desert conference/Gala Day will run from May 21-25, with events mainly taking place at the Ontario Airport Hotel and Conference Center.

The scheduled events of the Session, which are open to the public are:

• E. Katherine Norris Annual Prayer Breakfast – Saturday May 24, 2014 at 7:00 A.M. (Donation is $35.00)
• Gala Day Golf Tournament – May 24, 2014.  First Tee is 9-00a.M. (Donation 70.00)
• Hospital Visitation – Loma Linda Veteran Hospital / Loma Linda, California on May 24, 2014, 9:30 A.M..
• Bowling Tournament May 24, 2014, 3:00P.M. (Donation $25.00)
• Deputies Dance May 24, 2014  8:30 P.M. -12:00 A.M. (Donation $15.00)
• Religious Service May 25, 2014, 8:00 A.M.

The Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North and South America and its Jurisdictions, Inc. was established as an Imperial Council of Prince Hall Shriners Jones.  They met in the Apollo Hall on State Street where Palestine Temple was organized.  On June 10, 1893, Jones and his associates organized the Imperial Grand Council of Prince Hall Shriners.  The Desert of California in 1960, in the Oasis of Oakland CA.  The first Desert Conference was held November 25-26 at Menelik Temple Mosque No. 36; in Oakland California.

The Imperial Court, Daughters of Isi, is an auxiliary of the female family members of Prince Hall Shriners, and was formally organized at the annual session of the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, held in Detroit, Michigan, on August 24, 1910.  The Daughters of Isis, a charitable and benevolent organization, stresses the development of powerful leaders and encourages health awareness among youth and adults, provides services to help disabled and senior citizens, provides for effective networking among members and organizations, recognizes and celebrates the historic and current achievements of African American women, exerts positive influence and utilizes the tool of role modeling for youth, teenage mothers, high school and college students, and disseminates information for educational opportunities and career planning to youth and young adults.  The organization of 12 courts at inception has grown to almost 200 courts located in the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Our Fraternal Order has fostered the following programs:

• Annual grants of thousands of dollars to the Prince Hall Shrine Health and Medical Research Foundation.
• Annual grants to several institutions of higher learning and to hospitals throught the United States for Medical Research.
• A National Scholarship Grand Program for young ladies between the ages of 17-24 to attend college and universities of their choice.
• Annual Educational Grants for economically deprivied youths.
• A program of financial aid to youth in their fight against drugs, crimes, and delinquency.
• Annual grants to the N.A.A.C.P., the Legal Defense Fund, and the United Negro Collelge Fund.
• Support summer camps for youth.
• Voter education and registration drives.
• Establishment of and maintaining dialogue with White House officials, Congress men, and national leaders on various issues affecting African-American and others.

Should you have any questions, please call (909) 586-4343

SAN BERNARDINO – About 70 students from a pair of San Bernardino County high schools will attend the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ Apprenticeship Forum on May 22.

The event will be held at the Inland Empire Electrical Training Center, which is located at 1855 S. Business Center Drive in San Bernardino. The forum is free for students and will take place from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 22. Students from Carter High School in the Rialto Unified School District and Bob Murphy County Community Day School of the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools will attend the forum.

Students will have the opportunity to experience hands-on demonstrations and activities with apprenticeship coordinators that will relate their trades to real world applications.

Additional sponsors for the event include the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ Alliance for Education and Regional Occupational Program, as well as the San Bernardino Community College District.

For more information about the event, contact the Alliance for Education at (909) 386-2636.

Carolyn House Stewart, Esq., International President, Twillea Evans-Carthen and Dr. Barbara Denson Trotter, Far Western Regional Director

Congratulations to Mrs. Twillea Evans-Carthen, former President of Eta Nu Omega Chapter of San Bernardino-Riverside who received the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Far Western Regional Directors Leadership Award on April 26, 2014 at the sorority’s 85^th Regional Conference held in Sacramento, California April 23 – 27, 2014 at the Doubletree Hotel. The Far Western Region includes the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.  Over 900 members were in attendance at this conference.

She has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for over 34 years.  During Mrs. Evans-Carthen’s tenure as President, in 2009 and 2010 she was the recipient of special congressional recognition from Congressman Joe Baca (Member of Congress 43^rd Congressional District) “for her leadership as the President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Nu Omega Chapter with a membership of 100 educated women and her longstanding commitment to community service.”

Mrs. Evans-Carthen is the recipient of the 2012 “Virtuous Woman” of the Year Award.  The recognition was both for living a life of “virtue” and providing exceptional service to the community.  Also, she was awarded the 2013 “Citizens of Achievement” award by the League of Women Voters of San Bernardino for her contributions in improving the quality of life in her community as a volunteer and going “above and beyond doing a job for which she is paid.

Carthen has been a college administrator for more than 26 years in human resources and educator at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) who coordinated a prayer vigil at the university to generate awareness about Miss Terrilynn Monette who was a CSUSB alumna who disappeared in New Orleans in early March 2013.  Mrs. Evans-Carthen was instrumental in establishing an annual scholarship in memory of Miss Monette at CSUSB through CSUSB Black Faculty, Students and Staff Association.  The first recipient of the annual scholarship was recently awarded to a deserving CSUSB Student on February 28, 2014 in the presence of  Miss Monette’s parents, friends and university family at the campus annual pioneer breakfast.

Evans-Carthen is a resident of Highland, California and is an Adjunct Professor for over 17 years at Brandman University (Riverside Campus) for the Human Resources and Organizational Leadership degree programs; a member of Life Changing ministries and has been married for over 30 years to her high school and college sweet heart Tracy Carthen.  They have three children, Mrs. Megan Carthen Jackson who is married to Marcus Jackson of the United States Navy (Pensacola, FL) and twin sons, Eric and Evan Carthen sophomores at California Lutheran University.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- San Bernardino Police Department wants to remind motorists to Click It or Ticket.  In order to enforce this reminder, beginning Monday, May 19th, officers will bejoining in the 2014 national seat belt enforcement mobilization and cracking down on motorists who are not belted.

Even with a seatbelt usage rate of 97.4 percent, California still has 800,000 or more who aren’t buckling up.  In a crash, they stand a 50 percent greater chance of being killed than those who have taken the two seconds to buckle in.  In an on-going effort to reach those remaining safety hold-outs, police, sheriff and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) departments across the state will be taking part in Click It or Ticket from May 19 through June 1.

“Memorial Day weekend kicks off summer vacation season, and we want to ensure that everyone arrives at their destination safe and sound,” said Police Chief Jarrod Burguan. “If you are not wearing your seat belt, you will be ticketed.”

According to new data released from the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatalities are up nationwide for the first time in five years. In 2012, 10,335 people who were killed in motor vehicle crashes were not wearing their seat belts. NHTSA data also details how more traffic vehicle deaths occur at night. In 2012, 61 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed during the nighttime hours of 6:00 p.m. – 5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts.

“Wearing a seat belt is one of the easiest and best things you can do to protect yourself in the event of a car crash,” said Rhonda Craft, Director of the California Office of Traffics Safety. “Taking a few moments to properly secure yourself and all your passengers before going on your way could mean the difference between life and death.”

The cost for a seat belt violation in California for unbuckled vehicle occupants over age 16 is a minimum of $161 for a first offense. The penalty fees for failing to properly buckle up any child under the age of 16 is a minimum $490 per child for a first offense, plus a violation point will be added to the driver’s record. If the parent is not in the car, the driver gets the ticket.

For more traffic safety information, visit the California Office of Traffic Safety at www.ots.ca.gov or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Click It or Ticket mobilization, www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.

ONTARIO, CA – After more than 4 years, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) will be returning to Ontario, CA. The PBR and AEG are proud to be teaming up when the PBR Blue DEF Velocity Tour bucks into the Citizen Business Bank Arena on Saturday, November 15, at 7 p.m.

During this one day only event, the best up and coming bull riders in the world will face off against monstrous animal athletes nearly 10 times their weight as they compete in the most thrilling 8 seconds in sports. Each rider will face off against at least two of the rankest bulls on the planet. At the end of the competition, the rider with the highest combined score will be crowned the champion.

The PBR Blue DEF Velocity tour provides an opportunity for riders to compete in PBR-sanctioned events to earn points toward qualifying for the nationally-televised Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS), which is comprised of the Top 35 bull riders in the world.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 6, at 10 a.m. and start as low as $15. Tickets will be available at the Citizens Business Bank Arena box office, www.AXS.com and by telephone at 1-888-929-7849.

With less than three weeks left before the heated primary race in Congressional District 31, Danny Tillman receives another endorsement from Pastor Dennis Morgan Brown of Miracle Deliverance Full Gospel Church.

“I personally support Mr. Tillman because he is not only a fine gentleman but has the expertise, experience and qualifications to be the best Congressman to represent our district.”

Danny Tillman commented that “I was not the candidate that got the endorsements from groups with money, but having the endorsement from Men of God is means more to me than any other endorsements.”

Danny Tillman is a Democratic Candidate for U.S. Congress running in

California’s 31st District Open-Seat. San Bernardino Board of Education Member Danny Tillman is known for getting people involved to fight

injustices. Danny Tillman will be a progressive voice and a Congressman who will work hard to create family wage paying jobs and education for the people of the Inland Empire.

Danny Tillman is running for U. S. Congress in California’s 31st Congressional District in 2014. The District includes the cities of San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Upland, Fontana Rialto, Colton, Loma Linda and Grand Terrace. For more information visit Danny Tillman for Congress at:www.dannytillmanforcongress.com

TORRANCE, CA — Grambling State University (GSU) awarded James Colon, vice president of African American Business Strategy at Toyota Motor Sales, Inc., an honorary doctorate degree at its 2014 Spring Commencement ceremony, Friday, May 9.  It is the most prestigious degree the historically black university offers.

Grambling recognized Colon for his commitment to diversity in the automobile industry and long-term support of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and the academic achievement of young African Americans. At Toyota, Colon is responsible for engaging Hispanic and African American businesses and media, and optimizing relationships with important external Hispanic and African American groups. Under his leadership, the automaker implemented the Toyota Green Initiative designed to educate and encourage students on HBCUs to live environmentally conscious lifestyles. Nearly 5,000 people have made the Promise Pledge to live green, and 28 HBCUs have participated in the Green Campus Contest.

“I am honored to have received this degree from one of the most respected and distinguished historically black colleges and universities in the nation,” Colon said.  “When an institution of higher education confers an honorary degree, it believes that the recipient reinforces its values, its mission. Grambling’s vision is to be a distinguished institution that produces accomplished graduates who go on to compete and succeed in a global market.  In short, Grambling believes in being the best and producing the best — to help the world be the best it can be.  I, along with Toyota, share in that mission every day and will continue to do so.”

Colon joins an elite group of African-American influencers and history makers who have received honorary doctorate degrees from Grambling, including: the late singer Whitney Houston; scholar/author Dr. Cornel West; and, Democratic political strategist and pundit Donna Brazile.

In addition to his responsibilities at Toyota, Colon serves on the boards of his alma mater, Manchester University in Indiana and Clark Atlanta University. He is a member of The United Negro College Fund Los Angeles Leadership Council.  He was also appointed to the board of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation two years ago, where he supports the organization’s mission by contributing to developing leaders, informing policy and educating the public.

Mint Condition will be performing live at the Fox Performing Arts Center located at 3801 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside (92501). For tickets visit concerts.livenation.com.

Featuring Boney James, Ohio Players, Eric Benet, BWB (Braun, Whalum, Brown), and Keiko Matsui. Show starts at 6 p.m. Cost is $30 per ticket before Thursday, May 15 and $35 from May 15 to June 16. Ticket price includes reserved bench seat in section R1 plus round-trip bus ticket. For more information please contact Lisa Humphrey at (310) 293-4154 (text preferred) or by email at premierconceptspr@gmail.com.