What it do with Lue

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino Valley College Foundation’s annual Valley-Bound Commitment Program: Recognition of Excellence Luncheon took place Friday, March 10, 2017 at San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC). Thanks to support from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the award-winning Valley-Bound Commitment Program (Valley-Bound) has provided a free first year of college to hundreds of local high school students, including the cost of textbooks, transportation, registration fees, and school supplies.

Valley-Bound is designed to create a smooth transition into college for local high school students, preparing them to achieve their academic and career goals. Valley-Bound students attend a week-long summer orientation, meet with an educational counselor, participate in field trips to four-year universities, and fulfill a community service requirement.

Of the 263 Valley-Bound students who have graduated and transferred since the program’s inception in 2008, 55 have earned a bachelor’s degree, 17 will earn their bachelor’s by the end of this year, and the remaining are in the process of completing their bachelor’s coursework. In addition, four students have earned master’s degrees, eight are currently in graduate programs, and one is in a postgraduate program.

Current Valley-Bound student Devale Haywood speaks during the Valley-Bound Luncheon on March 10.

Devale Haywood, a current Valley-Bound student, is majoring in psychology and plans on transferring to a four-year university. He is considering pursuing a career in psychiatry or clinical psychology.

“My counselors have helped me really understand what it takes to transfer and be a good student,” he said.

Valley-Bound alumna Natalie Reeves speaks during the Valley-Bound Luncheon on March 10.

Alumna Natalie Reeves graduated from SBVC with her Associate of Arts and transferred to California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) where she earned her bachelor’s in Health Care Management last year. Her brother, Vance Reeves, graduated from SBVC in 2015 with his associate’s degree and is currently studying at CSUSB, where he will pursue teaching in the field of mathematics.

“(Valley-Bound counselor) Carmen Rodriguez was amazing,” he said. “Whenever I needed her, she was there.”

Valley-Bound alumnus Vance Reeves speaks during the Valley-Bound Luncheon on March 10.

SBVC President Diana Z. Rodriguez expressed deep appreciation to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for making the Valley-Bound program possible. Rodriguez welcomed the afternoon’s special guest, Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Valbuena reflected on the importance of understanding the challenges facing students from low-income backgrounds and discussed what it meant to give back to the community.

“It makes me so happy that we are here to do this for you,” she said.

Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians speaks during the Valley-Bound Luncheon on March 10.

The luncheon concluded with a round of applause for Valley-Bound students, faculty, and staff, who gathered for photos with Chairwoman Valbuena.

Current and former Valley-Bound students pose for a picture with Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians during the Valley-Bound Luncheon on March 10.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Enrollment is currently underway for the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD) State Preschool Program.

The program helps students ages 3 to 4 develop language and literacy skills, math and scientific-thinking skills, and gain socialization and play experiences. Participating students also receive a daily meal. The program is free for children whose family income does not exceed the State of California guidelines.

Not every SBCUSD elementary campus offers preschool. However, qualifying students may attend preschool even if it is not offered at their home school.

The State Preschool Program and enrollment packets are available at the following school sites: Arrowhead, Bradley, Burbank (next to the SOAR charter school campus), Cole, Cypress, Davidson, Emmerton, Harmon, Hillside, Hunt, Inghram, Lankershim, Lincoln, Lytle Creek, Monterey, Mt. Vernon, Muscoy, Newmark, Riley, Rio Vista, E. Neal Roberts, Roosevelt, Salinas,San Bernardino High (on the Arrowview Middle School campus), Urbita, Vermont, Warm Springs, and Wilson. Enrollment packets are also available at the Preschool Central Office, West Highland Administrative Annex, 1535 W. Highland Avenue, Room #7, San Bernardino. Parents can also call (909) 880-6706 for more information.

All SBCUSD schools except for Middle College High School are closed for Spring Break March 20–31. The Inland Career Education Center (formerly the San Bernardino Adult School) will be closed March 20–24 only. ICEC offers a separate preschool program for children whose parents are enrolled in classes on the campus. Contact ICEC directly at (909) 388-6000 for more information.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Prayer, community services and music were among the activities at Saturday’s community block party hosted by San Bernardino Pastors United. The event took place at the playground of Jefferson Elementary School in San Bernardino. At the first block party in September 2016, over 3,000 attendees came out which prompted the organization to do a second event.

“We need the peace to increase and the violence to end,” said Clyde Stewart of Westside Christian Center in San Bernardino. “But in order for that to happen our entire community needs to come together as one. Only then can change begin.”

He continues, “We want to strengthen our community. We want our community to thrive and as much as we’d like to jump we need to begin with small steps,” Stewart said. “We are making great strides, but we still have a long way to go.”

SB Pastors United is a group of local church leaders whose mission is to create a positive impact in the community. Throughout the afternoon, speakers inspired the crowd with words of wisdom, prayer groups asked for God to look out for them and counselors were on hand to give honest advice to a community in crisis.

“How many murders have happened here?” asked the Rev. Reginal Young of Out of the Pulpit Street Ministry Saturday. “One is too many. We need to end the violence. Fathers need to take responsibility for their children and become a positive role model so those kids can be productive. We need to end the cycle and begin with a new one.”

If you missed this event, SB Pastors United are planning to have regular events with the next one on Saturday, June 17 at Anne Shirrell Park, then September 16 at Riley Elementary.

LOS ANGELES, CA- On March 9, 2017, Style Week Los Angeles showcased Winter 2017 collections from fashion designer Malan Breton. The show took place at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. 

(Photo credit: Kristina Dixon/11:One Visuals)

ONTARIO, CA- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Nu Omega Chapter is proud to present its 2017 Debutante Candidates.  These eight “Nubian Pearls of Distinction” are all leaders in their schools and communities and represent the Inland Empire with grace, service and scholastic achievement.

Eta Nu Omega bi- annually sponsors a Debutante Cotillion program to provide opportunities to empower young women to be successful.  The process requires participation in workshops geared towards skill enhancement, confidence building and knowledge acquisition.

The Debutantes participate in service projects to develop their talents and skills by serving their communities and creating a real impact in the lives of others.  The Debutantes are also introduced to various enrichment activities by attending cultural events, college fairs, and by building lasting friendships with other young ladies.  The Debutante experience culminates with an elegant and memorable Debutante Cotillion Ball where the young ladies are introduced into society.

This year Eta Nu Omega is proud to present the following Nubian Pearls of Distinction: Miss Lauren Bennett is a junior at Vista Murrietta High School. Lauren is a student track athlete as well as a member of the student council.  Miss Kharizma Darden is a senior at Valley View High School where she plays basketball, and has received scholastic achievement and leadership awards.  Miss Celeste Gaynair is a senior at Sultana High School in Hesperia where she is on the Honor Roll and has been recognized by the National Honor Society for academic excellence.  Miss Ariella Houston of Redlands where she is a senior at Citrus Valley High School. Ariella is a Girl Scout Cadet and received the award of excellence from the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders.  Miss Kennedy Hutton is a senior at Oak Hills High School, in Oak Hills where she is a student leader and scholar.  Miss Genesis Jones is a senior at Victress Bower School in Norco where she has been student of the month and is a Kiwanis Award recipient.  Miss Amani Moxley is a junior at Valley View High School where she plays Varsity basketball and is in the AVID program.  Miss Jericka Roshell is a senior at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside where she has served as captain of the track, basketball, and cross country teams. 

Eta Nu Omega is the San Bernardino/Riverside Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first Greek Letter organization for college educated African American Women founded at Howard University in 1908.  For over 50 years, Eta Nu Omega has been engaged in service to the community through various programs geared to support families, foster academic success fir young people, and impact communities through service.  The Cotillion will be held on March 25, 2017 at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario. 

By Lou Coleman

This message is a warning from God’s Word for everyone to repent of their sins and begin to live godly lives in the light of the scriptures and to begin to seek God with great intensity, honesty, sincerity and urgency.  We are living in the end times, facing war, world conflict and distress and are awaiting the second coming of Jesus in the Rapture. Jesus warned the final Church Age with these words, “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodicea’s write; These things saith the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth…..[Revelation 3:14-17].

Now you can deny the fact that Jesus is coming soon if you want too, but you can’t change the truth of it. Jesus is coming, and He is coming soon. And when He comes, it will be with “sudden destruction” [2Thessalonians]. He will come when people are saying “Peace and safety!”  I tell you this world is preparing itself for the fulfillment of God’s prophecies. The signs are everywhere…Only the spiritually blind will refuse to see what is as plain as day.  The Bible says, “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles  7:14) I beg you, don’t take it lightly; your eternity is at stake. Jesus says, “Come now, and let us reason together: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”. [Isaiah 1:18]. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteousness man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” [Isaiah 55:7].

This is a call for you to believe the Bible. Jesus says that He is the only way of salvation, [John 14:6]. Jesus says that there is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun, [John 14:1-3; John 3:18]. Jesus coming again is a promise that is as sure as the sun coming up in the morning and setting in the evening. I don’t know where a message such as this finds you today. If you have never trusted Jesus as you Savior and you would like to be saved, I invite you to give your life to Him today and be saved. If you are saved, but the Lord has shown you that you are not ready for Him to return, there’s no better time than right now. If He has spoken to you on any level, don’t delay…. What will this “Day” mean for you, when the Lord comes “as a thief in the night”?  Will it be a day of destruction or a day of delight?  May God help you to understand—and to act.

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near,” [Revelation 1:3, see also 22:7].

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” [Deuteronomy 30:19]

END TIME SIGNS … (Daniel 12:4) (Zechariah 12:3) (Matthew 13:25-30) (Matthew 24:6-14,24) (Luke 21:25-26). (1 Thessalonians 5:3) (1Timothy 4:3-4) (2 Timothy 3:1-5) (2 Timothy 4:4) (2 Peter 2:1-3) (2 Peter 3:3-6)

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- San Bernardino Community College District announced today that it had selected Mark V. Lágrimas to become KVCR TV/FM’s interim general manager.

The post at KVCR represents something of a homecoming for Lágrimas — he graduated from Aquinas High School in San Bernardino before going to UCLA and working for CBS Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, The Disney Channel and ABC Studios as a financial and research specialist. Lágrimas produced the film, “They’re Watching” streaming now on Netflix, and served on the board of directors of SBCCD’s Economic Development & Corporate Training Foundation, which brings together business, education and civic leaders to help students of all ages gain new skills to re-enter the workforce.

 “We are delighted to welcome Mark, whose deep roots in our region and the entertainment industry will help us bolster KVCR’s ability to deliver the world-class programming that Inland Southern California deserves,” said Bruce Baron, Chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College District, which includes San Bernardino Valley College and Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa. SBCCD holds the broadcast license for KVCR – the PBS and NPR affiliate station for Inland Southern California.

“Having the opportunity to help shape the future of KVCR and uplift our region through rich and innovative programming is a privilege and honor,” said Lágrimas.“As the traditional ways of broadcasting are rapidly evolving, I’m committed to advance KVCR’s storied legacy and educational mission by creating new partnerships, both regionally and nationwide, and bringing cutting edge media strategies to ensure KVCR’s continued success and relevance into the future.”

Lágrimas joined KVCR on February 24 and will serve a one-year contract. He is filling the void left by Alfredo Cruz, who has taken a leave of absence to focus on his health.

Lágrimas will manage all aspects of the station’s public television and radio programming on Channel 24 and 91.9 FM, respectively. He will also oversee First Nations Experience (FNX), the first and only nationally distributed TV channel exclusively devoted to Native American and World Indigenous content, created in partnership between KVCR and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Students at Kimbark Elementary School see their environmentally conscious efforts as a way of life.

They recycle as much as possible, are vigilant about conserving water, and love spreading their concern for Mother Earth with other students from across the San Bernardino City Unified School District.

And, state officials are taking notice.

The California Department of Education recently recognized Kimbark Elementary as a Green Ribbon School, an honor that went to fewer than 30 public schools across the state. The award acknowledges schools that demonstrate exemplary achievement in three key areas: environmental impact, student and staff health and wellness, and environmental education.  Kimbark was honored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson at a ceremony held at Redondo Union High School on March 3.

“These schools and districts serve as role models for their students in two important ways,” said Torlakson, who started his public service career as a high school science teacher and coach.  “First, they manage their own facilities wisely by saving energy, conserving water, and reducing their impact on the environment. Next, they provide innovative education programs that teach students about nature, the importance of clean air and water, and how to make good choices to preserve the environment for future generations.”

As a magnet school with an environmental emphasis, Kimbark Elementary students have always focused on conservation as a way to reduce their impact on the planet, said Principal Mario Jaquez.

That focus became even more evident in the last year, when the state’s drought dried up one of two wells in the unincorporated, semirural community of Devore, where Kimbark is located. Students turned that near crisis into an opportunity to conserve water.

“Our students and parents understand why our grass isn’t green,” Jacquez said. “They know that we’re being water wise.”

Aside from significantly reducing its water use by 92 percent from 2013 to 2016, Kimbark Elementary also cut its greenhouse emissions by 40 percent as part of the District’s energy conservation program. And, plans are underway to decrease student’s reliance on plastic water bottles by turning to stainless steel, canteen-type bottles, Jacquez said.

Kimbark students are spreading their concern for the environment across the District by teaching other students to recycle. Recently, fifth- and sixth-grade students in the Kimbark Environmental Leadership Program, also known as KELP, visited Belvedere Elementary School in Highland to help children learn how to be better stewards of the environment.

This spring, Kimbark students will put on “Recycle,” an original musical funded by a $12,000 grant from the San Bernardino Fine Arts Commission.

CSUSB President, Tomás D. Morales, receives his flu shot from Palm Desert Campus’ family nurse practitioner, Cecile Dahlquist. (Photo Credit:  Albert Angelo)

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – More than 800 students have received free flu vaccines, nearly 500 of them at a two-day flu shot clinic in February, by the Cal State San Bernardino Student Health Center in partnership with the Santos Manuel Student Union.

The clinic is part of an ongoing partnership with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health to help students maintain their overall health and wellness, which enables them to focus on academics.

According to the Spring 2016 American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment Survey, more than 12 percent of the CSUSB students who participated in the survey indicated that cold/flu/sore throat caused an academic impact for them — defined as receiving a lower grade on an exam or an important project, a lower grade in a course, an incomplete, or dropping the course all together (ACHA 2016).

Holding free flu shot clinics is the latest student-centered approach implemented by the CSUSB Student Health Center to help students maintain their overall health and wellness to enable them to focus on academics.

Similar clinics were also hosted at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, where university President Tomás D. Morales visited the R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Student Health and Psychological Counseling Center to receive his vaccination.  The health center received donations of gift cards from several campus community members, and other campus departments provided give-away incentives to boost student participation.

“The Student Health Center is eager to collaborate with campus partners in order to provide student-centered approaches to health,” said health center director Dr. Grace Castillo Johnson.  “Partnering with the Santos Manuel Student Union makes it convenient and efficient for students who have limited time between classes.”

Cold and flu season is at its peak in the winter. Flu vaccines are free to students, while supplies last.  Faculty and staff are also welcome to get vaccinated for a fee of $15. To date, 40 faculty and staff have received vaccines.

For more information, contact the CSUSB Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.

By Dr. Mildred Dalton Henry

Last week, while attending a Careers Day at Dr. Mildred Dalton Henry Elementary School in San Bernardino, I was asked by a young female probation officer, ”How did you get a school named after you?”  I replied, ”Good question because I, too, have wondered.”

Many individuals think I am too fervent  about Black History, however, I firmly believe that it was Black History that placed me in San Bernardino impacting hundreds of thousands of lives along my journey. Perhaps it is because those teachers in all-Black Merrill High School, Pine Bluff, Arkansas told me to learn the contents of ragged, used books brought to our school from across town and one day I would rise above the inequities and insults we had to endure in that segregated society. Henry Elementary School in San Bernardino has stacks of new books for the youthful scholars. They use brand new books to live up to their slogan, ”I am smart, I am intelligent, I am full of greatness.”

Perhaps it is because schools were closed for Black children four months of the school year in the rural areas, forcing parents to send their children to live ”in town” to get a nine months education. Great sacrifices had to be made and we learned how to survive.

Perhaps it is the work ethic ingrained in us as we toiled in the cotton fields realizing that one must work for everything one gets. Nothing was free.  Perhaps it is the realization that no man is an island, and we were taught to be our brother’s keeper. Perhaps it is because Booker T. Washington said “Put down your bucket where you are”, that I founded the PAL Center in San Bernardino to provide education and vocational training in the communities where the people reside. The PAL Center has operated continuously since 1985.

Perhaps it is because our predecessors toiled from sunup to sundown, and beyond, that Lawrence Hampton, Tammy Amis, and I worked numerous nights to rush a proposal to the dock of the post office to be postmarked just before the midnight deadline. Because of these efforts to obtain grants, thousands of individuals have benefited.

Perhaps it is because Sojourner Truth said, ”Ain’t I a woman?”, and demanded respect, that I was taught to sing James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift every voice and sing… Let us march on ‘til victory is won”.  We marched in Fontana when the Ku Klux Klan said we could not march and honor Dr. Martin Luther King.

Perhaps it is because we were taught to roll up our sleeves, get busy, and fulfill a need that exists. Hence, the PAL Center has not only provided high school diploma, GED, and English as a second language certificates, but also programs for youth training and employment, adult employment preparation, welfare reform training, homeless youth shelters, gang and drug intervention and prevention, childcare, college preparation programs, and numerous other community-based services. Roses to Alonzo Thompson, and numerous others who pioneered these community-based efforts.

As we celebrate women’s contributions to history, I salute Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and other women who paved the way for me to contribute to history in San Bernardino.

As the first African-American to be Tenured, Full Professor, and Professor Emeritus in the College of Education, California State University San Bernardino, I stand on the shoulders of Dr. W.E. B. Du Bois, Dr. Mary MacLeod Bethune, my mother, Mrs. Alma  Dalton Gates, numerous other educators, and empowered individuals in various other fields of endeavor.

Roses to the Precinct Reporter, Black Voice, Westside Story, San Bernardino American News, San Bernardino SUN, and other newspapers and columnists who supported our efforts to harvest the Arkansas values from the California soil.

Why does a school carry my name?  I continue to ponder the blessing , and I am most grateful to those who had any part of giving me roses while I can smell them.