Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Art Insitute of California - Inland Empire approved to offer Baking & Pastry degree

The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire already supplies custom-designed cakes for community events, such as these Executive Chef Eyad Joseph, academic director, presented on San Bernardino’s 199th birthday to Mayor Pat Morris. It will have more opportunity to do so now that The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire has been authorized to offer a degree in Baking and Pastry. Photo by Matt Sloan

(San Bernardino, CA) The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire has received approval to begin offering an Associate of Science degree in Baking and Pastry in its three state of the industry kitchens.

Approval was announced July 10 by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology in Arlington, Virginia. ACCSCT is the national regulatory agency that approves all academic programs offered by the local college as well as many of its 42 campuses nationwide.

According to Jerry Foust, Dean of Academic Affairs at the college, baking and pastry is a popular academic major. “We are excited that our application has been approved and expect that this degree will help a large number of students throughout the Inland Empire follow their hearts into a wonderful culinary career focused on baking and pastry.”

Foust said that students who are interested in the new degree can begin taking classes on August 20. “This summer would be a great time for students to start working on their Baking and Pastry degree. By starting in August students can complete their first quarter in a little over five weeks and then move into their second quarter, which is the standard 11 weeks, in October.”

The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is located at 630 E. Brier Drive, San Bernardino, in the Hospitality Lane area. For more information, call (909) 915-2185.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degree programs in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate of Science degree program in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in Fashion Design.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate of Science degree program in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree program in Culinary Management.

Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.

It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin Aug. 20 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.

For more information, or to arrange a tour, call The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/InlandEmpire.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is one of the Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu/), a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.

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Former Actor Leon Isaac Kennedy to speak at Temple Missionary Baptist Church

Former actor Leon Isaac Kennedy will speak at all three services of Temple Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday, July 19.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Leon Isaac Kennedy, former actor, writer and producer and now a minister of the gospel, will deliver the message at all three services of Temple Missionary Baptist Church: 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 am on Sunday, July 19, 2009.
Temple Missionary Baptist Church’s address is 1583 Union St., San Bernardino, CA 92411.
Kennedy is best known for the 1979 movie Penitentiary, which propelled him into Hollywood stardom in the 1980's. He went on to produce and star in several other movies; however, at the top of his career, he walked away from the industry. He spent his time instead speaking, visiting detention centers, drug rehab centers, homes for unwed mothers, churches and hundreds of prisons. On his website, kennedyhealingloveministries.com, he explains, "The Hollywood film business and movie making process has always been one of my great loves. However, positively impacting the lives of others is far more significant than winning any Hollywood trophy, and the only way I can significantly help someone is through Jesus!."
*Kennedy reaches out to Christians through his ministry headquarters in Burbank, CA, his website and "The Success Show," sharing a biblical perspective on financial freedom, healthy lifestyles, and entrepreneurship.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Free mammograms offered to women over 40


In 2008, the keynote speaker for the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, then 29, told her story of surviving breast cancer as a teenager. During the 2009 conference, taking place Aug. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside, low-income, uninsured women over 40 can receive free mammograms, even if they do not attend the conference itself. Photo by Chris Sloan


(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Women 40 years of age and older, who are low income and have no medical coverage, can obtain free mammograms on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The Southern California Witness Project has arranged to provide mammogram screening in a specially equipped mobile clinic at the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference at California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Ave. in Riverside.

“Many women who are over 40 and uninsured are not getting mammogram screening,” said Edith Nevins, Southern California Witness Project program coordinator. “We press on to educate and offer this program. Our motto is breast cancer is not a death sentence.”

Screening is also available for women younger than 40 who already have a history of breast cancer, but lack resources to pay for medical care.

To avoid long lines, women should register in advance by calling The Witness Project, (951) 485-9334. Ask for Helen, Mrs. Nevins or Deborah. Spanish speakers should ask for Susanna List, the program coordinator for Esperanza Y Vida.

Nevins, who is a retired nurse, and a team of volunteers take information to wherever attentive groups of women may be gathered. Their organization is part of the Quinn Community Outreach Corp in Moreno Valley, which also sponsors a similar Spanish-language program called Esperanza Y Vida.

“We have had community presentations in English and Spanish, at churches and schools, wherever we could speak to more than five people,” Nevins said. “We work to educate women seven days a week, in the evenings and on weekends. We attend health fairs, wherever we can go.”

Although the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference itself is geared primarily to African-Americans, women of all ethnicities are encouraged to register for the mammogram screenings. It is not necessary to attend the conference to receive a mammogram screening.

Southern California Witness Project especially targets African-Americans, and Esperanza Y Vida targets all Latinas. Studies have found these two ethnic groups are 70 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than Caucasians.

One reason is because a type of tumor known as triple negative is much more prevalent among Blacks and Hispanic than among white women, according to information from the American Cancer Society.

In fact, 39 percent of Black women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer before reaching menopause have this type of tumor, which is harder to cure than other forms of breast cancer. In the general population, only 14 percent of all breast cancer patients have this type of tumor. New medications have been developed this year that show promise to increase survival rates for women with this type of cancer, but as with all forms of breast cancer, early detection is crucial.

Clark encourages Black women who qualify for the free mammograms to register for both events. She also noted that since many African-American women have health insurance and do not meet the guidelines for “low income,” they may prefer to make arrangements with their own physicians to schedule a mammogram.

However, low-income Spanish-speaking women are often not insured, so this may be an ideal opportunity for them to have this potentially life-saving screening.

Another reason for Spanish-speaking women to participate, Nevins said, is they will not face a language barrier at this screening. The Esperanza Y Vida program will provide bilingual women to assist with the exam, tell their own stories of breast cancer survival and provide Spanish-language information about breast self-exams.

Quinn Community Outreach Corporation is an affiliate ministry of Quinn African Methodist Episcopal Church in Moreno Valley. The Riverside Community Health Foundation, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure of the Inland Empire and the Avon Foundation, also sponsor the Witness Project and Esperanza Y Vida.

The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, designed to help African-Americans and others develop strategies for healthier living, takes place at California Baptist University, from 8 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. Participants in the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will be able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.

The 2009 conference is limited to 200 people, so advance registration is necessary. For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com

Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), The Purpose Center, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott, and Dameron Communications.



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