Thursday, October 8, 2009

PASSION FOR FASHION COMPETITION FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS



Kristyn Rethaford of San Bernardino, with a dress and matching purse she designed for the 2008 Passion for Fashion competition, was one of two Inland Empire high school seniors to receive a $3,000 scholarship to The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire last year. Students who graduate from high school in 2010 can submit an original fashion design or marketing plan to the 2009 Passion for Fashion competition, for a chance to win a scholarship to The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, and entry into a national-level competition for a full scholarship.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) -- The Art Institutes’ Passion for Fashion Competition 2010 provides high school students an exciting glimpse of the highly competitive fashion industry.  They offer students interested in Fashion Design or Fashion Marketing, Merchandising or Retail Management an opportunity to win a full-tuition scholarship to study fashion at one of The Art Institutes schools, including The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire.

Eligible students can enter the Fashion Design or Fashion Marketing and Merchandising and Retail Management category at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. 

Open to high school seniors across North America, The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition was created to encourage and reward young fashion design and fashion marketing, merchandising and retail management talent at the high school level. 

“Since it began five years ago, interest in the competition has taken off”, says Sherry West, Fashion Academic Director, The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. 

“We saw a record number of applicants enter last year’s competition. There are so many wonderful fashion courses in high school today, and many students see a career in this industry within their reach,” said West.

The competition consists of two categories: 1) Fashion Design and 2) Fashion Marketing and Merchandising and Retail Management.

The grand prize winner in each category earns a full-tuition scholarship to an Art Institutes school to study in a fashion program.  Each grand prize winner, in partnership with Seventeen Magazine, also receives a trip to New York City to attend a Fashion Week show, attends a “meet and greet” at Seventeen Magazine’s offices, lunches with a Seventeen Magazine Style Pro and receives a $500 shopping spree. 
 
In this year’s Passion for Fashion Competition, students will be asked to create an original “evening wear” design for the Fashion Design category or an original Fashion Marketing, Merchandising or Retail Management plan for the corresponding category.
To be eligible, students must be a senior in high school, set to graduate in 2010, complete an Entry and Release Form, have a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.0, write a short essay describing their interest in fashion and submit a finished, originally designed evening wear garment and process book, for the Fashion Design category or a create a product or plan for the Fashion Marketing and Merchandising and Retail Management category for complete details.

Please visit www.artinstitutes.edu/pr.aspx?ID=p4f10001st Call for Entries P4F Comp - Template Press Release BPC Reviewed[1].docx.

Deadline for entries into The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition is November 20, 2009.  For more information on how to enter The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition and for official rules, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/pr.aspx?ID=p4f1000 or contact Monica Jeffs at (909) 915-2100 at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degree programs in Game Art and Design, Graphic Design, Web Design and Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion and Retail Management, and Media Arts and 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 Nov. 12 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.

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. 

-end-

Byrd says Riverside County Missed $1,000 a person in last Census



Partnership Specialist for the U.S. Census, Paula Almanza and Riverside County Auditor-Controller, Robert Byrd together recently explained the importance of the U.S Census 2010 count to a group in Riverside.

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Riverside County Auditor-Controller Robert E. Byrd explained the importance of the 2010 Census count as a key panelist for the Regional Convening on Census Outreach at the Riverside Marriott held recently.

“The state is missing out on a lot of dollars left on the table, not able to be accessed due to people not being counted,” said Byrd during the panel discussion. “We missed out on $1,000 a person (not counted) by not having an accurate count during the last Census,” said Byrd.

The census directs the allocation of billions of dollars to state and local governments and affects political representation.  California can lose an existing congressional seat if it does not get everyone counted.

Panelists were asked to identify the most trusted messengers in the community that could promote the importance of the Census to those with whom they are in contact.  Byrd said, “We are looking for assistance from visiting nurses, in-home heath service providers, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, non-profit and grassroots organizations, chambers of commerce, and members of churches.”

California has 10 of the top 50 “hard-to-count” counties in the nation.  Riverside is the 18th hardest county to count.

Eric Alborg, deputy director, Census 2010 said, “There are two characteristics that make the count difficult.  The first is units are over crowded and residents do not include the entire household. The second is the language barrier prevents people from filling out the form.”

Byrd stressed the importance of assuring people the information they provide will not harm them. “One opportunity we have is to get information into the hands of our children.  A child in a non-English speaking household can give the basic information,” said Byrd.

The census counted 33.9 million people in California ten years ago.  California is the most populated state with Texas being the next most populated at 24 million people.

 “The Department of Finance predicts a count of 38.8 million people in April of next year,” said Alborg.

The census started in 1791.  The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years.

The census will hire 1.2 million people during the outreach process.  People interested in applying can call (866) 861-2010.

One of the most important functions of the Auditor-Controller’s office is to audit all of Riverside County’s expenses. The Auditor-Controller’s office also verifies, processes and creates more than 1,000 warrants to vendors each day and processes and drafts some 40,000 paychecks for county employees each month. It oversees the disbursement of more than $3 billion in property tax money each year to schools, special districts, cities and other local taxing agencies.

In 2002, Robert E. Byrd became the county’s elected Auditor-Controller with more votes cast than in the entire history of the office. He was subsequently re-elected to a second four-year term in June of 2006.

Committed to his community, he’s a member of Riverside Rotary, board member of the Next of Kin Registry, is on the International Relations Council for the City of Riverside, and is a member of La Sierra Academy’s Board of Trustees.

For details on the Riverside County Auditor-Controller's office call (951) 955-3800. To obtain a free copy of Financial Highlights, an annual report produced by the Office of the Auditor-Controller that recaps the county’s finances in an easy-to-read format, go to www.auditorcontroller.org .

Robert E. Byrd, CGFM, who is elected by the voters of Riverside County, heads the Office of the Auditor-Controller. The Auditor-Controller staff and management teams are dedicated to providing sound financial accounting, auditing and reporting in order to serve the citizens of Riverside County. More information is available on the Web at http://www.auditorcontroller.org .



-end-

Monday, October 5, 2009

Rialto Resident Running for San Bernardino County Education Board


Corey Jackson, a former Rialto School District and California State University governing board member, is running for the San Bernardino County Board of Education - Area D.

Corey Jackson makes announcement:

With the encouragement of people from around the county, and with the support of my family and close friends, I am announcing my candidacy for the County Board of Education-Area D, in a bid to represent the people of the Rialto and San Bernardino Unified School Districts in 2010.

Education has been very important throughout my adult life.

I am a product of county schools. I graduated from Rialto High School.  I had the honor of serving on the Rialto Unified School District School Board of Education and on the California State University Board of Trustees representing more than 500,000 students in the State of California. I currently work in the education field as a specialist to increase access to preschool education for all children.

I have the experience, passion and love for my community to fight for the resources our school districts need to improve the education of our children.

Preschool, Special Education, Job Training, and Music programs should not be left behind as we strengthen and reform our education system.

Every child should have the support and encouragement to attend college. But those who do not must be trained with marketable skills to find a good job.

When elected your issues are my priority within San Bernardino County.

I respectfully ask for the people of our county to support my candidacy.

Please join me on FaceBook to hear more about what I plan to do for the children of our county. www.facebook.com/jacksonca

Jackson is endorsed by the following:

Barbara McGee
Rialto City  Clerk

Rikke Van Johnson
San Bernardino City Council

Deborah Robertson
Rialto City Council

Joanne Gilbert
Rialto School Board

John Futch
San Bernardino
Community College District

Raymond Delgado
Rialto Science Teacher

Christine Marquez
San Bernardino Teacher

Lloyd Sheppard
Rialto Math Teacher

Roy Rogers
San Bernardino English Teacher

Ernest Rhone IV
Rialto Master Teacher

Past Cal State San Bernardino
Student Body Presidents:
Erik Fallis
Anthony Conley

Partial list

14 HOMELESS KIDS WILL BE STYLIN’ WITH HELP FROM THE SALVATION ARMY


The school-age children who live in The Salvation Army’s Hospitality House emergency family shelter will soon be as warm and stylish as these young ones, because a donation from the Hispanic Employees’ Alliance will allow all 14 of them to shop for $100 in back-to-school clothes and school supplies at Target this Saturday. File photo from Carl Dameron

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Fourteen homeless children will soon arrive at school with brand new clothes, backpacks and classroom essentials, thanks to a donation of $1,400 from the Hispanic Employee Alliance Group to The Salvation Army, San Bernardino Corps.

The 14 children are the current school-age (kindergarten through 12th grade) occupants of Hospitality House, the emergency family shelter maintained by The Salvation Army of San Bernardino for the area’s homeless families. Shelter Director Roosevelt Carroll and volunteers will take these children to the Target Store on Orange Show Road at E Street, 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.

At Target, each child will each receive from The Salvation Army a $100 gift certificate to select new clothes, new underwear, new shoes and socks, and any other clothes they need for school. They’ll also get new backpacks, pens and pencils, markers and crayons.

“They will have all the basics,” Carroll said. “Since they are homeless, some of them never had brand new shoes or a brand new shirt. It has always been hand-me-downs from an older brother or sister.”

“Here at the Salvation Army, we appreciate all donations,” he added. “This one is especially appreciated because it is aiming straight for our kids, is much needed and is a blessing.”

About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.

The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church, and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.


-end-