The Dad who doesn’t have to be

Colton stay-at-home dad is ideal role model for troubled teen boys in foster care.

(COLTON, Calif.) Teenage boys can prove to be the most difficult to place in foster care. Unfortunately, they are the ones who often need the most help.

That’s where Ritchie Howard of Colton comes in. The 56-year-old grandfather is the uncommon stay-at-home dad for children in foster care in San Bernardino County. Often, he is called upon by the agency he works with – Knotts Family and Parenting Institute – to care for teenage boys who are temporarily removed from their home due to parental abuse or neglect. Though not always, some come with emotional and behavioral challenges that are compounded by having changed homes, schools, neighborhoods and routines numerous times.

The institute sees Howard as a role model for teens, many of whom come from households with absent fathers. The need for male foster parents is on the rise. The need is also urgent because males can serve as role models and mentors for teenage boys as they enter adolescence.

“One of the most critical roles a foster father can provide is assisting a teenage boy in role identity as well as being an inspiration for future endeavors,” said Dr. Lewis King, training and program director for Knotts Family and Parenting Institute in San Bernardino.

“That doesn’t mean a mother can’t be a role model for a teenage boy,” said Dr. King, who is also a psychiatry professor at UCLA. “But her challenges are more difficult. Situations in which there are two parents in a foster care home are ideal, since they can provide extra resources by assisting each other in parenting a teen.”

“You just have to have more resources in the household,” Dr. King said. “When we identify and train foster parents, our task is to lend complete support. Our social workers frequently check on the families and intervene if there are problems. Still, one parent can get overwhelmed by the responsibility.”

It was his wife’s idea for Howard to become a foster care parent in 2005. Howard, an adult and adolescent mental health worker with five biological children, went along with the plan.

He and Christina joined the cadre of specially trained foster parents at Knotts, and received three children through the agency right away. Christina is a licensed vocational nurse at Patton State Hospital and had complications in her hours for work.

This meant the primary parenting fell to Howard. He reduced his hours at Canyon Ridge Hospital in Chino to care for the children. So far, 14 children who have since come through their home, some for a few days, others for as long as 18 months. The family plans to adopt at least one of them.

Howard wants to make it clear the family task was sometimes tough, but extraordinarily rewarding. Teenage boys can be especially headstrong and disrespectful, he said.

One 14-year-old boy arrived at his house wearing gang colors. Howard immediately put a stop to that.

“The boy needed a man to care about him and guide him. He had no father that he knew. He was trying to fill this void with gangs and it’s impossible.” He also liked to fight and he picked on other boys in Howard’s house. “You have to have a lot of patience to deal with them. You’ve got to show them tough love. With love and support the turn around is marvelous.”

Knotts Family and Parenting Institute provides Howard with support and resources through weekly visits from a social worker and monthly meetings that involve the other parents. The institute provides counseling, referrals, tutoring and weekend activities for the children. “They do everything they can to enlighten you on foster care for teens and managing combative behavior,” Howard said.

The Knotts Family and Parenting Institute is all too aware of how critical it is to involve fathers such as Howard in foster parenting. He is one of 30 fathers who have worked with the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute over the past five years, compared to 400 mothers, many of whom run single parent households. The under-representation of dads in foster families mirrors American society, where fathers are absent in the lives of one in three children.

In keeping with this, the Institute has specific training programs geared toward fathers in two-parent homes. Very few foster parents are single dads. One of the programs assists fathers in developing skills for life and job opportunities.

Because of teen behavioral problems, “Foster parents tend to be more interested in opening their home to younger children,” said Gwen Knotts, CEO and president of the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute. “It takes a special parent to care for teens, made more difficult (as we insist) when siblings need to be kept together,” Knotts added.

Howard has taken in as many as three siblings at once and understands firsthand the importance of keeping brothers and sisters together. The oldest of nine children, Howard grew up helping his mother care for his younger siblings while she worked nights as a certified nursing assistant. His father was a foundry worker in Los Angeles who struggled with alcoholism and died of the disease at age 57.

Double pneumonia killed Howard’s 36-year-old mother when she was pregnant with her tenth child, who also died. Sixteen-year-old Howard urged his grieving father to keep the entire family together and let him take care of his siblings.

“My dad felt overwhelmed that he couldn’t take care of all his children.” An aunt and uncle in San Bernardino took in three of his brothers and sisters, said Howard, who stayed with his father. Four other siblings entered the foster care system.

Howard grew into adulthood in the 1970s and did what he could to help his fractured family. At one point, his 15-year-old brother needed his help.

“His foster parents hit him with sticks and garden hoses,” said Howard, then a 26-year-old post office worker. He drove his Dodge van to San Bernardino to pick up his brother. “ I took him back to LA to live with me.”

Some of Howard’s siblings failed to cross successfully into adulthood. One of his brothers went to prison, another had a mental breakdown, a third died in a shooting. Howard weathered family tragedy by pursuing a career in mental health.

When he became a foster dad, Howard brought a special love and understanding to boys from troubled homes. He recalled three brothers who came into his care, ages 11, 7 and 5. This was their third foster home.

The first words out of the 11-year-old’s mouth were: “I don’t talk to strangers.” Same for the middle child: “I don’t talk to strangers,” he repeated. But the little one warmed to Howard. “I’ll talk to you,” he said.

“Since then, they called me Daddy as long as they stayed with me,” Howard said. “Their dad was in prison. For a while, we were one family.”

Since 1982 the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute has provided foster family services for the children, parents and foster parents of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

For more information or to become a foster parent call the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute at (909) 880-0600.

Ellen Porter New Public Relations Executive

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Ellen Porter back at Dameron Communications as public relations executive after taking a year off to teacher. Her love for writing far surpassed her love of teaching.

As the new public relations executive, Porter’s duties will entail handling publicity needs of Dameron Communications clients in media relations, copy writing and crisis communications.

Porter was formerly a journalist and consultant in the High Desert from 1989 to 2006. During this time, she worked as a reporter for the Daily Press in Victorville and was Editor in Chief for the Lucerne Valley Leader and the Hesperia Star.

In 2003, Porter started a freelance writing business. Her accomplishments include nationally published articles, however, she desired a collaborative environment that only a larger firm could offer.

“Rejoining Dameron Communications was a great opportunity for both me and Carl Dameron,” said Porter. “He already has an established clientele for which I can write, and my doing so frees Carl to be more creative in other areas of the company. This also allows him more time to market the firm and to gain more clients.”

Porter’s first assignment with the Daily Press entailed her covering the San Bernardino County government. Many county offices are within blocks of Dameron Communications and many of Dameron Communications’ clients are organizations and companies she once wrote about for the High Desert newspapers.

“Ellen’s knowledge, both of media and the area in general, will help our current and future clients meet their marketing needs,” said Dameron. “I am very pleased to have Ellen back on my staff,” he added.

LA SALLE ONE OF TOP 15 INLAND EMPIRE LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES

LA SALLE NAMED ONE OF TOP INLAND EMPIRE LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES

(ONTARIO, Calif.) – LaSalle Medical Associates received recognition Aug. 1 from Hispanic Lifestyle magazine as one of the top 15 Latino-owned businesses in the Inland Empire.

“I am honored to receive this award on behalf of LaSalle Medical Associates,” said Dr. Albert Arteaga, founder and CEO. “But this award really recognizes that the LaSalle staff has delivered a great service, affordable and quality health care, to residents of the Inland Empire. Our success is because our customers keep coming back and recommend us to their friends and family.”

When Dr. Arteaga first opened LaSalle Medical Associates in 1984, he set out to not just aid those in need, but to change patients’ perception of “going to the doctor.” He explained, “I want everyone to feel that going to the doctor is no more intimidating than going to the grocery store.”

This has made LaSalle Medical Associates one of the top Latino-owned businesses in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Hispanic Lifestyle, as part of its 12th annual Lifestyle and Business Expo, recognized 40 Latino-owned businesses that earned at least $1 million in 2007.

Based on the magazine’s estimate that LaSalle Medical Associates had earned between $26 million and $32 million, it awarded the company the distinction of the 15th most successful Latino business in the Inland Empire. LaSalle Medical Associates was the only health care provider recognized at the event.

The top-performing business Hispanic Lifestyle magazine recognized was Mission Foods, a Rancho Cucamonga food manufacturer earning $1.3 billion in 2007. Grocery stores, auto dealers, general contractors, restaurant chains, commercial printers, manufacturers of various products and many other businesses also were honored.

“The overall earnings of the companies we recognized is more than $10 billion,” said Richard Sandoval, publisher of Hispanic Lifestyle magazine. “Still, here we are in 2008, and Latino companies are often not taken seriously. We wanted to bring them the recognition they deserve.”

LaSalle medical clinics are at 17577 Arrow Blvd. in Fontana, 1505 17th St. and 565 North Mount Vernon in San Bernardino and 16455 Main St. in Hesperia.

For an appointment or more information call LaSalle Medical Associates at (909) 890-0407.

FHA-HERO REGION OFFICERS ATTEND TRAINING CONFERENCE

(FRESNO, Calif.) Forty student delegates attended the Region Officer Training Conference of FHA-HERO at California State University Fresno July 28-31.

FHA-HERO is a career technical student organization for young men and women who are currently or have been enrolled in a Home Economics Careers and Technology program in middle school or high school. In California nearly three thousand students annually participate in region and state-level leadership and career development activities.

“The purpose of the conference is to assist FHA-HERO Region Officers from throughout the state develop leadership skills and gain knowledge about their organization,” said State President Emily Mastrolia, a student at Deer Valley High School in Antioch. “We participated in workshops that focus on topics such as speech writing, public relations, leadership development, parliamentary procedure and communication skills. In addition, the officers participated in team-building activities.”

The 40 student officers will provide leadership for the FHA-HERO members in their geographic area. Each of the students represents one of 10 areas in the state.

In addition to completing a variety of elected duties, the region officer team is also responsible for planning and conducting region-level activities for the coming school year. This includes competitions, planning community service projects and projects to increase membership at the chapter level.

The Home Economics Careers and Technology Education staff of the California Department of Education sponsors this training.

For more information, call Janice DeBenedetti at (916) 323-5025.

Participating students were from the following cities:

Altaville: Bridget Deaton

Angels Camp: Victoria Fout

Antioch: Emily Mastrolia, Kayla Douglas

Apple Valley: Trista Cowlishaw

Bay Point: Araceli Montoya

Bieber: Kristy Meade, Tierney Carmichael

Chino: Sarah Rosendahl

Chino Hills: Sonam Malhotra

Citrus Heights: Tabitha Kelly, Samantha Zechlin

Concord: Darryl Johnson, Vanessa Grado, Darlene Sanchez

Delano: Deana Alvarez, Mindy Morales, Irene Capiac, Miguel Rosales

Folsom: Christian Task

Kernville: Bethany Stanton

Lake Isabella: Kiki Frisch

Linden: Valerie Lee

Millbrae: Kimberly Hung, Amy Shinoki

North Hills: Milena Garrido

Oroville: Cody Nore, Avery Faulkner, Matthew Johnson

Palermo: Claudia Rodriguez

Rancho Cordova: Annamarie Hammerle

Rowland Heights: Josh Cruz

Turlock: Ariel Renteria, Mary Ortega, Betty Koltun, Karina Mendoza

Victorville: Candice Green, Aprille Garcia

Wilmington: Samantha Echeverria, Cindy Andrade, Paula Lim

Wofford Heights: Nicole Smith

COMMUNITY HEROES SOUGHT

Sister Mary McKinney is the 2007 Humanitarian of the Year

Reginald Beamon is the 2007 Community Service Award winner.

Kim Carter is a 2007 Black Rose.

Carl Jones is a 2007 Black Rose.

Brenda Dowdy is a 2007 Black Rose.

Project Action, as a group, is a 2007 Black Rose.

Lola Lee is a 2007 Black Rose.

Dixie Jourdan is a 2007 Black Rose.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – If you know someone who gives their time to make a better community, the Black Culture Foundation wants to know about them.

It’s seeking nominees for the 19th Annual Black Rose, Humanitarian of the Year and Community Volunteer of the Year awards. It will present these awards Friday, Sept. 26 at a dinner in the Valencia Room of the National Orange Show Grounds.

“We are looking for people who are doing over and above what they are paid to do every day,” says Margaret Hill, chairman of the Black Rose Awards program. “Many of these people don’t toot their own horn, but do so much for the community, they deserve recognition.”

To give the committee time to review all nominees, nomination forms should be turned in by Aug. 22. To obtain a nomination form, contact Hill at (909) 864-3267.

Although the awards program focuses on the Black community in San Bernardino, Hill says, an award winner need not be Black, nor a resident of the city. Many community leaders in law enforcement, education and other public venues have been recognized, and people living in places such as Riverside, Chino, Rialto and Fontana have received the awards in honor of work done to benefit the Inland Empire as a whole.

The Foundation is selling tickets to the awards ceremony for $50 each. Tables of 10 can be reserved for $500. To order tickets or reserve a table, contact Hill at (909) 864-3267.

The event begins at 6 p.m. in the National Orange Show - Valencia Room, 689 South E Street, San Bernardino. (Access is on Arrowhead Ave.) It starts with a social hour, followed by dinner and the ceremony at 7 p.m.

SALVATION ARMY TO BUILD APARTMENTS FOR HOMELESS

Homeless Shelter Director Roosevelt Carroll and Capt. Stephen Ball, Commander of The Salvation Army of San Bernardino, with a $1 million check The Salvation Army received from California, to assist in building apartments for women and families transitioning out of homelessness.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – The Salvation Army of San Bernardino will build eight new apartments for families transitioning out of homelessness, thanks to a one million dollar forgivable loan just approved by the state.

“This is amazing news for our community,” said Captain Steve Ball, San Bernardino corps officer. “We’ve been dreaming of this day so we can help more people move off San Bernardino streets and transition into brand new lives.”

The apartments will offer a stable, transitional home where eight families( as many as 36 individuals) can stay for up to two years, receive counseling, find jobs and save money for permanent housing.

The major of the city of San Bernardino agrees it is good news. Although the city hasn’t yet formally approved the plans, it is helping The Salvation Army get through the approval process.

“The Salvation Army’s plans for the homeless are very, very needed,” said Kent Paxton, director of Operation Phoenix, and leader in the city’s effort to assist The Salvation Army through the approval process. “A recent survey showed that San Bernardino has more homeless people than any city in the county,” Paxton added.

“The San Bernardino City Unified School District counted 1,700 homeless children in the district,” he said. “Those children belong to families, some of whom will benefit greatly from these apartments.”

The California Department of Housing & Community Development awarded The Salvation Army a $1 million loan on July 16. This loan won’t have to be repaid if The Salvation Army completes construction of the shelter and fulfills the program requirements over a 10-year compliance period, said Adriana Mattox, a funding consultant with Hill & Associates, a firm that helped The Salvation Army obtain funds.

Sheltering up to 96 homeless people every night is just one of the many ministries The Salvation Army of San Bernardino currently offers. Others include serving dinners six nights a week to up to 200 people, helping emergency workers in disasters, providing spiritual counseling and training, operating youth mentoring programs, and working to improve the lives of homeless people within the community.

“None of the money we are about to receive can be used for these other programs,” Capt. Ball said. “While the money for our apartment project is wonderfully received by The Salvation Army, it’s important to understand that the many other programs we operate need continued support.”

The Salvation Army will build the new transitional apartments on the same property where it will soon relocate its emergency shelter. It is still working out the design of this shelter, but Capt. Ball expects it to house 60 to 80 people, with room for an additional 40 more during cold weather months.

It plans to also remodel some of the new shelter’s rooms for single women and families with children.

Adult Rehabilitation Center, a separate branch of The Salvation Army, currently operates the Tenth Street shelter as a residence for men in recovery from addictions. The Salvation Army of San Bernardino operates a shelter at 746 W. Fifth Street, primarily serving homeless women and children, but also married couples.

In October of 2008, Adult Rehabilitation Services will move its men’s residence to a new building on Doolittle Street, and the Salvation Army of San Bernardino intends to move its services to Tenth Street.

The Salvation Army San Bernardino Citadel Corps has helped residents of San Bernardino, Rialto, Grand Terrace, Highland, Bloomington and Colton since 1887.

The homeless shelter and meals program is at 746 W. Fifth St. in San Bernardino. For more information, call (909) 888-1336.

FREE CONFERENCE SHOWS WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY

Dr. E. M. Abdulmumin (standing at right), one of the speakers at the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference held Saturday, July 26, talks with Leura Valeriano, Health Education Assistant Elida Drachenberg and Clarese Hill at the American Cancer Society’s information booth before the conference began.

Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, keynote speaker for the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference held Saturday, July 26, told of her experience with breast cancer when she was just 16 years old.

(Riverside, Calif.) –Cancer, cardiovascular disease and bad relationships.

These are serious health problems, but they can be avoided. And for those who already face these and other problems affecting their body, mind and spirit, help is available.

That’s the message the organizers of the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference believe more than 350 participants took home with them after the all-day event Saturday, July 26.

“I was humbled and overjoyed by the turnout,” said organizer Phyllis Clark, who created the event four years ago. “Some of these people have come all four years. We truly have a following. I am grateful for them, and for the sponsors. They have consistently believed in the multicultural community that attends this conference.”

To inspire others to take charge of their own health, the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference brought in as its keynote speaker Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, a representative of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The 30-year-old Hammonds-Blakely told about her experience with breast cancer 14 years ago, when she was in high school.

“To say that diagnosis changed my life is an understatement,” Hammonds-Blakely said. “It changed my life forever.”

Like most girls, Hammonds-Blakely didn’t think much beyond boys, clothes, and who she would go with to the junior prom when she was 16 years old. But when both her own self-exam and her doctor’s clinical breast exam revealed a suspicious lump, things changed.

“My doctor said ‘It’s probably nothing,’ but wanted me to have a biopsy just in case,” Hammonds-Blakely said. “When we got the results of the biopsy back, it showed I not only had cancer, but a rare and extremely aggressive type.”

“It was too much to wrap my mind around,” she said. “I went home daily feeling like a monster. I wondered who would ever love me? Would I ever get married? Would I ever have children? And if so, would I be able to nurse them?”

Hammonds-Blakely had a strong Christian faith before she contracted breast cancer, and it was by relying on this faith she got through this most difficult time in her life, she said. Faith was also what motivated her to use the difficulties she had gone through to help others.

“I realized no one ever knows when we will leave this earth,” she said. “Our responsibility while we are here is to manage our life and let it have purpose to help someone else. For as long as I am going to be here, I am going to use my life to the maximum.”

With this newfound motivation, Hammonds-Blakely went from an average student to fifth in her graduating class in high school. She has now obtained a Master’s Degree in marketing, and is working on her Ph.D. in organizational management.

This young woman also is a member of the Susan G. Komen’s Young Woman’s Advisory Council, a position that gives her numerous opportunities to let women know that breast cancer can happen at a young age. It also gave her the opportunity to travel to Nigeria, where she and her mother were able to bless many teen-age girls who had recently survived breast cancer with 750 prosthetic bras, and encouragement from a “sister” who had been there.

“That was one of the most profound experiences of my life,” she said.

Another speaker for the event was Dr. E.M. Abdulmumin, professor, youth advocate, and karate instructor. He urged the largely African-American audience to consider the African lifestyle as one that is healthier and more balanced than that of Americans, and to make changes

“Our parents fought hard to get us out of slavery,” he said. “Now we have a new kind of slavery. As our children have moved away from their values, and their culture, they have become slaves to peer pressure.”

In the afternoon, a panel of experts gave their advice for a healthier lifestyle. These included Dr. Steven Barag, who presented information about preventing and curing hypertension and other cardiovascular disease; Dr. David Williams, who gave information about his specialty, preventative medicine and how it can help people stay healthy; marriage and family counselor Tiombe Preston, who taught 12 Commandments for Emotional Health; author and college professor Charles Fossett, who offered his sage advice on relationships and Pastor Gerald Hightower of Purpose Center International, who provided the audience a spiritual perspective on finding one’s purpose in life.

The free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference was organized by a committee which includes staff members from Riverside County Public Health Department; the American Cancer Society; the Southern California Witness Project, a breast cancer awareness group; Inland Agency; Dameron Communications and many volunteers.

Sponsors for the 2008 Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference included The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhARMA), Southern California Edison, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Dameron Communications, Black Voice News, Brothers and Sisters in Action (BASIA), Abbott Vascular and Novartis.

These sponsorships allow the conference organizers to put the event on at no charge.

For more information about the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 565-4431 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com.

WILLIAMS JOINS ELITE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM

(San Bernardino, Calf.) Gene Williams joined Dameron Communications, a highly regarded public relations firm located in San Bernardino County, as a summer intern.

Gene is a recent graduate from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Communications. Williams is one of four interns working for Carl Dameron who serves as creative director and CEO.

“Interning for Dameron Communications has influenced my life twofold; it has provided a clear perspective of what I want to become as a professional and the experience has built my character in a positive way,” said Williams.

Gene’s involvement with extracurricular activities served as a beneficial supplement to his educational training as a public relations practitioner. Gene has served on several executive boards, became a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America and held a position as a writer for The Poly Post, the university newspaper.

“Becoming a writer for The Post prepared me as a public relations specialist. It served as an outlet for writing in-depth articles and provided a sense of accomplishment with published stories. My involvement with the paper confirmed that I was majoring in the right career field” said Williams.

Gene also served as the Director of Public Relations for the Multicultural Council (MCC), a student run organization that funds and provides a guideline for cultural clubs and organizations.

During his time with MCC he created brochures, flyers, updated their website and provided a voice for the organization within the school. He also took part in events that promoted social awareness and social change within the minority community.

Gene’s prior experience in public relations stems from his college career, where he developed a strong educational foundation in communications and public relations. His experiences range from constructing communication plans for the Orange County chapter of the ALS foundation, creating media related materials for an educational resource company.

Within the first few months at Dameron Communications Gene has been part of many projects such as the grand opening of the American Heritage University’s new location in
San Bernardino and He will be part of an upcoming camping to raise awareness for Riverside County Auditor-Controller Robert Byrd.

Gene’s interest in making a difference for minorities manifested itself to his desire to make a difference on a local level by pursuing a career within the county of San Bernardino as a Community Relations Officer for the Sheriffs Department.

Dameron Communications will be Gene’s first step into the competitive world of public relations; his desire to grow professionally and personally has begun.

For more information on Dameron Communications call (909) 888-0821.

Christopher Sloan New Intern At Dameron Communications

“Christopher is very dedicate to his work and I know he will succeed in both his career in photography and public relations,” said Carl Dameron, creative director and CEO for the agency.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Christopher Sloan started his internship at Dameron Communications in the summer 2008. He is a senior at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona), majoring in Communications: Public Relations.

“Within three weeks of being at Dameron Communications, I have already learned so much about public relations. I am honored to have Carl Dameron as a mentor, ” said Sloan. “I am happy I found an internship where I can learn more about both public relations as well as photography.”

Sloan will be returning to Cal Poly Pomona to complete his last four classes in the 2008/2009-school term, however, due to budget cuts, he will remain at Cal Poly Pomona for the entire school year.

Since he has very few classes left for the 2008/2009-school term, he will dedicate the remainder of his time to the college newspaper (the Poly Post), Public Relations Student Society of American (PRSSA) Cal Poly Pomona chapter, the Communications Club, the Communications’ photography department and work with the Cal Poly Pomona Music Department.

Sloan is the president of both PRSSA and the Communications Club at Cal Poly for the 2008/2009-school term. PRSSA is a chartered club that is open to all students within the communications department; however, its focus is within public relations.

“After my interview with Carl Dameron (Creative Director at Dameron Communications), I realized that outside of classroom, I had no writing samples,” said Sloan. “Realizing this, I decided to incorporate opportunities for PRSSA members to gain experience within the public relations field outside of the classroom.”

Sloan has spoken to Guiang Corporation and the Newman Club Catholic Campus Ministry about PRSSA doing all their public relations.

“I believe that by allowing students to work on actual public relations projects, PRSSA will give students the experience they need to succeed after graduation.” Said Sloan.

The communications club will be dedicated to giving its members experience within both journalism and organizational communications.

Sloan will continue to photograph and start writing for the Poly Post and the music department. He will also continue to be a photography lab assistant for the communications department.

“If nothing else, I have learned this summer that a press release is written for the target audience and should be written in such a way that the target audience will be able to clearly understand the message being sent,” said Sloan.

Sloan looks forward to continuing his summer internship with Carl Dameron and knows that by the end of the summer, he will have a basic overview as to what a career in public relations is all about.

Matt Sloan new Dameron Communications Intern

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Matthew Sloan has joined the creative staff at Dameron Communications as an intern.

“Working for a local firm allows me to get to know how a Public Relations company works, as opposed to learning how a small department within a huge corporation works,” says Sloan.

Sloan believes that interning for Carl Dameron at Dameron Communications will give him a better appreciation for the field and an understanding of Community Relations, Government Relations, Public Relations and Advertising.

“I love Public Relations and photography. My goal is to use my love for photography and my love for writing together in Public Relations. Public Relations and photography are pretty similar in that both are trying to sell products to clients,” says Sloan

Sloan is currently enrolled at California State Polytechnic University of Pomona pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.

Sloan is the 2008/2009 vice president for the Cal Poly Pomona branch of the Student Public Relations Society of America and previously served as the club’s historian for the 2007/2008 term. He also served as a chairperson for the Cal Poly Pomona Communications Club.

A summer school photography course with Dr. Neil Chapman was all it took for Sloan to join the world of photography.

After the class he started to work as a photojournalist, which led to a photography internship with Cal Poly. He is completing the internship and will start to do public relations for the music department in the fall.

He belongs to the Cal Poly Pomona Concert Choir and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.



Sloan has worked for the Poly Post, Cal Poly Pomona’s school newspaper, as a photojournalist for the past year. He plans on being a staff writer as well as continuing to take pictures for the paper in the fall.

“Working for the Poly Post allows me to stay in the know about any events being held at Cal Poly. It also allows me access to take a look at what goes on behind the scenes and gives me the privilege to get as close as need be to get the shot,” says Sloan.

Sloan will graduate in June of 2009 with his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations. His future plans are to work for a local Public Relations firm and grow with the company. He plans to continue working as a photojournalist and work toward merging his public relations experience with photography.

For more information call Dameron Communications at (909) 888-0321

About Dameron Communications
Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of our diverse client base locally, regionally and nationally. We are an award- winning agency that creates integrated marketing solutions to increase sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues. We use our 20 years of communications knowledge and experience to advance our clients’ objectives.
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HOME ECONOMICS CAREERS & TECHNOLOGY COURSES VITAL FOR STUDENTS

California State Secretary of Education Dave Long receives a plaque of appreciation from Janice DeBenedetti, state consultant to the Home Economics Careers and Technology program.

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Home Economics Careers & Technology teachers serve important needs in our schools, according to California State Secretary of Education David Long.

“I graduated from a small high school in Iowa, where every single person had to take Home Economics. We had no choice,” Long says. “Home economics courses are important now, more than ever.”

The home economics course Long took in his own high school focused on cooking, and what he learned still comes in handy, he says. Since becoming the California State Secretary of Education in 2007, Long has lived alone four nights a week in Sacramento, while his wife stays at their home in Riverside County, working in her job as an elementary school principal.

“My home economics teacher told me, for guys this course is called survival skills,” he said. “These days, I agree.”

Had Long taken his one home economics course more recently, and in California, it would have done even more to prepare him for a successful future. Besides learning to cook for themselves, young men and women in introductory Home Economics Careers & Technology courses learn important life skills such as managing budgets, parenting and much more.

These introductory classes also give students a glimpse into careers they could have in the industry. That’s why they’re known by the name of Home Economics Careers and Technology, rather than simply home economics.

Home Economics Careers and Technology courses prepare students to work in three industry sectors: Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation (including Culinary Arts); Fashion & Interior Design; and Education, Child Development & Family Services. The courses, which focus on both leadership and career development, are offered in high schools, Regional Occupations Programs and some middle schools.

In the 1970s, California began expanding its home economics courses, taking the focus beyond traditional homemaking. The program now has a dual focus. One program, Consumer and Family Studies, prepares students with personal and life management skills. The other, Home Economics Related Occupations, prepares students for high-skill, high-wage careers in the related industries.

“That’s why what these teachers do is so important,” Long says. “I know that some people think that every child must go to college, but many students may choose to be trained to work in a great career, and Home Economics Careers and Technology is accomplishing that goal.”

Long made these remarks to a group of teachers who were in Riverside for training in how to teach students to work in the growing hospitality, tourism and recreation industry. These teachers came from such diverse places as Bieber, a small town near the Oregon border, to South Central Los Angeles, and each of them hopes for their students to have jobs close to home in this industry.

Janice DeBenedetti, state consultant for the Home Economics Careers and Technology program, said there are almost 900,000 jobs throughout the state in hospitality, tourism and recreation, and that it should grow nearly 5 percent each year through 2014.

There are more than 750 schools offering Home Economics Careers and Technology courses. More than 300,000 students are enrolled in these classes throughout the state.

For more information, call Janice DeBenedetti at (916) 323-5025.

TEACHERS SEE TOURISM AS KEY TO STUDENTS FUTURE SUCCESS

Carol Bertotto, (right) culinary arts and restaurant management teacher at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, learns the finer points of greeting newly-arrived guests at the Riverside Marriott Hotel from front desk supervisor Christina Herrera. Bertotto took part in a seminar on Hospitality, Tourism and Recreation put on by Home Economics, Careers and Technology, which supports the program at Eisenhower and other schools throughout California.

(RIVERSIDE, California) From small towns on the Oregon border to South Central Los Angeles, California secondary teachers see the hospitality and tourism industry as something that could give their students a great future.

To better prepare them for that future, nine Home Economics Careers and Technology teachers spent the week of June 23 through June 27 at the Riverside Marriott Hotel gaining an inside view of the industry through workshops and mini-internships. In these internships, they helped Marriott employees do the work that goes on each day in a hotel.

“There are jobs here that could give my students a great income as they work their way through college,” said Carol Bertotto, “And if a person has a passion to work in this industry, and learns their job well, there is room for advancement into well-paid careers.”

Bertotto already teaches culinary arts and restaurant management at Eisenhower High School in Rialto. This year, her school is changing its curriculum to create “pathways” students can follow to careers in specific industry sectors, and will add a tourism/hospitality course to its Home Economics Careers and Technology program.

Each participating teacher spent part of her week in five separate internships, each in one of nine areas of the hotel: Accounting, Outlets (restaurants), Catering, Concierge, Front Desk, Housekeeping, Kitchen, Reservations and Security. During the two-hour internships, a department supervisor explained his or her job, then allowed the teacher to have some “on-the-job” experience.

The employees also shared some insider tips. For instance, the teachers who did the Outlets internships in the afternoon hours learned how to pour beer bottles into mugs without causing them to foam excessively, while those doing this internship in the morning learned the secrets of mixing Marriott’s specialty coffee drinks.

And those who did the Concierge internship learned the lengths the hotel will go to for earning and keeping their customers’ repeat business. For any guest, that includes an eagerness to meet their customers’ needs, going so far as to run to the nearby drugstore for things like special brands of toothpaste or a bathing suit.

“CVS is my best friend,” said Corliss Brown, the evening concierge. “And before they opened (in February 2008), I sometimes ran all over Riverside looking for things.”

Some of the hotel’s guests have stayed at the Riverside Marriott frequently, or for a great length of time, and have qualified for a “frequent-stayer” rewards program. This includes floors reserved just for them with gift baskets on arrival and a luxury hospitality suite that comes with a near fully-stocked bar.
“We know some of them almost like family,” Brown said. “So, I want them to feel like they are at home.”

“In this business, we have learned the most important thing is the customer,” said Sharon Yonohera, who teaches tourism and hospitality to students at Big Valley High School in Bieber, California. “They have to be people pleasers. They have to be flexible. They have to work hard. We have to teach our students to do that.”

In addition to their mini-internships, the teachers heard presentations from Riverside Marriott General Manager Tom Donahue, Glendale Community College Tourism/Hospitality instructor Michael Lao, and the state’s Home Economics Careers and Technology staff. They also went on tours of the Riverside Convention Center, the Marriott Courtyard Inn in Riverside and the Mission Inn, to learn how these businesses provide hospitality to their guests.

Home Economics Careers and Technology courses prepare students to work in three industry sectors: Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation (including Culinary Arts); Fashion & Interior Design; and Education, Child Development & Family Services. The courses, which focus on both leadership and career development, are offered in high schools, Regional Occupations Programs and some middle schools.

In the 1970s, California began expanding the focus beyond traditional homemaking. The program now has a dual focus. One program Consumer and Family Studies, prepares students with personal and life management skills. The other, Home Economics Related Occupations, prepares students for high-skill, high-wage careers in the related industries.

While culinary, fashion and child development courses remain staples of most schools’ home economics curriculum; programs now address broad topics like tourism and hospitality, consumer affairs and energy conservation.

For more information, call Janice DeBenedetti at (916) 323-5025.

LOCAL EXPERTS ON BLACK HEALTH DISPARITIES WILL SPEAK

A few years ago, Black men in San Bernardino County died at an average age of 56, Black women at an average age of 63. White people in the county lived an average of 13 years longer. The African-American Health Institute has worked to decrease this disparity, and will present some of its efforts at a national conference in San Diego this October.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) A veteran of 35 years in the public health arena, Dr. V. Diane Woods, and other community partners within the African-American Health Institute will present results and follow-up interventions of the African American Health Planning Project of San Bernardino County at the 136th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Public Health Association in October.

Dr. Woods is the president and CEO of African-American Health Institute of San Bernardino County. She is also the assistant research psychologist in the psychology department of the University of California, Riverside.

“For Americans of African ancestry,” Woods cites, “there is a disproportionately higher mortality rate across all preventable health conditions. In San Bernardino County alone the average age at death for the Black population is 59 years.” One reason she points out is a lack of significant investment and “political will” of the County Supervisors to aggressively address health issues of local residents. One glaring deficit is the lack of significant funds going to Black owned community-based organizations working on health issues within their communities.

“You know the cliché,” she says: “Blacks don’t care about health concerns. It’s a myth. A similar impression carries over to Latinos and Native Americans, as well.
Look at it this way. In our county we have community groups and organizations doing what they can with limited money. These organizations start with their personal resources, donations from the churches, and a few dollars from different sponsors but not enough money to sustain programs that matter to their people. They cannot hire and pay people a decent wage to keep programs going for a long period of time. These Black organizations are doing what they can to help others, not just only Black folks.”

“Data from the AAHI Planning Project (funded by The California Endowment) indicated 78.9 percent of the Black population in the study had health insurance coverage with 60 percent having their own physicians. This type of findings also dispelled a common myth that Blacks do not have insurance. Woods has used the findings from the planning project to work with the community on nine strategic recommendations to change the poor health outcomes of Blacks.

Woods’ and the community partners’ presentation will share ways they work together to address health issues with the Black population, as well as other ethnic minorities.

The theme for this five-day meeting and exposition of national public health professionals is Public Health Without Borders.

The APHA meeting and exposition is the oldest and largest gathering of public health professionals in the world. It attracts more than 15,000 national and international physicians, administrators, nurses, educators, researchers and other related health specialists. As the APHA executives say, “The world of public health is in continual motion, and there is no better time to stay abreast of the research and learn about emerging issues.”

Dr. Woods and colleagues will present six sessions, which are “We The People – Champions for Policy Change” (with Katie Greene, health policy analyst for AAHI ); “Invisible Bars – Barriers to Women’s Health During and After Incarceration” (with Kim Carter, CEO and founder of Time For Change Foundation); “Engaging Community for Structural Changes to Eliminate Critical Public Health Social Epidemics in America and the Bahamas” (with Dr. Robin Roberts, of the Medical Society of the Bahamas); “Utilizing Community Participatory Research Methods to Document Women’s Health Issues in Prison” (with Kim Carter and Disep Ojukwu, a statistician for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health); “Epidemiological Modeling of Interventions for Women in Prison” (with Kim Carter); and “Creating a Community Driven Policy Advocacy Infrastructure to Address Ethnic Health Disparities” (with Katie Green.)

The nearly 80 conference proceedings and more than a thousand sessions will span information technology, health law, women’s issues, community research, pubic health education, gay and lesbian issues, human rights concerns, maternal and children’s health, school health education, numerous government-related topics, emergent public health issues, and matters concerning all people, especially American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.

More than 700 numerous organizations’ booths will be on hand, for information and distributing free materials. Public Health students are strongly encouraged to attend. The African American Health Institute of San Bernardino County, of which Woods is CEO and president, will have its own in the Public Health Expo booth. She says, “We’ll be displaying material from our various collaborative partners and participating community stakeholders.”

The American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Exposition runs from October 25 through 29 at the Convention Center in San Diego. The public is welcome, with a reduced fee for admission.

For further details on all aspects of the event, call (909) 880-2600.


About the African American Health Institute of San Bernardino County
AAHI-SBC is a community-based resource focused solely on improving health among Americans of African ancestry, the poor and under-represented (URM) ethnic minorities in the Inland Empire. Please visit our Web Site at www.AAHI-SBC.org and learn more about what self-help groups and others are doing to improve the conditions of Blacks. You will also find the history of AAHI-SBC, an extensive list of partners, and activities underway.

FREE CONFERENCE SHOWS BLACKS WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY

Members of the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference Planning Committee listen to Chairman Phyllis Clark present information about this July 26 event that will empower everyone, especially Blacks, to take charge of their physical, spiritual and emotional health.

(Riverside, Calif.) – Statistics show Black men in the Inland Empire live, on average, to be only 56 years old, and Black women live to an average of 63 years.

That’s about 13 years less than white people in the area.

When the African-American Health Initiative publicized these statistics a few years ago, some agencies decided to do something about it. In 2005, a coalition formed to put on the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference.

The Fourth Annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference is set for Saturday, July 26 at California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Ave., Riverside.

“This is the premier wellness conference in this area,” said Phyllis Clark, chairman of the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference planning committee. “It is well-established and well-sponsored.”

Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhARMA), Southern California Edison, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Dameron Communications, Brothers and Sisters in Action (BASIA), Abbott Vascular and Novartis.

These sponsorships allow the conference organizers to put the event on at no charge.

The conference features some top-notch speakers, both local experts and those from outside the Inland Empire. But participants also can learn more about taking charge of their health in at least 40 information booths that will be set up in or near a courtyard by Cal Baptist’s Wallace Theater.
“This is a solutions-based conference,” Clark said. “People walk away with information they can apply.”

For instance, in one booth – actually a mobile medical clinic – doctors working with the University of California, Irvine Medical School will conduct clinical breast exams for women, and prostate cancer screenings for men.

In another booth, the American Cancer Society will give people a Colon Awareness Questionnaire, a survey designed to promote awareness of the benefits of colonoscopies in detecting early forms of colon cancer. Colonoscopies, and other types of screenings such as mammograms are performed in medical clinics with specialized equipment, but like the more basic breast and prostate exams, are vital tools in keeping people healthy.

“We want to make sure people know colon cancer is preventable and curable,” Clark said.

Most people should start having colonoscopies when they are 50 years old, Clark said. Since Blacks are more genetically predisposed to colon cancer, doctors often urge them to begin these screenings at age 40 or 45, and people with a close relative who contracted colon cancer early in life are often urged to have their first colonoscopy in their 20s or 30s.

Yet another American Cancer Society booth will feature “Ask the Experts.” Three specially trained health care workers will be on hand in this booth to answer questions. They can’t discuss specific cases, but can provide general knowledge about many health care subjects, especially those involving cancer.

And if you get there early, you can take a class in healthy eating at the Riverside County Nutrition Services booth. This is information you can pass on to others who would like to make healthy changes to their diet.

This 30-minute class, offered from 7:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., and again from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., is designed for both health care professionals and others, said Diane Wayne, a senior nutritionist with Riverside County Nutrition Services. It will address how to lower cholesterol and fats, and skills needed to select heart-healthy foods.

“And you will get a free cook book,” Wayne said.

The course is free, but participants must register Riverside County Nutrition Services before the day of the event. Call (951) 358-5880 to register or for more information about this course.
In a nearby booth, Chef Tony Stemley of French Quarter Catering will have his healthy sweet potato pie for sale. During the afternoon portion of the conference, Stemley will explain healthy cooking as part of a panel discussion on wellness.

From 7:30 a.m. through 9:30 a.m. Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference participants are encouraged to walk about the booths on the Cal Baptist campus, availing themselves of all the resources provided.

The conference itself begins at 9:30 a.m. with presentations until noon by guest speakers. Conference participants will then enjoy a healthy and complementary lunch, and may continue to visit the booths to learn more about being healthy.

The keynote speaker Nikia Hammonds Blakely, represents the Susan G. Komen Foundation as a member of both its Young Women’s Advisory Council and its Circle of Promise speakers’ bureau, which targets Black women. Hammonds Blakely will not only give a motivational speech which explains how she became a breast cancer survivor when she was just 16 years old, but also will provide musical entertainment.

Other speakers are:

· Dr. E.M. Abdlulmumin, a psychologist at the University of California – Riverside Counseling Center and psychology professor for the Thomas Haider UCR/UCLA Program in Biomedical Sciences at UCR. Dr. Abdulmumin is also the founder and executive director of the DuBois Institute, a recreational and educational program for youth at the Bobby Bonds Sports Complex in Riverside.

· Charles Fossett III of Montclair, a sociology professor and author of Heartbrokers and Marriagebrokers, two books that explore personal relationships.

In the afternoon, from 1:10 p.m. to 4 p.m., a wellness panel is facilitated by Pastor Gerald T. Hightower, founder and senior pastor of Purpose Center International in Perris. It also features Dr. Stephen H. Barag, a physician at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, speaking on hypertension and the doctor-patient relationship, Dr. Dave Williams, coordinator of the Riverside County Wellness Program, speaking on the holistic approach to wellness, Chef Anthony Stemley, sharing his techniques to prepare healthy meals and Tiombe Preston, a marriage and family therapist from othe Black Women’s Health Project, speaking on emotional health.

The free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference is organized by a committee which includes staff members from Riverside County Public Health Department; the American Cancer Society; the Southern California Witness Project, a breast cancer awareness group; Inland Agency; Dameron Communications and many volunteers.

For more information or to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 565-4431 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com

ART INSTITUTE READIES HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOME

Taylor Iverson and Roxanne Morgan review samples for an Interior Design project they were working on earlier this year at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire. Interior Design students have recently put their studies to practical use by working with Habitat for Humanity to design fixtures in an 1,800 square foot home nearing completion in Riverside.

(SAN BERNARDINO Calif.) “Ours isn’t a typical college class,” said Marie Feuer, an instructor of the Human Factors interior design class at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “There’s no read-this-chapter-and-take-a-test here. Ours is a hands-on effort, taking the design students from the abstract and theoretical, to the concrete and the real world.”

After five weeks of intense planning, researching and designing, a dozen of the institute’s students are ready to actually install what they’ve created in a new 1,800 square foot house built by Habitat for Humanity in Riverside for Stephanie and Ron Suarez and their six children.

On Thursday, July 24 at 7 a.m. students will arrive, along with Feuer, at the Riverside location ready to go. Their designs for cabinetry, shelving, storage units, kitchen and bathroom fixtures will become a reality when they execute the installation themselves.

Feuer notes, “The students had to submit proposals to the Habitat for Humanity staff which agreed on one without any changes at all. The plans had to be budgeted out, a list of tools assembled, building codes had to be assessed and a timeline established. The students used CAD software along with PowerPoint and InDesign programs, and even submitted materials samples. And they needed to determine what impact their choices of lighting and color would have on the family.”

“There were a thousand details to be dealt with,” she continues, “way beyond what designers normally have to handle. The students learned to get their hands dirty in the real world, understanding what a pain it can be to actually build their brilliant designs.”

The interior design students were split into two teams, and part of the learning was to learn how to get along in order to come up with so much and do it all on time and on budget.

Feuer explained how the students met with the Suarez family over dinner one night and set about interviewing the soon-to-be new homeowners. “The students asked question after question,” Feuer says. “Like, what were the children’s needs – for instance, our class created closets that will expand as the children’s lives evolve and they begin growing up.” And what did Mrs. Suarez like in a kitchen, how much storage space does the family need now and will require in the future? This was a wonderful evening.”

The students’ research included a trip to the Pitzer College, Claremont campus. “It’s prized as a ‘green’ school,” Feuer explains, “and we wanted to learn all we could in order to incorporate as many of the environmentally sensitive solutions as possible. We and Habitat wanted the house to be ecologically sound, not just be looking good.”

At the heart of the entire project at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire was the Academic Director for Interior Design, Sara Sandoval, “a queen at finding the best, unique projects for her students,” Feuer says. “It was Sara who contacted Habitat for Humanity in the first place. She gave me enormous freedom, just asking me to keep her informed of what we were planning and how we’d pull it off. To have an academic director who allows you that freedom, and who shows that she respects me and what I do, made the entire effort a total joy.”

The Suarez/Habitat for Humanity home is at 2929 11th Street in Riverside. Installation on the 24th begins at 7 a.m. and will run all day. The family will be handed the keys at a celebration July 29.

It’s not too late to start classes. Courses begin Aug. 21, offering day, evening and weekend classes for new and reentry students. For details or a tour of the campus call (909) 915-2100, or go on line to artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Design and Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.

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.

AFTER FILLING HOUSE WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN, RIALTO COUPLE GETS TWO OF THEIR OWN

Veteran foster parents parents Anna Rodriguez-Murillo and her husband Jose of Rialto hold their newly adopted children two-year-old Matthew and three-year-old Seren. They were their foster parents for two years. The couple are also foster parents of the four more children through the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute.

KFI-PR-102 FAMILY


(RIALTO, Calif) Anna Rodriguez-Murillo is consumed with caring for other people’s children. The 26-year-old foster care mom from Rialto loves the 11 children she has parented as if they were her own.

“I don’t think it matters if I’m not their real mom,” said Rodriguez-Murillo, who has cared for as many as six foster care children at a time. “Right now, I don’t have time to have my own children, maybe in the future. I’m so attached to these kids. For me, it’s as if I had them.”

Soon, Rodriguez-Murillo and her husband, Jose, a 27-year-old finish carpenter, will become legal parents to two of the six children in their busy household. A seven-week-old boy and 14-month-old girl came to them two years ago through the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute in San Bernardino, which opened in 1992. This month, the couple and Matthew and Seren will be dressed in their nicest clothes to attend the adoption finalization proceedings at the county courthouse in San Bernardino.

Matthew and Seren represent two of the 434 adoptions that are facilitated annually by San Bernardino County Department of Children’s Services. Knotts Family and Parenting Institute, which contracts with the county, recruited and trained Anna and Jose Murillo to care for children who are temporarily removed from their home due to abuse or neglect.

When a child can’t be returned to the parent or be placed permanently with relatives, Gwendolyn Knotts, CEO of the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute, said she hopes that some of their 40 foster care families will choose to adopt. Parents such as Anna and Jose Murillo need no encouragement. “Anna reflects it in the care she provides. She has a natural passion and a lot of patience. She personally has a desire to give love to other children.”

“My wife does a nice job,” said Murillo, who is originally from Carson. “She treats them well. I love having a lot of kids around to play with.”

Matthew came to the couple at seven weeks old. His bones were broken from being shaken. A county nurse visited their home weekly and taught them how to gently care for the infant so his injuries would heal.

“My husband, he got so close to the baby boy,” Rodriguez-Murillo said. “He was so delicate. We couldn’t hold him or he would cry. It would hurt too much. We would hug him and rub his back.” A CT head scan at Loma Linda University Medical Center showed no evidence of brain injury, the most serious complication for shaken babies.

Rodriguez-Murillo didn’t plan on adopting when she signed up with Knotts Family and Parenting Institute almost two and a half years ago. But she became so attached to the children that she knew if any of them could not be reunited with their biological family, she would probably want to adopt.

Gwendolyn Knotts said that more and more of the families who work with the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute are willing to take that step. “It’s become such a natural progression, that the Knotts Institute is now in the process of getting licensed to facilitate adoption.”

Rodriguez-Murillo’s path to foster parenthood began in her own childhood in South Los Angeles. Her mother never worked at home as a housewife, so Anna, the oldest of seven children, helped care for her younger siblings. Anna Rodriguez was 16 when she married Jose Murillo, her boyfriend at Locke High School. The young couple followed her mother when she moved to Rialto. They lived in her home for three months, and then bought a house on a quiet dead end street – a perfect place for children to play.

For five years, Rodriguez-Murillo was the caretaker of her brother-in-law’s children after the breakup of his marriage. One day, a neighbor asked her what happened to the two kids who used to play outside. Rodriguez- Murillo explained that they had gone to live with their grandmother. The neighbor, who was a foster care parent with the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute, suggested that Rodriguez-Murillo also get certified.

“After my brother-in-law’s kids left, I felt that something was missing. Then I thought, my house is big. I could take care of some other people’s kids.”

The couple went through a three-month training and certification program at the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute to learn how to parent foster children -- from CPR and first aid to learning how to be a mentor to the child’s biological parent – if it’s determined that the child can be safely reunited with the family.

Rodriguez-Murillo said she is never on her own as a foster parent. Knotts offers the children tutoring, mental health services, mentoring and recreational and cultural activities. “If we need something, Knotts is always there,” she says.

The Knotts Family and Parenting Institute will be there for Rodriguez-Murillo and her husband next Christmas for an unprecedented family vacation. The Knotts Institute will step in to care for their four boys in foster care when the parents take Matthew and Seren to meet their new relatives in Mexico.

“I can’t take the others out of the country, but my family in Mexico is excited that I am adopting,” Rodriguez- Murillo said. “They see them as my own.”

Since 1992 the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute has provided foster family services for the children, parents and foster parents of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

For more information or to become a foster parent call the Knotts Family and Parenting Institute at (909) 880-0600.

________________________
Foster Care in San Bernardino County
• The Children’s Services Department investigates 30,358 emergency referrals annually
• Emergency referrals increased by 25 percent from 2000 through October 18, 2007
• The County supervises 6,000 children monthly, approximately 4,568 of whom are placed in foster homes.
Why are children removed from their parents care?
• General neglect: 41 percent
• Physical abuse: 17 percent
• Sexual abuse: 9 percent
▫

DAMERON COMMUNICATIONS WELCOMES YOUNGEST INTERN

Mary Cooksey

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Mary Jayne Cooksey joined Dameron Communications as one of its youngest interns.

“It’s a pleasure to have Mary working for Dameron Communications. She brings a youthful insight to projects. She is a hardworking young woman and I’m sure she will go far in the Public Relations field, “said Carl Dameron, president of Dameron Communications.

Cooksey is a third year student at California State University, San Bernardino. She is currently working towards her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marketing and Public Relations. At the age of 20, Cooksey has decided to get an early start on her career experience.

“Dameron Communications, being one of the Inland Empire’s leading public relations and advertising firms, it's common sense to want to intern here. Interning at Dameron Communications has been an excellent opportunity to participate in Public Relations related activities, it has allowed me to come in contact with some very accomplished individuals and get a real feel of what it is I want to do once I graduate from college,” said Cooksey.

As the first in her family to attend college, Cooksey decided to go away for school to experience college life away from home. She attended Humboldt State University in the fall of 2005. After a year and a half at HSU, Cooksey transferred to California State University, San Bernardino. “The campus at Humboldt State was gorgeous and the classes taught me a lot about myself, however, after some thought I came to the decision to transfer. CSUSB was always my first choice, I love the way the communications program is organized and the way the faculty treats their students,” said Cooksey.

Cooksey has always enjoyed writing. At Azusa High School she was the school’s sports editor. As a three sport varsity athlete during her high school career, she was able to give the inside perspective of every sport she covered.


“Playing sports my whole life I often found myself the youngest member of every team. But, that never killed my drive. That only made me work harder to exceed the level of competition and bring up a couple notches, “ Cooksey said.

In every sport she participated in she received awards. She was second team all league in volleyball, all tournament on her two time league champion varsity basketball team, three time high jump league champion, one of them being in her freshmen year of high school.

She also received the most outstanding field athlete award in 2003 and was the Athlete of the Month in her senior year. Ending a long list of awards at her graduation ceremony, she received the Distinguished Athlete Award from the United States Marine Corps for displaying courage, poise, self-confidence and leadership as a high school athlete.

Cooksey was strongly involved in her academics. On top of being involved in athletics, she was also part of the National Honor Society and was elected to the School Site Council. The board included the principal of the school, a number of teaching staff and other selected students.

Giving back to the community is something to which Cooksey is committed. While going to school and participating in extracurricular activities, Cooksey found time to help out in her community. She volunteered to do youth coaching for children ages 6-12 and helped out as teacher’s aid at the local elementary schools. Also, Cooksey and some girls on her varsity basketball team did a basketball camp for young girls ages 8-12 at local parks and a recreation center in the city of Azusa.

For more information about Dameron Communications, call (909) 888-0321.

About Dameron Communications
Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of our diverse client base locally, regionally and nationally. We are an award winning advertising and public relations agency that creates integrated marketing solutions to increase sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues. We use our 20 years of communications knowledge and experience to advance our clients’ objectives.

CUCA GUTIERREZ BECOMES NEW PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR

Cuca Gutierrez

(SAN BERNARDINO, CalIf) Cuca Gutierrez joined Dameron Communications as a Public Relations Coordinator.

Gutierrez is a newcomer to the world of public relations and advertising. She brings both passion for writing and logistical support for the company, which are reasons that lured her to join the Dameron Communications team.

Prior to joining Dameron Communications, Cuca worked for Allstate Insurance where she started out as a front desk agent but quickly received her California insurance license certifying her as an auto and home insurance agent. There she worked closely with clients regarding proof of insurance and provided customer service.

“At Allstate my customer service experience prepared me to pursue the position at Dameron Communications,” says Gutierrez.

Cuca attended Chaffey College where she majored in English with a desire to become an English teacher. She also studied at San Jose Community College and wrote for the college newspaper.

Also Cuca worked for the Fontana Unified School District as a teachers aide for special education students. Where she tutor students with homework and help set-up lesson plans with teachers.

“I always enjoyed working closely with children,” said Gutierrez.

As Cuca begins her professional career as a writer and public relations representative, she sees Dameron Communications as a place to continue her advancement within the competitive corporate world.

“My experience with Dameron Communications so far has been an excellent ride. I have met very influential people all over the Inland Empire and I enjoy being in the presence of important figures within San Bernardino and Riverside County,” says Gutierrez.

For more information on Dameron Communications call (909) 888-0321.

About Dameron Communications
Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of our diverse client base locally, regionally and nationally. We are an award winning advertising and public relations agency that creates integrated marketing solutions to increase sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues. We use our 20 years of communications knowledge and experience to advance our clients’ objectives.

ART INSTITUTE HEARS: ‘33 YEARS A DISNEY ANIMATOR’

Ron Husband shows how he starts the animation process with pen and paper sketches.

(SAN BERNARDINO Calif.). Hundreds of animation sketches and a dozen of his few hundred filled sketch pads packed the tables in a lecture hall at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire July 11 as Disney animator Ron Husband delighted a room of 30 student animators as part of the institute’s week-long Invasion of Infinite Creativity workshops and seminars.

The 33-year Disney veteran lists major credits as long as his arm: The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid, Rescuers Down Under, two versions of Beauty and the Beast, Atlantis: Search for the Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, The Small One, Fantasia 2000, Pocahontas, Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Aladdin, Fat Albert The Movie and so many more, even including creation of the Cool Cat in singer Paula Abdul’s music video “Opposites Attract.” “I’ve worked on nearly all Disney animations except Tarzan from 1975 through 2005,” Husband said (he’s currently an illustrator with Disney’s publishing group).

Husband’s almost countless awards span a Father of the Year, a Teacher of the Year, a Man of the Year, a National Achievement in Art honor, Best New Artist, and the Centurion Award from the National Religious Broadcasters in Washington, D.C.

But Ron wasn’t at the institute to sing his own praises; that was left to Academic Director of Media Arts & Animation Santosh Oommen, the session’s organizer and host. “Success such as his requires incredible talent,” he has said, “but breaking Disney’s color barrier 33 years ago proves he also has great determination.” Oommen recalled, “I met Ron in 1995 at an art gallery, his sketchbook in his hand.”

“I always have one with me,” Husband said. “I’ve been drawing since I was five, and I have hundreds of books by now, with more to come. Drawing is what I do and enjoy doing. Like a baseball player who practices to keep his talents sharp, I do the same with drawing.”

Prior to joining Disney in 1975, Husband, his University of Nevada Las Vegas Bachelor of Arts degree in hand, landed a job with Honeywell in West Covina, slugging along doing block diagrams, he said. “I had a wife and two kids, and needed a job.” He heard about a Disney possibility and took his commercial art portfolio with him to an interview where they scanned his work and sketchbook. “I’d no animation experience,” he recalled, “but they saw movement in my drawings and gave me a chance.”

“Drawing is communicating and entertaining,” Husband explained. “If you don’t entertain, you don’t work for long. And drawings should give people information: who the character is and what it’s like, you show what they’re doing and communicate the ‘why.’ It all starts somewhere, up here,” he said touching his forehead.

The film animation process begins with what the director wants, he described. “You show the director your quick sketches to see if you’re going in the right direction,” instead of spending days finalizing a scene, “and then the director says it’s not quite right, try it again. But, if it works, and you get the anticipated reaction you wanted, then you create the full animation. So, first you do the whole movie in storyboards, then the rough sketch animation, then the cleaned-up animation and then the full animation. You can be on one movie for four or five years with each single drawing being on the screen for only 1/24th of a second.”

Making the impossible believable is some of the animator’s fun, he noted. You may have Mickey Mouse running off a cliff, realizing what he’s done and scampering back to safety before falling to his doom. “But it all seems natural,” he said.

Research plays a major role in the animator’s work, Husband pointed out. “When I was to do the Dr. Sweet character in Atlantis: Search for the Lost Empire, I studied medical tools and equipment and spoke to people in the profession. When I have to do animals at Disney, I research their anatomy and their movement first.”

Has computer-generated animation, the current rage, crept into his life? “I did some CGI animation,” he recalled, “but I really missed pushing the pencil, drawing. Little did I know CGI was going to take over as it has. I went back to drawing.”

Born in Monrovia, the San Dimas resident is happily married after 35 years to LaVonne, with three adult children and three granddaughters.

“I’m now adding a new challenge, a new direction, to my career,” he said. “I’m writing a book; it’s on quick sketching. No publisher yet, but I still have a way to go.”

With an easy smile crossing his lips, Ron Husband concluded, “I haven’t ‘gone to work’ a day in my life. I’m truly blessed to be doing what God gave me the skills to do. And to make a living at it.”

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Design and Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.

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.