Bicentennial Begins With The Legend of the Arrowhead

San Bernardino’s Historic California Theater will host “The Legend of the Arrowhead” on Feb. 18. This performance tells the history of San Bernardino in a theatrical musical written by former resident Heather McCluskey, and produced by the San Bernardino Economic Development Authority.

The Pink Ladies will appear in “The Legend of the Arrowhead” a play being produced by the San Bernardino Economic Development Authority, originally written by former San Bernardino resident Heather McCluskey. The performance takes place Feb. 18 at the California Theater.

 

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The city of San Bernardino’s Bicentennial kicks off Thursday, February 18 at The California Theatre of the Performing Arts at 8 p.m. in downtown San Bernardino with “The Legend of the Arrowhead,” an original musical written by Heather McCluskey.

“The historical musical tells the story of a stage production in progress, as the director and producer of the show explain San Bernardino’s origins. The show highlights the lusty caballeros, the pioneer settlers, and the Arrowhead Springs Hotel,” said Lori Tillery.

“Travel back in time to see familiar faces come to life, Wyatt Earp, Lillian Russell and Dr. Martin Luther King. This fast paced, musical satire comedy speaks to anyone looking for a fun and enjoyable night at the theatre,” said Colin Strange.

Colin Strange and Lori Tillery are the executive producers of the event. They work for the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency, which is sponsoring the production on behalf of the Bicentennial Committee.

“The musical satire focuses on the mysterious arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains,” said Strange.

The historic California Theatre is a 1,718-seat auditorium built in 1928 as a vaudeville movie palace. Currently the theatre hosts a wide range of performance types including musicals, plays, symphonies, celebrity headliners, concerts, children’s theatre, ballet, recitals, fashion shows, corporate seminars, graduation exercises and naturalization ceremonies.

Ticket prices for The Legend of the Arrowhead are $18 per ticket at the door the night of the event or they can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com.

For more information on The Legend of the Arrowhead contact Lori Tillery at (909) 663-1044 or at ltillery@sbrda.org.

For more information on The California Theatre of Performing Arts visit their website at www.californiatheatre.net or call (909) 663-2293.

The Bicentennial festivities continue in March and April of 2010, when the city will conduct several beautification events and spearhead the planting of 200 trees.

On March 17, California State University at San Bernardino hosts the 23rd Annual Morrow-McCombs Memorial Lecture, which will explore “Can’t We All Get Along?” Bicentennial Committee Chairman Rabbi Hillel Cohn’s reflections on 200 years of the city’s religious life.

April 12 will take a look at “Indigenous Pre-Hispanic People of San Bernardino: at the university’s Pfau Library.

The following month is slated to be a busy one. On May 1, the San Bernardino Symphony will perform a “Celebrate America” concert at the California Theater in honor of the city’s birthday as well as for the centennial of the Community Hospital of San Bernardino.

More music will highlight May 7 and 8 with an adaptation of Mozart’s opera “Cossi Fan Tutte” at the university’s P.A. Recital Hall.

May 8 and 9, the celebration debuts Railroad Days at the San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum. “We’ll be bringing in steam locomotive # 3150,” Cohn says, “which actually used to serve the city.”

May 15th will launch a “countdown” celebration with an elaborate gala at the National Orange Show Events Center, with the 16th capped by a Bicentennial Mayor’s Run downtown and a Festival of Faiths at the Western Region Little League Stadium.

May 16 will also include a Youth Safety Expo at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

There will be a Centennial Monument rededication as well as a Bicentennial Monument dedication on May 20 at Inland Center Drive and I Street.

The Bicentennial Parade will start at 7th and E Street, ending at Meadowbrook Park, on May 22. The theme focuses on San Bernardino from its 1810 beginning and looks toward its future. Rabbi Cohn points out, “A unique part of the parade will be the Mormon church entry with relics and costumes of the city’s earliest pioneers.”

June 17-18 will see another unique event when the city introduces the “San Bernardino’s Got Talent” competition at a location to be determined.

The Bicentennial festivities continue on July 4th at the 66ers Stadium in the Arrowhead Credit Union Park, the 4^th of July Extravaganza with a fireworks display unlike any the city has previously seen.

The Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous and other events taking place throughout 2010 will also feature a Bicentennial theme, keeping the celebration alive throughout the year.

Sponsors of the Bicentennial Celebration, in addtittion to the City of San Bernardino are: San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Stater Brothers Market, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, Southern California Edison, Community Hospital of San Bernardino, Vanir Development, Matich Corporation, Erin Brinker and; Associates, Dameron Communications, San Bernardino Sunset Rotary and San Bernardino Economic Development Agency.

Rabbi Hillel Cohn is the chairman of the Bicentennial Celebration Committee, and Erin Brinker is the chair of its Public Relations & Marketing and Independence Day Extravaganza committees. Other Bicentennial Celebration Committee members are Jim Smith (chair of the Community Engagement committee), Cheryl Brown (chair of the Youth Council, Intergovernmental and Arts committees), Beverly Bird (chair of the Legend of the Arrowhead committee), Steven Shaw (chair of the History committee), David Smith (chair of the Finance committee), Jane Sneddon (chair of the Parade committee) and Martha Pinkney (chair of the Gala committee.)

The mayor and members of the San Bernardino Common Council appointed these members. Additional community volunteers who have taken on leadership of other committees are: Trudy Freidel (Festival of Faiths), Dr. William Coleman (Leadership Cabinet), Peggi Hazlett (Mayor’s Run), Dr. Charles “Skip” Herbert (Coloring Books for Schools) and The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire (Design).

For additional details, contact Erin Brinker at (951) 323-9337 or go to www.sanbernardino200.org.

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Southern California Black Business Expo Coming to Moreno Valley

Black Business Expo producer Jerry L. Green with University of California at Riverside Gary Kuzas.

 (MORENO VALLEY, Calif.) Business owners and those who are thinking about starting a business have an opportunity to network when the Southern California Black Business Expo comes to Moreno Valley on Saturday, March 20.

The Black Business Expo takes place at the Holiday Inn Express, 24630 Sunnymead Blvd, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Expo is also an opportunity for business owners to tell potential customers about their goods and services.

“Business owners will meet with consumers and other business people to tell them what they have to offer,” said Producer Jerry L. Green.

Admission is $15. To purchase tickets, or find out more about being an exhibitor, visit www.scblackbusinessexpo.com or call Green at (951) 313-1919.

About 30 to 35 Black-owned businesses, some of them nationally recognized companies, will take part. Previously, these business owners have come from as far as Washington D.C.

The Black Business Expo is a great opportunity for southern California businesses, Green said.

“We hold these events four times each year,” he said. “By participating, businesses will have a new way to continuously market that isn’t available at a traditional business expo held only once a year.”

Green encourages individuals who are looking for new job to attend, so they can learn if starting a business is for them.

“In these tough economic times, many people need to either go back to school or start their own business,” he said. “ At the Black Business Expo they will learn about business opportunities and see if running their own business is something they would like to do.”

Future Black Business Expos are already scheduled for June 26, 2010; Sept. 11, 2010: Dec. 11, 2010 and March 19, 2011.

Sponsors are The Black Business Resource and Networking Directory, PQ Enterprises, TheUltimateProfessional.com Sales Training, Westside Story Newspaper, The Black Voice News, Inland Empire Community Calendar and Cultural Events, Urban Lyfestyles, Jazz N Tee Golf Classic, I On God,Photography, Energy Tour Café.com,  the Inland Empire African American Chamber of Commerce and Dameron Communications.

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Finding The Right Job: Four D College Offers An Answer

Linda Smith, president of Four-D College

(COLTON, Calif.) In California the unemployment rate is expected to surge, according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast, a highly respected gauge of what is happening statewide. 

The Anderson Forecast states while California is at a record of 12.3-percent unemployment rate, (and the Inland Empire hovers at just over 14 percent according to the California Employment Development Department) the rate will surge higher in the future.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are a number of career fields that will be hiring new workers in the next seven to ten years and a good share of those jobs are in the health care profession.  The lion’s share of those jobs are expected to go to people who have certificates of training. 

Four –D College provides the needed training and has a job placement program with a good success rate for placing people after they have finished their training.

Jessica Hsu, Career Development Representative at the Colton campus explained that each student is provided lifetime job placement service. The Colton school has an 82 percent job placement success rate, she said, and there is a 75 percent placement success rate in Victorville.

One student who graduated from Four-D College and found a rewarding career as a Licensed Vocational Nurse is Juliet Bodden.  She explained that the placement department did a great job in helping her to obtain just the right job in the healthcare field as a licensed vocational nurse.

“Four-D College Career Placement Advisor Patricia Salgado helped me to put together a resume and then continued to submit my resume even after I was working until I found the job I have now,” Bodden said.

Four-D College worked quickly after Bodden graduated to get her into the right job, “I graduated in June then in July I got my license and within a week and a half I got the job I have now.”

Bodden explained Four-D College helped her to realize her dream as a health care professional.  “I was in a job working for a distribution center, I hated; it was misery.  After graduation from high school I thought about being a nurse and sort of threw it out the window My husband encouraged me to pursue it, and so I did.”

The experience Bodden had with Four-D College was so positive she has recommended the school to her friends.  “The job placement service is great; they offered everything I needed.  They are there to help and they mentored me through the whole process and made it so easy all I had to do was show up.”

Four-D College is dedicated to helping people enter a rewarding career, one that is recession proof because there is always a need for good health care professionals.  Four-D College offers training in the health care field, where people who enjoy working with others, possess a caring attitude and desire to be a healthcare professional can find a rewarding career.

Four-D has two campuses in the Inland Empire devoted to helping people obtain the training necessary.  There is a campus in Colton and one in Victorville. 

The college was started in 1992 as a place to prepare students to become highly marketable health care professionals.  The San Bernardino Employment and Training Agencies (SBETA) and the San Bernardino Private Industry Council have named the school the Outstanding School of the Year.

Providing assistance to find a job as a health care professional is something that Four-D College does with great success.

 “We help the student develop their resume and cover letter, and we assist with helping a proactive student to find a job,” Hsu said. Anytime a graduate wants to come back to Four-D College we will provide them job help.  We do a job search package with each student.”

President of the College Linda L. Smith explained that Four-D College is committed to preparing students to meet the challenges in the health care field through a program that is carefully designed around specific objectives that must be met to have a qualified graduate.  “The lesson plans the faculty use in the classroom consider the job market and what the needs are of the employer,” Smith said.

A specially designed advisory board consisting of employers in the field holds regular meetings with the faculty where a thorough review of the onsite curriculum is done.

  “Our goal is to determine whether the trends happening in an individual’s specific employment field is up to date, and whether the tools and equipment we are using is the latest technology to ensure that students are receiving the best training,” Smith said.

Students who attend Four-D College can choose several different health care professions.  Education programs are conducted in dental assistant, medical assistant, medical billing/coding, massage therapy, pharmacy technician and vocational nursing.

Flexibility is also part of the training as students can take morning, afternoon or evening classes and courses can be completed from between nine months and 18 months, depending on the area of study pursued. 

Smith said, “The education received is a holistic approach where the individual gets outside training in the community.  They receive hands on training in the field outside the classroom in their field of study.”

“Four-D is different as a private Christian school. We deal with the academic in a holistic sense the mind, body and spirit,” Smith said.  “We pray for the students to be successful and that they can overcome the challenges which interfere with their education.”  The college begins each day and ends each day with prayer.

Four-D College has a preschool program for 2 to 5 year olds, which is also open to the public. 

For students who qualify financial aid is available.  For those who did not complete high school a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program approved by the state is also available. 

San Bernardino County Schools Superintendent Dr Gary Thomas acknowledged the GED program because of its interactive model for students.  “We put together a program that provides a mentor for students getting their GED, so they can be successful, and we have a 95-percent passing rate,” Smith said.

The only requirements students are asked to bring with them to Four-D College is a strong desire to achieve, a determination to follow through the process, a drive to an energy level needed to                                                             

maintain consistent efforts to accomplish the program, and the ability to deliver the desired goals for success.  President Smith explained that when a student brings those qualities to their training it’s a win-win for everybody.

Four-D College provides education in the growing health care field at locations in Colton and Victorville. It offers programs in medical assistant, medical billing and coding, dental assistant, massage therapy, pharmacy technician and vocational nursing.

New courses begin monthly at Four-D College and courses are offered in the morning, afternoon and evening. Call (909) 783-9331 or (760) 962-1325 for more information or go to www.4DCollege.com.

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Deborah Robertson Helps Rialto Get Discount Prescriptions

Riverside Mayor and National League of Cities Chairman Ron Loveridge and Rialto Council Member Deborah Robertson, with samples of the  prescription discount cards available to residents of both their cities and several others in southern California. The cities offer the discounts through a program of the National League of Cities. Photo by Carl Dameron

(RIALTO, Calif.)  The City of Rialto is offering its residents a free card that provides savings of up to 20 percent on prescription drugs purchased at CVS and other major pharmacies.

“One card serves an entire family,” said Council Member Deborah Robertson.  “They will save up to 20 percent on any medications any family member needs, some of which cost as much as $2000 a month.”

Robertson noted that sometimes, prescriptions help people prevent onset of a serious health problem. This card is part of a program the city has called “Healthy Rialto,” which is committed to giving city residents the tools they need to stay healthy.

“Prevention is so important to having a healthy city,” Robertson said. “It’s more than treating illness in the hospital; it’s also working to prevent illness from happening.”

Rialto offers this card through a program of the National League of Cities, which the league created with help from CVS Pharmacy. It is for families and individuals who do not have insurance providing prescription drug coverage.

In Rialto, the card is available at the Rialto Civic Center, 150 S. Palm Ave., and the Rialto Chamber of Commerce, 120 N. Riverside Ave.

Rialto residents may also call Rialto’s Human Resources Department at (909) 820-2540 and ask for Betty for more information.

Another Inland Empire city offering the program is Riverside, whose Mayor Ron Loveridge serves as the current chairman of the National League of Cities. Robertson worked with him to bring the program to Rialto.

“I really compliment Deborah Robertson for seeing and seizing this opportunity to serve the citizens of Rialto,” Loveridge said.

In Rialto, the card is accepted at CVS, Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, Foothill Pharmacy, Rialto Vista Pharmacy, ABC Pharmacy and North Rialto Drugs.

Besides Riverside and Rialto, the National League of Cities website identifies other Inland Empire cities offering the program as Cathedral City and Murrieta in Riverside County and Fontana and Grand Terrace in San Bernardino County.

In Los Angeles County, it identifies the cities of Baldwin Park, Bellflower, Claremont, Culver City, Duarte, Lynwood, Rosemead, South El Monte and West Hollywood as offering the program.

Residents of these cities should contact their City Hall for more information.

“Prescription drugs cost a lot of money,” Robertson said. “If a family spends $100 on prescription drugs then they could save $20.  That could be spent on the electric bill, gas bill or other bills.”

“Across the country cities that have been involved with this program have seen the savings and they are very appreciative,” Mayor Loveridge said.

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Rehabilitation Begins In February at 19th & Sunrise

 

The blue areas on this map show where rehabilitation work begins in February.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.)  San Bernardino contactor Chris Marshall will begin rehabilitation in February on two 19^th Street multi-family units recently acquired by the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency. 

The units, in what is known as the 19^th and Sunrise area, are part of a larger project the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency has undertaken to reduce blight in the area.

"The 19th and Sunrise area has a history of police and code enforcement involvement and which has brought down the value of the surrounding community," said Emil Marzullo, interim executive director of the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency. “This project we are about to embark on will create attractive and affordable housing options, which will be a plus for all of San Bernardino.”

The two four-plexes soon to be rehabilitated will have newly remodeled kitchens and bathrooms, new carpeting and doors, new roofs, windows, decks and lawns. Walls, electrical fixtures, heating and air conditioning units and fireplaces will be repaired and brought up to current building codes.

On the outside, covered parking areas, laundry rooms, stucco, sidewalks and second floor walkways will be repaired.

The Economic Development Agency is in the process of buying 61 multi-family four-plexes at 19^th and Sunrise, which currently contain 244 apartment units. Of these, 36 of the apartment buildings will be demolished, while 25 buildings containing 100 apartments will be rehabilitated.

When the agency’s project is complete, it will contain 100 newly refurbished apartments, which will be rented out by Mary Erickson Community Housing. On the land where the apartments targeted for demolition now stand, the Economic Development Agency plans to build single-family homes and new apartments designed for senior citizens.

Mary Erickson Community Housing is a non-profit agency specializing in housing, with greater capacity than the City of San Bernardino Economic Development Agency for acquiring, rehabilitating and professionally managing apartments for low to moderate-income families.

Agency staff has determined the best method for acquiring, rehabilitating and operating apartments for rent would be through a qualified non-profit housing developer that could perform all of these functions on the agency’s behalf. The agency selected Mary Erickson Community Housing through a competitive application process.

Mary Erickson Community Housing was founded in 1991. Its namesake was a retired schoolteacher who was devoted to the principals of community participation and well being. The company established its first affordable housing complex in San Clemente and has since grown to include multiple properties serving hundreds of diverse, hard working, low income families in Southern California including: Moreno Valley, Corona, Loma Linda, Riverside and now San Bernardino.

When complete the 19th Street and Sunrise area will have:

• 100 units of rental apartments for families of four that make up to $53,300 a year.
• 40 – 55 single family homes for sale to families of four who make up to $77,400 a year.
• 65 units of senior apartments for rent to households that make up to $42,650 a year for a family of two.

Preventing future multiple owners

A major problem with the area is that it has changed owners several times over the years. When it was built there was one owner of the 61 multifamily four-plexes. “The owner had the resources to maintain the properties in good condition, rent to good people and evict those who were not," said Marzullo.

“About 20 years ago that company sold the multiplexes and now we have many different owners with many different standards for renting,” he added. “Some have no regard for their properties and have allowed them to decline into unlivable conditions. A number of the properties are rented to people who cannot rent anywhere else.  Some are forced to pay first class rents of $1,200 or more a month for very poor quality housing.”

To make sure the rental apartments can never be sold to multiple owners and create unsafe and unregulated conditions again, when SBEDA completes its purchase of the area, it will change the deeds to convert them into two large individual parcels.

• 15 separate apartment complexes on the north side of 19th Street will become one complete parcel.

• 10 fourplexes on the south side of Sunrise Lane will become one complete parcel.

Current and Future Residents

Current residents will be asked to apply to live in the newly renovated apartments. Mary Erickson Community Housing will have active on-site management, new rental agreements and new rules designed to keep the neighborhood safe and attractive.

Mary Erickson Community Housing also provides life skills education to help all residents gain skills to better manage their families and finances.

For its investment with Mary Erickson Community Housing for the apartments, the agency will receive half (50 percent) of any “surplus cash flow” after all operating expenses and debt service payments have been made on each property acquired, rehabilitated and placed into service by Mary Erickson Community Housing.

For more information on this project call the City of San Bernardino Economic Development Agency at (909) 963-5020 and ask for Sam Hughes.

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Helen McNair Presents Black History/Valentine's Day Concert

Helen McNair will present a Black History/Valentine's Day concert Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Fifth Street Senior Center in San Bernardino.

 

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Professional singer, Helen McNair, presents a Black History/Valentine’s Day Concert on Thursday, February 11, 2010, at 10:45 A.M., at the Fifth Street Senior Center, 600 West Fifth Street, San Bernardino. 

The concert is sponsored by Linda Wilson-Gomez, Activities Director of San Bernardino Parks and Recreation.

Ms. McNair performs for weddings, banquets, community organizations and church functions throughout the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Nevada and much of the East and West coasts.  She has performed for such organizations as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Council of Negro Women, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

McNair began her professional career in the 1960s, along with her two sisters, in New Brunswick, New Jersey where they were known as the “Georgettes.” They began by singing in their church and traveling to New York City to record as background singers for professional and upcoming artists. “The group recorded ten records, none of which became national hits,” she said, “but were popular in the New Jersey and New York areas.”

McNair relocated to California in the 1980s, where she continued to sing as a solo artist. She recalls, “During one of my engagements at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, Mrs. Gertrude Ward, the manager of the Clara Ward Singers, approached me when I had finished singing and asked me to come to Los Angeles for an audition.  I went and auditioned and became a Clara Ward Singer.” The Clara Ward Singers were instrumental in bringing gospel music out of the church and into the main stream, performing in nightclubs, Las Vegas and Disneyland.

McNair has performed on stage with some of the gospel greats as well as The Clara Ward Singers.  Other artists include Professor James Cleveland, Professor Raymond Rasberry, Gregory Perkins-Bowen, Vernard Johnson, Shirley Caesar and Albertina Walker.

She is a member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino, CA., where she is an active member of the Sanctuary Choir, the Mass Choir, and Mission Chorus.

 
McNair can be reached for concerts and bookings at (951) 315-5961 or fax (909) 888-2331.

New Shelter Offers Hope for Great Future

A Salvation Army band entertained guests as they arrived for the Grand Opening of the Hospitality House emergency family shelter on Friday, Jan. 15. Photo by Chris Sloan

 A group of Salvation Army cadets and other visitors discuss plans for the new media center and the adjacent computer lab, which are both spaces primarily for children’s education within the Hospitality House emergency family shelter. The creation of both of these rooms was paid for by a $25,000 grant from Target, which gave money last year to several Salvation Army programs worldwide to further children’s literacy. Photo by Chris Sloan

Salvation Army advisory board member Carl Dameron speaks to Salvation Army Band leader and his daughter in the new kitchen of the Hospitality House emergency family shelter, for which a grand opening was held Friday, Jan. 15. Photo by Chris Sloan

Those taking part in the Grand Opening of the Salvation Army’s Hospitality House emergency family shelter on Friday, Jan. 15 were (front row) Margaret Hill, assistant superintendent with San Bernardino County schools;  Henry Nwosu, field representative for Senator Bob Dutton; Jesse Valdez, field representative to Congressman Joe Baca; Rebecca Bloomfield, field representative for Assembly Member Anthony Adams, Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps Director Nancy Ball, (back row) Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps Director Stephen Ball, Salvation Army Sierra Del Mar Division Commander Linda Markiewicz and Tom Brickley, chairman of the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps advisory board. The ceremony was attended by about 200 people. Photo by Chris Sloan

 

Salvation Army Sierra Del Mar Divisional Commander Linda Markiewicz and Nancy Tortorelli, resource development director for the Sierra Del Mar division of the Salvation Army, discuss the computer lab at the San Bernardino Corps’ newly-remodeled Hospitality House emergency family shelter. Photo by Chris Sloan

Sierra Del Mar Divisional Commander Linda Markiewicz tells guests about the Salvation Army’s mission of offering hope at the Grand Opening ceremony held Friday, Jan. 15 for the San Bernardino Corps’ newly-remodeled Hospitality House emergency family shelter. Photo by Chris Sloan

San Bernardino Mayor Patrick Morris tells visitors about the history of good things done in the building that will soon house Hospitality House emergency family shelter, which held a Grand Opening ceremony Friday, Jan. 15. The building previously housed a shelter for men recovering from substance abuse, operated by another branch of the Salvation Army. Before that, it was a fire station. Photo by Chris Sloan

 

San Bernardino Mayor Patrick Morris, Salvation Army Sierra Del Mar Divisional Commander Linda Markiewicz, and Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps Captains Stephen and Nancy Ball cut the ribbon Friday, Jan. 15 on the newly-remodeled Hospitality House emergency family shelter on Tenth Street. To the left of Mayor Morris is retired Salvation Army Major Russell Fritz who, as the previous San Bernardino Corps commander, laid groundwork on the plans to move the emergency shelter to this location, which takes place Feb. 1. Photo by Chris Sloan

 
 

San Bernardino Corps Director Capt. Stephen Ball speaks during a Grand Opening ceremony held Friday, Jan. 15 at the new Hospitality House emergency family shelter. Photo by Chris Sloan

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – When the Salvation Army of San Bernardino (www.salvationarmyusa.org) had to give up its homeless shelter on Kingman Street three years ago, many people knew something good would come from it.

Friday, January 15, their faith came to fruition, as the Salvation Army held the grand opening of a new extensively remodeled Hospitality House shelter at 925 10^th Street. About 200 people attended, including Salvation Army officers, local volunteers and elected officials from San Bernardino and surrounding areas.

Mayor Patrick Morris recalled that he had spoken here once before, when he was a San Bernardino County Superior Court judge, and spoke to men taking part in the Adult Rehabilitation Center treatment program the building housed then.

“These walls have seen a lot of good things happen,” he said. “Now the building is launching a new career. It will be a source of shelter for those people who need a second chance in life.”

Captain Stephen Ball, director of the San Bernardino Corps, explained the process that led to opening the new shelter at this location.

 “The fact that we are standing here today is because of a mighty act of God,” Capt. Stephen Ball said. “We also thank God for Cal Trans, which gave us a little more than $3 million. From that, we purchased and remodeled this building.”

The California Department of Transportation had acquired the Kingman street shelter through eminent domain, and in February 2007 tore it down to allow the widening of nearby Interstate 215. This left a void in San Bernardino, as it had lost a vitally needed homeless shelter, but since the Salvation Army specializes in bringing hope to others, its staff was not discouraged.

Among the hopeful were Captains Stephen and Nancy Ball, who would be taking over leadership of the San Bernardino Corps from the retiring and equally hopeful Majors Russell and Jacque Fritz later that year. With their hope, and with the $3,000,045 Cal Trans paid for the Kingman Street property, the Balls guided the Salvation Army staff and volunteers through the challenge of replacing the old, worn out shelter with a new place to call Hospitality House.

925 10^th Street started out sometime during the 1940s or 1950s as a fire station. Then, in 1976 San Bernardino’s other branch of the Salvation Army, Adult Rehabilitation Center, purchased it to create a treatment center and shelter for men overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. It used the 10^th Street property until 2008 before opening a new drug and alcohol treatment center/shelter near Mill Street and Waterman Avenue.

In 2009, the Corps bought the property from the Adult Rehabilitation Center. In August, it began rehabilitating the property, installing a new roof, heating and air conditioning, dual pane windows, new bathroom tile and fixtures and security cameras throughout the building.

The new shelter includes 21 private rooms, nine bathrooms with handicap access and two laundry rooms for families, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen three times as large as in the temporary shelter and private offices where staff can offer one-on-one counseling with the shelter’s residents.

Two more rooms are a computer lab and a library/education center especially for children. A San Bernardino City Unified School District tutoring program already in place will move here with the families, but the computers and a collection of children’s books and educational videos will offer children much more opportunity for learning.

The shelter needs new pillows, blankets and other bedding.  To help make that happen the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps has registered at Target to help provide for its new shelter.

The Target Foundation allows non-profit organizations such as The Salvation Army to create registries so that community members can help donate specific needs. These registries can be printed at Target, in the same way one would print a wedding or baby gift registry, so shoppers can help The Salvation Army while at Target Christmas shopping and ask for List ID: 012018800000074.

Anyone not going to a Target store anytime soon can visit http://www.target.com/lists/2731VI55YOJEH “Salvation Army Hospitality House Homeless Shelter” to find out the needs of the local Salvation Army Corps.  Not all items are available on line.

So, now it’s time for some more people who have lost their homes to have a chance at something better. The Salvation Army will move about 80 homeless people, mostly women and children, to the new shelter on Feb. 1.

“We want to help those who seek shelter and the chance for a new start in life,” said Capt. Nancy Ball.

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.

Picture Slide Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZHh4B_a-6A

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Satern Showcases Effective Disaster Communication Tool

 A member of SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network) presents information during the 2009 seminar. A new seminar, with all new workshops about SATERN and what it does for the community, takes place Jan. 30 at the San Bernardino Corps, 746 W. Fifth St.

 

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – Anyone interested in amateur radio is invited to learn how to help one of the world’s oldest disaster relief organizations in its communications efforts.

The Inland Empire’s Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network, also known as SATERN, will hold its 14^th Annual Introduction and Seminar on Saturday, Jan. 30. This free event takes place from 8:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps, 746 W. Fifth St., San Bernardino. It’s open to the public and includes a complimentary lunch.

SATERN relies on amateur or shortwave radio, a technology that’s been around since before World War II, but is growing more sophisticated. These radios allow two-way communication across areas of about 200 miles, so SATERN uses them to communicate among its own members who are participating in a Salvation Army disaster relief effort, and with the emergency workers they’re helping.

The Salvation Army has helped in just about every disaster that has broken out over the last century, including fires such as the ones that burned in much of the Angeles National Forest this year, earthquakes, floods and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“Amateur radio is a great hobby and participating in SATERN is a great way to turn that hobby into something that helps our Inland Empire tremendously,” said Tony Stephen, Inland Empire SATERN Committee member.  “If more people join us, we will be able to deliver communications more effectively during the next fire or other disaster that hits our area.”

After a sign-in time, the seminar gets underway at 9 a.m. The first speakers are Trace Wilette, a member of the Inland Empire’s SATERN committee, Carl Gardenias of the American Radio Relay League and Capt. Stephen Ball, executive officer of the San Bernardino Corps. They will provide an introduction to SATERN.

American Radio Relay League is an amateur radio organization separate from The Salvation Army, but whose members also are involved in disaster relief.

From 11 a.m. to 12 noon, Commissioner Phillip Swyers of The Salvation Army’s Western Territory and Major Linda Markiewicz, divisional commander of the Sierra Del Mar Division of The Salvation Army will speak on “Ready to Serve.”

They will explain how SATERN provides vital communication services on several fronts during disasters, such as between its own members, to the rescue workers they’re assisting and to the public. Rescue workers frequently rely on SATERN to help those displaced in a disaster communicate their whereabouts to out-of-town family, and to provide media with information that will help keep everyone safe and well-informed.

The seminar also includes two workshops on technical aspects of amateur radio, and a complimentary lunch.

So it will have an accurate lunch count, SATERN asks those attending to RSVP, either by email, phone, or amateur radio to one of the following members:

Tony Stephen, ke6jzf@verizon.net,  (909) 628-2843, KE6JZF.
Tony Straughter, revmass@verizon.net, (909) 980-9691, KA6YEZ
Bob Booth, w6qed@verizon.net, (909) 886-0215, W6QED
Paul Hager, paulhager@gmail.com, (909) 338-0319, AE6TR
Trace Willette, ki6dpn@arrl.net, (909) 800-1681, KI6DPN
Fred Steig, kt6k@msn.com, (909) 886-7844, KT6K

For more information go to the website www.satern.net

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.

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San Bernardino Considers New Charter School

Tim Smith, lead petitioner for Carden Virtual Academy, explains the school he wishes to bring to San Bernardino to the San Bernardino City Unified School District governing board. Photo by Chris Sloan

Crispin Zamudio, principal of E-Institute Charter High School in Glendale, Ariz., discusses with the San Bernardino City Unified School District the success his students have had on tests and in graduating. Zamudio’s employer has petitioned to bring a similar charter school to San Bernardino.

San Bernardino resident Carl Dameron shares with the San Bernardino City Unified School District governing board why he believes Carden Virtual Academy would help local students to have academic success. Photo by  Chris Sloan

About 40 people came to the San Bernardino City Unified School District governing board meeting to support the petition for Carden Virtual Academy. Photo by Chris Sloan

(SAN BERNARDINO) The San Bernardino City Unified School District governing board is looking at a new charter school that has already greatly improved student test scores and lowered the dropout rate in other cities.

Tim Smith, president of the proposed Carden Virtual Academy, presented his petition to the board in a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

“We want to be a community resource and partner with the San Bernardino City Unified School District, and help your students achieve academic success,” Smith said.

If approved by the San Bernardino City Unified School District, Carden Virtual Academy will offer students in grades K-12 options in education, including on-site courses in day and evening hours, online courses and independent study.  Teachers will work with families to create individualized learning plans that best meet their students’ needs.

“We will make learning exciting for students,” Smith said. “They will not only learn critical academic skills, but we also will help them develop character and confidence.”

Carden Virtual Academy already operates several charter schools in the Phoenix, Ariz. area. These are Carden Traditional Schools in Glendale and Surprise, and E-Institute Charter High Schools on multiple campuses in the Phoenix area.

The Arizona schools have an 85 percent graduation rate, and score in the 80th percentile and above on standardized tests for their state.

“San Bernardino is similar to the communities in Arizona where we have had success in serving,” Smith said. “We are familiar with the needs of students who are learning to speak English, students who are at risk of dropping out, and students who have special needs. We have been able to meet the needs of these students, and help them have academic success.”

About 40 supporters of Carden Virtual Academy attended this hearing, including Carden administrators and teachers who came from the Phoenix area to discuss with the board what they do at their schools, and the successes they’ve had.

“We are excited about the progress we have made in student achievement,” said Vicki Mc Farland, director of curriculum and instruction of Carden Traditional Schools. “We have surpassed all the schools in our area, as well as the Arizona statewide average.”

Crispin Zamudio, principal of E-Institute Charter High School in Glendale, shared similar statistics.

“We have a successful track record of helping students to pass Arizona’s high school graduation test and receive a high school diploma,” he said.

Carden’s existing schools rank high in state results, even though many of their diverse students have not previously had academic success.

Although the schools’ curriculum initially focused on college prep students when the first campus opened in 1996, Carden staff soon realized they wanted to do more to meet the needs of all students with whom they came in contact. So, they established the first E-Institute Charter High School in 2000, targeting “at-risk” students.

Now, Carden has re-aligned its program so that the Carden Traditional Schools teach K-8 offering more flexibility than a regular elementary school, and the E-Institute Charter High Schools teach grades 9-12, giving options to all students – college bound, at-risk, or simply not fitting into the comprehensive high school environment.

Carden Virtual Academy, if approved, will start out as one school, providing all of its K-12 students the same range of options and benefits as the campuses in Arizona. It will hire a local administrator and 30 credentialed local teachers.

Other supporters of Carden Virtual Academy are California education experts who believe the proposed school is an education option the San Bernardino City Unified School District needs to help its students succeed.

“The petitioners have demonstrated they have the knowledge and experience to sufficiently operate a charter school,” said retired Hemet Unified School District superintendent Dr. Stephen Teele. “With your approval, Carden Virtual Academy will be a vital part of the San Bernardino City Unified School District.”

While serving as Hemet’s superintendent, and in previous administrative positions, Dr. Teele said he has had opportunities to review numerous charter petitions, and once worked to revoke another school’s charter.

Teele now serves as a consultant, reviewing the petitions of proposed charter schools to determine if they are educationally sound, and believes Carden Virtual Academy’s petition proposes a school that San Bernardino City Unified School would be proud to have in its district.

San Bernardino resident Carl Dameron agrees. Dameron, who is providing public relations services to Carden Virtual Academy, reviewed its proposal and finds five reasons to support this school.

These are: 1) Carden Virtual Academy will be fiscally responsible, 2) Carden Virtual Academy will deliver academic success, 3) Carden Virtual Academy will deliver a culturally relevant curriculum with a diverse local faculty, 4) Carden will give students options to help them succeed and 5) Carden Virtual Academy will work in collaboration with the district.

“Carden Virtual Academy has a 14-year track record of delivering successful students in a fiscally responsible manner, and they have assembled a highly competent team to meet our students’ needs,” Dameron said. “I whole-heartedly recommend the San Bernardino City School District approve its petition.”

Carden Virtual Academy’s mission is to deliver a high quality education focused on building skills, character and confidence. The curriculum will be personalized for each student, offering a mix of onsite classes in day and evening hours, online classes and independent study. Onsite courses will include hands-on learning activities and high technology. The school’s curriculum will be based on California education standards, and employ California certified teachers.

For more information, call Tim Smith at (602) 439-5026.

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Street Flags Celebrate Bicentennial

Street flags with the Bicentennial Celebration logo will soon adorn lampposts throughout San Bernardino. The Bicentennial Celebration Committee seeks sponsors for these flags, to learn more call Erin Brinker at (951) 323-9337.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The City of San Bernardino’s streets will soon be sporting banners and street flags with the city’s new Bicentennial Celebration logo.

 “This is a time of pride for the city,” said Erin Brinker, head of the public relations committee for the Bicentennial Celebration committee. We are proud of our citizens, our organizations and our businesses.  We are proud of our history, and we look forward to the future.”

The Bicentennial Celebration committee invites businesses, organizations and individuals to be a part of the celebration by sponsoring the street flags, which will adorn lampposts throughout the city much the way holiday-themed flags do each December. In fact, these Bicentennial flags will remain in place until December.

For $300, sponsors can have their name on the street flag, below the logo. Since the committee will be installing new flags throughout the year, there’s no deadline to sign up. But it will start by adorning the most highly visible areas of San Bernardino, so quick responses are encouraged.

To sponsor a street flag, call Brinker at (951) 323-9337.

San Bernardino’s celebrated beginning took place on May 20, 1810 when Father Francisco Dumetz established a mission. Now that 200 years have passed, and 2010 has arrived, it’s time for a months-long celebration.

The logo adorning these street flags depicts the Bicentennial Celebration’s motto “San Bernardino 1810-2010: A Rich History. A Bright Future.” Throughout 2010, events are planned to remember the past, and usher in the city’s third century.

This logo is illustrated with some of San Bernardino’s best resources over the centuries, including arrowheads, orange groves, mountains, transportation ranging from a horse-drawn wagon to an airplane and a high-speed train, landmark buildings California Theater and Vanir Tower, and people.

Rabbi Hillel Cohn is the chairman of the Bicentennial Celebration Committee, and Erin Brinker is the chair of its Public Relations & Marketing and Independence Day Extravaganza committees. Other Bicentennial Celebration Committee members are Art Guerrero (chair of Neighborhood Beautification committee) Jim Smith (chair of the Community Engagement committee), Cheryl Brown (chair of the Youth Council, Intergovernmental and Arts committees), Beverly Bird (chair of the Legend of the Arrowhead committee), Steven Shaw (chair of the History committee), David Smith (chair of the Finance committee), Jane Sneddon (chair of the Parade committee) and Martha Pinkney (chair of the Gala committee.)

These members were appointed by the mayor and members of the San Bernardino Common Council. Additional community volunteers who have taken on leadership of other committees are: Trudy Freidel (Festival of Faiths), Dr. William Coleman (Leadership Cabinet), Peggi Hazlett (Mayor’s Run), Dr. Charles “Skip” Herbert (Coloring Books for Schools) and The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire (Design).


For additional details, contact Erin Brinker at (951) 323-9337.

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San Bernardino's Bicentennial Year Begins

This May, Mayor Patrick Morris will lead the city in singing “Happy 200th Birthday” to San Bernardino. San Bernardino celebrated its 199th Birthday with a party. It’s celebrating the 200th with festivities lasting from February through July. Photo by Matt Sloan

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.)  It was May 20, 1810, tradition tells us, when a Spanish missionary, Father Francisco Dumetz, traveled from Mission San Gabriel to the San Bernardino Valley. He named this new locale San Bernardino after Saint Bernardine of Siena who was then the Catholics’ patron saint of that particular day. Thus was born San Bernardino 200 years ago.

On May 20, 2009, Mayor Patrick Morris and other dignitaries of state and local government, cheerleaders from San Bernardino High and a couple hundred other residents, set the stage for the 2010 Bicentennial Celebration launching the city into its third century. This 199th birthday celebration featured gourmet cake prepared by students of The International Culinary School of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, kicking off festivities through July 4 of 2010, marking the city’s 200th year.

Rabbi Hillel Cohn, a 47-year resident of San Bernardino, and for 38 years head of Temple Emanu El, is chairman of the Bicentennial Committee, and has plans to note this historic event “in neighborhoods, on the streets, in public venues, through the airwaves and on the Internet,” debuting the celebration’s unique logo and announcing the event’s motto --  “San Bernardino 1810-2010: A Rich History. A Bright Future.”

“I was asked by a member of the City Council in 2007 to get involved since I’d also worked on the previous U.S. Bicentennial,” he recalls. “The mayor and Common Council formed an ad hoc committee to begin celebration plans and start raising funds, and in July of that year I was chosen chairperson.”

The 2010 months-long festivities debut February 18 with a public performance of “Legend of the Arrowhead” at California Theater. The historical musical satire focuses on the mysterious “arrowhead” on the San Bernardino Mountains, and is produced by the city’s Economic Development Agency.

In March and April of 2010 the city will conduct numerous beautification events and spearhead the March planting of, appropriately, 200 beautiful trees. On March 17, the California State University at San Bernardino hosts the 23rd Annual Morrow-McCombs Memorial Lecture which will explore “Can’t We All Get Along?,” reflections on 200 years of the city’s religious life.

April 12 will take a look at “Indigenous Pre-Hispanic People of San Bernardino: at the university’s Pfau Library.

The following month is slated to be a busy one, too. On May 1, the San Bernardino Symphony will perform a “Celebrate America” concert at the California Theater in honor of the city’s birthday as well as for the centennial of the Community Hospital of San Bernardino.

More music will highlight May 7 and 8 with an adaptation of Mozart’s opera “Cossi Fan Tutte” at the university’s P.A. Recital Hall.

Railroad buffs will be thrilled May 8 and 9 when the celebration debuts Railroad Days at the San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum. “We’ll be bringing in steam locomotive # 3150,” Cohn says, “which actually used to serve the city.”

May 15th will launch a “countdown” celebration with an elaborate gala at the National Orange Show Events Center, with the 16th capped by a Bicentennial Mayor’s Run downtown and a Festival of Faiths at the Western Region Little League Stadium.

May 16 will also include a Youth Safety Expo at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

There will be a Centennial Monument rededication as well as a Bicentennial Monument dedication on the 20th at Inland Center Drive and I Street.

The Bicentennial Parade will start at 7th and E Street, ending at Meadowbrook Park, on May 22, the theme being San Bernardino from its 1810 beginning and looking toward its future. Rabbi Cohn points out, “A unique part of the parade will be the Mormon church entry with relics and costumes of the city’s earliest pioneers.”

June 17-19 will see another unique event when the city introduces the “San Bernardino’s Got Talent” competition at a location to be determined.

The exciting festivities conclude on July 4th at the 66ers Stadium in the Arrowhead Credit Union Park with a fireworks display unlike any the city has previously seen.

As if all this weren’t enough to highlight the San Bernardino’s history, a Youth Bicentennial Committee is planning even more activities and events.

In a letter read at the May 20th, 2009 launching, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote, “As one of California’s oldest communities, San Bernardino has played an important role in the history of our state. I commend all of the men and women – past and present – who have made your city the fantastic place it is today, and applaud those who carry on a legacy of hard work and accomplishment.”

Rabbi Cohn is the chairman of the Bicentennial Celebration Committee, and Erin Brinker is the chair of its Public Relations & Marketing and Independence Day Extravaganza committees. Other Bicentennial Celebration Committee members are Art Guerrero (chair of Neighborhood Beautification committee) Jim Smith (chair of the Community Engagement committee), Cheryl Brown (chair of the Youth Council, Intergovernmental and Arts committees), Beverly Bird (chair of the Legend of the Arrowhead committee), Steven Shaw (chair of the History committee), David Smith (chair of the Finance committee), Jane Sneddon (chair of the Parade committee) and Martha Pinkney (chair of the Gala committee.)

These members were appointed by the mayor and members of the San Bernardino Common Council. Additional community volunteers who have taken on leadership of other committees are: Trudy Freidel (Festival of Faiths), Dr. William Coleman (Leadership Cabinet), Peggi Hazlett (Mayor’s Run), Dr. Charles “Skip” Herbert (Coloring Books for Schools) and The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire (Design).


For additional details, contact Erin Brinker at (951) 323-9337.