San Bernardino Press MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 28, 2014
sanbernardinopress.com
VOLUME 1, NO. 21
Safer roads for bicyclists in California Inlandia thanks to mandatory 3-feet buffer zone Institute by Jennifer schlueter creative writing workshops at the Feldheym Central Library
“‘How come you’re moving all the black people around?’” Bell was reported saying. Yuson allegedly said, “Because I want to move all the n-----.” Bell said he left class immediately to report the incident to the school administrators. According to Bell, his teacher said, “‘Go ahead and tell them.
The Inlandia Institute is pleased to announce the launch of the newest Creative Writing Workshop in partnership with the Feldheym Central Library in San Bernardino. Upcoming dates and times for the free workshop this fall are from 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm on Tuesdays; September 23, October 7, October 21, November 4, and November 18. These writing workshops will continued to be offered seasonally every fall, winter, and spring. The Feldheym Library is located at 555 West 6th Street in San Bernardino. The workshops will be held in Kellogg Room A. Led by professional writers and writing instructors, the Inlandia Institute Creative Writing Workshops are designed to meet the needs of writers working in all genres at all levels. Andrea Fingerson will be leading this new and exciting workshop in San Bernardino. Each workshop series is approximately 10 weeks long, meeting every other week. Workshops are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please RSVP to cati.porter@inlandiainstitute. org. Registration forms will be emailed prior to and/or distributed during the first session. While these workshops are free and open to the pub-
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-Photo by Terry Miller
Until last week, drivers were required to keep a “safe,” but unspecified, distance to bicyclists. However, this law didn’t protect bicyclists enough, because, for example, in 2012, data from the Cali-
fornia Highway Patrol found that “more than 150 cyclists were killed in car collisions in California”, according to the Los Angeles Times. Additionally, “in Los Angeles County, nearly 5,000 cyclists were killed
or hurt in traffic that year” and the number of bicycle collisions has increased 25% since 2011. Becky Garrow from the Sacramento Bicycle Advocates Please see page 4
Alleged teacher uses the N-word at Cajon High School by Vickie Vértiz According to an article from the San Bernardino County Sun, a Filipino teacher at Cajon High School was put on administrative leave after a student accused her of racist comments. According to the family of the student, Bernadette Yuson, a math teacher, used a racist slur in class while referring to black students. San Bernardino City Uni-
fied School District officials later confirmed in a statement that an unnamed teacher had used “inappropriate language” and that “disciplinary action” was being taken, reported The Sun. LaRue Bell is the senior student who reported the teacher. During the seventh-period math class on September third, Bell said Yuson was rearranging student seats.
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Schiff votes for the plan to arm the moderate Syrian opposition forces Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a senior Member of the House Intelligence Committee and author of legislation providing a limited and narrow authorization for use of military force against ISIL with an 18-month sunset, voted for the President’s funding request to train and equip the moderate Syrian opposition forces. He spoke earlier on the House Floor about the decision to support the resolution, and released this statement after the vote: “This afternoon I cast my vote to approve the President’s funding request to support the training and equipping of moderate Syrian opposition forces. I did so after long consideration, and mindful of the difficulties of vetting such a force during the middle of a brutal civil war. “Any decision to supply arms to combatants must be weighed carefully; indeed, for the last several years I have opposed arming the Syrian rebels out of a concern for our ability to properly vet such troops and the fear that weapons we provide may end up in the wrong hands. Thoselives. concernsMake perChange
sist, but they have been overcome by the growing menace of ISIL and the willingness of our regional allies to play a greater -- and open -- role in the support of these forces. “ISIL now controls about a third of Iraq and a like portion of Syria. It has been unsurpassed in its brutality, committing mass executions, forced conversions, trafficking in women and beheading its hostages -- including Americans James Foley and Steven Sotlof. If ISIL is allowed to consolidate its territorial gains, or expand them, it will be able to act on its stated intention of serving as the platform for attacks on the United States. The thousands of foreign fighters, including Americans, who have flocked to join its ranks will one day attempt to return to the west and attack us on the homeland. The longer ISIL can draw new recruits, the longer the United States will have to confront the threat that these fighters will return home, many with visa-free travel to our shores. “Our response must be proportionate to the threat. It does not justify American occupation of Iraq or Syria, or the introduction wishes come true.
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of American ground forces -- all of which are likely to be counterproductive. It does justify the use of American air power, intelligence, financial, diplomatic and military support. And since air power alone will not be sufficient on the battlefield, it will necessitate the assistance of local ground forces. In the case of Iraq, those ground forces will be provided by the Iraqi military and Kurdish Peshmerga. In Syria, with rigorous vetting, training and support, the rebel opposition may provide the raw material for a credible military force. There is no guarantee that the Syrian opposition can form a cohesive fighting force, something that has thus far eluded them, but the open support of Gulf nations in housing
and funding this opposition holds the promise of consolidating regional support behind them. “The threat posed by ISIL is an outgrowth of the disastrously sectarian policies of the Nouri alMaliki regime in Baghdad and the ruthless dictatorship of the Bashar al-Asad in Damascus. Our military efforts and those of our allies alone cannot succeed without addressing the political fractures created by both. I applaud the Administration for its role in urging the Iraqis to form a new and more inclusive government and look forward to the day when a representative government can take shape in neighboring Syria and this carnage can come to an end.”
Teacher uses N-word Continued from page 1
I’ve got a lawyer and pay him every month.’” The Bell family said the student got little reaction from administrators. One staff person even told him to ignore racist teachers and to focus on his grades and upcoming graduation instead. While administrator Vanessa Murray called the family to report that Bell had left class, she did not tell her why. The Sun reports that the day after the incident, an administrator called Bell to investigate the complaint and, according to the student, talked to other classmates and substantiated his account. According to that article, Murray said the administrator told her, “‘She doesn’t mean any harm. I’ll get her to apologize.’” At the request of the student, he was given a new class schedule and a different math teacher. In an unusual move by the San Bernardino City Unified officials, they acknowledged that a teacher crossed a serious boundary. “On September third, we became aware of a complaint about inappropriate language used during class by a Cajon High teacher,” district spokeswoman Linda Bardere wrote in an email Friday afternoon to The Sun. “We launched a fair and deliberate in-
vestigation regarding the matter and we took quick and decisive disciplinary action once all of the facts were in.” The Cajon High teacher remained unnamed but was said to have violated school board policy number 4200b, according to Bardere as told to The Sun, which says that “all certificated employees shall not use abusive or obscene language in the presence of students and/or parents. This shall include derogatory, racial or ethnic remarks.” In an email to The Sun, Bardere added, “We regret that in this instance board policy was not followed and we apologize for the teacher’s unacceptable choice of words. “We can assure the public that the district took the student’s complaint seriously and at no time did any district employee minimize the gravity of the impact of the teacher’s words.” Murray told The Sun she wants the teacher to be fired. Yuson has not made a statement at this time. The Sun reported that for the 2013-14 school year, the California Department of Education counted 2,782 students at Cajon High School, 16 percent of whom were African-American.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 28, 2014 | 3
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State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson announces competition for National Civics Program Principals can nominate their high school students State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that high school principals have until October 1, 2014 to nominate students for the prestigious United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), which sends students to Washington, D.C. to learn about the federal government. “Civics education helps students become engaged citizens and critical thinkers who can solve difficult problems,” Torlakson said. “These are important skills that will help students in college and throughout their lives.” The California Department of Education (CDE) coordinates the competition in California. Students must be nominated by their high school principal to participate and they have to be juniors or seniors currently enrolled in any California public or private secondary school. In addition, they have to be serving in an elected or appointed capacity in student government or a civic or educational organization. Torlakson will select four finalists, including two delegates, a first alternate, and a second alternate. The two delegates will participate in an intensive study of the federal government as guests of the U.S. Senate from March 7–14, 2015, in Washington, D.C. The Hearst Foundation, which sponsors the program, will pay all expenses for the delegates, including transportation, hotel, and meals. In addition, each of the delegates will receive a $5,000 college scholarship from the Foundation. Alternates attend the events only if the delegates are unable to participate. The two delegates and two alternates will be introduced at the State Board of Education meeting in Sacramento next January. Torlakson, as part of his Civic Education Initiative, teamed up with California Chief
Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye last year to convene a California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning. Last month the task force produced a report, Revitalizing K–12 Civic Learning in California: A Blueprint for Action (PDF; 2MB), which highlights the importance of teaching students civics skills so they can become informed and engaged community members who help keep our democracy vital. For more information on the nomination process, go to CDE’s United States Senate Youth Program Web page or contact David Carriker in the Of-
fice of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at 916-3190173 or dcarriker@cde.ca.gov. Hard copies of the application are available upon request. The completed application packet must contain an original and one copy of the California Student Application, California Qualifying Examination, and an unofficial student transcript. The packet must be mailed to the California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 5602, Sacramento, CA 958145901, and must be postmarked before Wednesday, October 1, 2014.
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4 | SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 28, 2014
Environmental Protection Agency recognizes San Bernardino City Unified for its record number of energy-efficient schools The Environmental Protection Agency is kicking off its national campaign to encourage energy conservation by recognizing the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s efforts to use energy more efficiently. The District now has 63 schools that have earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification by outperforming 75 percent of similar schools across the country on a national energy performance scale. On average, ENERGY STAR certified buildings use 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than comparable buildings. Ten of those schools will be recognized at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16 during a Board of Education meeting. The elementary schools are
Ramona-Alessandro, Kimbark, Newmark, North Verdemont, Parkside, and Riley. The middle schools are GoldenValley, Rodriguez PREP Academy, Serrano, and Shandin Hills. San Bernardino City Unified is the only school district in the nation to earn the EPA’s Executive Member status in EPA’s ENERGY STAR Certification Nation campaign for its high number of ENERGY STAR certified campuses. The District is in the top 10 of organizations that have certified 50 or more buildings in 2014, according to the federal agency. “We are proud to be leading the way in protecting our natural resources while also saving financial resources that can directly benefit our students,” said Superintendent Dr. Dale Marsden. “It is part of our commitment to work collabor-
atively to produce exemplary outcomes for our community.” The District hired the energy conservation company Cenergistic in 2012 to help it reduce energy consumption through employee education, lighting retrofits, and shutting down air conditioning during off-work hours, among other efforts. Since hiring Cenergistic, the District has saved more than $5 million in electricity costs. Cenergistic worked closely with the District to help it earn the ENERGY STAR certifications. The EPA’s new ENERGY STAR campaign, Certification Nation, celebrates the 15th anniversary of the first ENERGY STAR certification of a commercial building. The campaign seeks to shine an extrabright spotlight on Energy Star building certifications in 2014.
Creative writing workshops at Feldham library Continued from page 1
lic, in order to keep them that way, we do ask that you consider an optional but suggested donation of $25 for the entire 10-week series. Information about why this is necessary is included in the registration packet. Andrea Fingerson has taught preschool, reading, and high school English. Currently, she teaches Child Development classes to teen parents. She received her MFA in Fiction from CSUSB. During that time she was a Fiction Editor for Ghost Town and the High School Outreach Coordinator for The Pacific Review. She is a member of SCBWI and is currently in the process of editing a young adult novel. For more information, contact the Inlandia Institute at 951-790-2458 or email Cati.Porter@InlandiaInstitute.org Contact the library at 909381-8238 or visit www.sbpl.org
Safer roads for bicyclists in California thanks to mandatory 3-feet buffer zone Continued from page 1
Group told CBS: “According to the League of American Bicyclists, approximately 40 percent of cyclist fatalities were rear-end collisions.”
To make roads a safer place for bicyclists, California legislation last Tuesday passed a law stating that drivers now must keep a 3-feet buffer zone
between them and bicyclists. If a driver does not obey this law, s/he could be confronted with a warning or a $35 fine. An accident injuring a cyclist because the buffer zone was disregarded would result in a $220 fine. Should drivers not be able to stay out of the buffer zone due to traffic conditions, they are required to drive at a “reasonable and prudent” speed, have patience, and pass the cyclists only when it is safe. The California Highway Patrol’s Southern Division reminded drivers in a news release: “Be aware that when a lane is too narrow for vehicles and bikes to be safely side by side, bicyclist should ride in or near the center of that lane to discourage motorists from unsafe passing.”
Rather than the law being “a way of penalizing drivers,” as Assemblyman and avid cyclist Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) explained, it should be viewed as an education measure for “drivers and cyclists alike about sharing the road,” the LA Times suggested. Garrow agrees: “We’re excited about this law because it gives drivers better information on how to safely pass cyclists.” A USC student interviewed by the Annenberg TV News has his doubts about how the law will be enforced: “I’ll be curious to see how that really works in practice,” said Jake Porter. “Because some of the bike lanes are in such close proximity to the car lanes that I don’t really know if they have much room to move away.”