COLTON COURIER Weekly
April 17, 2025
Vol 153, NO. 18
The Stuff Prom Queens Are Really Made Of: Jayda Porter’s Story of Growth, Grit, and Family Support
IECN.com
Time for Change Honors Taraji P. Henson, Jon Pardi, and Chiara Tilesi at Sold-Out Gala Pg. 3 PHOTO JEREMIAH DOLLINS Jayda Porter showing off her prom court sash.
Azucena Muro, Pepper Bough Staff Writer
J
ayda Porter’s younger self never would have thought she might one day run for Prom Queen.
Riverside County Unites for Child Abuse Prevention Month Pg. 4
But here she is, primed to hear her name called on Prom night.
Younger Jayda was a tomboy and never “girly.” Growing up, Jayda and her siblings were athletic. Their father made sure of that. Definitely not the stuff she thought Prom Queens were made of. She knows differently now. “Running for Prom Queen is just knowing and socializing with a lot of people. When I was little I never would have thought I’d know this
many people.” Deciding to run for queen has her following in the footsteps of her sister; and being named to Prom Court made both her and her family proud. While she has gotten a lot of support from her friends, it is overshadowed by that of CHS Prom, cont. next pg.
Teamsters Launch Petition to Rename Seccombe Lake Park After Civil Rights Icon Ignacio Lopez During Car Show By Manny Sandoval
W
hat began as a vibrant celebration of labor, culture, and classic cars evolved into a profound call for justice Saturday, as Teamsters Local 1932 hosted its Spring Fling Car Show and launched a petition. The petition is to rename Seccombe Lake Park in honor of local Mexican American civil rights pioneer Ignacio Lopez.
Assemblymember Ramos’s Bill to Protect Native Students’ Right to Wear Tribal Regalia at Graduation Approved
The April 12 event drew more than 3,000 people—including 2,000 registered car owners and vendors—to downtown San Bernardino. Amid the chrome bumpers and community camaraderie, the union’s Hispanic Caucus unveiled a grassroots initiative to rename the park, which closed March 3 for a yearlong $13.8 million renovation.
Pg. 5
Inland Empire Community Newspapers Office: (909) 381-9898 Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Advertising: iecn1@mac.com Legals : iecnlegals@gmail.com
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL A classic lowrider making its way down Fourth Street and N Sierra Way ahead of the petition signing to change the name of Seccombe Lake Park to Ignacio Lopez Park.
Their goal: replace the name of former Mayor William C. Seccombe with that of Lopez,
whose legal action helped strike down racial segregation in public facilities. “Right now, while the park is being revitalized, is the perfect time to rename it and honor someone who fought so that all people—regardless of ethnicity—could enjoy these public spaces,” said Carlos Gonzales, Teamsters staff coordinator and president of the Hispanic Caucus. Seccombe, who served as mayor from May 1941 to May 1947, was named as a defendant in the landmark 1944 civil rights case Lopez v. Seccombe (71 F. Supp. 769, S.D. Cal. 1944). At the time, San Bernardino’s Mexican American residents were barred from using public pools except on Sundays—the day before the water was drained. After two teens were denied entry to the Perris Hill Park plunge, Lopez, editor of El Espectador, joined forces with fellow journalists Teamsters, cont. next pg.