COLTON COURIER Weekly
September 25, 2025
Vol 153, NO. 41
Dr. Tom Rivera Honored with Day of Service as Colton and San Bernardino Leaders Unite at Wilson Elementary
IECN.com
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PHOTO DENISE BERVER Community leaders, educators, and family members hold engraved shovels honoring Dr. Tom Rivera during “Dr. Tom’s Day of Community Service” at Wilson Elementary in Colton. Pictured are Colton Area Museum board member Lori Sanchez, IEFLP Director Dr. RC Heredia, Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes, granddaughter Anya Rivera, son Tom Rivera, Colton Area Museum President Oscar Tostado, CJUSD Superintendent Dr. Frank Miranda, Wilson Elementary Principal Dr. Lisa Mannes, SBCCD Trustee Frank Reyes, Angela Wilkinson, and CJUSD Board Member Bertha Flores.
By Denise Berver
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n September 22, 2025 community volunteers, educators and elected officials gathered together at Woodrow Wilson elementary school in Colton to celebrate “Dr. Tom’s Day of Community Service”. The event, now in its 3rd year, is held on the birthday of Dr. Tom Rivera to honor his legacy of leadership, education and dedication to serving the community.
Rivera, a proud Colton native, attended Wilson Elementary school as a child before moving on to Colton High School and San Bernardino Valley College, advancing his education until he ultimately received his doctorate in education at UCLA. His commitment to education never wavered as he went on to serve over 47 years in the educational field, including nearly 40 years as an administrator at Cal State San Bernardino. One of his most impactful educational
accomplishments was co-founding the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program, a leadership development conference for eight and ninth grade students created in response to high dropout rates among Hispanic students. Celebrating their 40th anniversary this October, IEFLP has now served over 4,900 students boasting an impressive 99% high-school graduation rate and a 90% college-attendance rate for Dr. Tom Day, cont. next pg.
SAC Health Opens $85M San Bernardino Healthcare Campus with $10M Tribal Gift, Expanding Care for Underserved Communities
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PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL SAC Health CEO Dr. Jason Lohr and Assemblymember James Ramos join Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena along with Tribal Council members and citizens at the ribbon-cutting for the new SAC Health Brier Campus.
By Manny Sandoval Inland Empire Community Newspapers Office: (909) 381-9898 Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Advertising: iecn1@mac.com Legals : iecnlegals@gmail.com
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AC Health marked a milestone Sept. 18 with the ribbon-cutting of its new Brier Campus, a 280,000square-foot facility leaders say will transform healthcare access for the Inland Empire’s most vulnerable populations. Located at 1003 E. Brier Drive, the $85
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Mindy Silva (left), SAC Health’s executive director of philanthropy, provides a tour of the dentistry area to Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena (right) during the Brier Campus opening.
million project expands SAC Health’s footprint with more than 40 specialty services, including family medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, dental, OBGYN, cardiology, and endocrinology. Officials say the integrated model will reduce barriers for Medi-Cal patients and the uninsured by offering multiple services under one roof.
The opening celebration was highlighted by a historic $10 million donation from the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation — the largest gift in SAC Health’s history. Tribal members blessed the event with bird singing, led by Assemblymember James Ramos, and presented a ceremonial check alongside Chairwoman Lynn SAC Health, cont. next pg.