COLTON COURIER Weekly
January 22, 2026
Vol 154, NO. 08
Colton Woman’s Club Honored with CITYTALK Community Impact Award for 125 Years of Service
IECN.com
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PHOTO NICK ZUPKOFSKA (L to R): Delma Ledesma, President; Dr.G, Council Member; Andrea Garcia, Board Member, an Norma Gonzalez, Board Member.
By Nick Zupkofska, Contributing Writer
T
he Colton Woman’s Club drew 75 members to its monthly meeting last week at its clubhouse, 475 N. Seventh St., where leaders marked the organization’s long-running work in the community and accepted a local recognition award. During the meeting, Dr. G made a presen-
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tation on behalf of “CITYTALK w/DrG,” honoring the Colton Woman’s Club for 125 years of service to the city of Colton and what organizers described as a positive contribution to the community. The recognition, known as the “Community Impact Award,” is given to groups or individuals cited for effective community engagement and making a positive impact, according to information shared with the club.
“The 125th Anniversary Celebration last year was a testament to our commitment to the community,” said club President Delma Ledesma. The Colton Woman’s Club reported a current membership total of 112 and said it sponsors and organizes events and activities for both the community and its members. On a larger scale, the group said it hosts Women’s Club, cont. next pg.
San Bernardino County Town Hall Unveils Creative Economy Plan, Pressing Arts as Jobs Amid Low Funding
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PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL From Left: Inland Empire Labor Institute’s Executive Director Esmeralda Velazquez and Daisy Lopez listen to economic ideas for the arts.
By Manny Sandoval
A
lejandro Gutierrez Chavez opened a San Bernardino County town hall on the creative economy with a challenge: treat arts and culture as essential infrastructure — and match celebration with responsibility. “As artists, culture bearers, educators, and community partners that are here today, we have a shared responsibility not
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Alejandro Gutierrez Chavez, executive director of Arts Connection, listens as attendees share feedback during a breakout discussion at the Creative Economies in Action town hall.
to acknowledge it, but to work for accountability and support Indigenous sovereignty and uplifting Native voices, artists and culture bearers,” said Gutierrez Chavez, executive director of Arts Connection, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County. The “Creative Economies in Action: Statewide Engagement Tour” stop was held Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the West End Educational Service Center in Rancho
Cucamonga, bringing together the California Arts Council and California for the Arts with local partners including Arts Connection, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and the Inland Empire Community Foundation. Gutierrez Chavez told the room that creativity is not confined to galleries or stages in the Inland Empire, but shows up “in the classrooms, our neighborhoods, Creative Townhall, cont. next pg.