Vol. 50 No. 21
September 12, 2019 - September 18, 2019
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or words or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress. —Fredrick Douglass (1849)
Hogg Foundation to Award $2 Million in Grants for 2020 Census, Black Communities a Key Focus NNPA NEWSWIRE — The African American community has been historically undercounted in the census. The Census Bureau estimates that African Americans were undercounted by more than 800,000 in the 2010 U.S. Census, and that approximately 7 percent of young African American children were overlooked by the 2010 Census, roughly twice the rate for young non-Hispanic white children. This legacy of undercounting has had a negative impact on African American communities and furthers inequities. Community News
The primary focus is to aid collaborative approaches that aim to reach traditionally hard-to-count (HTC) populations, communities and geographic areas throughout the state. The goal is to promote active participation in the 2020 Census so that every person in Texas is counted AUSTIN, Texas – This year, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is celebrating 80 years of supporting the mental health and well-being of Texans. As part of their anniversary efforts, the foundation is accepting proposals for the Texas Communities Count initiative, which will support complete count efforts in Texas for the 2020 U.S. Census. The foundation plans to award grants totaling $2 million. The primary focus is to aid collaborative approaches that aim to reach traditionally hard-tocount (HTC) populations, communities and geographic areas throughout the state. The goal is to promote active participation in the 2020 Census so that every person in Texas is counted. Without a complete count during the 2020 Census, Texas will face unprecedented challenges, losing both resources and representation for at least a
decade. An accurate and complete census is necessary to determine fair allocation of federal dollars for resources, services and infrastructure that support our everyday quality of life. The African American community has been historically undercounted in the census. The Census Bureau estimates that African Americans were undercounted by more than 800,000 in the 2010 U.S. Census, and that approximately 7 percent of young African American children were overlooked by the 2010 Census, roughly twice the rate for young non-Hispanic white children. This legacy of undercounting has had a negative impact on African American communities and furthers inequities. “An undercount of Texas’ population by even one-percent could result in a $300 million loss in federal funding, and 25 percent of Texans—over 6 million people—live in hard-to-count
neighborhoods,” said Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director of the Hogg Foundation and senior associate vice president for diversity and community engagement at The University of Texas at Austin. “So the stakes, particularly for African Americans and other historically excluded communities, couldn’t be higher.” The foundation seeks proposals that support (1) direct, local, on-the-ground complete count efforts or (2) statewide coordination of these local efforts. Preference will be given to strategies that focus on HTC populations and communities or geographic regions in Texas that are designated as health professional shortage areas. Hard-to-count populations are defined as persons who typically do not get captured by census data, according to the Census Bureau’s research. Examples are children under the age of five, highly mobile people, racial and ethnic minorities, non-English
speakers, low-income and persons experiencing homelessness, and undocumented immigrants. People with mental health conditions are also a HTC population. A useful guide to HTC populations can be found here. “Due to the fact that many of the hard-to-count populations live in health professional shortage areas in Texas, federal funding is even more paramount to closing the gap of what health care is available to support wellbeing and mental health” said Emily Bhandari, strategic learning and evaluation program officer for the Hogg Foundation. In addition to ensuring an accurate count, this initiative is also an opportunity to promote new forms of community collaboration and civic engagement that yield benefits for Texans over the long-term. The deadline for submitting proposals is September 23, 2019. Details about the initiative and how to apply can be found at hogg.utexas.edu/texascommunities-count. ABOUT THE HOGG FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH Established in 1940, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health envisions a future in which the people of?Texas thrive in c o m m u n i t i e s that?support?mental health and well-being. Using a variety of approaches, including grantmaking, convening, research and public policy, the foundation works collaboratively to transform how communities promote mental health in everyday life.
Publisher’s Corner Email: sbamericannews@gmail.com Clifton Harris Editor in Chief Publisher of The San Bernardino AMERICAN News
Positive police approach is changing perceptions Community News SAN BERNARDINO, CAThink about a situation where you might encounter a law enforcement officer. For most people the situation they imagine is negative. In San Bernardino, local police are changing that perception while making our community a safer environment to live and do business. We’ve restructured the force, and these efforts are already paying positive dividends for San Bernardino. The City has partnered with the San Bernardino Police Officers Association to bring a new playground to Littlefield/ Schultis Park, and we are encouraging members of the community to get involved to make this a reality, including taking part in the bbq fundraiser hosted by the SBPOA coming up September 26th to support the project. We want people in San Bernardino to have opportunities to interact with law enforcement in positive settings. SBPD pop up tents are appearing regularly at spots throughout San Bernardino and mounted patrols are distributing resources to our neighbors on horseback. Community members are invited to attend regular “Coffee with a Cop” meetings to share their concerns or just chat. This summer, San Bernardino officers held a back to school block party, invited local religious leaders for a summit with clergy, and held a banquet for future members of the force. We’re also addressing homelessness and public safety by connecting homeless
San Bernardino Mayor John Valdivia individuals with resources to help them turn their lives around. San Bernardino is fortunate to have strong partnerships between city leaders, nonprofits, and law enforcement that are making our community safer and creating positive alternatives to crime. Despite budget challenges, no law enforcement officers have been laid off and in fact we are putting more officers on the street. Finally, we’re using technology including social media and a GoRequest app, which enables people to file a report and track their report to resolution all from their mobile device. Improved public safely is essential to turning around San Bernardino’s image and attracting visitors, investment, and jobs. A safer community is one where our businesses can flourish and our children can achieve their potential. We also recognize such a vision is a team effort. We invite you to take part in the progress underway. Next time you see local law enforcement hosting a block party, setting up a pop up tent, or patrolling on horseback, we hope you’ll say hello and thank them for their hard work for our community.
In Memory of Ricardo Francisco Lopez
Social Lites, Inc. Launch 53rd U.S. EPA Seeks Comment and Beautillion Season By BlackPressUSA Commitment on Draft National Water Reuse Action Plan State/Government News
Sunrise February 16, 1932 Sunset September 5, 2019 Memorial Services are being held for Ricardo Francisco Lopez who passed away, September 5, 2019. Ricardo was a United States Navy Veteran born February 16, 1932 The viewing will be held The Social Lites Social Lites, Inc. of San Bernardino launch the 53rd Beautillion Scholarship Season under the leadership of Mrs. Tina Darling, Beautillion Chairperson. Young men seeking scholarship opportunities in addition to being mentored by leaders in the community are encouraged to attend the upcoming briefings to learn more about the program. Parents are encouraged to attend briefing meetings to gain better insight about the program. Briefing will be on Saturday,
September 21, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Center for Youth & Community Development (formerly Boys and Girls Club of San Bernardino) located at 1180 W. 9th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92411. For more information, please telephone chairperson, Mrs. Tina Darling at tribicu2@msn.com or Ms. Lisa Blacksher, President at lisasocialities@gmail.com or Mrs. Bettye Brewster, Business Manager, bettyebrewster@yahoo.com
Saturday, September 28, 2019 From 10AM-11AM. Services will take place immediately following the viewing at Friendly Temple Church of God in Christ located at 16570 E. Street Victorville, Ca 92395
Our Values, Mission, & Vision Statement
U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water David Ross (bottom row, second from the left) and Administration officials announce the draft National Water Reuse Action Plan at the 34th Annual WateReuse Symposium in San Diego, California. SAN DIEGO — Today, at the 34th Annual WateReuse Symposium in San Diego, California, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of a draft
National Water Reuse Action Plan that identifies priority actions and the leadership and collaboration that is needed between (continued on page 6)
Our Values: Treat all people with care, respect, honor, and dignity. Tell it as it is with love, truth and integrity. Promote the interests of advertisers and sponsors along their strategic interest for the betterment of the community and beyond. Speak truth to power. Our Mission: To continuously improve communication between all people of the world. Our Vision: To be the best community newspaper in our region and the nation. Provider of: A voice for the poor, the underserved, those that are marginalized, Positive and edifying news about people, places and businesses. Keep San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties informed about global trends while retaining the consciousness of local events and processes. Memberships and Associations: The San Bernardino American Newspaper is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, National Newspaper Association and addociated with California Black Media.
Visit Us Online: www.SB-American.com
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September 12, 2019
COMMUNITY/EDUCATION/ADVERTISING
Tech Big Draw for Kids PRECINCT REPORTER NEWS GROUP — Kids from Riverside and San Bernardino schools will converge on Bourns Inc. headquarters in Riverside for a conference sure to spark their young inventive minds around cutting-edge technology. If there is any doubt about how much they crave technology, last year about 5,000 students were put on the waiting list to attend within just hours of opening the call for registration. This year, the frenzy was about the same. By Precinct Reporter News
Photo by: precinctreporter.com Kids from Riverside and San Bernardino schools will converge on Bourns Inc. headquarters in Riverside for a conference sure to spark their young inventive minds around cutting-edge technology. If there is any doubt about how much they crave technology, last year about 5,000 students were put on the waiting list to attend within just hours of opening the call for registration. This year, the frenzy was about the same. For those that made the cut, the October Step Conference will host K-12 students for an entirely immersive experience and a full lineup of hands-on STEM workshops. They’ll check out some of the latest robotics, a science show, and a chance to win scholarships with mentoring to support them toward future careers. Khevin Curry, who handles marketing with Bourns Inc., said their STEP Program (Science and Technology Education Partnership) brings dozens of community and education partners in the region, connecting students to high-tech opportunities. Bourns Inc. is an international electric component manufacturing company. The event is in partnership Riverside County Office of Education, Riverside Unified School District, and many others. Gordon Bourns, chairman and CEO, is an engineer by trade. His family started the mom and pop company about 70 years ago that has since grown worldwide with strong attention to science and technology for local students. Many people may not know that the company’s manufacturer components went to the moon with the Apollo landing over fifty
years ago. “One of our parts was in the backpacks that the astronauts wore, and some equipment to transfer the signals to NASA when they were walking on the moon,” Curry said. Through Bourns three local programs, students come into STEM fields with the STEM PULL Academy, a program partner with the Riverside Public Utilities Learning Lab that draws high school students to adjacent technical careers within public utilities. STEM LEAPS program (Law Enforcement and Public Safety) helps students learn about adjacent careers that work with team partners, the fire and police departments. “High school students come in for a week with each program, and learn about how science and technology integrates into these fields, he said. Through the program, he said students will brainstorm real-life problems along with their team, and put together their own presentation with a solution. For instance, the fire departments may say their fire retardant clothes are too heavy. “The kids will come up with a project to solve that problem,” he said. “They’ll present in front of the Mayor in the competition for prizes and a scholarship.” Kat Shepherd, a technology instructor at the University of Riverside, California Extension, said most careers these days have a built-in demand for STEM proficiency, and the Bourns event is needed for local students. There is a vast gap of access for kids of color, particularly African American students. To top it off, she said both students and educators have a hard time keeping up with today’s fastpaced technology.
In working with large groups of businesses, it often surprises her to see the disconnect not only exists for disadvantaged children, but also adults trying to get ready for the wider demand of even basic technology. Shepherd, also Chapter Chair for the Inland Empire SCORE, said their chapter is also stepping up outreach for diversity as part of the recent national campaign. They are seeking more people of color to come out to volunteer and mentor within the business community. The experience could benefit both those that mentor, and those that receive mentoring through networking opportunities. She also feels that African Americans should look to develop their business strength. One recent report, the Institute for Policy Studies, found that African American wealth on its current trajectory will fall to zero by 2053. SCORE, a national program, has over 10,000 volunteers nationwide. She said at least part of the economic solution is getting more of the Black community into a place of business ownership, and strengthening links to business technology. “With this mind, for a lot of African American people, is to become business owners,” she said. “We are recruiting for mentors in Riverside, and we’re seeking out different organizations to mentor.” For more information, see www.stepconference.org. To get or give help, contact Shepherd at kat@kimshepherd.com This article originally appeared in The Precinct Reporter News Group.
Bullied Employee Collects $1.58 Million From UC Regents By Jennifer Bihm Former UCLA employee Nicole Birden said she feels “good about her victory” now that UC regents have been ordered to pay her $1.58 million, as compensation for her experience in what she and her attorney James DeSimone are calling a hostile and racist work environment. Birden, who is African American, said she was constantly bullied and called names including the N word during her work as a phlebotomist for UCLA. She was eventually terminated, she said, without ever having been written up or subject to any other disciplinary action. “It started out with rumors about me being ‘the new black girl with an attitude,’” Birden recalled during a recent interview with the Sentinel. “It went from that, to me being ‘lazy’ and not performing my duties. These things were being reported to my supervisor. I tried to explain to her that [those reports] were not consistent with how I perform and how I provide patient care but she wouldn’t listen…” There were other things DeSimone said. “Coworkers made disparaging remarks about the color of her skin and racially stereotyped her in Spanish,” DeSimone said. “These coworkers made harassing phone calls to Ms. Birden on hospital-issued phones during work hours despite the fact that she was
It’s Going Down in the Inland Empire with the I.E. Cut Fest
Join us this Saturday, Sept. 14th from 11-3pm it's a Family Affair!! The 2019 Super Bowl half time favorite L.A. Parmelette Drumline will kick this exciting event off. What an amazing time Miss Black Awareness Scholarship Pageant Contestants are going to have in making their appearance with
Fiona The Move Car who has worked on several movie projects with the most recent project on CBS all access series "Why Women Kill" 2019. The 1957 Fiona the Movie Car is the officialMiss Black Awareness Queen Parade Car and Celebrity Ride. Fiona The Movie Car is
owned by longtime Fontana Resident Elaine Francisco and will be on display along with some the Inland Empires's Hottest Iconic Cars Presented by the People Choice Cruising Brothers Car Show for Photo Opps. Let the Grillin begin with the 1st Responders Grillin Crews
Nicole Birden (photo courtesy of ABC7.com) $1,576,145.92 with $190,033.92 being awarded to past economic losses; $86,112.00 in future economic losses; $500,000 in past emotional distress and mental harm; and, $800,000 in future emotional distress and mental harm, according to DeSimone. For their part, the UC Board of Regents said they are looking further into the decision. “We are disappointed with the verdict, and we are reviewing the decision and considering all available options,” said a spokesperson for the board. “UCLA Health is committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation of any kind. Ensuring a respectful and inclusive environment is essential to the University’s mission, and employees are encouraged to report any concerns so that they can be reviewed and appropriately addressed consistent with UCLA and University of California policies…” This article originally appeared in The Los Angeles Sentinel.
CSUSB Professor Awarded For Service By Dianne Anderson
Community News
SAN BERNARDINO, CA--SEPTEMBER 4, 2019--- It’s going down in the I.E.! On Sunday, October 20, barbers from across the Inland Empire region will be showcasing their skill sets for a night of fun and cuts. Come get your cut between 7 p.m. and midnight at 320 S E Street, San Bernardino, CA 92404. Featured barbers of the evening include Meechi Cutz, Phyllis Jordan, Juju, Thea Curtis, Smooth Black, Tmizz the Barber, Suave, Mr. Fresh, Daniel Sandoval and Barber Mike. There will be food, music and more fun for the whole family. Tickets are $20 in advance via Eventbrite and $25 at the door. Vendors and sponsors that will be in the house include: Brooks Catering Company, Born A Go Getta, Paparazzi, DJ Mersee, Tommi Towel Service, KB Delights and Shady Business. For more information, please call (951) 241-5663 or (909) 6937506. Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ i-e-cut-party-tickets66419826489?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.
"Unity in CommUNITY Day" Chillin N Grillin BBQ ComiPITition Community News
diligently performing her job duties and tampered with blood specimens Ms. Birden had drawn, mislabeling them or throwing them away altogether.” After months of that, Birden ws terminated. “There was nothing that led up to the termination,” Birden said. “The supervisor just said she was removing me because I was a per diem and she was under the impression that I was at will when I was not. [But]there’s something in the contract that says if you’re a per diem but you have worked 1000 hours in twelve month period, that you should be treated like a career employee, meaning that if there is a problem or situation that they have to go through progressive discipline. “She did none of that, claiming she didn’t know I was the status I was although she was the one who made my work schedule…” Birden said she applied for her position, finding out after a month, that it had still been unfilled. She’s been working another job for two years now, she said, and she is grateful that a jury saw her truth. DeSimone said next, they would file a suit for attorney’s fees. “We are thankful that a diverse Los Angeles jury could come together and give Ms. Birden the justice she deserved after a hard fought jury trial,” he said. The jury verdict totaled
competing against our very own Steelworkers Union and our backyard community grillers and if that's not enough The Fontana Boxing Club will be presenting Boxing Demos along with a Special Guest Appearance by Celebrity Boxers Armando Muniz a Riverside resident and retired Mexican American Professional Boxer who also was a member of the 1968 US Olympic Boxing Team who trained at the Fontana Boxing club before going on to greatness. He'll also be joined by Rialto Resident favorites Brother and sister Professional local boxing team Dominic and Marilyn Salcids for autographs and photo opps. Last but not least we can't leave out Celebrity radio personalty Brain Arrington, M.C. for the days event, and the fun filled kids zone provide by the Fontana Community Service Mobile Rec and North Fotnana Home Depot Building Craft Station. Thank you City of Fontana, and the Fontana Police Officer Association for your continued support with this worth while Unity in CommUNITY Day Event! For more information contact event coordinator Veranll Townsend 951 544-5545
(l-r) Wilmer Amina Carter and Angie Denisse Otiniano Verissimo (Photo by: precinctreporter.com Angie Denisse Otiniano Verissimo, an associate professor in the Department of Health Science and Human Ecology at Cal State San Bernardino, was selected for the Wilmer Amina Carter Award from Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes’ (D-San Bernardino) office for her continued service to the Inland Empire community. She received the award during Reyes’ 30 Under 30 Award Ceremony and Art Showcase in downtown San Bernardino. The 30 Under 30 program was established by former Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter, a CSUSB alumna and retired CSUSB staff member. Verissimo, who grew up in Muscoy and Rialto, was a recipient of a 30 Under 30 award in 2008, when Carter represented the district. Verissimo said she was honored to be selected for the Carter award, adding that receiving the 30 Under 30 award in 2008 “was a pivotal moment as it provided me the opportunity to meet then[CSUSB] President Albert Karnig as well as faculty who encouraged me to apply for a faculty position at CSUSB in the future.” Carter nominated Verissimo for the 2019 award.
“The Honorable Wilmer Amina Carter has continued to be a strong supporter who has helped shape my career and trajectory,” she said. “She attended my Yotie Talk at CSUSB in March 2017, which focused on the impact of discrimination on health, and has remained in contact as we have established a group for Women of Color in Academia on our campus.” Verissimo’s “Does Discrimination Impact Health?” discussion was part of the Yotie Talks speaker series that was launched by CSUSB’s Diversity Committee to discuss current issues that are critical to the campus and create a space for dialogue for students, faculty and staff. As faculty co-advisor of the CSUSB chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Education Honorary Society, she helped organize the Run Like A Mother 5K, which was designed to raise money and awareness for nonprofit community organizations dedicated to improving the lives of women and children by providing resources, programs and services. As a co-chair and co-founder of CSUSB’s Women of Color in (continued on page 6)
The San Bernardino AMERICAN News Staff Samuel Martin Sr.-Founder Clifton Harris/Editor in Chief/Investigative Reporter Mary Martin-Harris/Editor Clifton B. Harris/Audio Engineering Editor Legal /Display Advertising & Sales (909) 889-7677 The San Bernardino American News was established May 8,1969. A legally adjudicated newspaper of general circulation on September 30, 1971, case number 153913 by the Superior Court, of San Bernardino County. The San Bernardino AMERICAN News, a division of Don Roberto Group, Inc. is published every Thursday by Mary Martin-Harris and Clifton Harris P.O. Box 837 Victorville, CA 92393, Telephone (909)889-7677, Emails: msbamericannews@gmail.com sbamericannews@gmail.com The San Bernardino AMERICAN News subscription rate is $58.00 per year. The San Bernardino AMERICAN New is committed to serving its readers by presenting news, unbiased and objective, trusting in the mature judgment of the readers and, in so doing strive to achieve a united community. News releases appearing in the San Bernardino AMERICAN News do not necessarily express the policy nor the opinion of the publishers. The San Bernardino AMERICAN News reserves the right to edit or rewrite all news releases.
Visit Us Online: www.SB-American.com
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Dynamex Law Will Gut Newspapers in California By Regina Brown Wilson | California Black Media This is a direct appeal to Governor Newsom, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez and our entire state legislature. I’m writing this on behalf of the more than 20 African American-owned newspapers that operate in cities and towns across California. As the leaders we’ve elected to represent and protect the interests of all Californians, we are asking each of you to search your hearts, look beyond blind spots, step in, and do the one thing that will prevent Assembly Bill 5 from putting the Black press in California out of business. That is: Exempt the contract couriers who deliver our newspapers from being reclassified as employees under AB 5. The bill Assemblymember Gonzalez is proposing intends to bring definition to our Supreme Court’s Dynamex decision and defend the rights of working Californians. But in our push to create a more equitable California for all, we must not lose sight of the specific needs and priorities of our most vulnerable communities. Our best intentions may sometimes harm some Californians while uplifting others. We must always be as cautious and fair as we are forceful and deliberate in approaching our most challenging problems. Shouldn’t AB 5 be helping to narrow the immense wealth gap that exists in the richest state of the nation? The disparity between the ultra-rich and the almost 20 million people in California who live below the poverty line – or who fight to hover just above it - is growing. In Los Angeles and Orange counties, for example, the average household wealth for U.S. born Whites was $355,000 in 2014. For U.S. born Black families that same year it was only $4,000, according to the California Budget and Policy Center. For African-American newspaper owners surviving in an industry the emergence of the internet has almost put on life support, Assembly Bill 5 would do the exact opposite of what Gonzalez wants it to achieve. She might as well just pull the plug on our businesses. Although our publications reach almost 2 million Californians of all races, most of our operations are still family-owned businesses. We are small shops with multi-tasking staff members who struggle to attract advertising, grind to meet deadlines and tighten belts to remain profitable. None of our papers can afford to offer full-time jobs with benefits to the part-time delivery people who work, on average, about four hours on the days our newspapers are published. Many of our papers are weeklies. My dad, Hardy Brown, former publisher of Black Voice News in
WORLD GOVERNMENT/BUSINESS/ADVERTISING Black Dynamex Law Will Gut Black Newspapers EPA Awards Nearly $900,000 to University of California Riverside to Advance Research in California...continued on Alternative Methods to Animal the historical record. Most of us sential aspect of our businesses. also write in familiar and relatable We understand the importance Testing...continued
Riverside, remembers a time when he had to gather the news stories, type them, take the copy to the printer and then deliver the published papers by himself throughout the Inland Empire at night. He would drop them off at churches on Sunday morning, too, because he could not afford to pay a courier. AB 5 would take Black newspapers back to those difficult days. Although some of our publications in California have websites, more than 60 percent of them still publish only print editions. We’ve done the math. Having to hire couriers as full-time employees would force us to limit our circulation areas or raise the prices of our papers. Either option would hurt our revenue so bad, it would no longer make sense to stay in business. We all know the backbone of our democracy is a free and independent press providing truthful, objective and balanced information critical to the lives, health and overall wellbeing of all our citizens. Since Freedom’s Journal, the first African-American newspaper, was published in 1827, the Black press in the United States has played a central role in the lives of Black Americans as an advocate, trusted source of information and rallying point for issues (often life-and-death ones) directly affecting our communities. From the years of legal slavery to the Emancipation Proclamation, through the Civil War and the eras of Jim Crow and lynching - on to the fight for civil rights and economic improvement - we have always depended on the Black Press for news crucial to keeping our families safe, informing our decisions and shaping our opinions. Today, Black newspapers across the country have a combined circulation of about 15 million. Americans read Black publications even though mainstream newspapers exist. Those national or citywide papers often overlook or under-report very important issues vital to the lives of African Americans. Our papers bring unique perspectives to the news, pointing out how news stories may affect Black Americans differently. We expand the base of knowledge on every topic we cover and bring untold stories to (continued in next 2 columns)
Job opportunities available at Valley-wide Employment Expo Business/Consumer News
(Indio, CA) – Do you live in the Coachella Valley and are you looking for that first job, a new career or just to change to the 9 to 5 routine? If so, the 24th Annual Valley-wide Employment Expo may have the perfect opportunity for you. The expo is free and will be held Thursday, Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Special Events Center, located at 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway in Indio. “The Valley-wide Employment Expo is one of the largest job fairs that I know of in the Coachella Valley,” said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “As one of Riverside County’s signature events for employers and job-seekers, the employment expo will provide a valuable opportunity for people seeking careers, as well as recruitment opportunities for local businesses and government agencies.” Job seekers can expect nearly
September 12, 2019
100 employers and exhibitors from the hospitality, retail, banking, gaming, education and government sectors. Job opportunities range from entry level to upper management. For human resource managers, it’s also an ideal time to connect with top talent, fill job vacancies and gain valuable exposure for the hiring company. “This is going to be a great event, for job seekers and employers, as we connect local businesses and organizations with a talented workforce,” said Workforce Development Board chairperson Jamil Dada. Parking for the event is free. For job seekers who need help getting to the expo, shuttle service is available every half hour from the Sunline 111 Transfer Center in Indio starting at 8:30 am. To register, log onto https:// www.desertjobexpo.com/
voices, and from points of view, that resonate with our readers. In California, the cost to live in our coastal cities has become unaffordable for the majority of African Americans. More and more, we see our families migrating to distant suburbs or inland cities and towns east of Los Angeles, the Bay Area, the Central Coast and San Diego. While many of our papers are still located in historic Black neighborhoods near or our around those major metropolitan areas, our drop-off points have become more far-flung and the radius of our circulation areas have dramatically increased. Now, more so than ever before, the role of our contract delivery drivers is an es-
of passing AB 5 to introduce guidelines for implementing the Dynamex decision. But we also need your intervention to protect the legacy and livelihood of our publications as we live up to the responsibility upon us that we never take lightly: That is to strengthen and maintain freedom and democracy in our state and across our country. In the words of educator and journalist Ida B. Wells, “The people must know before they can act and there is no educator like the press.” Regina B. Wilson Executive Director, California Black Media
EPA Awards Nearly $900,000 to University of California Riverside to Advance Research on Alternative Methods to Animal Testing Grant is part of $4.25 million to universities on heels of memo from Administrator Wheeler to prioritize Agency efforts to reduce animal testing Government News
Riverside, Calif. – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $849,811 to University of California Riverside as part of a total of $4.25 million in funding to five universities to research the development and use of alternative test methods and strategies that reduce, refine and/ or replace vertebrate animal testing. Furthering these efforts, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a memo titled, “Directive to Prioritize Efforts to Reduce Animal Testing.” “Today’s memo directs the agency to aggressively reduce animal testing, including reducing mammal study requests and funding 30% by 2025 and completely eliminating them by 2035,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “We are also awarding $4.25 million to advance the research and development of alternative test methods for
and eliminate all mammal study requests and funding by 2035. Any mammal studies requested or funded by EPA after 2035 will require administrator approval on a case by case basis. It directs leadership and staff in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and the Office of Research and Development to prioritize ongoing efforts and to direct existing resources toward additional activities that will demonstrate measurable impacts in the reduction of animal testing while ensuring protection of human health and the environment. In accordance with the memo, EPA will hold an annual conference on new approach methods beginning in 2019. To read the full memo, visit h t t p s : / / w w w. e p a . g o v / environmental-topics/ administrator-memo-prioritizingefforts-reduce-animal-testingseptember-20-2019 Background
evaluating the safety of chemicals that will minimize, and hopefully eliminate, the need for animal testing.” “We are excited to support U.C. Riverside’s work in helping reduce the use of animal testing and improve our understanding of chemical safety,” said Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. University of California Riverside will use the grant to use human cells to develop a costeffective endpoint to characterize potential skeletal embryotoxicants. Today, Administrator Wheeler called for the agency to aggressively pursue a reduction in animal testing. The memo states, EPA will reduce its requests for, and funding of, mammal studies by 30% by 2025 (continued in next 2 columns)
EPA has already made significant efforts to reduce, replace, and refine the agency’s animal testing requirements. Objective 3.3 of the FY2018 – FY2022 U.S. EPA Strategic Plan outlines a commitment to further reduce the reliance on animal testing within five years under both statutory and strategic directives. For example, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the Toxic Substances Control Act, requires EPA to reduce reliance on animal testing. Also, Objective 3.3 of the FY2018 – FY2022 U.S. EPA Strategic Plan outlines a commitment to further reduce the reliance on animal testing within five years. Over 200,000 laboratory animals already have been saved in recent years as a result of these collective efforts.
Five university grants were awarded through the agency’s Science to Achieve Results Request for Application Advancing Actionable Alternatives to Vertebrate Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessment. The research focuses on advancing the development and use of alternative test methods and strategies to reduce, refine and/ or replace vertebrate animal testing. The grantees are advancing the science of nonvertebrate alternative test methods and strategies in chemical hazard assessment. Grantees also include: • John Hopkins University to develop a human-derived brain model to assess the mechanism by which environmental chemicals might cause developmental neurotoxicity. • Vanderbilt University to test their organ-on-a-chip to study the blood brain barrier and potential brain injury after organophosphate exposure. • Vanderbilt University Medical Center to use their Endo Chip technology to research how preexisting diseases affect cellar responses to environmental toxicants with a focus on reproductive disorder in women. • Oregon State University to develop in vitro test methods for fish species to screen chemicals in complex environmental mixtures. For more information on EPA’s grant recipients, visit https:// cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/ index.cfm/fuseaction/ recipients.display/rfa_id/642/ records_per_page/ALL Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.
DeVos Hands For-Profit Colleges $11.1 Billion Over 10 Years NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Over the next decade, the Education Department projects an $11 billion cost-savings from denying loan forgiveness. But for student loan borrowers, denying $11 billion in loan forgiveness adds an unwieldy and costly burden for an education, and earnings that were never realized.” By Charlene Crowell, NNPA Newswire Contributor
Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA Most consumers would likely agree that consumers should get what they pay for. If a product or service fails to deliver its promises, refunds are in order. That kind of thinking guided the Obama Administration’s decision to address false promises made to student loan borrowers. A rule known as the “borrower defense to repayment,” came on the heels of successive for-profit college closures that left thousands of students stranded educationally and financially. The federal rule provided a way for snookered students and borrowers to apply for and secure loan forgiveness. Its premise was that both borrowers and taxpayers were assured that the Department of Education was looking out for them. But with a new administration and Education Secretary, rules that made sense and brought taxpayers financial fairness have been repealed and replaced with other rules that favor for-profit colleges, loan servicers, and other business interests. Just as many people were about to begin their Labor Day holiday, the federal Department of Education announced it was changing a key rule that provided a pathway to federal loan forgiveness. Instead, a new rule puts in place a process that will be cumbersome, lengthy, and nearly impossible for consumers
to successfully secure relief. Commenting on the rule that will now apply to all federal student loans made on or after July 1, 2020, Secretary Betsy DeVos said, “We believe this final rule corrects the wrongs of the 2016 rule through common sense and carefully crafted reforms that hold colleges and universities accountable and treat students and taxpayers fairly.” Excuse me Secretary DeVos, the rule was promulgated due to the thousands of wrongs resulting from less than truthful recruitment practices, false advertising, and targeting of vulnerable populations: lowincome, first-generation college students who were often people of color, and veterans seeking new skills in a return to civilian life. For-profit colleges largely remain financially solvent by their heavy dependence upon taxpayer-funded student loans. For Black America, the effects of predatory student lending at for-profit colleges comes with severe consequences. According to research by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL): Only 21% of all for-profit students in four-year programs graduate within six years; Four years after graduation, Black students with a bachelor’s degree owe almost double the debt their white classmates owe; and
While for-profit college enrollment represents 8.6% of all college students, these schools generate over 34% of all students who default on their loans. While this new rule may make sense to Secretary DeVos, education advocates had an opposite reaction, quickly and emphatically detailing how the rule change is as negative as it is costly. “After the collapse of Corinthian College and ITT Tech, two of the largest for-profit education companies in the country, the Obama Administration created the Borrower Defense rule to protect students and taxpayers from deceptive practices that could jeopardize the future of thousands of students and our economy,” said Ashley Harrington, a CRL Senior Policy Counsel, and a primary negotiator during the Education Department’s negotiated rule-making process. With DeVos’ new rule, both the automatic discharge of federal loans that took effect after a school closed and another provision that allowed group claim relief are now eliminated. Anyone seeking redress on student loans must also bear the full burden of documenting their alleged “harm” before a claim can be reviewed. The new rule also removes states from opportunities to defend their own constituents. State laws, many enacted before the 2016 Obama-era rule took effect, provided another route to legal redress. But with the new DeVos rule, no state-level claims can be pursued. “That’s problematic for us,” added Harrington. “The federal standard should be the floor, not the ceiling, for relief.” Over the next decade, the Education Department projects an $11 billion cost-savings from
denying loan forgiveness. But for student loan borrowers, denying $11 billion in loan forgiveness adds an unwieldy and costly burden for an education, and earnings that were never realized. “The new ‘borrower defense rule’ does anything but defend students,” said James Kvaal, president of The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS). “In fact, it makes it almost impossible for students who are lied to, defrauded, or otherwise abused by their colleges to get a fresh start. …By leaving students on the hook for colleges’ illegal actions, today’s rule sends a clear message that there will be little or no consequences for returning to the misrepresentations and deceptions that characterized the for-profit college boom.” A similar reaction came from Abby Shafroth, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, and like Harrington, participated in the Department’s rulemaking meetings. “There are over 170,000 pending applications with many borrowers held in limbo for years,” continued Shafroth. “The new rules reflect an ongoing shift to protect the multi-billion-dollar for-profit education industry at the expense of students and taxpayers and come amid concerns about conflicts of interest raised about the rule of former for-profit executives hired by the Department.” Rather than saving taxpayer dollars, it seems that this new rule is guaranteeing a taxpayer-funded revenue stream for the benefit of for-profit colleges — not students. Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s Communications Deputy Director. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.
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September 12, 2019
HEALTH/FITNESS/SENIOR NEWS
Leader in Women’s Issues to Head U.N. Aids Program LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The U.N’s office on AIDS has named a longtime activist on women’s issues to head the global health agency. Ugandan humanitarian Winnie Karagwa Byanyima’s career began as a member of parliament in the National Assembly of Uganda. She became the Director of Women and Development at the African Union Commission and worked on the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. By Global Information Network
CUSM Marks a Key Milestone for Inland Empire’s Newest Medical School on September 17...continued Science and Medicine (CUSM) is dedicated to advancing the art and science of medicine through medical education, research, and compassionate healthcare delivery in an inclusive environment that inspires, motivates and empowers students to become excellent and caring physicians, scientists, and leaders. The California University of Science and Medicine is a not-
for-profit health sciences university established in 2015, led by a dynamic group of MD/PhD faculty members. CUSM offers a Master in Biomedical Sciences degree program and a Doctor of Medicine (MD) program to prepare its diverse student body for careers in healthcare, public service, teaching and research. Learn more at www.cusm.org.
Monkey see, monkey cure: primates are necessary for research By Matthew R. Bailey
Winnie Karagwa Byanyima (Photo by: Global Information Network) The U.N’s office on AIDS has named a longtime activist on women’s issues to head the global health agency. Ugandan humanitarian Winnie Karagwa Byanyima’s career began as a member of parliament in the National Assembly of Uganda. She became the Director of Women and Development at the African Union Commission and worked on the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. “I am honored to be joining UNAIDS as the Executive Director at such a critical time in the response to HIV,” said Ms Byanyima. “The end of AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is a goal that is within the world’s reach, but I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge ahead. Working with all its partners, UNAIDS must continue to speak up for the people left behind and champion human rights as the
only way to end the epidemic.” Ms Byanyima, who also headed the development group Oxfam International, is the first woman Executive Director to lead the agency since its launch in 1996. She succeeds Michel Sidibé who was appointed Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Mali. Dr. Penninah Iutung, Africa Bureau Chief of the AIDS Health Foundation, said: “With young women and girls being disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly in Africa, a strong UNAIDS leader can inspire them to pursue their dreams and stay healthy. We are excited and look forward to working with a new and transforming UNAIDS.” Ms. Byanyima is married to Kizza Besigye, a Ugandan opposition leader for many years This article originally appeared in The Los Angeles Sentinel.
CUSM Marks a Key Milestone for Inland Empire’s Newest Medical School on September 17 One of California’s Newest Medical Schools Celebrates its Rising Structure Health/Fitness News
Colton, CA – September 4, 2019 – California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM) is celebrating a milestone for its new rising medical school building. Dignitaries and individuals who are central to the university’s founding will gather together to sign a steel beam that is symbolic of the support everyone has provided the growing university. The beam to be signed is part of the central support of the building’s structure.
dignitaries to sign a steel beam in the new medical school’s rising structure.
CUSM was established in 2015, admitting its first medical class in 2018, with the goal of addressing the critical shortage of physicians, improving health disparities and enhancing population health for the needs of underserved areas in the Inland Empire.
• Dr. Kavita Bhatia will provide a construction update
What: California University of Science and Medicine Steel Beam Signing
When: Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 1 p.m. 1:45 p.m. Colton Mayor Frank Navarro will be speaking
Where: California University of Science and Medicine
Interview Opportunities:
&
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• Dr. Paul Lyons will explain the significance of the new building • Dr. Prem Reddy will address his vision of CUSM
• Medical student and San Bernardino native, Kylee Borger, will share her journey to medical school • Dr. Paul Lyons, CUSM Dean; Dr. Prem Reddy, CUSM Chair of the Board and Founder; and Dr. Kavitha Bhatia, CUSM Vice Chair of the Board, will be available for media interviews
Lawmakers have recently increased efforts to introduce legislation that would impose strict reporting requirements on medical research involving monkeys and other non-human primates. The goal is to substantially reduce such research. These restrictions could endanger lives. Primate research has led to some of the most important breakthroughs in medical history -- and promises to unlock treatments for the world's deadliest diseases in the not too distant future. Consider a groundbreaking treatment for glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer. Scientists inject a harmless type of poliovirus into cancer tumors. The immune system then attacks the virus and kills the cancerous cells in the process. This breakthrough is years in the making -- and would have been impossible without primates. About two decades before the first human trials, researchers began using monkeys to determine how to get the poliovirus into tumors. Thus far, the treatment has sent at least two patients' glioblastoma into remission. Clinical trials are still underway. Scientists believe the technique could also be used to treat breast and prostate cancers. Or look at how primate research is helping people with epilepsy. The FDA recently approved a type of therapy called "deep brain stimulation" for epileptic patients who don't respond to medication. A seven-year clinical trial found that the method reduced seizures by 75 percent. The therapy -- which also helps people with Parkinson's -- was perfected through research in primates. Such research could even help pregnant women and their unborn babies. Fetal and placental development in monkeys is similar to that in humans. So researchers are turning to primates to better understand illnesses like the Zika virus, which causes birth defects, in hopes of identifying treatments. Despite these advances, activists claim research on nonhuman primates is a waste of time
and money. They point out that less than five percent of experimental therapies tested in animal models result in FDAapproved treatments for humans. That figure might seem low. But it's actually high, given how difficult drug development is. First, scientists do extensive lab work to formulate and test potential drug formulas. If this research proves promising, scientists move on to study those promising compounds in animals. Only if a drug succeeds in animal models do scientists attempt trials in humans. Just one in 10 experimental medicines that reach the stage where they're tested for safety in healthy humans ends up garnering FDA approval. So a five percent success rate for therapies in pre-clinical animal models is quite impressive. In an ideal world, scientists wouldn't need to use animals in research. Alternatives like computer models would be sufficient. But in the real world, alternatives simply aren't sophisticated enough to model everything that happens in the human body. We share as much as 98 percent of our DNA with non-human primates. They play an essential, irreplaceable role in research. Scientists don't perform research involving primates unless it's absolutely necessary. Primates account for less than one percent of animals employed in research. Research in animals is subject to more extensive regulations than even research involving humans. Federal rules govern animal housing, cleanliness, and feeding. And scientists must provide justification for every animal they use for research. Scientists are on the verge of incredible discoveries. Researchers are working with non-human primates to develop vaccines for HIV, remedies for heart disease and high blood pressure, and more. The lives of millions of people depend on Congress allowing such research to continue. Matthew R. Bailey is president of the Foundation for Biomedical Research. This piece originally ran in the Washington Examiner.
Mysterious Vaping Lung Injuries May Have Flown Under Regulatory Radar By Sydney Lupkin and Anna Maria Barry-Jester
Stats: • 85,000 square foot building with 7,000 square feet of shell space for future growth • Housing 2 large lecture halls, 12 multimedia college rooms, 15 clinical skills rooms, four simulation rooms, anatomy and research labs • 460 parking slots • Move-in date is June 2020, in time for the new class move-in when they start in July
1501 Violet Street Colton, CA 92324 About the California University of Science and Medicine Why: The California University of CUSM will gather with local (continued in next 2 columns)
Vaping (Photo by: Grant Williams | pexels.com It was the arrival of the second man in his early 20s gasping for air that alarmed Dr. Dixie Harris. Young patients rarely get so sick, so fast, with a severe lung illness, and this was her second case in a matter of days. Then she saw three more patients at her Utah telehealth clinic with similar symptoms. They did not have infections, but all had been vaping. When Harris heard several teenagers in Wisconsin had been hospitalized
in similar cases, she quickly alerted her state health department. As patients in hospitals across the country combat a mysterious illness linked to e-cigarettes, federal and state investigators are frantically trying to trace the outbreaks to specific vaping products that, until recently, were virtually unregulated. As of Aug. 22, 193 potential (continued in next 2 columns)
Mysterious Vaping Lung Injuries May Have Flown Under Regulatory Radar...continued vaping-related illnesses in 22 states had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California is investigating 22 cases. Wisconsin, which first put out an alert in July, has at least 16 confirmed and 15 suspected cases. Illinois has reported 34 patients, one of whom has died. Indiana is investigating 24. Lung doctors said they had seen warning signs for years that vaping could be hazardous, as they treated patients. Medically it seemed problematic, since it often involved inhaling chemicals not normally inhaled into the lungs. Despite that, assessing the safety of a new product storming the market fell between regulatory cracks, leaving doctors unsure where to register concerns before the outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration took years to regulate e-cigarettes once a court determined it had the authority to do so. “You don’t know what you’re putting into your lungs when you vape,” said Harris, a critical care pulmonologist at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City. “It’s purported to be safe, but how do you know if it’s safe? To me, it’s a very dangerous thing.” Dr. Laura Crotty Alexander, a pulmonologist and researcher with the University of CaliforniaSan Diego, said she saw her first case about two years ago. A young man had been vaping for months with the same device but developed acute lung injury when he switched flavors. She strongly suspected a link but did not report the illness anywhere. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to report it, it’s that there’s no pathway” to do so, Alexander said. She said she’s concerned that many physicians haven’t been asking patients about e-cigarette use and that there’s no way to document a case like this in the medical coding system. Off The Radar When electronic cigarettes came to market about a decade ago, they fell into a regulatory no man’s land. They are not a food, not a drug and not a medical device, any of which would have put them immediately in the FDA’s purview. And, until a few years ago, they weren’t even lumped in with tobacco products. As a result, billions of dollars of vaping products have been sold online, at big-box retailers and in corner stores without going through the FDA’s rigorous review process to assess their safety. Companies like Blu, NJoy and Juul, which is based in San Francisco, quickly established their brands of devices and cartridges, or pods. And thousands of related products are sold, sometimes on the black market over the internet or beyond. “It makes it really tough because we don’t know what we’re looking for,” said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, the state epidemiologist for Minnesota, where several patients were admitted to the intensive care unit as a result of the illness. She added that if it turns out that the products in question were sold by unregistered retailers and manufacturers “on the street,” outbreak sleuths will have a harder time figuring out exactly what is in them. With e-cigarettes, people can vape — or smoke — nicotine products, selecting flavorings like mint, mango, blueberry crème brûlée or cookies and milk. They can also inhale cannabis products. Many are hopeful that e-cigarettes might be useful smoking cessation tools, but some research has called that into question. The mysterious pulmonary disease cases have been linked to vaping, but it’s unclear whether there is a common device or chemical. In some states, including California and Utah, all of the patients had vaped cannabis products. One or more substances could be involved, health officials have said. The products used by several victims are being tested to see what they contained. Because e-cigarettes aren’t
classified as drugs or medical devices, which have wellestablished FDA databases to track adverse events, doctors say there has been no clear way to report and track health problems related to vaping products. And this has apparently been the case for years. Multiple doctors described seeing earlier cases of severe lung problems linked to vaping that were not officially reported or included in the current CDC count. Dr. John E. Parker of West Virginia University said he saw his first patient with pneumonia tied to vaping in 2015. Doctors there were intrigued enough to report on the case at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. Parker and his team didn’t contact a federal agency, and Parker said it was unclear whom to call. Numerous other cases have been reported in medical journals and at professional conferences in the years since. The FDA’s voluntary system for reporting tobacco-related health problems included 96 seizures and only one lung ailment tied to e-cigarettes from April through June of this year. The system appears to be utilized most by concerned citizens, rather than manufacturers or health care professionals. But several lung specialists said that due to the patchwork nature of regulatory oversight over the years, the true scope of the problem is yet to be identified. “We do know that e-cigarettes do not emit a harmless aerosol,” said Brian King, a deputy director in the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC in a call with media on Aug. 23 about the outbreak. “It is possible that some of these cases were already occurring but we were not picking them up.” Regulatory Limits The FDA has had limited authority to regulate e-cigarettes over the years. In 2009, Congress passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, empowering the FDA to oversee the safety and sale of tobacco products. But e-cigarettes, still new, were not top of mind. Later that year, the FDA tried to block imports of e-cigarettes, saying the combination drugdevice products were unapproved and therefore illegal for sale in the United States. Two vaping companies, Smoking Everywhere and NJoy, sued, and a federal judge ruled in 2010 that the FDA should regulate ecigarettes as tobacco products. It took the agency six years to finalize what’s become known as the “deeming rule,” in which it formally began regulating ecigarettes and e-liquids. By then, it was May 2016. The e-cigarette market had swelled to an estimated $4.1 billion, Wells Fargo Securities analyst Bonnie Herzog said at the time. Market researchers now project that the global industry could reach $48 billion by 2023. Critics say the FDA took too long to act. “I think the fact that FDA has been dillydallying [has made] figuring out what’s going on [with this outbreak] much harder,” said Stanton Glantz, a University of California-San Francisco professor in its Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. “No question.” The agency began by banning e-cigarette sales to minors and requiring all new vaping products to submit applications for authorization before they could come to market. Companies and retailers with thousands of products already on the market were granted two years to submit applications, and the FDA would get an additional year to evaluate the applications. Meanwhile, existing products could still be sold. But when Dr. Scott Gottlieb arrived as the new FDA (continued on page 6)
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September 12, 2019
LEGALS/CLASSIFIEDS/NEWS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190009961 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 8/21/2019 Began Transacting Business: N/A Filing Expires On: 8/21/2024 Business is Conducted By: A Married Couple Fictitious Business Name(s): GAIA & ALDENS RANCH Business Address: 22235 ORCHARD ST. HINKLEY, CA 92347 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Phone Number: 570-394-0302 Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 338 HINKLEY, CA 92347 Registrant(s)Address: SHANE W. FREDERICK 22235 ORCHARD ST. HINKLEY, CA 92347 NICOLE A. FREDERICK 22235 ORCHARD ST. HINKLEY, CA 92347 Signature/Officer Title: Nicole A. Frederick, Wife BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 2019. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190010086 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 8/23/2019 Began Transacting Business: 11/17/1997 Filing Expires On: 8/23/2024 Business is Conducted By: A Married Couple Fictitious Business Name(s):1. CACHE TRAVEL 2. PARTICIA DELGADILLO INSURANCE SVC 3. PATRICIA DELGADILLO INCOME TAX AND NOTARY PUBLIC Business Address: 16846 VALLEY BLVD. UNIT B2 FONTANA, CA 92335 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Registrant(s)Address: PATRICIA DELGADILLO 11627 SPARROW DR. FONTANA, CA 92337 MARIO DELGADILLO 11627 SPARROW DR. FONTANA, CA 92337 Signature/Officer Title: Mario Delgadillo, Co-Owner BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 29, September 5, 12, 19, 2019.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190008848 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 7/29/2019 Began Transacting Business: 7/29/2019 Filing Expires On: 7/29/2024 Business is Conducted By: An Individual Fictitious Business Name(s): SMILEY NAILS Business Address: 914 E. HIGHLAND AVE. SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92404 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Registrant(s)Address: NGOC L. NGUYEN 3600 MOUNTAIN AVE. UNIT 14E SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92404 Signature/Officer Title: Ngoc Lan Nguyen BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 29, September 5, 12, 19, 2019. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190009258 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 8/07/2019 Began Transacting Business: N/A Filing Expires On: 8/07/2024 Business is Conducted By: An Individual Fictitious Business Name(s): GOLDEN OAK PALLETS Business Address: 5770 N. INDUSTRIAL PKWY SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92407 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Registrant(s)Address: JOHNNY MORA 1114 BARTON ST. SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92410 Signature/Officer Title: Johnny Mora BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 29, September 5, 12, 19, 2019. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190008930 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 7/30/2019 Began Transacting Business: N/A Filing Expires On: 7/30/2024 Business is Conducted By: A Limited Liability Company Fictitious Business Name(s): CAMPUS GROWERS L.L.C. Business Address: 1420 CAMPUS AVENUE UPLAND, CA 91786 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN
BERNARDINO Mailing Address: 807 MOUNTAIN LANE GLENDORA, CA 91741 Registrant(s)Address: CAMPUS GROWERS L.L.C. 1420 CAMPUS AVENUE UPLAND, CA 91786 Signature/Officer Title: Diego Mercado, President BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 22, 29, September 5, 12, 2019. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190010132 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 8/26/2019 Began Transacting Business: N/A Filing Expires On: 8/26/2024 Business is Conducted By: A General Partnership Fictitious Business Name(s): ALL POWER ELECTRICAL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING Business Address: 1631 WEST NORWOOD STREET RIALTO, CA 92377 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Registrant(s)Address: ARTUSH STEPANIAN 1631 WEST NORWOOD STREET RIALTO, CA 92377 WENDY L. WILKIE 1631 NORWOOD ST. RIALTO, CA 92377 Signature/Officer Title: Artush Stepanian, Partner BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 29, September 5, 12, 19, 2019. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20190008949 Date Filed: 7/31/2019 Filing Expires On: 7/31/2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): ISAIAH SAXTON FAMILY OF DOUGLAS ESTATE DBA ISAIAH SAXTON DOUGLAS County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 172 W. THIRD STREET SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415 Name of Individual Registrant: ISAIAH DOUGLAS Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: State of Inc./Org./Reg.: Inc./Org./Reg. No.: Residence Street Address: 12403 CENTRAL AVENUE STE 768 CHINO, CA 91710 Name of Individual Registrant: ISAIAH IMAGO DEI Residence Street Address: 12403 CENTRAL AVENUE STE. 768 CHINO, CA 91710 This business is/was conducted by: A General Partnership Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 04/01/2018 Douglas , Isaiah Saxton, General Partner declares that all information in this statement is true and correct. NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORT IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper August 29, September 5, 12, 19, 2019. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190009795 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 8/16/2019 Began Transacting Business: N/A Filing Expires On: 8/16/2024 Business is Conducted By: An Individual Fictitious Business Name(s): IANN’S CATERING AND BAKERY Business Address: 360 W. FOOTHILL BLVD. UPLAND, CA 91786 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Mailing Address: 3243 PALOMA AVE. LA VERNE, CA 91750 Registrant(s)Address: AYESHA M. AINSWORTH 3243 PALOMA AVE. LA VERNE, CA 91750 Signature/Officer Title: Ayesha Ainsworth BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 29, September 5, 12, 19, 2019. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190008766 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 7/25/2019 Began Transacting Business: N/A Filing Expires On: 7/25/2024 Business is Conducted By: A Corporation Fictitious Business Name(s): HIGH DESERT SAFETY SOLUTIONS Business Address: 16333 GREEN TREE BLVD. STE 1146 VICTORVILLE, CA 92395 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Registrant(s)Address: HIGH DESERT CPR & FIRST AID INC. 16333 GREEN TREE BLVD. STE. 114 6 VICTORVILLE, CA 92395 A1#: C4296916 State: CA Signature/Officer Title: Tommieselle Thompson, CEO BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as
true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 22, 29, September 5, 12, 2019.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20190009897 Date Filed: 8/20/19 Filing Expires On: 8/20/2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): CHILDREN’S PLUS FOSTER FAMILY AGENCY County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 696 NORTH D ST. SUITE 4 SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92401 Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 3584 RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA 91729 Name of Individual Registrant: Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: W & W COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, INC. State of Inc./Org./Reg.: CA Inc./Org./Reg. No.: C2310675 Residence Street Address: 696 NORTH D STREET, SUITE 1 SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92401 This business is/was conducted by: A Corporation Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 08/04/04 Lola Wright, Chief Executive Officer, declares that all information in this statement is true and correct. NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORT IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper September 5, 12, 19, 26, 2019.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20190009758 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 8/15/2019 Began Transacting Business: N/A Filing Expires On: 8/15/2024 Business is Conducted By: An Unincorporated Association Fictitious Business Name(s): HOUSE OF MU-RA HOLISTIC LIVING Business Address: 8982 JOSHUA AVE. LUCERNE VALLEY, CA 92356 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 2450 LUCERNE VALLEY, CA 92356 Registrant(s)Address: MUSTAFAA B. BEY 8982 JOSHUA AVE. LUCERNE VALLEY, CA 92356 RASHEEDAH BEY 8982 JOSHUA AVE. LUCERNE VALLEY, CA 92356 Signature/Officer Title: Mustafaa B. Bey, General Partner BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 22, 29, September 5, 12, 2019.
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CIVVS 1900499 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: PATRICE MCDOW filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: a. ZIANUA LEVEAH DUBOSE to Proposed name: ZIAUNA LEVEAH ELLSWORTH THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 10/25/2019 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept:V15 SUPERIOR COURT VICTORVILLE DISTRICT 14455 Civic Drive Ste. 100 Victorville, CA 92392 A Copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: The San Bernardino American Newspaper P.O. Box 837 Victorville, CA 92393 Date: September 09, 2019 Carlos M. Cabrera, Judge Judge Of The Superior Court Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CIVDS 1925362 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: JORGE HUITZ filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: a. JORGE EMMANUEL HUITZ QUEVEDO to Proposed name: GEORGE MANNY HUITZ QUEVEDO THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 10/07/2019 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept:S16
Superior Court Of California County Of San Bernardino San Bernardino DistrictCivil Division 247 West Third Street San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 A Copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: The San Bernardino American Newspaper P.O. Box 837 Victorville, CA 92393 Date: August 26, 2019 Lynn M. Poncin Judge Of The Superior Court Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper August 29, September 5, 12, 19, 2019
PETITION/PROBATE NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE (Probate-Decedents’ Estates) Notice Of Petition to Administer Estate Of: JOHN DALE BARNES Case Number: PROPS 1901002 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: JOHN DALE
BARNES A Petition for Probate has been filed by: RANDIE LEE FISTER in the Superior Court of California, County of: SAN BERNARDINO The Petition for Probate requests that RANDIE LEE FISTER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: September 18, 2019 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: S35 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 WEST THIRD STREET SECOND FLOOR SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415-0212 SAN BERNARDINO JUSTICE CENTER, PROBATE DIVISION If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner: Guay P. Wilson 14 N. Eighth Street (P.O. Box 166) Redlands, CA 92373 Telephone: (909)793-2044 Published in The San Bernardino American Newspaper August 29, September 5, 12, 2019.
SUMMONS SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVDS1909526 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): ADILENE VILLA YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court's lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en
formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso. The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 West Third St, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Harlan M. Reese, , Esq., (Bar #118226), 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/8425850 (File No. 560846) DATE (Fecha): MAR 29 2019 Clerk (Secretario), by Paula Rogers, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant. 8/22, 8/29, 9/5, 9/12/19 CNS-3283871# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVDS 1905666 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): CATHERINE G BUNAG YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court's lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.
The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 West Third St, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Harlan M. Reese, Esq., ( #118226), 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/8425850 (File No. 560377) DATE (Fecha): FEB 25 2019 Clerk (Secretario), by Daniela Vargas, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant. 8/29, 9/5, 9/12, 9/19/19 CNS-3288126# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVDS1908775 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): CELESTE ZARATE YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court's lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso. The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 West Third St, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Harlan M. Reese, Esq., (Bar #118226), 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/8425850 (File No. 560843) DATE (Fecha): MAR 20 2019 Clerk (Secretario), by EDUARDO HERNANDEZ, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant. 9/5, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26/19 CNS-3290301# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVDS1905796 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): HALECCI GODOY YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this
court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court's lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso. The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 West Third St., San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Harlan M. Reese, Esq., (#118226), 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/8425850 (File No. 560348) DATE (Fecha): FEB 25 2019 Clerk (Secretario), by Samantha Neubauer, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant. 8/29, 9/5, 9/12, 9/19/19 CNS-3288130# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN
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Two Weeks to Apply for $2-$10K Health Reporting Grants, Mentoring from USC Annenberg Dear Journalist, Only two weeks remain to apply for the USC Annenberg School of Journalism's Center for Health Journalism Impact Fund, which is designed to support groundbreaking reporting on the health of underserved communities in California. Through the fund, individual journalists, news outlets and collaborations between outlets can receive reporting grants of $2,000 to $10,000 and six months of mentoring – guidance on everything from story development to relevant sources to new modes of storytelling. Our goal: to help you produce marquee projects that will make a difference for vulnerable Californians. We're especially interested in receiving proposals for multi-journalist collaborations either from within a newsroom or between media outlets. Preference will be given to mainstream-ethnic media collaborations. Bot California-based journalists and outlets and nonCalifornia journalists reporting California-focused stories for national outlets are eligible. Among the topics we're interested in funding are the effect on health of environmental conditions where people live and work; how poverty, education, race and ethnicity can shape wellbeing; or how well the local health safety net is serving the community's most vulnerable residents. We favor investigative or explanatory reporting projects that advance public understanding and health policy for underserved or vulnerable populations, which could include people living in lowincome neighborhoods, under-resourced rural areas, prisons, foster homes, juvenile detention centers or homeless encampments. And we don't want you to just write about problems. We also want you to explore promising solutions. Visit our website for details about how to apply. To maximize your prospects for being selected, we strongly suggest a advance conversation with us in advance of applying. Write Craig Lezzeretti at Craig.Lezzeretti@gmail.com to schedule. The deadline to apply is September 20.
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PAGE 6
September 12, 2019
LEGALS/ LOCAL/NATIONAL NEWS
Flying While Black: Stop the U.S. Congress from Raising Air Travel Taxes By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President and CEO National Newspaper Publishers Association
NNPA NEWSWIRE - Working families in the African American community and beyond have a hard-enough time keeping up with daily expenses. Every mortgage payment, car payment, trip to the grocery store, stop at the gas station, or utility bill that shows up in the mail is a reminder of how expensive it is to afford basic needs. Now, lawmakers in the U.S. Congress have introduced legislation that threatens to add one more expense to that list. On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers are championing what is essentially a regressive tax on airline passengers that would raise the cost of flying painfully, on working families. If successful, the tax hike would burden African American travelers with significant additional fees on top of what is already required. Lawmakers who support the increase insist that the money will be spent on infrastructure improvement projects at airports. But, if our communities can no longer afford to fly, this becomes a moot point. The tax, known as the passenger facility charge, is a locally enforced but federally authorized fee that every passenger must pay at U.S. commercial airports. Nearly every airport in America
charges it. The fee is currently set at $4.50 per person per leg of a trip. Legislation has been introduced that would remove that cap, allowing airports to charge any amount they want. Some have proposed raising the PFC to $8.50, nearly doubling the current tax. That would add a significant cost for all American families. Under that proposal, a family of four on a connecting flight would pay nearly $150 in this tax alone - a tax that is layered on top of the price of the ticket itself. Such a substantial increase could be the deciding factor between that family taking this vacation or staying home. Fortunately, largely due to the recent surge of low-cost flights from many airlines, air travel has become a more obtainable luxury, remaining largely affordable for working people, whether in rural America, the suburbs or the inner cities. While still a relatively expensive proposition, air travel to get away on a vacation, or to visit far-away family and friends, without the proposed new tax, is still within reach for many individuals on tight family budgets. The near-doubling of the PFC tax will likely place air travel out of reach for many. And
the reason for this hike is absurd. The argument for the hike is that the additional money will pay for much-needed infrastructure improvement projects at airports nationwide. But here is the problem: America's airports don't need the extra money. Airport revenues are already growing strongly. Since the year 2000, airports have enjoyed revenue increases of 87 percent, without the cost of flights rising meaningfully. This growth drastically outpaces the actual cost of flying, even after factoring for inflation. In addition, over the last decade, more than $165 billion in federal aid has been directed to airports for improvement projects at America's largest 30 airports alone. More than that, the so-called Aviation Trust Fund is expected to reach nearly $8 billion by the end of 2019. And this summer alone, the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded hundreds of millions in renovation grants to airports across America earmarked for infrastructure improvements. It's also worth keeping in mind that air travel and tourism are now at or nearing all-time highs, meaning
that airports are collecting more in PFC taxes than they know what to do with. By contrast, the income of working Americans has been stagnant for years. Considering that airports are more profitable now than ever before, it is disappointing that they, with the backing of politicians in Washington, are now coming to average Americans and asking them to shoulder the cost. America's airports are wellpositioned to continue to fund infrastructure improvement projects without needlessly reaching into the pockets of America's working families and robbing them of one of the few affordable luxuries available to them. Congress must stand up for working people and refuse this tax increase. Economic progress in America should empower African Americans and others. We in the Black Press of America will not be silent on this issue. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America. He can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org.
Mysterious Vaping Lung Injuries May Have Flown Under Regulatory Radar...continued from page 4 commissioner in 2017, the rule hadn’t been implemented and there was no formal guidance for companies to file applications, he said. As a result, he pushed the deadline back to 2022, drawing ire from public health advocates, who called foul over his previous ties to an e-cigarette retailer called Kure. “I thought e-cigarettes at the time — and I still believe — that they represent an opportunity for currently addicted adult smokers to transition off of combustible tobacco,” he said in an interview, adding that other parts of the deeming rule went into effect as planned. “All I did was delay the application deadline.” Gottlieb’s thinking changed the following year, when a national survey showed a sharp rise in teen vaping, which he called an “epidemic.” He announced that the agency would rethink the extended deadline and weigh whether to take flavors that appeal to kids off the market. A judge ruled last month that ecigarette makers would have only 10 more months to submit applications to the FDA. They’re now due in May 2020. Asked about the lung injuries appearing now, Gottlieb, who left the FDA in April, said he suspected counterfeit pods are to blame, given the geographic clustering of cases and the fact that, overall, the FDA is inspecting registered e-cigarette makers and retailers to make sure they’re complying with existing regulations. “I think the manufacturers are culpable if their products are being used, whether the liquids are counterfeit or real,” he said. “Ultimately, they’re responsible for keeping their products out of the hands of kids.” Juul, the leading e-cigarette
maker, agreed that children shouldn’t be able to vape its products, and said curtailing access should be done “through significant regulation” and “enforcement.” “When people say ‘Why aren’t these being regulated?’ They actually are all being regulated,” Gottlieb said. For example, companies are required to label their products as potentially addictive, sell only to adults and comply with manufacturing standards. The agency has conducted thousands of inspections of e-cigarette manufacturers and retailers and taken enforcement actions against companies selling ecigarettes that look like juice boxes, and a company that was putting the ingredients found in erectile dysfunction drugs into its vape liquid. Health departments investigating the outbreak told Kaiser Health News that ecigarettes’ niche as a tobacco product instead of a drug has presented challenges. Most weren’t aware that adverse events could be reported to a database that tracks problems with tobacco products. And, because e-cigarettes never went through the FDA’s “gold standard” approval process for drugs, doctors can’t readily look up a detailed list of known side effects. But like other arms of the FDA, the tobacco office has tools and a team to investigate a public health threat just as the teams for drugs and devices do, Gottlieb said. It may even be better equipped because of its funding. “I don’t think FDA is operating in any way with hands tied behind its back because of the way that the statute is set up,” he said. Teen vaping has exploded
during this regulatory tussle. In 2011, 1.5% of high school students reported vaping. By 2018, it was 20.8%, according to a CDC report. Unknown Components Still, doctors and researchers are concerned about the ingredients in e-cigarettes, and how little the public knows about the risks of vaping. In Juul’s terms and conditions, posted on its website, it says, “We encourage consumers to do their own research regarding vapor products and what is right for them.” Many ingredients in ecigarette products, however, are protected as trade secrets. Since at least 2013, the flavor industry has expressed concern about the use of flavoring chemicals in vaping products. The vast majority of the chemicals have been tested only by ingesting them in small quantities, as they’re encountered in foods. For most of these chemicals, there have been no tests to determine whether it is safe to inhale them, as happens daily by millions when they use e-cigarettes. “Many of the ingredients of vaping products, including flavoring substances, have not been tested for … the exposure one would get from using a vaping device,” said John Hallagan, a senior adviser to the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association. The group has sent cease-and-desist letters to ecigarette companies in previous years for using the food safety certification of the flavor industry to imply that the chemicals are also safe in e-cigarettes. Some flavor chemicals are thought to be harmful when inhaled in high doses. Research
suggests that cinnamaldehyde, the main component of many cinnamon flavors, may impair lung function when inhaled. Sven-Eric Jordt, a professor at Kaiser Health News, says he presented evidence of its dangers at an FDA meeting in 2015 — and its relative abundance in many e-cigarette vaping liquids. In response, one major e-cigarette liquid seller, Tasty Vapor, voluntarily took its cinnamon-flavored liquid off the shelves. In 2017, when Gottlieb delayed the FDA application deadline, the product was back. A company email to its customers put it this way: “Two years ago, Tasty Vapor allowed itself to be intimidated by scaremongering tactics. … We lost a lot of sales as well as a good number of long time customers. We no long see reason to disappoint our customers hostage for these shady tactics.” At the time of publication, Tasty Vapor’s owner did not reply to a request for comment. Jordt said he is frustrated by the delays in the regulatory approval process. “As a parent, I would say that the government has not acted on this,” he said. “You’re basically left to act alone with your addicted kid. It’s kind of terrifying that this was allowed to happen. The industry needs to be held to account.” Kaiser Health News correspondents Cara Anthony, Markian Hawryluk and Lauren Weber and reporter Victoria Knight contributed to this report. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. This article originally appeared in The Los Angeles Sentinel.
U.S. EPA Seeks Comment and Commitment on Draft National Water Reuse Action Plan...continued from page 1 governmental and nongovernmental organizations to implement these actions. Water reuse represents a major opportunity to support our nation’s communities and economy by bolstering safe and reliable water supplies for human consumption, agriculture, business, industry, recreation and healthy ecosystems. “Forty states anticipate experiencing fresh water shortages in certain regions within their borders over the next decade,” said U.S. EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Water David Ross. “Diversifying our nation’s water portfolio must be a nationwide priority, and water reuse has the potential to ensure the viability of our water economy for generations to come.” The draft National Water Reuse Action Plan is the first initiative of this magnitude that is coordinated across the water sector. It was built upon extensive outreach, research and prior engagement with the water sector. The inclusive approach used to develop the draft plan recognizes that meaningful advancement of water reuse is best accomplished by working cooperatively with all water sector stakeholders. The draft plan incorporates federal, state, tribal and local water perspectives and highlights key actions that support consideration and implementation of water reuse. EPA’s goal is to issue a final plan that will include clear commitments and milestones for actions that will further water reuse to bolster the sustainability, security and resilience of the nation’s water resources. The draft plan was announced during a panel discussion with federal partners—the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Interior, Department of the Army, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). During the panel, the federal partners noted the work of their departments and agencies and highlighted the importance of federal coordination and leadership on water reuse, which supports last year’s Presidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West. “The Water Reuse Action Plan is a dynamic collaboration of federal partners and stakeholders to innovate and utilize water reuse technology to meet water challenges of today and prepare for the water needs of tomorrow. Developing and deploying these technologies to secure a safe water supply for our nation is a top priority of this administration” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the Department of the Interior Tim Petty. “Ensuring reliable water supplies for the future takes a combination of innovation approaches, from advancing critical infrastructure projects to implementing new conservation strategies. Water reuse is an important component of Reclamation’s all-of-the-above model, and we are committed to continuing our investment in water reuse for local communities throughout the West,” said Brenda Burman, Commissioner of
the Bureau of Reclamation. “Water and energy are intrinsically intertwined critical resources for America,” said Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel Simmons. “New research and technology innovation, along with increased collaborations identified in the new Water Reuse Action Plan will help advance our nations’ water security and reduce water-related risks for our energy systems.” “USDA works side-by-side with agricultural producers—with the help of public and private partners—to make land management decisions that benefit natural resources, including conservation and reuse of water,” said Bill Northey, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. “Voluntary conservation on agricultural lands is one of the tools we have to address water challenges.” “The Corps of Engineers looks forward to working with our federal partners and local sponsors to identify water reuse opportunities as we deploy infrastructure solutions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Ryan Fisher. “The National Water Reuse Action Plan will be a game changer,” said Patricia Sinicropi, Executive Director of the WateReuse Association. “WateReuse commends EPA and Assistant Administrator Ross for bringing together the federal family and moving forward a bold plan for water recycling. Communities across the country are incorporating water reuse into their water management strategies as a proven method for ensuring a safe, reliable, locally controlled water supply-essential for livable communities, healthy environments, robust economies and a high quality of life. We look forward to working with EPA, other federal agencies, and the broader stakeholder community to further develop and strengthen the Action Plan in the months ahead.” “Water scarcity is a real and pressing challenge for many parts of our country, and is something this administration is dedicated to addressing,” said CEQ Chairman Mary Neumayr. “The WRAP is a practical example of federal agencies coming together to address our Nation’s most pressing water challenges and I look forward to working with all the agencies and bureaus represented as we continue to promote coordinated water resource management across the country.” EPA seeks to collaborate with all stakeholder groups on this plan and is soliciting public input through a 90-day public comment period. For more information, including opportunities to engage with EPA on this effort, visit https://www.epa.gov/ waterreuse/water-reuse-actionplan.
CSUSB Professor Awarded Service...continued from page 2 Academia, Verissimo helped organize “A Seat at the Table: Intersectionality in Higher Education,” a 2018 panel discussion that focused on the experiences of women of color on navigating the academic field and overcoming challenges throughout their career. This past May, Verissimo gave a talk on achieving faculty diversity during “Building a Shared Vision: Creating an Inclusive Environment,” a retreat for members of the CSUSB faculty senate, deans, department chairs, faculty and university administrators to discuss equity gaps on campus and ways to close them.
For
She was recently awarded tenure and promoted from assistant professor to associate professor. “Dr. Verissimo is first-rate scholar who has published important research on social disparities, and she is an excellent and dedicated instructor who is well-liked by her students and advisees,” said Claudia Davis, interim chair of the Department of Health Science and Human Ecology. “We are very happy to have her as a colleague, and she is well-deserving of this award.” This article originally appeared in The Precinct Reporter News Group.
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Page 7
September 12, 2019
LIFESTYLE NEWS/ADVERTISING/RELIGION
Despite U.S. Open Loss, Serena Williams is still the Greatest of All Time NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Is Serena the GOAT? She reinvented tennis. She invented #BlackGirlMagic. She has all of the trophies ever, and she stands for equality of women around the globe. Is Serena the greatest athlete of all time? Please,” said The Undefeated Magazine’s managing editor Raina Kelley.
"Serena Williams's legacy is sealed, whether or not she ever hits a tennis ball again," Tera W. Hunter, a professor of history and African American studies at Princeton, wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times. (Photo: Si.robi / Wikimedia Commons
Despite U.S. Open Loss, Serena Williams is still the Greatest of All Time...continued for most aces served in a tournament, hitting 102 aces in the tournament, which was the most of men or women at the Championships that year. In 2014, she won her 6th U.S. Open title, the most in the Open Era (tied with Evert) In 2017, she won her 7th Australian Open title, the most in the Open Era (stands alone). Four-time Olympian (2000, 2008, 2012, 2016); Four-time Olympic medalist (4 golds) Rio 2016 Olympic Games, T-9th (singles); T-17th (doubles) London 2012 Olympic Games, gold (singles, doubles) Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, gold (doubles), T-5th (singles) Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, gold (doubles)
“She’s without question the embodiment of strength, character, and accomplishment,” said Julio C. Rodriguez, of Université Paris-Sorbonne. The Undefeated Magazine’s managing editor Raina Kelley summed up why Williams is the Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali of her sport. “Serena Jameka Williams did not come just come to play — she came to slay. And you are alive to see it,” Kelley said. “Is Serena the GOAT? She reinvented tennis. She invented #BlackGirlMagic. She has all of the trophies ever, and she stands for equality of women around the globe. Is Serena the greatest athlete of all time? Please,” Kelley said.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Serena Williams lost her bid for what would have been her seventh U.S. Open Singles title. It was the second straight year that Williams lost in the finals. But, with 23 Grand Slam tournament titles and a .850 career winning percentage, Williams legacy as the world’s greatest tennis player was solidified a long time ago. “Serena Williams’s legacy is sealed, whether or not she ever hits a tennis ball again,” Tera W. Hunter, a professor of history and African American studies at Princeton, wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times. “It’s sad she didn’t beat Bianca Andreescu at the finals of the U.S. Open Championships and match Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. But her contributions to the game are much bigger than reaching another Grand Slam Final,” Hunter wrote. Williams, 37, began playing tennis at the age of 5 in Compton, California. Under the tutelage of her father, Richard Williams, Serena and her sister Venus rose to stardom in the 1990s. The duo took the tennis world by storm with Serena Williams ultimately surpassing her sister and others as easily the best in the sport. Serena Williams, who has earned approximately $100 million in her career, won her first Grand Slam title at the age of 17 and she hasn’t looked back. Here are just some of her accomplishments: At the 1999 U.S. Open, became the second African-American woman to win a Grand Slam title at 17 years old. By winning the 2001 Australian Open doubles championship with Venus Williams, became the fifth pair to complete a Career Doubles Grand Slam and the only pair to win a Career Doubles Golden Slam. At the 2001 U.S. Open, marked the first time in the Open Era, and the second time in 117 years that sisters met in a Grand Slam final (with Venus) At the 2002 Roland Garros final,
she became the first younger sister to defeat her older sister in a Grand Slam singles tournament. By winning the 2003 Australian Open, became the fifth woman to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously. By winning the 2003 Australian Open, became the first AfricanAmerican to win the championship. By winning the 2003 Wimbledon ladies’ title, Williams became just the fifth woman in the Open Era to win back-to-back Wimbledon crowns. By reaching the final of the 2003 Australian Open, she and sister Venus became the first players to compete in 4 consecutive slam finals. By winning the 2005 Australian Open by defeating Mauresmo and Davenport, became the only player in tennis history to win three Grand Slam singles titles (1999 U.S. Open, 2002 Roland Garros) by beating the top two ranked players. By winning the 2007 Australian Open became the first unseeded player since 1978 to win a slam; she was ranked #81 in the world. Her six-year gap between Wimbledon titles (2003–2009) is second only to Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s nine years in the Open Era. Her eleven-year gap between Roland Garros titles (2002–2013) is the longest in the Open Era. By winning the 2010 Roland Garros doubles with sister Venus, they became the first pair since 1998 to hold the four doubles slams at the same time. By winning the 2010 Roland Garros doubles with sister Venus, they became the first pair in the Open Era to complete the Career Doubles Golden Slam twice (2001 & 2003 Australian Open, 1999 & 2010 Roland Garros, 2000 & 2002 Wimbledon, 1999 & 2009 U.S. Open, and 2000 & 2008 Olympic gold medalists). In 2012 Wimbledon, in her semifinal match against Azarenka, she hit a record 24 aces in a match. At the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, she set a record (continued in next 2 columns)
The Tamron Hall Show Debuts By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor
America’s news sweetheart Tamron Hall is back with a selftitled daytime talk show The Tamron Hall Show. Following Hall’s controversial yet celebrated 2017 exit from the Today Show after being curbed in favor of white supremacist-y Megyn Kelly, Hall returns to television as a talk show host on her terms. In addition to Hall’s professional life, a lot has also changed in her personal life since the abrupt Today and MSNBC exit. The award-winning journalist is now married and a mother of a son, which she discussed at the “Journey to My Wildest Dreams” Toyota sponsored luncheon at the 2019 NABJ national convention held in Miami. Hall discussed how motherhood has changed her life, the confidence required to be in the news business and the challenges faced by blacks in general and black women specifically on the oftencomplicated journey to success. Hall reiterated the importance of having a seat at the table and being ready when the opportunity presents itself. “There was a window, a sliver of opportunity and I took it,” says Hall. “I knew I had to shoot my shot,” says the Texas native. Indeed, Hall shot her shot, landing on her feet with a daytime talk show in a market that is crowded but ripe for a voice like Hall’s. Hall’s return to daytime pits her against another one of America’s sweethearts, Grammy awardwinning singer Kelly Clarkson who is also launching a self-titled talk show on the same day on NBC no less. Clarkson is the season one winner of American Idol and has served as a judge on the wildly popular NBC reality show The
Voice. Hall will also be wading into territory currently occupied by Wendy Williams, Rachel Ray, and the ladies of The View and The Talk among others. Hall created this talk show to bring people together and to give them an opportunity to share their “authentic journey.” One of the ways Hall is shaping her show is by insisting the makeup of the crew reflect her audience. Despite having veteran executive producer Bill Geddie at the helm, Hall insisted that more women be hired because she wants to empower people like her – a self-described country girl from Luling, Texas who has made it to the upper echelons of television and news. Although creating and hosting a daytime talk show is new to Hall, working in front of and behind the camera is not. Hall hosted the Discovery ID series Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall, a weekly series which takes at deep dive into crimes, including unsolved crimes. Motivated by the unsolved murder of her sister Renate, Hall lead an investigative team of journalists working together to find out what happened and why, to victims throughout the country for three seasons. Hall’s talk show will differ greatly but will offer in-depth discussions about important topics in addition to traditional daytime lifestyle segments. Hall believes television has the power to help people share their “authentic journey” and wants people to talk about their lives and inspire others in the process. The Tamron Hall Show debuts 9/9/19. Check local listings for channel and time information. This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., entertainment and culture editor for NNPA/Black Press USA. Nsenga is also founder & editorin-chief of the award-winning news blog The Burton Wire, which covers news of the African Diaspora. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.
“I Tell You.... If Your Preacher Is Always Preaching Prosperity....You Best Run and Don’t You Stop!” By: Lou Yeboah
Lou Yeboah
You hear me... Because, “they’re trying to bamboozle you!” Don’t be took, and don’t buy into the lies! You see, there are some Pastors preaching prosperity and blessing sermons that are not Scriptural. Scriptures are very clear about the subject of financial prosperity in the New Covenant. You have simply to look at what the Word of God teaches, not the way that man says it will happen. I tell you, if your pastor is always preaching prosperity, you best run and don’t you stop, because prosperity gospel makes a mockery of Christianity. Woe to you, false pastors, prophets and teachers. Luring people to Christ to get rich. Don’t you know that it is both deceitful and deadly. (Luke 14:33). (1 Timothy 6:9). Why would you develop a philosophy of ministry that makes it harder for people to get into heaven? Why would you develop a philosophy of ministry that promotes less faith in the promises of God to be for us what money can’t be? Confess your sin, repent, and get cleansed by the blood of Jesus from all covetousness, or you will surely be swallowed up by damnation from the pit from whence your false doctrines come! For thus saith the Lord, “I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” [Jeremiah 23:1]. This is God’s verdict! It is a woe pronounced on you by the God you say you serve! Your words will fall like a sword of judgment upon your own necks. You have prophesied
lies to the people. You have taught them after the imaginations of your own hearts and you have not heard from God. Why do you insist on taking Scripture out of context to make it appear as if your lies are God’s truth, [2 T im 2:15] and expositing Scripture in context, [Nehemiah 8:8]? God is not fooled, and He does not want His people to be fooled either. What God unfolds for us is the right way to judge hidden things! Do not be quick to embrace every teaching that comes from the pulpit. Learn to sift the teachings that have been given to you through the filter of the Scriptures. The Word of God will expose that which is error and that which is truth. You must pay attention to what God’s Word is saying. If what you are hearing is not lining up with the Word of God, you would save yourself from deception and heartache if you would just learn how to spit out the bones [Hebrews 13:9.] I tell you, there are few things more important to hear than the warning Jesus gives us in [Matthew 7:1520]. He begins with the word “Beware . . .” and we should always take it very seriously whenever Jesus tells us to “beware” of something. If your pastor is always preaching prosperity, you best run and don’t stop! So what are we to do? Preach the gospel “whether they hear or refuse to hear” [Ezekiel 2:4], and trust the power of the Word of God to do again and again what it has always done: convert the soul, enlighten the mind, break the yoke of sin and bring joy to the entire person. Run Forrest run!
Witness For Justice #958
Not a Place for Guns Roberto Ochoa Program Associate for Congregations of Color
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.” (Psalm 23:4, NASB) The tragedy of the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting in an elementary school in Connecticut occurred during my first year as a local church pastor in New England. The Sunday following the shootings was Gaudete (Joy) Sunday in the Advent calendar, and though we lit the Advent candles, I decided to do away with my prepared sermon and read the 23rd Psalm and opened up the floor for the congregation to share their feelings about what happened in Sandy Hook. The opportunity for congregants to share their grief, anger, confusion, and bewilderment was a release valve that Sunday. The permission to come together as a community, to suspend the “business as usual” worship, and to ask about where is God in all of this, was the right thing for us that day. I provided no answers—I could not—but it was a lesson for me to be present and give space. In the end we prayed for the victims and survivors of the shootings (something that would become all too familiar in the years to come) and held each other tight. Soon thereafter, I noticed one of the congregants began sitting at the last pew, far from his normal seating place closer to the front of the altar. I finally approached him and in a lighthearted way invited him to sit up closer. In all seriousness, he asked if we could speak privately in my office,
where he explained why he was sitting at the last pew. It was to protect me and the church during worship. He was carrying a gun into the church and was ready to deal with any shooter that may decide to attack us. Then he proceeded to show me the weapon. I was both touched and horrified. I gently asked him to unload the gun of its bullets and to put it away. I explained that as much as I appreciated his concern for me and the church, bringing in a gun into the sanctuary was neither the answer nor appropriate. Acknowledging that there had been incidents of religious space shootings, it was my firm Christian faith that gave me the courage to face whatever dangers lie in life. We agreed he would no longer bring a gun to church, and instead I asked him if he would consider working with me to bring an active shooter training program to our church. Soon thereafter, working with our local police department and Neighborhood Watch group, our congregation hosted a community training and forum on how to respond to shootings in a public space as well in one’s home. This training has been offered several times ever since. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roberto Ochoa is Program Associate for Congregations of Color for the United Church of Christ.
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