- 2011 Golden Apple Award Winners Announced
Highland Community News
Friday, April 22, 2011 12:14 PM CDT
The seventeenth annual Golden Apple Awards was presented Wednesday, April 20 at the Hilton Hotel in San Bernardino. The award honored 12 educators from San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD), San Bernardino Valley College, and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB).
The City of San Bernardino’s Education RoundTable, a consortium of San Bernardino educational leaders, presents the Golden Apple Awards annually to dedicated, caring education employees, as nominated by their co-workers. The 2011 winners from San Bernardino City Unified School District are Marie Espinoza, acting director of Transportation; Daniel Arellano, director of English Learner Programs; James Butts, Rio Vista Elementary microcomputer specialist I; and Geraldine Kruk, Rodriguez PREP Academy teacher.
Education RoundTable members include San Bernardino Mayor Patrick J. Morris, SBCUSD Superintendent Dr. Arturo Delgado, CSUSB President Dr. Albert K. Karnig, San Bernardino Valley College President Dr. Debra Daniels, San Bernardino Community College District Interim Chancellor Bruce Baron, and San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gary Thomas.
For more information about the San Bernardino City Unified Golden Apple Award winners, contact Linda Bardere, San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Communications/ Community Relations Department director, at (909) 381-1463.
- Acts of God or Acts of Man-SBVC an Example of Planning
Graphics not included with article
Do we ever learn? How come we humans knowingly and willingly put ourselves and our critical infrastructure in harm’s way time and again? Instead of living with and adjusting to natural hazards, we turn them into natural disasters, by our own doings and short-sighted decisions. That is what Kerry Sieh wrote in 2000 in his article titled Acts of God, Acts of Man: How Humans Turn Natural Hazards into Natural Disasters. In his article, Kerry argues for a different approach to handling the natural hazards that Earth puts beneath our feet, and not just acquiesce to enduring the damage and death brought by natural disasters. Proper engineering is all it takes.
Japan’s misfortune: This article has been in my file cabinet since 2000, and I have often wanted to present it on my blog, but I lacked the right circumstances. I was reminded of it when I was watching a documentary on the recent Japan earthquake and tsunami, where one of of the interviewes, a university professor, said that if you were to locate a major economic powerhouse or manufacturing facilities today, Japan’s northeast coast would probably not be your first choice, perhaps not even among your choices, simply because the earthquake hazard is too great. However, as Sieh points out, it is not a matter of yes or no, but rather a matter of carefully selecting where exactly to locate what.
In living memory: Disasters and earthquakes in particular have happened since the dawn of ages, but very few of them remain in living memory.
Worldwide, about 200 cities with a population of more than 500,000 lie within 100 kilometers of known active faults. But we associate very few of these 200 cities with earthquake hazards, because the Earth’s metabolism is so much slower than ours that most of them have not been devastated by an earthquake in living memory. We think in terms of years or months, not decades or centuries. This low metabolic rate inures us to the fact that the faults are there, that earthquakes happen. Generations come and go, thinking they are perfectly safe, when in fact they are living on a time bomb with a very long fuse.
This is maybe the reason why we build the way we build and forget where we should and where we should not build.
Cleanup or buildup? Sieh wants us to think before we start building:
In the 20th century, and in fact in the first and second millennia, we just reacted to natural disasters. We basically cleaned up after they happened and continued on as before, leaving our great-grandchildren to suffer the same fate, next time around. Now, at the turn of the century, the turn of the millennium, I suggest we start looking at hazards differently than we have looked at them in the past. Let’s understand them as the geologist or the earth scientist does, so that they don’t destroy our cities, homes, and lives. Let’s actively reduce our exposure to hazards, rather than being just reactive to them.
I think Sieh has a point here, and it is a bit similar to the discussion on preparing or reacting to disasters in the BBC World Debate that I posted on 2 years ago.
How (not) to build
Sieh uses the San Bernardino Valley College as an example of how buildings and facilities could be relocated after taking into account actual fault zones. As seen in the figure below, San Bernardino Valley College sits astride the San Jacinto fault, which runs directly through the campus and some of the college buildings:
Taking the fault line into account, Sieh then proposes a different layout, moving buildings off the fault zone and orienting them parallel to long axis of the fault:
Perhaps something to consider, when locating your next facility, alongside using Snyder’s facility location model? Supply chain risk and supply chain disruption do not just come from within the supply chain, but also from within the supply chain infrastructure, i.e. factories and warehouses.
What we can plan for, we should
Geologists can map volcanic, flood, and tsunami hazards very effectively, Sieh says, but there are some hazards we probably have to ignore, namely immense catastrophes. That said, this should stop us from planning, what we can plan for we should, he contends.
As world population grows from 6 billion to 12 billion or whatever it’s going to be in the next 50 years, we have an opportunity now that will not come around again—an opportunity to choose the places that we’re going to expand into. We have a clear choice: we can live with our beautiful, dangerous Earth as we have in past millennia, or we can learn where to put our bridges, campuses, houses, and factories to minimize the destruction. On my best days, I’m optimistic that we will choose a new vision for the future rather than acquiesce to enduring the damage and death brought by natural disasters as we have in the past.
Let’s hope we do it right, then. Hazards are hazards, there’s no need for making them into disasters if we don’t have to.
Reference
Sieh, Kerry (2000). Acts of God, Acts of Man: How Humans Turn Natural Hazards into Natural Disasters Engineering and Science, 63 (4), 8-17
- Braille Center to Stay in Ventura County
The Braille production center at Ventura College soon will be managed by the San Bernardino Community College District from a new location in Ventura County.
The Ventura County Community College District did not seek renewal of a five-year grant from the chancellor's office for the Alternate Text Production Center, which specializes in producing Braille and electronic texts for blind and disabled students. Instead, the San Bernardino district, which oversees two community colleges, received the grant and will run the center remotely.
After nine years at Ventura College, the center will need a new home when its current grant expires June 30.
But Michael Bastine, the center's director, said he is relieved he and his colleagues can keep working in Ventura County. "Our biggest obstacle now is trying to find a building," he said.
"The less money we spend toward rent and utilities, the more we can apply directly to Braille production and e-text," saidMichael Bastine. The center has a small staff and also uses independent contractors who transcribe text into Braille. It also has partnered with the California prison system to teach inmates to transcribe. The center provides materials for California's 112 community colleges at no cost and sells items to schools outside the system.
Bastine said the center needs about 4,000 square feet. The new grant will pay for moving costs and rent.
"The less money we spend toward rent and utilities, the more we can apply directly to Braille production and e-text," Bastine said. "You'd like the Taj Mahal and the ocean view, but there's not enough money around to pay for everything."
For Glen Kuck, the San Bernardino district's executive director of technology and educational support services, retaining a Ventura County location and workforce made sense.
"To expect (the employees) to move 100 miles east was not realistic," said Kuck, who is working with the center to find a site. "And to find a staff that was highly apt in the field wasn't realistic, either."
He said he is confident both parties can make the long-distance relationship work by communicating via teleconference or other techniques and having face-to-face meetings once a month.
"With technology, distance really doesn't make much of a difference," Kuck said.
© 2011 Ventura County Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
- vcstar.com
- CHC Students to Perform Pulitzer-winning Drama
The Press-Enterprise
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Crafton Hills College Theatre Department will present Paula Vogal's Pulitzer-winning play, "How I Learned to Drive," at the Finkelstein Performing Arts Center May 6-7 at 8 p.m.
"How I Learned to Drive" opened in New York in February 1997. The play concerns an affair between its protagonist, named Li'l Bit, and her uncle Peck.
The affair takes place over the course of years, with the character of Li'l Bit maturing from age 11 to 18 before she puts an end to it.
"How I Learned to Drive" features Collin Brock, left, Jessica Ackerson, Tina Escudero, Joseph Rossi, and Suzi Green. Crafton Hills College is staging the drama May 6-7.
In spite of the serious situation, there are many comical elements of the play, which avoids the expected condemnation of this situation to look at the basic humanity that binds these two characters.
It uses innovative staging techniques to fade from one time frame to another and one place to the next. It also uses just three actors, in addition to those playing Li'l Bit and Peck, to represent all of the other characters who affect their lives, especially their quirky, intimidating rural Maryland family.
The addition of popular music from the early- and late-1960s helps audiences understand the prevailing mood of the era that Vogel covers in this play: It is romantic and sexist, emphasizing youth and fun, the sort of social message that would make a girl like Li'l Bit, who has many feelings of insecurity, turn to a flawed relationship where she can bask in the reverence of an older man.
"How I Learned to Drive" is noteworthy for the many awards that it won, including the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for drama.
Its initial off-Broadway run lasted for 14 months. In addition to the Pulitzer, the play also was awarded an Obie, a Drama Desk Award, a New York Drama Critics' Award, an Outer Circle Critics Award, and the Lucille Lortel Award.
The Finkelstein center at the college is at 11711 Sand Canyon Road in Yucaipa. Tickets are $10 general, $5 student/senior and are available only on the nights of the performances.
The doors open at 7:30 p.m. Parking for the event is free.
- Community Colleges: Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story
Community colleges: Numbers don't tell the whole story
Trustee John Futch
04/26/2011 08:18:13 PM PDT
As a trustee of the San Bernardino Community College District, I appreciate the concerns expressed in The Sun's article of April 11 ("Community college completion rate low").
Those interviewed raised a number of valid points regarding the completion and transfer rates at our Inland Empire community colleges. I would note that our numbers are not substantially different from those of community colleges across the state or nation.
A number of serious issues plague our students, and community colleges are the only reasonably priced hope for those seeking to better their lives through education.
San Bernardino Community College District is diverse; we serve about 20,000 students per semester at our two colleges. Of those, 32 percent are white, 39 percent Hispanic, 14 percent African American, and 4 percent Asian. More than two-thirds are part-time students, juggling full- or part-time jobs and families while going to school.
Statistics clearly demonstrate that students who can attend full time are far more likely to succeed - regardless of whether their goal is a certificate, an associate's degree, or to transfer to a four-year institution.
More than 90 percent require some remedial work before they can enter into for-credit classes, whether in math, reading, English or some combination of those. It is particularly daunting to students who must take a number of basic skills courses - maybe even a year's worth - before they can enroll in the program that attracted them to college in the first place.
More than 50 percent of our students receive financial aid and even more qualify.
Many of our students come from low-income families and are the first in their families to even consider attending college - but they do not come prepared to attend, and the colleges must assist them with developing the skills necessary for college success: time management skills, study skills, and organizational skills, in addition to helping them achieve the academic levels necessary for the rigor of college work.
Not every student comes to a community college for a degree, certificate or transfer - many come to brush up their vocational skills, learn a new skill or language, or develop a new artistic or creative goal.
But every student who achieves their academic dream at a community college is a huge success story - they have overcome the most challenging hurdles to move toward the American dream.
This is not a situation that can be assessed only by the numbers - it requires knowing and understanding the individuals who have undertaken those challenges, with all the bricks stacked against them, and who have persevered to become the nurse who cares for you, the firefighter who saves your home or the engineer who builds your roads.
John Futch is a member of the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Governors.
- Education Medal of Honor Selections Announced
SBCSS News and Press Releases
More News and Press Releases
Education Medal Of Honor Selections Announced
2011-04-25
VICTORVILLE - Six champions of public education - representing the Chino Valley Unified, Colton Joint Unified, Redlands Unified and San Bernardino City Unified school districts, as well as the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and San Bernardino Valley College - will be recognized with the 20th annual San Bernardino County Education Medal of Honor today. The awards dinner will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Victorville.
Each year, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS), along with the San Bernardino County School Boards Association and County Communicators Network, recognizes individuals and groups who give outstanding service and support to public education with the San Bernardino County Education Medal of Honor.
"This is an annual celebration to applaud the efforts of community volunteers, business partners and educators for the incredible work they do on behalf of public education in San Bernardino County," County Superintendent Gary Thomas said. "These awards reflect the dedicated spirit these recipients bring to our schools and students."
The six categories, respective winners and districts served are:
Partners in Education/Small Business or Franchise: Dr. James Lally of the Chino Valley Medical Center, Chino Valley Unified;
Partners in Education/Corporation or Government Agency: Colton Fire Department, Colton Joint Unified;
Excellence in Education/Education Professional: Damon Bell, vice president of Student Services, San Bernardino Valley College;
Excellence in Education/Student Alumni: James Ramos, chairman of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians, San Bernardino City Unified;
Volunteer in Action/Community Volunteer: Tom Rubio, community volunteer for the Alliance for Education of the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools;
Volunteer in Action/Service Group: Micah House, Redlands Unified.
Following are narratives on the individual winners from San Bernardino Valley College and the SBCCD Board of Trustees. To view the others, please visit the original article.
Excellence in Education/Education Professional
Making personal connections with students to fulfill their educational needs is what drives Damon Bell.
As the vice president of Student Services at San Bernardino Valley College for the past four years, Bell has been involved in the startup of a variety of programs to address the needs of community college students. Among them have been the Valley-Bound Commitment program, the Man like Me Mentorship program and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
Shari Blackwell of Valley College says Bell's creative approaches to reach out to students resonate with them and give them purpose for pursuing their degrees in higher education. "Damon is deserving of recognition because of his leadership and steadfast commitment to education and the San Bernardino community," wrote Blackwell in her nomination of Bell.
Excellence in Education/Student Alumni
As a 1985 graduate of San Gorgonio High in San Bernardino, James Ramos has become an educational leader not only in the Inland Empire, but throughout the state.
As chairman of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians, Ramos has been prominent in preserving the culture of his people, working with the San Bernardino City Unified School District to develop "People of the Pines" third-grade curriculum.
Working with schools and districts across the region, Ramos and the San Manuels are major benefactors of educational programs, services and facilities, including a renovation of the football stadium and track at his alma mater of San Gorgonio.
"James has been a leader and an ardent advocate for education," wrote Arturo Delgado, superintendent of the San Bernardino City Unified School District, in his nomination of Ramos.
This year, Ramos became the first Native American to serve on the California State Board of Education after being appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The Education Medal of Honor is sponsored by the San Bernardino County Schools Board Association, in conjunction with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. Corporate sponsors include SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and Frick, Frick and Jette Architects.
- Golden Apple Includes Four from CSUSB
April 20, 2011
By Carmen Murrillo-Moyeda
For full bios and photos, please visit the original article by clicking on the title
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Four Cal State San Bernardino employees will be honored for their outstanding contributions and service to the university at the San Bernardino Education Roundtable's 17th Annual Golden Apple Awards today, Wednesday, April 20, at the San Bernardino Hilton.
San Bernardino Mayor Patrick J. Morris will present Golden Apple Awards for excellence in education to two CSUSB faculty members and two staff members. Four winners from San Bernardino Valley College and four from the San Bernardino City Unified School District also will be honored.
Sociology professor Mary Texeira is the winner of Cal State San Bernardino's 2010-2011 Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching, and Stephen Tibbetts, a professor of criminal justice is the university's Outstanding Professor.
The staff awards will be presented to Cal State San Bernardino's two President's Outstanding Employee winners for 2010. The winners are Ken Han, a senior systems administrator at CSUSB's School of Computer Science and Engineering, and Mario Baeza, a counselor and the admissions coordinator in the university's Educational Opportunity Program.
Golden Apple Awards also will be presented to Lisa Archuletta, Kevin Kammer, Rose King and Romana Pires from San Bernardino Valley College, and Daniel Arellano, James Butts, Marie Espinoza and Geraldine Kruk from the San Bernardino City Unified School District.
The Education Roundtable is a consortium comprised of San Bernardino mayor, Cal State San Bernardino President Albert Karnig, San Bernardino Valley College President Debra Daniels, San Bernardino City Unified School District Superintendent Art Delgado, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Gary Thomas and San Bernardino Community College District Acting Chancellor Bruce Baron. The ERT supports quality education in San Bernardino and promotes educational opportunities offered through the public school, college and university systems.
For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university's Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.
- Holding My Nose
Holding My Nose While Supporting State Budget Cuts with Tax Extension Proposal .
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Hardy L. Brown
The status of California’s budget crisis has everyone concerned about the services provided by the state to its citizens. For the past decade, there has been a shortfall that gets kicked down the road like a kid playing kick ball. Now we are faced with a shortfall of $24.5 billion of which the democrats are suggesting we cut $12.5 billion in service and extend tax revenues that would raise $12 billion to balance our budget and limit cuts to education.
Now while I am not pleased over the choices before me, I know it will be unpleasant for all. The poor and voiceless will take the brunt of this proposal but will be in worst shape under the offer coming from the republicans across the aisle.
To use a combined quote stated by Dr. Albert Karnig, President of California State University San Bernardino, Chancellor Tim White, University of California Riverside and Bruce Baron, Chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College, “the impact on their institutions would be devastating with faculty layoffs, reduce class offerings which affect enrollment which reduce enrollment”.
If this will be the impact placed on the usual students seeking an institution of higher learning, God only knows the impact on students of color, especially African Americans and Latinos.
When you view just a couple of the key indicators of education on our students in public education, you will begin to see my concerns. The dropout rate for African American students is 36.8% and 26.7% for Latinos in California. For those students left in the system, their Academic Performance Index scores of 686 Blacks and 715 Hispanics fall way below the sought after score of 800. If our students are performing below acceptable levels in our public education system, they surely will not be able to attend our institutions of higher learning, so the few who might qualify will be impacted.
So our legislators need to seek a balanced approach to solving the budget crisis. To paraphrase Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter: “If we want our children to have the kind of opportunity and futures we have enjoyed, then we will have no trouble finding enough republicans to solve the state’s budget problem”.
When I served on the school board and an educational issue came up in Sacramento that was divided along the party lines and this issue was going to hurt students, republican members of the board would contact republicans and democrats would do likewise. Local school board members must weigh in on this issue and speak for students who can not vote or contribute to campaigns.
All of us have contributed to the problem so let’s all join in to make a sacrifice in solving it by holding our nose if necessary to do what none of us want to do.
- Inland Educator Warns Community College Classes Will Fill Early
The Press-Enterprise
By DAYNA STRAEHLEY
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The high school Class of 2011 will bear the brunt of an all-cuts state budget because most new students will be shut out of classes in community colleges, said Riverside resident Ted Younglove, director of institutional research at Antelope Valley College.
It will be similar throughout California, said Younglove, who explained he had examined the numbers to help his family. His son will graduate from high school soon and his wife has been taking college classes to become a nurse.
"We're pretty certain she's not going to get more than one or two" courses, Younglove said by phone.
He advises high school seniors and their parents to apply to their local community colleges early, go through orientation, take placement tests, see a counselor and get an education plan, even if they think they will be accepted to a four-year university.
An education plan helps students get higher priority for classes than students without such a plan, Younglove said.
Under an all-cuts budget, being considered by Gov. Jerry Brown to close a $26.6 billion state budget gap, community colleges project they may have to cut about 20 percent of their classes.
Riverside Community College District projects enrollment reductions from 5.2 percent to 14.3 percent depending on the state budget scenario for 2011-12.
San Bernardino Community College District officials said recently they were most concerned about adults returning to school to prepare for new careers.
Younglove said he is especially concerned about students hoping to go to a UC or Cal State University campus but who don't get in.
Both systems have cut back enrollment in recent years and are projecting deeper cuts if the state adopts an all-cuts budget, so more of those students won't get in and may think they can fall back on community colleges. They may be shut out too, Younglove said.
"If you're UC level but don't get in and do the matriculation for community college, you won't get in with everyone else," he said.
"We're filling up before priority registration ends," he said, adding the situation is similar at all community colleges. Continuing students get priority for classes statewide.
Colleges are starting to set their fall semester courses now based on reduced state budget projections, Younglove said.
Reach Dayna Straehley at 951- 368-9455 or dstraehley@PE.com
- Recognition Dinner for Local Police Departments
Recognition dinner in San Bernardino
Thursday, May 12 5:30p
at National Orange Show Events Center, San Bernardino, CA
The San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 35th annual Law Enforcement Recognition Dinner.
Join the chamber in honoring the outstanding Law Enforcement Officers of the Year from the California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino City Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, California State San Bernardino Police Department, San Bernardino Community College District Police Department and San Bernardino City Unified School District Police Department
- San Manuel: Yucca is Cultural Connection at Harvest Celebration
The Press-Enterprise
By JENNIFER WHITAKER
Photos and video not included with this posting.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians held the Yucca Harvest Festival on April 23.
For centuries, the Serrano people have used yucca to make everything from food to sandals, and Saturday the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians used the large, spiky plant to build mutual respect and revitalize their culture at the intertribal Yucca Harvest Celebration.
Tribal Chairman James Ramos displayed some items made from the plant, such as netting made from its fibrous leaves, and an arrow quiver from the tall, woody, flower stalk.
He said the importance of the festival is "being able to share, and really revitalize our culture by learning, basically recapturing our past to promote it for the future, and not just within the Indian reservation, but with the community as a whole."
Singers perform at the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians' Yucca Harvest Celebration on the San Manuel Reservation.
Honored guests included the Yurok Brush Dancers from Northern California, who engaged in a cultural exchange with the tribe.
Some guests, such as Andrew Cambell, 6, also came from different tribes.
"My favorite part is making a brush," he said, after using a rock to pound the end of a yucca leaf into a paintbrush, and using it to paint sticks for a traditional game.
Debby Hutchinson and Judy Thompsen, of San Bernardino, tried some of the food prepared from the plant, such as yucca bread.
Thompsen said she liked it best raw.
"It's good; it's crunchy, kind of like Jicama," she said.
Hutchinson said it was exciting to see the tribe starting to reclaim some of its culture.
"It's enjoyable to see them get their heritage back, to reclaim what was originally theirs and was taken away from them," Hutchinson said.
Later they tried their hand at basket weaving, a craft traditionally begun with yucca fibers.
Ramos said this kind of cultural exchange is what makes festivals like this vital.
"You hear more about the economic developments (of tribes)," he said, "but this is who we truly are as a people. If we lose this, then what's the uniqueness and the difference that we have between us?"
Reach Jennifer Whitaker at 951-368-9282 or jwhitaker@PE.com
- SBCCD Chooses New Chancellor
JUST IN: S.B. Community College District chooses new chancellor
By PE News on April 21, 2011 5:13 PM
photo not included with this post
Bruce Baron was chosen this afternoon as chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College District in a unanimous vote of trustees.
Bruce Baron Baron joined the district in July 2009 as vice chancellor for fiscal services and became interim chancellor that December.
He held high-level positions at City University of New York, LA Southwest College, Victor Valley Community College and LA City College.
Baron has a master's degree in education and is working on a doctorate in higher education leadership.
The other finalist for the job was Jim Buysse, vice chancellor of the Riverside Community College District.
— BRIAN ROKOS
brokos@PE.com
- SBVC Basketball Player Signs
San Bernardino Valley College basketball standout Paige Haynes has signed a letter of intent with Division I Northern Arizona.
The 5-foot-7 guard averaged 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals in helping the Wolverines to a 27-2 record and fourth consecutive Foothill Conference crown.
She led the team in assists and free-throw attempts and recorded a season-high 21 points four times, most notably against College of the Canyons in the Southern California semifinal.
Haynes is the second player from this season's team to head to a Division I program. Guard Jasmine Ray signed with Hawaii earlier.
- SBVC Fights for Playoff Spot - Baseball
SBVC fights for playoff spot
By Michelle Gardner, San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.
April 26--1 The San Bernardino Valley College baseball team heads into the final Foothill Conference series of the season against Chaffey sitting comfortably in third place.
The Wolverines (19-14, 15-6) can't catch front-runner Rio Hondo (31-2, 19-2) and can only tie second-place Chaffey (25-8, 18-3) if they sweep the three-game set with the Panthers, which begins with the 2:30 p.m. single game today at Chaffey.
If SBVC were to sweep it would finish tied with Chaffey and make the playoffs as the second-place team based on the head-to-head record.
But coach Bill Mierzwik knows a sweep is tough to come by, especially against a good team.
"It's very tough, but we have been swept so maybe we can turn the tables," he said. "There's always that chance."
Anything but a sweep leaves the Wolverines on the bubble. If the season ended today, SBVC would have a play-in game because it is ranked 18th in Southern California.
Mierzwik said the strength of the conference is a factor in SBVC's favor. Rio Hondo is ranked first in SoCal and Chaffey is fourth. The series against Chaffey will improve SBVC's RPI, especially if it were to win at Chaffey.
"A win is good, but two would be better and three would be a bonus," he said.
SBVC last made the playoffs in 2005, also as a third-place finisher in conference.
Mierzwik said freshman right-hander Andrew Bauer (2-2, 3.20), a product of Redlands East Valley, will start today's
game. He isn't sure about his starters for Thursday's noon doubleheader at SBVC. That will depend on what relievers he ends up using today. Freshman Josh Bagwell (4-3, 4.43) will likely start one of the Thursday contests.
- SBVC-Chaffey Baseball Rivalry
Chaffey takes advantage in win
Michelle Gardner, Staff Writer
04/26/2011
The rivalry between the Chaffey and San Bernardino Valley College baseball teams is intense enough without anything on the line. But Tuesday the schools went at it again with much at stake, with the Panthers taking advantage of Wolverines miscues and emerging with a 10-6 victory.
The defending Foothill Conference champion Panthers (26-8, 19-3) remained one game behind first-place Rio Hondo with two games left while the Wolverines (19-15, 15-7) have secured third place and are on the bubble for an at-large playoff berth.
The teams play a doubleheader beginning at noon on Thursday at San Bernardino Valley.
"We have been up and down. That's been the mantra of this team," Chaffey coach Jeff Harlow said. "It drives the coaches crazy.
"In the end we found a way but it was far from our best game."
The lead changed hands five times with San Bernardino Valley leading for the last time at 6-4 after a three-run seventh inning highlighted by Josh Mendoza's two-run single.
But the Panthers, ranked fourth in Southern California, crept closer with a run in the seventh aided by two walks and two singles, with a run-scoring hit by Tim Helton cutting the deficit to 6-5.
The Wolverines, ranked 18th in the area, imploded in the eighth. An error, four hits, two walks and two wild pitches later, the Panthers were back in front.
Matt Anderson, Julio Espinzoa and A.J. Keenan had run-scoring singles .
Chaffey reliever Carlos Fuentes (3-0), who entered for starter Jeremy Perez in the seventh inning, set the Wolverines down in order in the ninth.
"One thing just led to another," San Bernardino Valley coach Bill Mierzwik said. "Both teams made mistakes. But we didn't capitalize on theirs as much as they did on ours.
"It hurt to lose this one."
The Panthers had two runners thrown out at the plate. Anderson was out trying to score on a wild pitch, with catcher Wes Cottier throwing to starter Andrew Bauer covering at the plate, and Keenan was out at home the next inning after trying to take an extra base on a misplay.
Anderson, headed to Long Beach State, led the Panthers by going 5 for 5 and scoring two runs. Espinoza had three hits, two RBIs and scored three times.
San Bernardino Valley got two hits each from Cottier and Josh Salmon. Rafael Romo reached base five times but had just one hit. He was hit by a pitch four times.
- Some Financial Help Available for Community College Students
CANAN TASCI, Staff Writer
04/26/2011
Time may be running out for students seeking financial assistance to pay for college.
With Gov. Jerry Brown's signing of Senate Bill 70 - a bill that increases community colleges fees from $26 to $36 per unit - community college officials say students looking to soften the blow of the hike should take advantage of any resources available to help pay for their education.
The fee increase is effective beginning this fall at all 112 community colleges in the state.
"Students should be applying for financial aid sooner than later," said Susan Jones, Mt. San Antonio College's director of financial aid. "Especially if their need is going to go beyond fees and if they need financial support with books and supplies."
While California's community colleges still have the lowest fees in the nation, officials say they know the increase comes at a very difficult time for some students.
Under the current $26-per-credit unit fee, full-time students enrolled in 15 units pay about $780 per academic year, officials said.
With the fee increase to $36-per-credit unit, full-time students will pay roughly $1,080 per academic year, officials said.
Last week, Chaffey College officials posted a number of programs on their Facebook site designed to help students with limited resources meet their educational expenses.
"The later you apply for the aid the less chance you can get the money," said Patricia Bopko, Chaffey's director of financial aid. "You also want to file the application early so that fee waiver can be in place if you plan on taking summer classes."
Some of the suggestions Chaffey officials had are programs such as Free Application for Federal Student Aid, Board of Governors Fee Waiver, Extended Opportunity Program and Services, and veterans benefits.
"Even if a student doesn't think they qualify for aid they should still apply," Bopko said. "There is no loss to them."
Officials at San Bernardino Valley College said more than 12,000 students have already applied for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the next school year.
For students who do not qualify for the FAFSA, direct loans and private student loans are out there, said Joseph Nguyen, director of financial aid for San Bernardino Valley College.
"With the current economy the way it is, the fee increase will impact some students, but it is important they know there is help available," he said.
canan.tasci@inlandnewspapers.com
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Where to look: Below is a list of some financial aid assistance resources:
Free Application for Federal Student Aid - www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Board of Governors Fee Waiver - www.cccapply.org/
BOG_Waiver
I can afford college - www.icanaffordcollege.com
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - www.gibill.va.gov
California Student Aid and Commission or CalGrants - www.calgrants.org
Fee increases: Below is a list of fiscal-year fees per unit for California Community Colleges
(prior to 1984, there were no fees)
$5 - 1984-85
$6 - 1991-92
$10 - 1993-94
$13 - 1994-95
$12 - 1998-99
$11 - 1999-00
$18 - 2003-04
$26 - 2004-05
$20 - 2006-07
$26 - 2009-10
$36* - 2011-12
*Proposed in Gov. Jerry Brown's budget
SOURCE: California Community Colleges