SBCCD in the News

Week of 03.01.12

Trustees Carefully Consider Spending
Carleton W. Lockwood Jr.,.sbsun.com

Posted: 02/26/2012 06:04:35 AM PST

Re: A Feb. 18 letter, "Tapping around the issue."

The San Bernardino Community College District's Board of Trustees encourages members of the community to attend its monthly public meetings, and is always interested in hearing their thoughts on issues.

We are all deeply concerned about the massive budget cuts already experienced by the colleges, and the additional reductions we face if the governor's proposed tax measures do not pass on Election Day 2012. In spite of these cutbacks, the San Bernardino Community College District has, through excellent management and oversight, maintained its commitment to the community by offering programs that satisfy the state's educational master plan expectations of transfer preparation, vocational training and economic development of the local community. Sadly, all of our programs are subject to the unpredictable nature of the state budget.

Members of the district's Board of Trustees evaluate each expense carefully and in context, with an understanding of the source of each expense (Grant funds? Bond funds? Restricted funds? General funds?). The source of the funding determines the process of how the expense is evaluated and approved or denied. Many funding sources specify the precise expenditures to be made to fulfill the nature of the grant or special program.

The letter writer's concern about travel is directed primarily at the expense of sending faculty to attend professional development conferences where they are kept current on the best practices used in the classrooms across the country.

Our students benefit from having expert faculty. Information and technology are constantly changing and those changes must be communicated to our students so they are on the cutting edge and can be competitive in the workplace and in moving forward toward earning their bachelor's, graduate and professional degrees. It is also important to note that many of the items of concern to the letter writer are funded through grants or restricted funds that must be used for those specific purposes.

The letter writer seems to be concerned that students might take classes he has determined to be unworthy or that might not lead directly to gainful employment. Students have required courses as part of their general education program - including physical education courses. A healthy body is part of the process of educating a healthy mind.

The associate's degree curriculum generally includes courses in the student's major requirements, general education courses in math, English, science and other disciplines, and some electives. Physical education courses, like all of our courses, are rigorous, taught by highly qualified faculty, and are accepted by the four-year institutions to which our graduates go.

The letter writer defends his accusations based on the decreasing number of students admitted to the four-year institutions, which is a logical flaw. Our graduation and transfer requirements have not changed, but the number of students accepted at four-year institutions has dropped because of their own budget cuts. They cannot accept as many students as they have in the past. This is not a reflection on our students' capabilities or their preparation at San Bernardino Valley College or Crafton Hills College. All physical education courses offered at CHC and SBVC are applicable to an associate's degree and/or transferable to a Cal State University or University of California campus, or serve students with disabilities (called adaptive physical education).

I and the members of the Board of Trustees take our obligations to the public very seriously; we recognize that these are tough times financially and that all fiscal expenditures and curriculum decisions must be considered very carefully, remaining true to our core vision of serving our students.

Carleton W. Lockwood Jr. is president of the Board of Trustees for the San Bernardino Community College District.
Accreditation Issues at CCCs
Accreditation Shaky for Some California Community Colleges

Community College Review

Published February 25, 2012

Written by Grace Chen

Students interested in pursuing higher education are often counseled to look for a college or university that is accredited. However, for many community colleges in California, accreditation cannot be taken for granted. Many two-year schools around the state are at risk of losing their accreditation. They must show good reason why their accreditation should remain intact, or lose it altogether. Why is accreditation important and what do colleges have to do keep it? Many California schools are learning the answers to those questions firsthand.

The Importance of Accreditation

According to the website for the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, accreditation is a “voluntary activity initiated by the institution” that “emphasizes quality assurance and a commitment to continuous quality enhancement.” Accreditation can be important to an institution because it plays a factor in the following:

       ·         Determining whether the school meets minimum quality standards

       ·         Providing potential students with important information about a school

       ·         Assisting in the determination of credit transfers between schools

       ·         Showing prospective employers the value of the education and training received at the school

       ·         Evaluating eligibility for tuition reimbursement programs offered by employers

       ·         Enabling graduates to sit for certification examinations

       ·         Creating goals for self-improvement of the institution

       ·         Providing self-assessment for the oversight functions required by the state

       ·         Offering a basis for determining federal student assistance

In many of these factors, accreditation makes all the difference in the quality of the degree a student earns and where he can take his studies after graduation. Accreditation is typically judged according to established standards and may be granted for a variable term that typically ranges from three to eight years.

Why California Schools are Struggling with Accreditation

While none of the California schools listed in this report have lost their accreditation at this time, some are in danger of doing so if they can’t make required improvements within a set time frame. Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo is one of the schools to recently receive a warning from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. According to the Cal Coast News, this school received a warning from the commission, stating that it must “show cause” as to why it should remain an accredited institution.

Based on the initial warning, the accreditation threat has little to do with the quality of education this California school provides. Instead, the problems appear to be related to the governance of the school. Sanctions are primarily focused on issues in deficiencies in how the college is administered. Six of the nine recommendations first provided by the commission in 2009 have been resolved through the assistance of the Cuesta faculty. The last three recommendations are awaiting action by the Cuesta Board of Trustees.

New Times reports that the college has now hired Eva Conrad of the College Brain Trust to help them resolve their accreditation issues. Conrad served as president of president of Moorpark College from 2002 to 2008, and served as a consultant to two other California schools when their accreditations were in jeopardy last year. Conrad will now help Cuesta address the concerns raised by the accreditation commission, including technology resources, financial planning and stability, and planning and assessment.

Two Valley Schools in Accreditation Trouble

Leadership also appears to be the primary issue in accreditation problems for two Valley schools. According to a report at the Fresno Bee, both Fresno City and Reedley College have received warnings from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, which cite stalled planning efforts and lack of clear leadership as some of the reasons for the warnings. Some of the faculty members at the schools blame State Center Community College District officials for at least some of the leadership woes facing the schools.

“As far as we can tell, the district is just doing their thing and not talking to anyone else about it,” Wendell Stephenson, a City College instructor, told the Fresno Bee.

However, district officials said that plenty of progress has been made since Chancellor Deborah Blue took over the office in 2010. Spokesman for the district Teresa Patterson told the Bee, “There is still more work to be done and we fully intend to complete the work and become a stronger district as a result.”

Shasta College Needs Education Plan to Save Accreditation

The lack of a central education plan is the crux that resulted in an accreditation warning for Shasta College. The accreditation commission has placed the school on probation, citing four items that must be addressed to keep their accreditation intact, according to a report at Redding.com. Probation signifies an intermediate warning level, which comes prior to the “show cause” warning that was issued to other colleges.

“When I looked at the report, three of the four [complaints] said the same thing: integrated planning, integrated planning, integrated planning,” Peggy Moore, interim vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, told Redding.com. “We can fix that,” Moore added.

In the midst of the many warnings issued to California schools recently, two colleges retained their bragging rights in the accreditation field. According to Black Voice News, two schools in the San Bernardino Community College District were recently notified by the commission that their accreditation will remain intact. Both Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College will prepare full reports and wait for visits by the accreditation teams in 2014.

“We want the community to know how proud we are of our colleges,” Carleton W. Lockwood, Jr., president of the Board of Trustees, told Black Voice News. “Maintaining excellence in this challenging economic environment is our continuing goal.

Accreditation may have been taken for granted in years past, but California community colleges are especially now on red alert to maintain their status as a leading institution of education.

Resources:

"Cuesta College faculty speak to accreditation problems ." Cal Coast News.16 Feb. 2012. Available at http://calcoastnews.com/2012/02/cuesta-college-faculty-speak-to-accreditation-problems/

"Accreditation Re-Affirmed At San Bernardino Valley College, Crafton Hills College." Black Voice News Online. 16 Feb. 2012. Available at http://www.blackvoicenews.com/community/san-bernardino/47450-accreditation-re-affirmed-at-san-bernardino-valley-college-crafton-hills-college.html

Powell, Nick. "Cuesta hires a heavy hitter for its accreditation fight." New Times SLO. 15 Feb. 2012. Available at http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/7345/cuesta-hires-a-heavy-hitter-for-its-accreditation-fight/

Somerville, Heather. "Regional accreditation commission warns Valley community colleges - Education and Schools." Fresno Bee. 11 Feb. 2012. Available at http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/02/11/2719056/regional-accreditation-commission.html

Szydlowski, Joe . "Shasta College: Facility must change or lose accreditation." Redding.com. 14 Feb. 2012. Available at http://www.redding.com/news/2012/feb/14/shasta-college-facility-must-change-or-lose/

"The Importance of Accreditation." ACICS. Available at http://www.acics.org/students/content.aspx?id=4320
Art Exhibition Planned

Crafton Hills College will host an exhibit March 1-22 by multi-media artist and playwright Dolores Becker Trost in the college Art Gallery.

An artist’s reception will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 1. The events are free.

The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday showings are available by arrangement.

The college is located at 11711 Sand Canyon Road in Yucaipa.

Trost, an artist, playwright, and actress, will present her White Lady art installation for the first time after 10 years of preparation. Her inspiration comes from the many struggles put upon mankind. Seeking for the creative tragic beauty found on the other side of darkness, The White Lady challenges the viewer.

Dolores has written more than 20 plays. Among her award winning plays are “I Celebrate Myself,” “The Lost and Found Club,” “Circle Of Stones,” and “Vincent Van Gogh.”

Her latest is “Picasso,” opening June 2 at the Groves Cabin Theater in Morongo Valley.

“I thoroughly enjoy theater and directing my plays, but art will always be my first love,” Trost said in a news release. “I can't remember when I couldn't draw.”

Contact Mike Bedoya, art gallery technician, for more information at 909-389-3353 or mbedoya@craftonhills.edu.
Art meets history this weekend
By PE News on February 29, 2012 8:24 AM

FROM OAK GLEN- Parrish Pioneer Ranch announces an informal gathering for the Visual Art - "Art Meets History" with local and nationally recognized artists, Fariad and Jennifer Ali, owners of The Wildland Images Gallery located on the historic Parrish Pioneer Ranch Saturday, March 10 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Artists Fariad and Jennifer, residents of the Oak Glen area, have been capturing the essence of Oak Glen scenery and wildlife for more than 16 years, creating more than 3000 paintings and drawings of the area, each using their own unique style to communicate stories of the people and the beauty of the landscape surrounding them. Both artists will be present and discuss their paintings of Oak Glen and the historic Parrish Ranch. They are proud to introduce their son, Shamir, and one of his paintings at this once in a lifetime exhibit.

Born on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad, Fariad says, "I have been documenting this poetry in life for some 40 years now. I currently live in the United States , and my paintings have expanded beyond wildlife to include landscapes and Western art in a California Impressionist Style. I try to expose the image with deliberate and rhythmic brushwork and a mesh of thick and thin paint to try and capture the life and feeling of what I am looking at."

Fariad's wife, Jennifer, whom he met at Pasadena City College, has her own distinctive style. "I paint subjects that are important to me. I love to paint dream like watercolors on paper, or oil on canvas, choosing to start sometimes with a light compositional sketch which takes into account the negative as well as the positive space of the subject. My paintings are a combination of planned wet on wet glazes transitioning to raw "one shot" dry brush leaving the viewer with a painting which has enough depth and movement to provide sustenance and entertain the eye."

At 3 p.m., the crowd will hear from James Ramos, San Bernardino County Supervisor candidate, and current Chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Mr. Ramos will be speaking about "the importance of art in the culture of the community and how it becomes part of history." Ramos, MBA, has been a member of the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees since 2005 and is the past president and first Native American to be elected to the board. In 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Ramos to the California State Native American Heritage Commission for which he currently serves as chairman.

The public will also be able to meet Betty Burkle, owner of Parrish Pioneer Ranch, to hear and learn some of the history of the ranch itself. Parrish Pioneer Ranch was established in 1866 when Enoch Kidder Parrish arrived in Oak Glen and traded four mules and a wagon for 160 acres of land. By 1867, he had planted the first full-scale apple orchard in Oak Glen, just over an acre of mainly Rome Beauty trees. By 1900 he had just over 22 acres and Oak Glen was rapidly becoming a thriving commercial apple growing area. The oldest all-timber home in San Bernardino County still stands on the property, which is home not only to The Wildland Images Gallery, but also a restaurant, shops and a variety of wildlife.

Limited editions of the artists' prints will be given out to the first 25 families attending the event. (*1 print per family.) Refreshments will also be served.
Efforts target offensive place names
By Felicia Fonseca, Tracie Cone

updated 2/26/2012 11:19:06 AM ET 2012-02-26T16:19:06

Just east of Victorville in California's Mojave Desert two bluffs rise 3,000-feet from the valley floor. A 1949 map by the U.S. Geological Survey officially gave them the name locals had called them for as long as anyone could remember: Pickaninny Buttes.

The name, a pejorative term that represents a caricature of black children, was likely bestowed because African Americans attempted a settlement near the Lucerne Valley at the turn of the last century. Whatever the reason, it stuck — and still has the propensity to shock.

"Good grief," moaned Leon Jenkins, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP, when told about the site. "That is just about as offensive as it gets because nowhere in the English language was that used other than to be a slur at little girls."

Pickaninny Buttes is one of thousands of places across the United States still saddled with names that are an insight into our divisive past, when demeaning names given to areas settled by ethnic or racial minorities were recorded on official government maps and often stuck. Some, like Wop Draw in Wyoming; Jewtown, Ga.; Beaner Lake, Wash.; Wetback Tank reservoir in New Mexico and Polack Lake in Michigan, can sound rudely impolitic to the ears of a more inclusive society.

Others, such as the former Olympic ski resort of Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe have become so ingrained in the vernacular that they're spoken without a second thought. And yet, nine states are on a mission to scrub "squaw" from their maps, a slang word first given to Native women that came to mean both a part of the female genitalia and a woman of ill repute. California is not among those states, to the continuing frustration of many regional Indian tribes.

"It's so disrespectful I'm not even going to say the name," said Chairman James Ramos of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians in Southern California. "Every time I hear that I think of our women elders and my daughters and my wife, and I'm not going to degrade them that way by repeating the name. It's deplorable to all native people across the United States."

Ramos was incredulous to learn that a conical mountain peak in his tribal area along Interstate 15 between Barstow and Las Vegas is named "Squaw Tit," one of more than a thousand places across the U.S. with the S-word in it and eight places with the exact name.

"It just seems like dominant society is not culturally sensitive to and doesn't take seriously Native American thought and feelings," said Corine Fairbanks of the American Indian Movement.

In Arizona, tensions flared over a craggy mountain in Phoenix that was historically named Squaw Peak. A former governor made it her personal crusade to have it renamed for the first American Indian woman killed in combat in Iraq for the U.S. military. It was changed to Piestewa Peak in 2008.

Some state legislatures take it upon themselves to change names deemed offensive. In 1995 Minnesota was first to pass legislation outlawing "squaw," a process that took five years to complete. Oregon once had 172 places with the name squaw, the most in the U.S., and since 2001 has been engulfed in the tedious process of determining historically accurate new names. Oklahoma has passed a nonbinding resolution encouraging the change. Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee also are making state-mandated changes. In September 2011 the last six offensive place names in Maine were changed. Still, there are 297 Savages nationwide and 11 Redskins.

The issue of offensive place names that have stuck despite changing times arises occasionally, as it did when the media reported the name of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's hunting camp: "Niggerhead," and when the N-word was found on headstones at a cemetery near Sacramento where graves were relocated in 1954 to make way for a dam.

Last fall in the California Gold Rush town of Rough and Ready, local resident Gail Smith bought property along a babbling creek. When she looked up the county assessors' map she was mortified to learn its name was still listed as something ordered eliminated from all federal place maps almost five decades ago: "Nigger Creek."

"It is like an obscenity," wrote Secretary of the Interior Stuart Udall in 1963, when he ordered that the N-word be scrubbed from all federal place maps. Three years later he added "Jap," which was a pejorative form of Japanese. They are the only two names officially outlawed by the federal government. In the days before federal databases, all maps had to be changed by hand. So it was up to federal mapping offices to find and change the local features and some were missed.

The lingering names show how difficult it is to find and change obscure places, to scrub the landscape clean of offensive names. There are more than 2.2 million geographic features recorded in the national database. Many are not widely known, and other times there is local resistance to change.

"We've had a few over the years that have popped up," said Jennifer Runyon, senior researcher for the U.S. Board of Geographic Names. "You get the old timers who never wanted to change it and still call it that. But even 'Negro' today has taken on a different meaning."

When Nevada County officials learned about the N-word Creek, they changed it to Negro Creek. The new name did not appease Smith, who wrote to the Geographic Names board asking to make it something that didn't evoke images of racism. When she learned it was named for the men who panned for gold there, she suggested Black Miners Creek. The all-white Board of Supervisors recommended Dec. 6 that it not be changed, that they did "not view the word 'Negro' as a pejorative."

Said the NAACP's Jenkins, "When you stoop so low to have that name and in 2011 you have the audacity not to want to change it with some reason that defies logic, well it's even more offensive,"

From Alaska to Florida and Maine to California there are 757 places with Negro in the name, according to an analysis of government records. Many of those place names were not spelled that way originally. There are also 20 places with "Dago" (and many more that have been changed to "Italian"), 1,100 Squaws, six "Polacks," 10 Cripples, 58 named Gypsy, 30 "Chinamans," eight "Injuns," 1 "Hebe Canyon," 35 "Spooks," 14 "Sambos" — including Black Sambo Mine in California — 30 "Spades," and too many "Coons" to count. There are also at least seven "Darkeys," another offensive name for black people.

Darkey Springs, Tenn., was Dark Springs until 1820, when a slave trader began holding auctions at the site, said Betty Tindell Johnson, a seventh-generation resident of the township.

"It's just a part of history that you wish hadn't happened," said Johnson, 71. "But there's a lot of stuff right now you wish wasn't happening."

Jewtown, Ga. was settled by former plantation slaves from St. Simons Island. It originally was called Levisonton after Robert and Sig Levison, who owned a store there in 1880.

A gentle knoll in eastern New Mexico formerly named "Nigger Hill" was renamed for those Buffalo Soldiers who fought in the Army's American Indian wars in the 1870s. During a campaign against the Comanches in July 1877, four members of a 10th U.S. Calvary company died on the hill in Roosevelt County.

A black personnel director at Eastern New Mexico University heard about the name and campaigned to have it changed to Buffalo Soldier Hill in 2005. But just across the state line in west Texas, a creek likely named for the same event still holds the name "Dead Negro Draw."

The Board on U.S. Geographic Names is a department of the U.S. Geologic Survey, whose mapmakers charted the country in intricate detail on a project only recently completed.

Historians say it's important to understand the historical context of the names before passing judgment on them, including the 36 Chinamans and two Chinks. The Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco is filled with old paperwork and receipts made out to "Chinaman" because it was easier for some pioneer shopkeepers to write that than to figure out the man's name, said executive director Sue Lee.

"Are these places offensive on their face? I'd hesitate to say because it's all in the intent," she said. "It's not that simple because they may have started out not offensive. It's site by site."

Even with the federal and several state governments leading the way, scrubbing offensive place names — except for the N-word and Jap — hasn't been easy.

There's certainly been no rush to change the name of California's Pickaninny Buttes, for example, though the San Manuel tribe is petitioning to change Squaw Tit, now that they know it exists.

The mere existence of offensive place names can be a teaching moment. Christopher Jimenez y West, a specialist in African American history at Pasadena City College, says there is an important distinction between purging offensive names from the landscape and erasing them from history.

"Of course they should be purged. The intention was to disempower and to marginalize. But should it be erased from our historic memory? I don't think so. For me, at least, they are an insight into the way we once thought about and considered others."

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Firefighter hopefuls join Explorer program
SAN BERNARDINO - Seconds after the fire truck screeched to a stop, Leon Montoya bounded out.

He stood six feet away as firefighters and paramedics helped a man who had collapsed onto a patch of grass and couldn't get up, taking mental note of the way they kept the fallen man calm.

He nodded thoughtfully as Capt. Jason Serrano quickly confirmed from bystanders that the two calls from the street - one for a "man down" and another for a seizure - were about the same person, and he wondered aloud about the handheld computer Serrano typed everything into as he worked.

Once paramedics put the man in an ambulance and rushed him to St. Bernardine Medical Center, 17-year-old Leon asked his first question since leaving the station:

"Do you need any help?"

Then he quickly returned a bag of emergency supplies to the truck, climbed in and continued soaking up everything he could from the crew of San Bernardino Fire Department Station 224. The firefighters were letting him spend the day, but both they and Leon were hoping it was an introduction to a life as a firefighter.

"This is an opportunity to test-drive the department," said Serrano, who is transitioning into a position as head of the department's Explorers program for aspiring firefighters from about 16 to 21 years old. "Our goal as a Fire Department is to start communication with our youth early."

Leon is still waiting to hear back on his application to the Explorers program - applications are accepted during the first two weeks of April, August and December, so that Explorers can train in groups.

In the meantime, the junior at San Bernardino High School took advantage of a day off school to learn as much as he could about daily life in a field he's yearning to enter.

"I'm grateful they offered their time to me," Leon said. "I've wanted to be a firefighter for a couple years, because I like helping people. I didn't really know what you need

San Bernardino High School student Leon Montoya stands with his school counselor Michelle Rogers. (Gabriel Luis Acosta/Staff Photographer)to do to become a firefighter before now."

Getting a firefighter job is a long process, requiring steps including EMT training and graduation from a fire academy - such as the one offered at Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa - before most departments will consider hiring.

The Explorer program, an offshoot of Boy Scouts offered by most fire and police departments, adds another stage before that, but it offers a big step up, Serrano said.

"Twelve to 15 of our newer firefighters were Explorers, including myself," Serrano said. "It is a tremendous head start."

Recent classes have included only about six students, but Serrano is trying to ramp that up to 30.

Explorers meet at the station after school twice a month to learn lessons from how to treat basic bleeding and broken bones to how to extract a crashed vehicle.

But the advantage isn't just the basic skills Explorers can put on their resume, said Battalion Chief Mike Bilheimer - it's the early positive influence.

"The real intention is to incorporate these things in impressionable kids, before they make mistakes," Bilheimer said.

Leon, an Honor Roll student who said he mostly resists the negative pressure from many classmates, still wishes he could have latched onto the program a little earlier.

"I made some decisions I shouldn't have," he said, including getting a tattoo on his neck. "I don't know why. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time."

He'll have to remove the tattoo before firefighting becomes an option, Bilheimer said.

"We do not hire people with (visible) tattoos," he told Leon. "What may be perfectly acceptable in your circles may be offensive to an elderly woman who's having a heart attack, and that's her first impression."

Leon said he understands, although he doesn't want to remove it just so he can fit regulations.

"I can't change for anyone else," he said. "I have to do it for myself."

The more people the Fire Department encourages to change for themselves, the better it is for the city and the department, Bilheimer said.

"It makes us all stronger," he said.

Reach Ryan via email, or call him at 909-386-3916.

Copyright 2012 San Bernardino County Sun. All rights reserved.

Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_20050077#ixzz1nsxtxmhY
Job Fair will be held in San Bernardino
Published: Monday, February 27, 2012 10:02 AM PST

Fontana Herald News

A job fair will take place on Friday, March 2 in San Bernardino.

State Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod announced the event in partnership with the San Bernardino Community College District's Economic Development Corporate Training Division.

The Career and Resource Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Applied Technology Training Center, 114 S. Del Rosa Drive.

"It's great to see local companies hiring again," said McLeod. "I hope people will take advantage of this opportunity to meet potential employers."

The event is open to the public and is free of charge. More than 30 employers have already signed up. Employers or agencies can register by contacting the training division at (909) 382-4001.

For more information, call McLeod's district office at (909) 621-2783 or visit www.attctraining.org or www.sbccd.org.
Lifestream to host community blood drives
LifeStream will be hosting a series of blood drives for individuals to participate in throughout the Riverside County. Individuals wishing to participate must be at least 15 years of age. Those 15 and 16 years old must have a written parent consent form that can be found at any donor center or at www.LStream.org.

All prospective donors should be free of illness, weigh at least 110 pounds, and not be at risk for HIV or AIDS. Dates and locations are as follows.

Feb. 28 Yucaipa 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Crafton Hills College, 11711 San Canyon Road, Yucaipa.

Feb. 29 Temecula 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Advertisement

[ MyGym Children's Fitness Center ] Tarbell Realtors, 33449 Temecula Parkway, Temecul

March 1 Perris 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Eastern Municipal Water District, 2270 Trumble Road, Perris

March 2 Banning 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital, 600 N. Highland Springs Road, Banning

March 2 Riverside 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Riverside Community Hospital, 4445 Magnolia Ave., Riverside

March 2 Moreno Valley 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. at Shakey’s Pizza, 23346 Sunnymead Blvd., Moreno Valley.

March 3 Norco 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Bob’s Big Boy, 3521 Hamner Ave., Norco.

March 3 Calimesa 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Bob’s Big Boy, 540 Sandalwood Drive, Calimesa.

March 3 Riverside Noon-5 p.m. at Jurupa 14 Cinemas, 8032 Limonite Ave., Riverside.

March 3 Menifee 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints, 29725 Bradley Road, Menifee.
Manufacturing partnership trains local workers
Manufacturers Council of the Inland Empire grows to 35 members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) - Feb 28, 2012 -

From the California Steel Industries in Fontana to the company that produces Maglite flashlights in Ontario, the Inland region has a rich history in manufacturing. Over the years, through the Manufacturers Council of the Inland Empire, Chaffey College has helped nurture that workforce by training thousands of individuals to enter the manufacturing sector.

The Manufacturers Council of the Inland Empire is a collaboration of college faculty and local manufacturing companies that identifies areas where there is a need for training, then addresses those needs by adjusting curriculum offered through the college’s Workforce Training Institute.

“The council concentrates on workforce development issues that all manufacturers in the area face and looks to solve those issues through workforce training,” said Kathy Dutton, the director of Economic and Workforce Development for Chaffey College.

Now 35 members strong, the council boasts a mix of manufacturers from steel to logistics and includes San Bernardino Valley College. Employees completing one of the training programs are likely to earn up to 18 percent more than the average Inland worker, she said.

The council held its first annual Manufacturers Summit Feb. 10 in Ontario to bring together representatives from regional manufacturing firms. More than 400 people attended the event, which included a networking session and panel discussions on industry challenges.

“The steel companies that we started out with were competitors, and now they’ve come together around the same table to address the need for craftsmen,” Dutton said. “It’s a perfect blending of resources.”

Sandra Sisco, the college’s business liaison, said the sold-out summit was the first of its kind in the region. Next year’s summit is already in the planning stages and could include all of Southern California, she added.

“The success of the summit just shows that everybody’s on board to raise awareness and develop our workforce,” Sisco said.

The council was formed in 2005 when Chaffey College identified manufacturing as a growth area for employment in the Inland region. The council itself is run by members of the manufacturing sector, and the college works to both implement and pay for training through several public funding streams.

The two main sources of funding are San Bernardino County’s Workforce Investment Board and the state of California’s Employment Training Panel, which Sisco calls “the best kept secret” in employee training because so few manufacturing firms are aware such funding exists.

Nearly 850 workers have gone through training at the institute in the last year alone, receiving instruction in subjects such as mechanics and human resource skills.

Dutton said one of the main goals of developing the area’s workforce is to keep companies hiring from the pool of local workers instead of looking out-of-state or overseas for qualified applicants. “It’s not fiscally prudent for these manufacturers to go out and hire someone from abroad because they may only stay a few years,” she said. “They want people who have ties to this region, and they want to keep the tax dollars here. They want to home grow their craftsmen.”
SBVC Sports Round up
Men's Basketball

Seeking redemption

SBVC, disappointed in playoffs last year, reach regional final

Michelle Gardner, Staff Writer

Created:   02/29/2012 10:44:17 PM PST

SAN BERNARDINO - Last year San Bernardino Valley College was dispatched from the playoffs in the first round. This year's Wolverines feature many of the same players, and they have been intent on making up for that failure. So far so good.

The No. 4 Wolverines (25-5) advanced to the Southern California Regional Final (state Elite Eight) with a 79-71 win over No. 12 Ventura on Wednesday at Snyder Gymnasium. Next up is a showdown at No. 1 Citrus (27-1) on Saturday.

It was the ninth consecutive win for San Bernardino, which last lost to Chaffey in the final game of the first round of conference play.

"We definitely came in here more determined," said Tevin Harris, one of four holdovers from last year's team. "We just came out this year and have tried to be the leaders on and off the floor. We want to make up for last year."

The Wolverines, co-champions of the Foothill Conference, led by as many as 17 points, 35-18, in the opening half. They also led by 19 points, 49-30, after a dunk by Tevin Harris three minutes into the second half. But playoff wins seldom come easy.

The Pirates (19-13), the second-place team out of the Western States Conference North Division, made a charge behind the long-distance shooting of Austin Ramljak, the state leader in that category. His last of four made it 71-68 with 37 seconds to go.

San Bernardino Valley answered with Justin Stanley's two free throws to increase the lead to five at 73-68. Ramljak missed his next try on Ventura's next possession and Stanley tipped the rebound to Aaron Moore with 28 seconds left. The Wolverines hung on from there.

"We knew they were going to make a run," SBVC coach Quincy Brewer said. "This deep in the playoffs you don't get a lot of blowouts. They're a good basketball team. All the teams left now are good basketball teams."

The Pirates, made a game of it despite being without leading scorer Najee Salaam much of the game. Salaam, who came in averaging 27 points a game, fourth in the state, suffered a concussion and deep cut above his eye in a freak collision with a referee one minute into the game and played just 15 minutes. He later went to a local hospital for stitches.

The Pirates, who shot 32.9 percent (23 for 70), had four players in double figures led by Corey Hall with 18. He also collected 21 rebounds.

San Bernardino shot 41 percent (25 for 61). Harris, who missed the last playoff game with a minor ankle sprain, added 15 points and seven rebounds. Foothill Conference MVP Kirby Gardner had 14 points, all in the first half, but he also had eight assists. Aaron Moore totaled nine points and 12 rebounds before fouling out.

Each team had 11 turnovers.

San Bernardino Valley and Citrus, which advanced with an 83-79 win over No. 9 Cuesta, have not played this season. The other Southern California Regional final will pit Riverside against Antelope Valley.

Contact Michelle via email or by phone at 909-483-9344.

Press Enterprise story:

BASKETBALL: SBVC men top Ventura 79-71

TERRY PIERSON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER San Bernardino Valley College's Kirby Gardner, top right, fights for a loose ball with Ventura's Zalmico Harmon, left, and Corey Hall (22) in the first half of the regional playoff game at San Bernardino Valley College Wednesday in San Bernardino, February 29, 2012.

BY ALLAN STEELE The Press Enterprise

STAFF WRITER asteele@pe.com

Published: 29 February 2012 10:23 PM

SAN BERNARDINO — When his team lost to Chaffey last month after blowing a lead, San Bernardino Valley coach Quincy Brewer questioned his team’s character.

The Wolverines haven’t lost since.

SBVC advanced to the SoCal regional final with a 79-71 win over Ventura on Wednesday night, running their winning streak to nine and setting up a showdown with No. 1 Citrus, which beat Cuesta on Wednesday.

“It all starts with how they practice, they’re all in,” Brewer said of the team’s recent surge.

Four players finished in double figures for SBVC (25-5), and the team held the Pirates (19-12) to 33 percent shooting while forcing 19 turnovers.

Even so, Ventura cut what had been a 19-point, second-half deficit down to 71-68 with 37 seconds left when Austin Ramljak knocked down a long 3-pointer, one of his four on the night.

Sophomore Justin Stanley stopped the threat with four consecutive free throws to get the Wolverines some breathing room and all but seal the victory.

“I live for that moment,” said Stanley, who finished with a team-high 17 points. “My teammates have the confidence in me and told me to go get the ball so I could shoot the free throws. I love that they back me up.”

Ventura had two players averaging 20 points and had a proven 3-point weapon in Ramljak, but the Wolverines defense was up to the challenge. SBVC has just nine players on its roster but managed to keep up and contain the Pirates when they got out and ran. They nearly matched Ventura’s 3-point production, hitting 7 of 16 while the Pirates were 8 of 25.

“We knew coming out they were not going to lie down,” Brewer said. “Even though we were up, we knew they were going to grind it out.”

SBVC was knocked out of last year’s playoffs in the first round. Brewer praised the character of the team during its current run and Stanley agreed.

“After we lost the Chaffey and then beat Mt. San Jacinto, it got realistic to everybody,” Stanley said. “We knew we had a chance to win this and we stopped fighting ourselves and once we got that momentum … we had all nine guys and coaches putting everything into it.”

Corey Hall led Ventura with 18 points and 21 rebounds.

Aaron Moore had 12 rebounds, nine points and five assists for SBVC, and Kirby Gardner scored 14 points and added eight assists.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

San Bernardino Valley ousts Eagles from playoffs

MSJC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: San Bernardino Valley ousts Eagles from playoffs

By DARRELL JACKSON For The Californian North County Times | Posted: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 9:30 pm |

.SAN BERNARDINO — Hoping that the third time was the charm, the Mt. San Jacinto women's basketball team battled back from an early deficit before falling to San Bernardino Valley 66-61 in the quarterfinals of the Southern California Regional playoffs on Wednesday.

MSJC lost to San Bernardino twice during the regular season, and head coach Chris Mozga knew what his team was going to need to do to pull out a victory.

"We came in with nothing to lose and after playing them twice this year, we knew we had to move the ball and run as much as we could.," Mozga said. "We played tight in the first half but battled back and gave ourselves a chance, which was all we could ask for."

After trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, the Eagles began the second half with a stronger defensive emphasis. MSJC forced San Bernardino Valley into numerous off-balance shots and took the lead at 44-43 with less than 10 minutes to play when Faith Fantroy stole the ball and found teammate Ashley Jenkins for a short jump shot.

"We played zone early, but when we came out (in the second half), we wanted to run the ball and try and make (SBVC) stand around," Mozga said.

After a quick basket by San Bernardino's Neika Puryear regained the lead for the Wolverines, Jenkins took a pass in the corner from Nicole Reyna and connected on a 3-pointer.

Reyna recorded a steal on the Wolverines' ensuing possession and fired a pass inside to Fantroy, who hit a short jumper to put the Eagles up 49-45 with just over seven minutes remaining.

San Bernardino Valley tied it at 52 when Brittany Brown hit two free throws with just over five minutes remaining.

"We kept trying to run on them and keep (San Bernardino) on their heels, but we just missed on some shots when we needed them," Mozga said. "Then we had some defensive breakdowns, which hurt us, and then we couldn't get the ball where we wanted it."

After the game was tied 54-54, San Bernardino scored two straight baskets and the Eagles committed three turnovers, and Mozga opted not to call a timeout to halt the momentum. In all, San Bernardino scored 12 of the final 19 points to seal the win.

"I should have called a timeout to slow things down and set up our offense," Mozga said, "but I didn't and I take full responsibility for that."

Tina Fantroy scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Eagles. Jenkins added 11 points and four rebounds in the loss. April Fultz led the Wolverines with 18 points.

"After playing them twice during the regular season, we knew what to expect, and this game went just like I thought it would," Mozga said. "The girls battled and gave themselves a chance to win, but we just fell short."

Read more: http://www.nctimes.com/sports/college/msjc/msjc-women-s-basketball-san-bernardino-valley-ousts-eagles-from/article_7cc1e58a-0f80-5359-9649-b6c68109f319.html#ixzz1nsnmlRRJ

Press Enterprise story:

San Bernardino Valley College's Darsha Burnside (1) blocks the shot of Mt. San Jacinto's Tina Fantroy (21) in the second half of the regional playoff game at San Bernardino Valley College Wednesday. BY ALLAN STEELE

BY ALLAN STEELE The Press Enterprise

STAFF WRITER

asteele@pe.com

Published: 29 February 2012 09:35 PM

SBVC WOMEN COLLEGE BASKETBALL: SBVC 66, MT. SAN JACINTO 61

SAN BERNARDINO — The San Bernardino Valley women’s basketball team is headed to the SoCal regional finals for the first time in coach Sue Crebbin’s seven-year tenure.

The No. 3-seeded Wolverines held off Foothill Conference foe Mt. San Jacinto College, 66-61, Wednesday night in a game featuring plenty of turnovers, missed free throws and a wild finish.

In the final 10 minutes, MSJC rallied for the lead, then the Wolverines closed strong for the win as April Fultz came up with a key steal and hit four free throws in the final 20 seconds.

SBVC (28-3) has now won 16 straight and will play at No. 2 Ventura on Saturday in the regional final with a trip to the state final four on the line.

“We’ve had some pretty good teams,” said Crebbin, “but it takes a lot to get here.”

SBVC has dominated the conference under Crebbin, but hadn’t made it past the third round of the playoffs and were upset in last year’s second round after being ranked No. 1 in the state with a talented lineup.

Mt. San Jacinto (23-8), coming off an upset of No. 6 Fullerton to open the playoffs, kept the game close despite a frantic pace at times that had both teams turning the ball over and looking for offense.

The fast pace was a strategy to negate the bigger Wolverines lineup, MSJC coach Chris Mozga said, and the strategy nearly worked as SBVC forward Darsha Burnside picked up early fouls and finished with just six points. The versatile Burnside did finish with 14 rebounds, but it was the rest of the team that stepped up with Fultz scoring 18 points and Kori Walker and Neika Puryear each adding 12 points.

“By taking (Burnside) away you have to focus so much energy on her that you give up some jump shots,” Mozga said. “She’s an unbelievable player. I’ve played her five times and I’m ready for her to be done.”

MSJC jumped out to an 8-2 lead as the Wolverines turned the ball over trying to work the ball inside. SBVC settled down and started to convert some turnovers with its pressure defense. The Wolverines eventually pulled ahead on a free throw by Walker, then built the lead to as many as 11 points.

The teams combined for 30 turnovers in the first half and the play was just as erratic in the second, but they made up for it with drama.

Tina Fantroy led MSJC with 22 points and Ashley Jenkins added 11.

SBVC moves on with win

Michelle Gardner, Staff Writer

Posted:   02/29/2012 10:40:12 PM PST

SAN BERNARDINO - One would think the San Bernardino Valley College women's basketball team might be feeling some pressure.

The Wolverines have been ranked No. 2 much of the season and headed into third-round playoff action against Mt. San Jacinto as the No. 3 seed.

Despite the pressure, the Wolverines advanced to the Southern California Regional final (State Elite Eight) with a 66-61 win on Wednesday at Snyder Gymnasium. They will face No. 2 Ventura (30-1) on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

It was the 16th consecutive win for San Bernardino Valley (28-3), which set a school record for wins in a season.

"I think the girls are oblivious. They just go out and play," coach Sue Crebbin said. "They don't understand the pressure. I just told them I've never been to the Elite Eight. Then they got a little excited."

This round had been a stumbling block in years past. The Wolverines have been to the playoffs in six of Crebbin's seven years and lost in this round five times. The other loss came in the first round.

The contest wasn't exactly well-played. The teams combined for 53 turnovers, with the Eagles responsible for 29. The game followed the same pattern as many before - not flashy, not always well-played but good enough.

The Wolverines had beaten the Eagles (23-8) twice in conference, winning the second later in the season by the identical score as Wednesday. Like that one, it wasn't until late that the Wolverines secured the win.

"We knew they were going to come at us hard," sophomore guard April Fultz said. "They're a good team and they're a competitive team so we had to be ready."

San Bernardino Valley led 56-54 but went up by four on a fast-break layup by Fultz after one of Kori Walker's eight steals. The Eagles closed the gap to 58-57 but again it was Fultz delivering with a layup off an inbound pass with 2:27 to play.

The visitors made it 60-59 with 1:55 left but the Wolverines stretched the lead to three again on a layup by Neika Puryear. The Eagles' Faith Fantroy missed a 3-pointer, then turned the ball over on the next possession.

A steal by Fultz with 22 seconds left resulted in a Mt. San Jacinto foul and she hit both free throws for a 64-59 lead that held up.

Mt. San Jacinto, led by all-conference selection Tina Fantroy's 22 points, shot 45.8 percent (22 for 48).

SBVC shot 43.1 percent (25 for 58). Fultz led with 18 points and six steals. Walker and Puryear contributed 12 points each. Darshae Burnside had 14 rebounds.

Contact Michelle via email or by phone at 909-483-9344.

Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/sports/ci_20076374#ixzz1nt7edcXw
We are closer to the Homeless on the Street says Professor
One local history professor warns there are far fewer belong to the middle class than people might think.

By Gina Tenorio

Professor Edward Gomez came to Redlands' Ed Hales Park on Saturday to speak about the rich, the poor, their history and the world they all inhabit.

It was an address that stopped many in their tracks, especially when he attacked the notion of the "middle class." The term, he told a crowd of some 60 people, implies most possess at least half the wealth of some billionaires.

“Someone pulled the skin over my eyes and wants you and me to believe we are at least halfway to the billionaire's world,” Gomez said with intense passion in his voice. “We are nowhere near them. And if you don’t understand this 99 percent -- and I’m sure you do because I’m preaching to the choir -- I know that … somebody in our level is nowhere near them. We are (financially) closer to the homeless on the street.”

Gomez, an associate professor of history at San Bernardino Valley College, was a guest of Occupy Redlands as part of their regular Teach-Ins. Gomez’s passionate address included a glance at the progression that led to a deepening chasm between economic classes.

He spoke of royalty, birthrights and wealthy landowners. He spoke of control and submission. But he also spoke of the 99 percent’s right to dignity and the ability to shake off the labels placed upon those who fight to maintain power, he said.

The goal or charge was to reconnect with everyone and never feeling ashamed of you are and where you came from, he said.

“We may want to insulate ourselves in a beautiful world, Redlands is a beautiful city,” he said. “I love Redlands. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people. But I feel we’re insulating ourselves as the result of the world falls around us.”

The address touched a nerve for many.

“As long as I can remember I have felt uneasy about having too much,” said Helen Courtney of Redlands. “I’ve always identified with liberation theology not the authoritarian Catholicism; The Beatitudes of Jesus ‘blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ And a lot of what he said today spoke to that.”

He talked about a few things that were Christian, she said.

“But it’s all connected,” she said. “Whether it’s Buddhism, Judaism or Christianity, like he said, we’re all human. We’re in it together.”