Page A2 • July 24, 2014 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers • Inland Empire Weekly
COURTESY PHOTO
Girl Scouts toured a Rialto fire station July 16 as part of an educational program offering an inside look at career choices for women. Careers, cont. from front
bers from various troops from the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio scared,” she said of being a fire- Council, recently explored Rialto fighter like Rivera. Fire Department Station 203 as “I can do it, too.” part of the hands-on educational Audrey, along with other mem- career program, Classroom to Ca-
reer: Developing Tomorrow’s Female Leaders. The program--free to GSSGC members between the ages of 1017-- is an effort to introduce young women to a variety of career paths
COURTESY PHOTO/GSSGV
Girls were given opportunities to ride out in a fire engine and watch vehicle fire demonstration. Forum, cont. from front
COURTESY PHOTO/GSSGV
Firefighter Theresa Rivera helps a future firefighter suit-up..
chambers, was the second of its kind and held in hopes of better creating open relationships between city officials and residents. First spearheaded by Mayor Deborah Robertson in January to find out the goings on in town from the residents themselves, Thursday’s meeting led by City Administrator Mike Story, focused more on the city’s business upturn. And the panel of four business owners comprised of Matt Canada of Matt’s Express Carwash, Joe Flores Jr. of J & J Auto Fabrics, Stacy Augustine of Biscomerica Corporation and Carlos Gutierrez manager of Walmart Neighborhood Market, were on hand to talk about small business and economic success in the city around the discussion theme: “We mean business: What Rialto has done and is doing to secure its economic jobs future.” Canada, who opened his familyowned business last year, said he chose Rialto because it was a
by giving them behind-the-scenes access to a variety of workplace environments. Rivera, along with other firefighters and Fire Chief Mat Fratus, led the girls on a station tour to offer a glimpse into the role of a Rialto firefighter. They suited up, practiced training maneuvers alongside firefighters, explored an ambulance, rode the fire engine and watched a live vehicle fire demonstration. But the day with firefighters was more than just taking part in “fun” drills. It was an opportunity to provide youth with the necessary tools to be successful in life, said Rivera, including breaking down stereotypical barriers. “Anytime you get a female in the fire station, it’s going to break barriers,” Rivera said. “In doing this (program) it’s a huge positive in helping shape the future of these young girls by showing them they can choose career paths not always taken by females. If I can get just one girl interested in the explorer program, then others will follow.” As part of the summer curriculum the scouts have the opportunity to explore a variety of future career opportunities.The program kicked off with a tour of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and all of the visits around the In-
land-area are planned as an educational tool in hopes of creating career choices and a path toward higher education. The goal is to help the girls see themselves in leadership roles, said Knea Hawley, Director of Fund Development & Alumnae Engagement for the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio. And so far for LeeAnn, the experience has been an eye opener. She plans to participate in the explorer programs, but has not decided which she’ll choose. “They’re all cool and the tours have taught me that I can be anything.” Girl Scout alumnae will also help in the mentoring process by helping the girls develop a portfolio for college applications and rèsumès. Additional tours are planned with BNSF Railways, a local newspaper, Fiesta Village and San Bernardino County Information Services. Classroom to Career is made possible by Bank of America and the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Alumnae Association.
Yazmin Alvarez is a reporter with Inland Empire Community Newspapers and can be reached at iecn.yazmin@gmail.com.
IECN PHOTO/YAZMIN ALVAREZ
Girl Scouts received hands-on training during the tour. working class community, which is the reflection of what his business is built around. “Community,” he said. Business has been so good that he plans to expand to Redlands by next year, Canada added. For Augustine, who’s been with Biscomerica for over 25 years, said the reason why the cookie corporation has been in Rialto since 1980 and hasn’t moved is simple: “We’ve stayed because there’s no reason to leave.” Other owners touted business success due to employee longevity and loyalty from the community. Also during the meeting was the focus of an open floor discussion between city department heads and the public. Questions ranged from a variety of topics including assistance for business improvements, property weed abatement issues, improvements to city streets and the need for more parks and green space for the senior community, which also was brought up in January. The city’s Administrative and
Community Services Director, George Harris, said the city would look into the community needs and the concerns to expand parks into the north end of the city. Out of the nine parks in Rialto, only two are located along the north side of town. While Thursday’s attendance of about two dozen was slim compared to January’s, the effort of the forum did not go unseen, especially to senior resident Marjorie Garrison. “These things help open doors to building a better Rialto,” she said. “We all want a better community.” Rialto’s Community Forum is available in its entirety on Rialto Network’s YouTube channel. To view it visit, youtube.com/user/RialtoNetwork.
Yazmin Alvarez is a reporter with Inland Empire Community Newspapers and can be reached at iecn.yazmin@gmail.com.