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In!this!issue! The!new!diverse!face!of!Congress! see!page!3!
iving the gift of life is something that hospitals like Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) are honored to recognize. On Nov. 1, 2012, ARMC, in partnership with transplant donor network OneLegacy, launched its Tree Of Life Ceremony. “We are pleased to be able to honor the family members who made the courageous decision to become donors,” said ARMC Director Patrick Petre. Lesley Howe, an honoree donor, made the bittersweet sacrifice of donating the organs of her 15-year-old son, Tory Howe-Lynch in 2002. Howe said, “Because of who he was, I knew without a doubt that donation is something he would have done.” Donor recipient Michael Adams, a resident of Silver Lakes spoke at the ceremony. Michael said he was about to die due to complications from cystic fibrosis. “I was given last rites in my room in the ICU,” he said. “And the next morning, they called and told me that they had found a donor.” Michael is clearly an example of how becoming an organ donor could lead to the greatness gift of all, the gift of life. Along with these individuals were over 74
ARMC!Tree!of!Life!..................................................!!1! Time!for!Change!Foundation!............................!!1! Josie’s!Journal!.........................................................!!2! SANBAG’s!new!director,!Dr.!Wolfe!................!!2! Diversity!shines!in!2012!election!..................!!3! New!local!elects,!state!and!federal!reps!......!!4!
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families, honored for giving life through a loved one they lost. The families were given a metal leaf engraved with their loved one’s name in commemoration of their sacrifice. ARMC took each leaf and gave it a permanent place on the Tree of Life wall, located in the hospital’s main lobby. This symbolic gesture is a way to encourage people to donate and help bring awareness to the importance of organ donation. These families who donate know
Since 2002, Time For Change Foundation (TFCF) has been dedicated to helping homeless women and children achieve self-sufficiency by using a strength-based approach to address their specific needs. Their programs and supportive services help provide women and children with the tools necessary to recover from homelessness, drug addiction, mental and physical abuse, incarceration and family separation.
their selfless act will not go unnoticed and understand what great impact they have on other people’s lives. Those wishing to make the commitment to donate may register online at www.donatelifecalifornia.org. For further information regarding the Tree of Life please contact Jorge Valencia at (909) 580-3290 or by email: valenciaj@armc.sbcounty.gov --Brena Bernard
Women and children continue to make up an alarming percentage of the homeless population. There are over 7,000 homeless people in San Bernardino County according to the 2007 San Bernardino County Homeless Census and Survey. Of that, more than 1,600 homeless have reported as having one or more children. Many of these families are struggling with issues relating to substance abuse, incarceration, Continued on page 3
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or the past eight years, I ving have had the privilege of ser th r. iso erv Sup t tric Dis as your 5 th ict str Di 5 of s ter While the vo also represent elected me, as Chair, I idents more than 2 million res 2013, my of 8 . Jan On . ide countyw will come to two-year term as Chair plishments I om an end. One of the acc is helping air Ch am most proud of as ues that iss jor ma lessness. address one of the out the county—home gh ou thr s itie un ery impacts comm ev in le thousands of peop Homelessness affects people of all seniors, children and community including is best ess sn . Solving homeles ethnicities and cultures exchange of ve cti tru ns operative and co co a gh ou thr led nd ha underlying o truly recognize the wh ers rtn pa th wi as ide streets. someone to live on the causes of what pushes nding County became a fou In September 2007, the s les rnardino County Home fice of member of the San Be Of of which led to the birth pported su Partnership (SBCHP), d an d ate partnership cre is Th s. ce rvi Se s les Home Strategy to End the County’s 10-Year of n tio nta me ple im the llaboration established a strong co o als It . ess sn les me Ho th a shared across the County wi between organizations
lessness in San end to chronic home focus on bringing an Bernardino County. less Services al, the Office of Home To help reach our go unt (PITC) on -in-Time Homeless Co int Po its t uc nd co ll wi pulation and County’s homeless po Jan. 24 to identify the s. r additional resource reevaluate the need fo Homelessness on cil un Co cy en As chair of the Interag less Provider king body of the Home (ICH), the policy ma vides a pro n say that the PITC Network (HPN), I ca implement or ise County can rev the w ho of nt me ure meas of care we prove the continuum im lp he ll wi t tha s ge chan provide. anging face of s us to identify the ch The PITC also allow nal image of a gone is the conventio homelessness. Long ed in favor of se who simply rebell homeless drifter—tho ciety. ir cars, in breaking free from so ir children living in the the th wi ts ren pa le Sing portray abandoned buildings parks or in the back of lessness has me ho of e . The new fac 13 20 of s es sn les me ho l wherewithal. have lost their financia become parents who support of the with the cooperative But it is day-by-day, plement real s that we can help im County and its service s and give an end to homelessnes change that can bring lives once ir the y to take control of people the opportunit again. ardino rticipate in San Bern If you would like to pa teers are lun vo s, es sn to end homeles nt me ve mo s ty’ un Co rvices at (909) Office of Homeless Se needed. Contact the 252-4001.
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San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) is both the Transportation Agency for San Bernardino County, as well as a Council of Governments (COG). The governing board is composed of representatives from 24 cities in the county and all five members of the Board of Supervisors. SANBAG continues to deliver a large transportation construction program, which includes: realignment of I-215 through the City of San Bernardino; reconstructing portions of the Devore Junction to separate freight and passenger car interaction; extending the carpool lane on I-215 between San Bernardino and Riverside Counties; extending passenger rail service east to Redlands; construction of several railroad grade separations; and a number of interchange improvements in the county.
The next several years will see a renewed effort to widen existing freeways, add carpool lanes, and possibly employ express lanes on select routes. We are exploring opportunities to connect passenger rail to the Ontario International Airport and eventually to the San Bernardino International Airport. In my tenure as the executive director of SANBAG, I will continue to deliver these and other key projects to meet the needs of our residents, while helping improve the quality of life through greater mobility. Local match funding is the major impediment to project delivery today. Through a collaborative effort, an approach was developed to focus on the top ten valley interchange projects: I-10/Cedar in Bloomington; SR-210/Baseline in Highland; SR-60/Central in Chino; I-10/University in Redlands; I-215/University in San Bernardino; I-10/Alabama in Redlands; I-15/Baseline in Rancho Cucamonga; I-10/Mt. Vernon in
Colton; SR-60/Archibald in Ontario; and I10/Monte Vista in Montclair. SANBAG will manage the delivery of these projects and is proposing flexible options for jurisdiction funding of the local share of each project. Freeway congestion mitigation, goods movement projects, local street improvements, rail and bus enhancements all lead to enhanced mobility for the residents, visitors and businesses that traverse our county. San Bernardino County is poised to dramatically reshape its legacy and build towards a better, more sustainable tomorrow. We are refocusing efforts as a COG and will consider regional issues that relate back to the Countywide Vision created two years ago. For more information on SANBAG, visit www.sanbag.ca.gov, email jdreher@sanbag.ca.gov or call (909) 8848276. --by Raymond W. Wolfe, Ph.D.
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We the people ... !
on Nov. 6, 2012 voters elected the most diverse and inclusive Congress in U.S. history
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pon the reelection of our first African-American president, November’s Election Day added another page to our history books.
young Americans (ages 18-29) cast their vote in the 2012 Presidential Election. Their turnout made up an all-time high of 19 percent of the total popular vote. With four new members of Congress born in
Results from the 2012 Senate and House! House elections will seat 4 new 2.55% 6.73% African-Americans, 5 new Asian Americans, 10 new Latinos, and 24 10.21% new women elected into Congress. The 113th Congress will be more reflective of the overall demographic of the U.S. and will be able to legislate with increased inclusivity. This is also a Congress of many Source:(CQ(Roll(Call( firsts, with the swearing in of its first House! two Hindu members of Congress, first Buddhist senator, first non-theist 18.33% elect, and first openly bisexual congresswoman and first openly gay congressman of color. The concerns of the young 81.67% American voters were heard more than ever before during the 2012 Presidential Election. The Center of Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) reported that at least 49 percent of
Race%
Senat 3%
2%
White
Other
Black
White
Hispanic
Hispanic
Other
80.51% 95%
Gender%
20%
Women Men
Continued from page 1 domestic violence, and mental illness. TFCF’s goal is “to provide essential resources, through our programs and services, to women and children who desire to change the course of their lives by making the transition from homelessness and recidivism to self-sufficiency.” Clients are trained, mentored, coached, and given every opportunity to develop the inner strength and external skills necessary to become independent, positive role models for their children, and leaders in their communities. On Nov. 6, 2012, TFCF was awarded a contract from the County of San Bernardino’s Probation Department to provide temporary transitional housing through November 2015 for adult offenders who are currently under supervision of County probation per the state’s AB 109. Kim Carter, founder and executive director of the organization,
the 1980s, the youth will have greater representation on issues that will greatly affect their futures. November saw the expansion of diversity not only amongst our federal representatives, but county government as well. In December, Supervisor James Ramos was sworn in as the first Native American member of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Josie Gonzales commented on the board’s newfound diversity during the Dec. 3 swearing in ceremony, “This is an opportunity for us to truly look at the diversity on this board and know that you all in your homes, in your businesses— your hopes and your dreams are well represented.” Backgrounds and opinions continue to Women diversify within society, and it is important that those differences are Men displayed in our governing bodies. Elected officials should mirror the changes within society and need the ability to address issues with a broad perspective to the entire population as a whole, rather than a specific group.
80%
believes the new agreement will give parolees an “opportunity to access our services including housing, independent living skills, mentoring and case management. Individuals under AB 109 that will go through our program will be ready to succeed in eliminating recidivism from their lives.” TFCF was one of top qualifiers from the six organizations that applied. Carter explains why TFCF was the best choice for the County, “ ... our services are tailored to meet their needs. We have a unique understanding of the reality that these individuals face when attempting to start their lives over and because of that understanding we are able to assist them with navigating the invisible bars that would otherwise hold them back.” For more information on Time for Change Foundation’s services, please contact their San Bernardino office at (909) 886-2994 or visit their website at www.timeforchangefoundation.org --by Jose Marin
Vol. 2 Issue 1
January/February 2013
Upcoming Events Free Baseball Clinic & Little League Sign-up
Jan. 12 @ 11:00 AM
San Manuel Stadium 280 South E Street, San Bernardino
Mike Morrell
Free Tax Preparation Jan. 22, All Day courtesy of TAD, call for an appointment Colton (909) 421-4062, Fontana & Rialto (909) 356-3175 San Bernardino (909) 252-4903 or (909) 475-2089
Point-in-Time Homeless Count
Jan. 24 @ 6:00 AM
40th State Assembly District Serving San Bernardino Cheryl Brown th (909) 466-9096 47 State Assembly District Serving Bloomington, Colton, Fontana, Muscoy, Rialto, San Bernardino (909) 820-5008
To volunteer call the Office of Homeless Services (909) 382-7007
Fontana State of the City 2013
Bill Emmerson
23rd State Senate District Serving San Bernardino (909) 466-4180
Jan. 31 @ 11:00 AM
Jessie Turner Community Center 15556 Summit Avenue, Fontana
Call (909) 822-4433 to register
Contact us at (909) 387-4565 Email: supervisorgonzales@sbcounty.gov Website: www.sbcounty.gov/gonzales Gloria Negrete-McLeod
35th Congressional District, Serving Bloomington, Fontana, Rialto (909) 621-2783
Scan the code above and join us on Facebook!
Gary Miller
31st Congressional District, Serving Colton, Muscoy, Rialto, San Bernardino (909) 980-1492
Vacant Special Election TBD
32nd State Senate District, Serving Bloomington, Colton, Fontana, Muscoy, Rialto, San Bernardino
(Dev-Er-Oh)
What particular issue are you focused on right now, that will improve the County?
What challenges have you identified and are working on to help achieve the County Vision? It has been very satisfying to assist the Board of Supervisors in seeing and serving our county as a single community rather than five separate and ever-competing districts. This change in focus has allowed the County organization to be a true leader in helping the entire community – all of our cities and towns, other local government agencies, businesses and nonprofit groups – work toward the realization of our shared Vision. It has also allowed us to more-effectively manage our resources during these lean times and carry out policies that improve life for everyone in the county.
What’s your favorite place to eat in San Bernardino County?
Lastly, what did you want to be when you were a little kid? !
A lawyer or a jazz drummer.