- across all 58 counties. The program, which also funded Sole Alley downtown, requires communities to commit to at least four cleanups each year, public education efforts, and long-term litter reduction plans. There was no cost to apply, and the first 100 cities to qualify receive an official Clean California sign. Friedman said San Bernardino’s sign will likely be placed outside Sole Alley.
Caltrans estimates the program will create up to 11,000 jobs and remove more than 1 million cubic yards of trash from highways, local streets, and public spaces. The designation gives San Bernardino priority access to these funds, which have already brought $720,000 to revitalize downtown’s Sole Alley.
“Each of the 20 groups involved has agreed to take ownership of hosting a cleanup,” Friedman said. “This takes pressure off the city so it can focus on bigger things. Pride of ownership matters—if you see trash on the street, it’s discouraging. This designation has really created collaboration between small businesses and nonprofits in our downtown.”
He added that the opportunity is open to others. “If anyone wants a designation in another part of the city, they can apply too,” Friedman said.
Friedman hopes the recognition attracts new investment. “If we can turn every dilapidated space into a vibrant space, we’d be a much more vibrant city,” he said.
He credited Caltrans for streamlining the process and praised Mayor Helen Tran and Councilman Mario Flores for personally joining cleanup efforts. “They got their hands dirty and were there longer than anyone, and I’m appreciative to have their support,” Friedman said.
Friedman said that while positive news about San Bernardino has often drawn criticism, community reaction is beginning to change. “When we post positive news, people often say San Bernardino is still terrible. But this response has been encouraging and it’s good to see sentiment shift in a positive direction.”
The next downtown cleanup, hosted by Stronger Together Now, is scheduled for Oct. 26. Updates will be posted on Realicore Real Estate’s Instagram, where residents can also learn how to host their own events.
More information on the Clean California program is available at cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov.
Inland Film Fest (cont.)
- play. “The screenings just began and were showcasing our local filmmaker’s talent. We have local food and art vendors showcasing their work. Come and join the party,” he said.
By Sunday evening at the University of Redlands’ Orton Center, his words crystallized into what became the defining theme of the weekend: “Telling our own stories— don’t wait for others to tell them. Take control of the narrative.”
That call to action — to claim ownership of Inland voices and perspectives — framed the Inland Film Fest as more than a weekend of screenings. It was a rallying cry for filmmakers and communities to take charge of how their region is seen, remembered, and celebrated.
Grassroots Meets Cinematic Ambition Phase 3, a local independent film collective, was central to the festival. The group screened 14 films and had facilitated workshops for filmmakers throughout the year.
“I’m excited to be representing the Inland Empire here,” Phase 3 director Paul Black said. “It’s a great time to network with other creatives and see what’s on the horizon for our region.”
The workshops proved transformative for young filmmakers like Sara Troudt, a San Bernardino Valley College student from Yucaipa whose thriller Obsession was nominated for Best Student Film.
“My film Obsession is nominated for best student film and I’m involved in about six other films that I took part in with Phase 3 that are screening today,” Troudt said. “I’m excited to catch them on the big screen.”
Her film later earned third place in its category.
Audience Reactions: Thrills, Horror, and Social Impact
Festivalgoers experienced everything from family dramas to spine-chilling thrillers.
“I just got out of the horror and thriller screenings and there was some great stuff—funny, spooky, scary, gory…everything you want in a horror film,” said Denise Berver, co-publisher of Inland Empire Community News, who also presented awards on Sunday. “I’m looking forward to hitting up documentaries next.”
Among the standout documentaries was The Warehouse Empire, directed by Sofia Figueroa, which examines how Southern California’s warehouse boom reshaped Bloomington and other Inland communities.
Figueroa also directed Off The Rails: The Rail Industry’s Impact on Frontline Communities, which would go on to win Best Documentary.
Another audience favorite was The Insight, a noir-inspired pilot by Inland filmmaker Jimmy Hurt.
“I’m a writer, actor and director. I tell stories about the people who challenge corruption and abuse of authority,” Hurt said. “To have it premiere in front of our inland community during the “Best Of” has me shaking right now.”
The project earned second place in the Best Film Pilot Episode category.
The Winners: Inland Stories Take the Spotlight
The Sept. 14 awards ceremony at the University of Redlands’ Orton Center honored nine categories of achievement, showcasing the region’s diverse storytelling power.
Best of Fest
1st place: Right On! (Dir. Dave Rosas)
2nd place: Without You, Life Goes On (Dir. Eric Nguyen)
3rd place: Virtuoso (Dir. Alex Correa)
Audience Choice Award Right On!
Best Live Action Fiction
1st place: Right On!
2nd place: Virtuoso
3rd place: Beethoven’s Great Great Great Great Great Grandchild (Dir. Daniel Maggio)
Best Film Pilot Episode
1st place: Welcome to Park Avenue: The Unfiltered Truth Experience (Dir. Estrella Martinez)
2nd place: The Insight (Dir. Jimmy Hurt)
Best Experimental Film 1st place: Within Rem (Dir. Miguel Jacobo)
2nd place: Obscura (Dir. Griff)
3rd place: Trustfall (Dir. Thomas Cooper IV)
Best Music Video
1st place: Cumbia del Obrero (Dir. Polaris Castillo, for MILPA)
2nd place: Grow Old (Dir. Mike Sorrentino)
3rd place: GOTTEM (Dir. Griff)
Best Student Film 1st place: Johnny, It’s Okay (Dir. Brymer Sindanum)
2nd place: Changes (Dir. Enrique Ibarra Jr.)
3rd place: Obsession (Dir. Sara Troudt)
Best Documentary
1st place: Off The Rails: The Rail Industry’s Impact on Frontline Communities (Dir. Sofia Figueroa)
2nd place: San Gorgonio Fire Recovery
(Dir. Diego Olivarez)
3rd place: The Warehouse Empire (Dir. Sofia Figueroa)
Filmmakers and Families Shine
The festival also offered personal moments of triumph.
Vince Garcia, co-director of Bloodstream, said, “It’s really special because we did have a lot of the community involved with us including filmmakers from Temecula and it was super fun to see this on the big screen and have everyone cheer and watch the finished product.”
For Ana Rodak, who co-directed the comedy Rookies, the pride came from family. Her sisters, in attendance at the screening, said, “The set of this film was inside of our house. We’re really excited that she dipped her finger in comedy with this one. It’s pretty hilarious. We couldn’t be prouder of her and were so excited to watch it on screen here.”
Sponsors and Partners
The Inland Film Fest was supported by presenting sponsors Inland Empire Community News, IEGO, Thrive Inland SoCal, and the Inland Empire Labor Institute. Festival partners included KVCR Public Media, El Sol, Raincross District, Garcia Center for the Arts, All Eyes Gallery, Viva La Boba, Revival Arcade, and the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties.
Ulises Rodriguez, associate director of Arts Connection, said the festival’s impact was visible in every corner of the event.
“We’re excited because we have the opportunity to continue to showcase artists that are doing amazing work here in the Inland Empire and many are seeing their films for the first time on the big screen,” Rodriguez said. “This year is another great turn-out. I’ve seen people stepping out of screenings laughing, crying, running to the next screening.”
A Cultural Legacy in Motion
For director Dave Rosas, whose film Right On! won Best of Fest, Best Live Action Fiction, and Audience Choice, the triple recognition cemented the Inland Film Fest as a launchpad for regional voices.
His success, coupled with wins across every category, underscored Gutierrez Chavez’s message: the Inland Empire does not need to wait for outsiders to define its stories.
The Inland Film Fest has quickly grown into more than a weekend of screenings — it is becoming a cornerstone of the region’s creative economy, where artists are encouraged to tell their own stories, on their own terms.
And as festivalgoers left the Orton Center Sunday night, many carried with them the same conviction expressed from the podium: in the Inland Empire, the power to shape the narrative rests with the people who live it.
California Mask Laws Spark Clash: Police Mask Restrictions
and Protester Bans Face Constitutional Challenges
By Stephen Routh, CSU Professor
California is starting to reach blueflame-level political heat over two constitutional questions around mask wearing.
Can local governments ban masks during public protests, as one Central Valley city did six years ago? The Modesto ordinance returned to the spotlight in June after several people protesting the immigration raids were arrested, prompting challenges from the ACLU and the NAACP.
And should California prevent law enforcement officers from wearing masks while performing their duties? Lawmakers this week passedthe No Secret Police Act, stemming from outrage over masked federal officers detaining individuals they believe are immigrants.
Ultimately resolving these questions involves balancing people’s right to safety with their right to express their views publicly. It’s a puzzle that’s more complex than it looks.
When a local government such as Modesto bans masks, at first glance it appears to be an understandable and legitimate policy to protect the public in large gatherings. It’s aimed at preventing or minimizing violent behavior by those who’d be emboldened to engage in it if their identity is cloaked.
On the other hand, not allowing protesters to be anonymous harms their ability to protect themselves against retaliation from opponents, including government officials. Also, mask bans sweep in people wearing masks for medical or religious reasons.
In this light, mask prohibitions can be seen as unconstitutional intrusions on the rights of free speech and political association.
The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.” But it doesn’t mention freedom of association. The U.S. Supreme Court has decided freedom of association is implied from the explicitly stated rights of speech, press, assembly and petition, which together are called freedom of expression.
The Constitution protects free expression — except if it incites lawless actions, is obscene, defames, defrauds or is part of a criminal conspiracy.
Any government that restricts protected expression must ensure the regulation is content-neutral, meaning it can’t vary based on its content or impact. The critical question about local mask bans is are they content-neutral or content-based?
A complete ban on masks at demonstrations would seem, on its face, to indicate content neutrality if no single group or expression is being directly favored or disfavored. The Supreme Court would likely
uphold it as constitutional.
What happens when government agents apply the law in a way that impacts certain groups of people differently, affecting who gets arrested for violating the ban and who feels chilled or hesitant about participating in a protest? Those with views that run contrary to the influential private actors or governmental officials are likely to mask up out of fear of retribution.
What about protestors who, for medical reasons or religious beliefs, need to cover their faces? If a mask ban carves out exemptions for them, how would government officials ascertain who these people are in a public protest?
Such selective or capricious enforcement of an otherwise constitutional law can render it illegitimate in the eyes of the Supreme Court, which may conclude that the mask ban contains content-based elements and is unconstitutional.
Different constitutional concerns are at play with the ban on law enforcement masks the state Legislature approved. The ban would affect local police and federal officers, including ICE, Border Patrol and Homeland Security.
It’s difficult to imagine the Supreme Court — whether it has a liberal or a conservative majority — allowing a state to micromanage or second guess federal law enforcement operations by not allowing government agents to mask up, especially while enforcing immigration law, which the Constitution places under federal purview.
Since the earliest days of our republic, the Supreme Court has consistently reined in state efforts to constrain federal government endeavors. The court is acting on federalism principles in the Constitution: Federal law generally preempts state law or policy.
The only plausible avenue California has to push back against federal face covering would be if Congress enacts such a law and the president signs it. That’s highly unlikely. The Trump administration says officers in ICE raids would face threats and doxxing if they weren’t masked.
Few constitutional issues arise if the potential anti-masking law is applied only to local police. The concern is more about policy and practice. Holding local officers accountable for their actions must be balanced against giving police discretion to make tactical and operational decisions.
Distilled, mask bans create legal and societal issues that are tough to resolve at any time — but even more so now, as partisan battles brew daily amid aggressive exertions of federal and presidential power.
This article was originally published by CalMatters and written by Stephen Routh, a political science professor at California State University.
Power Saver Rewards: California Communities
By MicroEnterprise Collaborative
As advocates for small business, community collaboration, and local resilience, the Microenterprise Collaborative, Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Redlands Chamber of Commerce urge every Californian—not just businesses, but households too—to take full advantage of the Power Saver Rewards program this Flex Alert season.
Why Power Saver Rewards Matter for Our Communities
Between May and October, Flex Alerts remind us that our power grid faces strain during peak hours (4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.). These alerts aren’t just an inconvenience—they’re a signal for communities to unite for a common purpose:
Keeping the lights on
Avoiding blackouts
Supporting vulnerable neighbors who rely on stable energy access
Power Saver Rewards turns this responsibility into a shared benefit. By reducing electricity use during a Flex Alert, you not only receive a credit on your energy bill, but also help stabilize the grid, protect your neighbors, and show true community leadership. There are no penalties for not participating, only rewards for stepping up.
Micro-Entrepreneurs and Local Chambers: Leading the Charge
Small businesses and microenterprises are the backbone of our local economy. Participation in Power Saver Rewards makes sense—both economically and ethically:
Microenterprises: Save on operating costs and inspire customers by sharing your energy-saving wins.
Businesses: Demonstrate leadership in energy resilience—show that saving power is good for business.
Community: Lead by example—the
more we save, the more we all benefit. Our chambers are proud to stand with entrepreneurs and residents in championing greener practices that bring dividends: lower bills and reduced carbon emissions for everyone.
How to Get Involved Today
Participation is simple:
Register: Visit PowerSaverRewards.org or scan the QR code available at local chamber events, city offices, and on flyers.
Prepare: Before 4:00 p.m. on Flex Alert days, pre-cool your building or home, finish major chores, close blinds, and set your thermostat to 78 degrees.
Act During a Flex Alert: Delay major appliance use, turn off unused lights and electronics, raise your thermostat, and if it’s too hot, visit a cooling center or library.
Spread the Word—Every Kilowatt Counts
Millions of Californians are already enrolled. Are you? Even if automatic enrollment is common, it pays to confirm—visit PowerSaverRewards.org today to ensure your household and business are officially signed up.
Flex Alerts can become opportunities for collective action, savings, and pride. Together, we don’t just earn bill credits—we build stronger, more resilient neighborhoods.
Join Us
The Microenterprise Collaborative, Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Redlands Chamber of Commerce invite you to register, save energy, and help your neighbors today. Together, we can power up for a brighter future.
CLASSIFIEDS
Employment Opportunities
Permanent, fulltime Advertising & Promotions Manager for Nongshim Holdings USA, Inc. for location below. Bachelor’s in any major plus 5 years of full-time post-baccalaureate experience in advertising, marketing, sales, or related, or master’s in advertising, business administration, communications, marketing, or related, plus 2 years of experience in advertising, marketing, sales, or related. Salary is $144,000 per year. Oversee multi-channel advertising campaigns to expand brand presence. Develop and execute promotions across retail, e-commerce, and foodservice channels. Analyze consumer research and ad performance to optimize targeting and ROI. Collaborate with sales/marketing teams on promotional initiatives. Negotiate ad contracts and media buys to maximize reach and efficiency. Oversee trade promotions, sponsorships, and PR to strengthen brand and loyalty. Ensure compliance with advertising regulations and standards. Provide data-driven recommendations to leadership to improve advertising strategies.
If interested, please mail resume to Nongshim Holdings USA, Inc. at 12155 6th Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730, attn.: Jae Yoo.
Inland Empire PRISM Collective to Host Lavender Gala, Seeks Sponsors to Strengthen LGBTQ+
By Manny Sandoval
Inland Empire PRISM Collective, a nonprofit championing LGBTQ wellbeing across the Inland region, will host its inaugural Lavender Gala on Oct. 18 at the Sterling Natural Resource Center. The event will honor community leaders, celebrate advocacy wins, and offer sponsorship opportunities critical to sustaining its growing slate of programs.
Founded in 2018, PRISM Collective began as a volunteer-driven effort and has since grown into a staff of eight, blending full- and part-time positions. The group’s work spans policy advocacy, youth mentorship, healthcare access, and cultural programming.
“Our mission is to support LGBTQ people’s wellbeing and development in the Inland Empire,” said Erika Ruiz, community organizing director and co-founder. “We create safe spaces, offer educational programs and mentorship for youth, and conduct workshops to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues.”
Volunteers
The organization’s programming includes Trans and NonBinary Hangouts, Queer Up Space Outside, Peer Connection and Wellness, and its new Pride Pathways initiative, which provides LGBTQ+ job seekers with employers that are explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly.
PRISM also engages in voter outreach, housing advocacy, and partnerships with organizations such as Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance and TruEvolution.
Ruiz said the group’s advocacy often involves “counternarrative building” at school board meetings in Riverside and Redlands, where antiLGBTQ+ rhetoric has persisted. “Neutrality always serves the oppressor,” Ruiz said.
The Lavender Gala will honor individuals such as TruEvolution’s Founder and CEO Gabriel Maldonado and San Bernardino City Unified School District Board Member Abigail Rosales-Medina for their contributions to LGBTQ+ youth and community advancement.
“We’re honoring a good list of
LGBTQ+ leaders in this region who have done a lot to support our youth,” Ruiz said. “We’re aiming to garner more sponsorships to continue our programming.”
Director of Finance Rocio Aguayo said the Gala comes at a pivotal moment.
“We’re using funds raised for our programming and to maintain our growth,” Aguayo said. “We have grown quickly the past two years and are trying to sustain where we are. Especially with how scary the political landscape is with LGBTQ+ rights and nonprofits actively losing funding right now, we want to stay here.”
Sponsorship levels for the Lavender Gala range from the $1,000 LGBTQ+ Ally tier to the $10,000 PRISM History Maker package, which includes front-row seating, program advertising, and recognition across PRISM’s platforms.
For sponsorship details or to support the Lavender Gala, visit www.ieprismcollective.org or contact Rivera at miguel@ieprismcollective.org.
By Manny Sandoval
Caltrans and Inland Empire Waterkeeper are inviting volunteers to join them Sept. 20 at Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park for a community cleanup in honor of the 41st Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day.
The event will run from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the park, located at 5759 Jurupa Ave. in Riverside. Community members, local businesses, and organizations are encour-
aged to participate.
The cleanup is part of Caltrans’ statewide Stormwater Campaign, “Let’s Change This to That,” which raises awareness about how trash, litter, and other debris left on highways and near waterways can pollute rivers, creeks, lakes, and the ocean when washed away by the first rains of the season.
Inland Empire Waterkeeper, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting waterways within the Upper Santa Ana River Watershed, is partnering with Caltrans to lead the River-
side event. The organization, established in 2005, focuses on advocacy, education, research, restoration, and enforcement to promote clean water and environmental stewardship.
The Riverside cleanup is among hundreds taking place across California on Coastal Cleanup Day. Participants are asked to RSVP in advance.
For more information or to register, visit iewaterkeeper.org.
PHOTO IE WATERKEEPER
Volunteers collect trash along the Santa Ana River trail at Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park in Riverside during a community cleanup.
