C a d e n C e n t e r T he Final Four Full Of Sur prises

vs Memphis off a questionable no timeout call but haven’t looked back since They defeated 16 seed FDU in round two before defeating a gritty Tennessee team in the sweet 16 and a red hot Kansas State group in the elite eight What has got them here is what can give them a chance vs SDSU; the long ball Throughout their run FAU has been able to hit 3’s in an efficient and timely manner Continue this, and they can beat anyone

Have their jumpers fail however, and they could go out in an ugly fashion For San Diego State, they’re probably the best defensive team left in the tournament They beat a red hot Creighton team in order to get to the final four and have really given their opponents little to no window to beat them I believe that defense wins championships, and that is

Water Bill Assistance is Available at Community Action Par tner ship of San Ber nardino County

Community News

Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) is helping residents with their water or wastewater bill(s) through its Low-Income

Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)

LIHWAP is a federally funded program that offers a one-time payment, up to a maximum of $2,000, to help residents pay their current or past-due water or wastewater bills they have accrued There is no date restriction for when the overdue amount occurred

San Bernardino County households may qualify for assistance if:

Their total household gross income is at or below 60% of the State Median Income or a household member is a current recipient of CalFresh or CalWORKs

They receive service from a participating community water system or wastewater treatment provider (private wells and septic excluded)

Renters may also qualify if: Their water and/or wastewater bill is included in their rental payment, and they are past due on rent

The application for renters will require additional steps as they must complete an agreement with their landlord to apply for the benefit amount

Residents with Disconnect & Shut Off Notices:

Applicants who are in danger of getting services disconnected, or whose services have already been disconnected, can submit the application as soon as possible with all the paperwork to be processed for immediate assistance

Qualifying Amount:

Households that qualify for LIHWAP could reduce their water or wastewater charges, or both if their bills include both services, by up to $2,000

Once an applicant is found eligible, a credit will be applied to their water and/or wastewater bill within 45 days or less CAPSBC staff will send a pledge to the water company or wastewater treatment provider with the approved amount, however, this does not always stop or prevent disconnections if the non-payment process has been too long

To schedule an appointment, San Bernardino County residents can call 909-723-1500

Applications can also be submitted via fax, email, in-person, or mailed in why SDSU is my pick to go to the championship game

To me, Miami is officially a “tournament program” What I mean by that is they step up their game like no other when it comes time for the big dance They made an improbable run last year as a double digit seed and have done it again this time as a 5 seed

The Hurricanes ran through the gauntlet path of Indiana, Houston, and Texas to get here and as a result are as battle tested as anybody If they can continue to have that “it” factor, they have a shot to win

As for the UConn Huskies, there’s no team in the final four hotter than this group They absolutely obliterated their elite 8 matchup, Gonzaga, 82-54 in a game I went into believing that the win- ner would become the champion I still believe in that statement I think the Huskies shut down the U and advance to yet another national championship where they will take down the winner of SDSU vs FAU

March Madness has provided us with yet another years worth of clutch shots and unforgettable moments It all will conclude in Houston, Texas when the Final Four arrives at NRG Stadium on Saturday

This will then be followed by the championship game on Monday where we could see FAU, SDSU, or Miami get their first ever title or UConn add another trophy to their collection

Bewar e of potholes, and r epor t them!

Community News

The vexing thing about potholes is that they are most likely to appear during the time of year when they are nearly impossible to fix Repair materials do not bond well, if at all, when it's cold and wet

The snow and the rain that has been abusing the mountain communities is also abusing the mountain roads, so many roads are showing signs of damage with new cracks and potholes Public Works crews are aware of the damage and will begin making repairs after the roads dry out

Until repairs can be made, motorists are encouraged to drive with caution, watch the road, keep in mind a shallow-looking puddle can actually be a deep puddle, and report pothole and other road issues by using the SeeClickFix app

You can download the app at Google Play or the Apple App Store Get more information at the Department of Public Works website

SeeClickFix is free and it allows county residents to provide the County Public Works team with pictures, videos, and descriptions of road issues

The app also allows residents to request cindering on local roads and report issues such as snow damage or cars blocking snow plows The app can also be used to report flooding and blocked storm drains

The County is helping to keep nuisance traffic in check by promoting its No Snow Play on the Roadway campaign to discourage people from heading to the mountains with plans to pull to the side of a highway to sled, make snowmen, and throw snowballs at each other

The County will leverage billboards and social media to make sure everyone knows that road-side snow play can be met with fines and towaways

Striving f or g r eatness: Fir st-generation CSUSB student on the path to

Community News

She can still hear it more than 15 years later: “Mexican girls like Ally are made for house cleaning not college ”

Ally Bledsoe’s second-grade tutor had uttered those words to her after she had submitted a “sloppy” handwriting assignment “I know I was very young,” Bledsoe says, “but I will never forget when I was sitting there and told myself, ‘No matter what happens in my life, I will prove her wrong ’”

She did

In 2018, the same year she graduated high school, Bledsoe enrolled at Cal State San Bernardino as a first-generation biology major She will graduate with her bachelor ’s degree in spring 2023 and is on the path to become a pediatric oncologist

“It’s very intimidating and it’s very scary,” she admits “I will be the first doctor in my whole family I have nobody to look to, so it’s all on me But it’s also very exciting ”

In her freshman and sophomore years at CSUSB, Bledsoe worked four jobs to pay for school and help her mother with household bills, while also taking care of her grandmother, who has dementia “It was very hard,” she recalls “But I managed ”

Luckily, she was the recipient of the CSUSB S L Gimbel Foundation Scholarship, not once, but twice, at $10,000 each “It helped me out a lot,” she says, noting that she was able to put some into her savings for medical school

While a lot of the financial burden has been lifted, Bledsoe is still hard at work, waking up at 3:30 a m to catch the 5:20 a m shuttle from Coachella to the San Bernardino campus every Monday and Wednesday

“Even though I am very tired, I know that it’s going to be worth it in the end because it will pay off,” says Bledsoe, who works in CSUSB associate professor Jeremy Dodsworth’s research lab “All the late nights and early mornings – it will pay off ”

Her dream of becoming a pediatric oncologist stems from her love of children

“Seeing life through a child’s eyes is unexplainable It’s pure, it’s magical, it’s beautiful,” she says, adding that cancer runs in her family, which is why she chose to pursue oncology

“I want to help children from all walks of life,” she explains “I want to show them that there is life during and after cancer because I know cancer is very ugly I want to find a cure for cancer so no child will have to lose their childhood ”

Bledsoe says part of her motivation comes from those who have doubted her, including her second-grade tutor “What about getting a husband?” some family members have even asked “A husband is not going to get me my MD,” she responds “I will ”

A tough childhood also influenced her commitment to succeed Bledsoe was born and raised in an area plagued with gang violence, was raised by a single mother in a low-income household, and had a troubled father who was in and out of her life

Despite her barriers, Bledsoe has always been determined to achieve her goals, not only for herself, but for her best friend – her mother – as well as for her future children and patients

“I want to give my mom a good life, the life that she deserves,” she affirms “I want to be able to give my future children the life that I have always wanted, and I want to be the best doctor I can be for my future patients That’s what pushes me to be great ”

And pursuing higher education was the path she knew she had to take “I breathe education I breathe my major I need it,” she says “I knew education was the only way out for my mother and I ”

But that does not mean she plans to leave behind the area where she was born and raised In fact, she hopes to someday open her own pediatric cancer clinic in the Coachella Valley since one does not exist

“I want to provide that here so the child does not have to change their entire environment as a result of cancer, and the parents do not have to worry about paying for gas and missing a lot of work to be there for their child," she says “At my clinic, I want to be able to help every child that comes I do not care if they cannot afford it I refuse to turn them away ”

For Bledsoe, kindness and understanding are the most important traits in a doctor, noting that many people think that being a doctor just means being smart

“Yes, it is being intelligent, but I also think it’s about how you are kind, how you have compassion, how you have empathy,” she explains “You understand their needs and do your research so you can figure out answers to their questions ”

Soon she will be one step closer to her dreams and walking across the stage at Commencement as a proud, firstgeneration CSUSB graduate, where more than 80% of its students identify as first generation

“CSUSB, I think, is the home of firstgens,” she says “When I graduate, I will be graduating with a lot of firstgenerations, so it will be a milestone for all of us and we will all experience it together Even if I don’t know them, we are still connected by being firstgenerations ”

And while she continues a fulfilling academic journey, she is also currently experiencing a deeply personal one –a journey of forgiveness

“Recently my father passed away,” she reveals “CSUSB provided me with therapy, which in the Mexican culture, that’s looked down upon I was raised to keep it inside I will forever be grateful and will forever be indebted to CSUSB

“My father has caused a lot of turmoil in my 23 years of life and now that he is no longer here, I am figuring out how to forgive him,” she continues “Out of everything I have been through in my life, this journey will probably be the hardest one I never knew how strong I was until I had to come to terms with forgiving my father without receiving an apology I am forgiving my father because I deserve peace

“I have learned that my story may not have such a happy beginning, but that does not make me who I am – it is the rest of my story It doesn’t matter how I started What matters is how I finish I truly believe that where there is darkness, there will always be greatness ”

CSUSB pr esident af filiates with Excelencia in Education’s Pr esidents f or Latino Student Success networ k

Community News

Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority in efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education, announced that Tomás D Morales, president of Cal State San Bernardino, has joined the Presidents for Latino Student Success network

This important national network is comprised of college and university presidents and chancellors who commit to making their institutions learning environments where Latino students thrive The institutions in Excelencia’s network are transforming higher education Through the network, Morales will collaborate with Excelencia to leverage collective expertise and resources, foster partnerships, and amplify current efforts at the national level

“I am deeply honored and proud to be part of this amazing group of leaders who are dedicated to providing an exceptional higher education experience not only to Latino students but to all students,” Morales said “Though our campuses are located throughout the country, our goal is the same – create an educational environment where students not only succeed, but excel and are ready to lead our communities as the future leaders of our society

Of the thousands of colleges and universities across the country, the 175 institutions in the network enroll one in four of all Latino students in higher education

More importantly, these institutions account for one in three of all Latino graduates In fact, a subset of the Excelencia network – 30 institutions that have been certified with the Seal of Excelencia –represents 13 of all Latino enrollment and graduates 14 percent of all Latinos in the U S

Excelencia professionals, the leadership network, and their campus teams, actively collaborate to put evidencebased practices and strategic analysis of student data to use supporting and ad-

$3.8 million dollar s now available f or ar tists in River side and San Ber nardino County

by Cr eative Cor ps

Community News

Creative Corps Inland SoCal, a state-funded project of the California Arts Council (CAC) with regional arts organizations from Inland Southern California, announced and opened a request for proposals (RFP) to fund individual artists and community-based organizations to employ artists in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties The goal is to strengthen and further the creative workforce in and across Inland Southern California and to promote artist-driven projects that aim to spark social change on key issues identified by CAC $3 8 million dollars will be made available, with grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 given directly to artists and community-based organizations to fund creative initiatives and projects that address the most pressing issues in the region, including public health and pandemic

Inland SoCal

recovery, water and energy conservation, disaster preparedness and recovery, voter and civic participation, and social justice and community engagement

The Creative Corps Inland SoCal has already hosted multiple listening sessions throughout February across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties to inform community members and receive feedback from potential participants on ways to ensure the regranting process is equitable, inclusive, and transparent

Residents voiced their thoughts on the regranting program and provided area-specific examples of the key social issues identified in the grant that are currently facing the region All community insights have been incorporated into the grant program guidelines and process

“Listening to the voices of artists, people of color, tribal communities, and vancing the talents, skills and contributions of Latino students and the institutions

“Higher education leaders with skills and vision are fundamental to our country’s strong recovery,” Sarita Brown, cofounder and president of Excelencia, said “Those prepared to engage and intentionally serve Latino students, while serving all their students, will lead the way ”

Excelencia is honored to work with the trendsetting presidents and chancellors who have accepted this challenge as the leaders in the network have made common cause with Excelencia to accelerate Latino student success in higher education, according to the organization

Cal State San Bernardino, a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution since 1994, is now the second largest HSI in California and the 16th largest in the country As of the fall 2022 semester, 67 percent of the CSUSB student body is Hispanic with the fall 2018 cohort of full-time, first-time freshmen having a four-year graduation rate of 24 2 percent, and the CSUSB fall 2016 cohort of full-time, first-time freshmen having a six-year graduation rate of 54 3 percent

As an HSI, CSUSB has also shown its effectiveness in how well it serves its low-income students

In a 2022 Economic Mobility Index (EMI) ranking by the national think tank, Third Way, CSUSB was listed No 8 in the nation Unlike prioritizing selectivity and test scores like traditional rankings, the think tank took a different approach: They defined value based on how well institutions serve their low-income students, in addition to the proportion of low- and moderate-income students a school serves The report saw a group of Hispanic-Serving Institutions topping the list, including CSUSB

Visit the Presidents for Latino Student Success webpage to learn more about the network and other institutional leaders across the country affiliated with Excelencia

VA Loma Linda hosts Women’s Health Center open house March 31

Community News those that are most impacted by health and environmental issues are critical to properly inform our approach and process We are not simply funding art projects

This is a pilot program for workforce development through the arts in the region This program will have a lasting impact on how we view art and how we fund and promote creative projects across Inland SoCal ” Jennifer Kane, Executive Director of Arts Connection - The Arts Council of San Bernardino County

Technical assistance programs, listed on the application, will be available to artists and applicants at no cost, through community mentors and workshops

Deadline to apply is set for May 1, 2023

Apply to the regranting program or learn more about the Creative Corps a t : creativeinlandsocal com

VA Loma Linda Healthcare System is hosting an open house event for the Women’s Health Center at 10391 Corporate Drive in Redlands March 31 from 2-4 p m The event is open to the public

Visitors can tour VA Loma Linda’s newest location, where women Veterans receive comprehensive care in an updated private setting The open house will feature clinic tours, interactive exhibits, and information tables

“We’re excited to serve the growing population of women Veterans at VA, with health care that is tai- lored to their needs in a sensitive, respectful environment,” said VALLHS Women Veterans Program Manager Lisa Roybal “Women Veterans belong at VA ”

VALLHS Women’s Health Center opened in September 2022, expanding access for women Veterans by nearly doubling the space designated for women-centric care The 12,000-square-foot facility features 12 single-patient private exam rooms and two procedure rooms with dedicated patient lift systems The center has 17 front parking spaces, two ADA accessible, and 11 additional rear parking spots

The Women’s Health

Center contains the comprehensive primary care women’s health clinic, gynecology surgery service, and Women Veterans Program manager and team Regular business hours are 8 a m to 4:30 p m Monday through Friday

Our Women Veterans Program offers comprehensive healthcare services including primary care, gynecology, nutrition, mental health and more If you have questions about the Women Veterans Program or Women’s Health Center, please contact the VALLHS Women’s Health Center at 909-583-6765

For more information, visit Women Veteran Care | VA Loma Linda Health Care | Veterans Affairs