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By Dr. G (Dr. Luis S. González), community writer
At the recent Council meeting, members of the Colton City Council recognized 14 local teachers and proclaimed June 4 as Colton Teacher Appreciation Day. As Dr.G read their names, he also presented them with a certificate from the Council, and announced their subject matter and school.
The teachers are employed with the Colton Joint Unified School District and represent-
ed a variety of subjects including Welding, 4th grade, College and Career Readiness, Band, HEAL Program, Auto Shop, Math, Wellness Program, History and Graphic Communication. In addition, two of the teachers, Jennie Blenkinsop and David Wheatley were announced as being recently retired, 28 years and 32 years, respectively.
The Teacher Appreciation program was established by DrG in 2019, when he himself retired after teaching 41 years. As such, there is a close connection that exists between the Council and the Colton Public Schools. All 14 teachers were in attendance,
and several were accompanied by spouses and families. The atmosphere during the presentation was positive and uplifting as every individual in the audience has been impacted by a teacher.
When reading the proclamation, DrG emphasized, “The Teacher Appreciation Day is an important occasion for all of us,” and continued, “Teachers make a positive contribution to our children’s education and their success. They are true heroes in our community, who through their dedication to
By Manny Sandoval
In a major turn of events, Governor Gavin Newsom has reversed a significant portion of the proposed budget cuts to the California Arts Council (CAC).
The proposed $22.5 million cut, representing a drastic 58 percent reduction to the council's grants budget, has been revised to a $5 million cut following robust advocacy efforts.
This decision is a vital reprieve for the arts community, particularly in the Inland Empire, where arts organizations have been actively fighting against these cuts.
Advocacy Efforts Prove Impactful Alejandro Gutierrez Chavez, Executive Director of Arts Connection, shared key updates following a meeting with Senator Steven Padilla’s office. "Thanks to our community’s collective advocacy efforts,
we’ve made significant progress with our elected officials at the state level," said Gutierrez Chavez. "Both houses have agreed to maintain the full equitable payroll fund of $12.5 million, a huge win for the performing arts sector. Additionally, they have revised the $10 million cut to the California Arts Council to a $5 million cut and have pledged to fully fund the CAC in the 2025-2026 budget. As a result, we are now looking at a $5 million cut compared
their students, work millions of small miracles every day.”
The recipients of this recognition were as follows;
Chris Barta – Colton High School, Welding
Jennie Blinkinsop – Lincoln Elementary School, 4thgrade (2024 Retired)
Deenica Burns – Joe Baca Middle School, College & Career Readiness
Aron Campbell – Colton High School, Band
Kristin Griffith – Colton High School, HEAL Program
Dawna Hughes – Colton High School HEAL Program
Megan Kelley – Colton High School, HEAL Program
Marcos Meza – Colton High School, Auto Shop
IE Arts
to the initial $22.5 million cut. This is a significant improvement!"
The Power of Collective Voices
Josiah Bruny, Founder of Music Changing Lives, expressed his excitement during a live update on the Inland Insight with IECN Podcast. "I’m thrilled to announce that my colleagues of the California Arts Council and Californians for the Arts are in Sacramento right now, and we just received an email from them," said Bruny.
"We’re thrilled that the state leaders have reversed 75 percent of the cuts that have been proposed. Advocates have sent over 9,000 letters and made calls, our efforts have been incredibly successful. Congratulations, but there is still work that needs to be done."
Bruny highlighted the power of collective voices in driving change. "If we are not talking about issues, signing petitions, and engaging with our legislators, nothing gets done. I want to thank everyone who participated in this advocacy."
The Impact on the Inland Empire
The Inland Empire, a region that receives only 2 percent of the CAC budget, faces unique challenges. "So you're talking about an agency sending out millions of dollars, and if we're all artists here fighting for just 2 percent of the funds as the largest county in the State, that's only 67 cents per capita being invested into our communities," Bruny explained. "We need to become very effective at letting the state know that we lead the arts in the Inland Empire."
Jorge Osvaldo, Executive Director of the Garcia Center for the Arts, emphasized the importance of continued advocacy. "The budget that has been approved for $12.5 million to launch the equi-
Robert Montano – Colton High School, Math
Theresa Rago – Colton High School, Wellness Program
Sara Starbuck - Lincoln Elementary School, 4thgrade
Myriam Whall – Colton High School, Wellness Program
David Wheatley – Colton High School, History (2024 Retired)
Tom Wurz – Colton High School, Graphic Communications
These fourteen local teachers are to be congratulated for their success in educating the students of Colton, and represent positive role-models and mentors that can be counted on to guide and lead our students through their educational journeys.
The City of Colton continues to support the teachers in the public schools and is honored to recognize these outstanding teachers as part of the Colton Teacher Appreciation Day for 2024.
table payroll fund to pay performing arts creatives has been preserved as well. We need to ensure we are able to preserve agencies like the California Arts Council because there is a threat of the state trying to have the arts council placed under the governor's office for business."
Osvaldo underscored the importance of maintaining the CAC as an independent agency. "We want to make sure that the California Arts Council stays as an independent agency, as it ensures the people that run it have a good understanding of what it means to be a working artist and creative entrepreneur; it’ll better keep the agency from becoming a bureaucracy."
Success Stories and Future Prospects
Osvaldo shared a success story from the Inland Empire, highlighting the impact of CAC funding. "The Inland Film Festival, which just launched a very successful event in downtown San Bernardino, received a $100K grant from the California Arts Council through the Creative Core Fund and $25K from the Impact Project Grant. This festival brought together hundreds of local filmmakers, including producers, directors, cinematographers, audio engineers, actors, and actresses. This just goes to show how important these dollars are to artists in the community."
With the revised cuts, the arts sector in California, particularly in underserved regions like the Inland Empire, has gained a crucial reprieve. However, the fight continues as advocates work to ensure sustained and increased funding in future budgets.
The collective efforts of the arts community have made a substantial impact, demonstrating the power of advocacy and the importance of the arts in California. As the state moves forward, continued support and engagement will be critical in ensuring the vitality and growth of the arts sector.
San Bernardino County Homeless Population Growth Slows to 1% Amid
IECN StaffSan Bernardino County's homeless population grew by just 1 percent over the past year, a stark contrast to the 26 percent surge in 2022 and 6.6 percent increase in 2021. This slowdown, revealed by the latest Point-inTime Count (PITC) data, is a sign that the county's aggressive efforts to combat homelessness are beginning to pay off.
The January 25 PITC data indicated a modest rise in the homeless population, with 42 more individuals reported than last year, bringing the total to 4,237. This slight increase includes a 2.6 percent uptick in unsheltered individuals, with 79 more people living on the streets compared to 2023.
However, there was a 3.1 percent decrease in the number of sheltered homeless individuals, signaling potential progress in finding more permanent solutions.
“This data shows a flattening of our homeless numbers, which is a promising sign that we are heading in the right direction,” said Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman. He, along with Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., serves on the County Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee.
Baca Jr. emphasized the county's commitment to addressing homelessness, highlighting investments in projects like Kern Street and Pacific Village, which provide crucial services such as substance use treatment and recu-
perative care beds. “The County of San Bernardino is taking significant strides to address this issue head-on,” he said. “These efforts are crucial for improving the health and well-being of our community.”
In a major push last September, Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe initiated the formation of an ad hoc committee under the direction of County Chief Executive Officer Luther Snoke. The committee's mission is to delve into the root causes of homelessness and offer comprehensive policy and strategy recommendations.
Earlier in 2023, the Board of Supervisors allocated $72.7 million towards a Homelessness Spending Plan, with an additional $20 million reserved for filling project gaps. This financial commitment is supplemented by nearly $89 million in grants secured by the County Department of Behavioral Health to establish or expand facilities and beds for the homeless.
The PITC, conducted by over 500 volunteers on January 25, was a collaborative effort involving the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership, the San Bernardino County Office of Homeless Services, and the Institute for Urban Initiatives. Volunteers, including Board of Supervisors members, used Esri’s ArcGIS software platform to conduct the count, enhancing accuracy and efficiency through digital surveys.
Read more at IECN.com.
Applications for $5,000 Grants Opening June 15 for Restaurants & Caterers in IE, LA, OC
Comunity News
The California Restaurant Foundation (CRF), a nonprofit focused on investing in and empowering California restaurants and their workforce, has proudly partnered with California’s energy companies to launch the fourth consecutive Restaurants Care® Resilience Fund. Thanks to the generosity of SoCalGas, The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), CRF will award $5,000 grants to 278 independent business owners across California. For the first time, commercial caterers are eligible to apply, in addition to independent restaurant owners.
“Our decision to open applications to commercial caterers came after hearing countless stories from catering businesses asking for support, as they too
are an essential part of any local food scene,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRF. “The foundation, along with our generous partners, proudly continue our Resilience Fund efforts year after year to ensure California’s independent restauranteurs and food business owners remain an integral part of our state’s vibrant dining community and economy for decades to come.”
Resilience Fund recipients can use the financial assistance to support vital business needs, including kitchen equipment upgrades, technology improvements, unforeseen hardships and employee training programs and retention bonuses. By investing in these critical areas, restaurant owners and caterers can enhance operational efficiency, improve service quality and foster a more skilled
workforce. The Resilience Fund is thoughtfully designed not only to provide immediate relief, but also to ensure the longterm resilience and sustainability of California’s restaurant community.
Resilience Fund applications will be open from June 15 to June 30, 2024, and can be found at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience. Grants will be available to all California-based restaurant owners and commercial caterers within the utility companies' service areas, provided they operate fewer than five units and generate less than $3 million in annual revenue.
Priority consideration will be given to restaurants that have not received a grant previously.
San Bernardino Library’s Popular Summer Reading Program is Underway
Community News
The San Bernardino Public Library and the Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library have announced that their popular Summer Reading Program has returned. The free program, which will run through August 3, is open to readers of all ages.
The goal of the program is to encourage reading, especially by kids, during the summer months. This year's theme is "Read! Renew! Repeat!" which encourages skill development and exploration, both in books and
outdoors.
Participating readers will be eligible for a drawing to earn prizes based upon their age. Kids will be eligible for meal coupons from restaurants like In-N-Out Burger and Jersey Mike’s. Teens can win earbuds and a Viva La Boba voucher for teens, and adults can win free movies and bags of books. Grand prize winners at each age level will receive Amazon gift cards.
Drawings for the prizes will be held at the completion of the program in early August.
Participants earn online badges based upon their time spent reading. Each badge earned will give participants an entry into the prize drawing. Teens and adults will also be able to write online reviews of the books they read to earn extra prize entries.
The Summer Reading Program will be administered online. Participants can sign-up at sbpl.beanstack.org or download the Beanstack app to track their reading minutes, share book reviews, and gain entries for the grand prize raffle at the end.
Popular Summer Concert Series Returning to San Bernardino’s Historic Roosevelt Bowl
Community News
The City of San Bernardino Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department is bringing back its popular “Sizzlin’ Summer Nights” Concert Series at Perris Hill Park’s Historic Roosevelt Bowl for eight Thursday nights starting June 6 and running through August 1.
Now in its third year, the free series will feature music, food, artesian vendors, and activities.
Perris Hill Park’s Roosevelt Bowl is located at 1003 East Highland Avenue in San Bernardino.
Musical styles during the series will include Funk and Soul, Motown, Country, Big Band Swing, Latin Soul, Top 40, as well as performances by two popular Southern California tribute bands.
“Evenings at the Roosevelt Bowl are amazing, and the Summer Concerts turn it into one big dance party,” said San Bernardino Parks, Recreation,
and Community Services Director Lydie Gutfeld.
Kicking off the series on Thursday, June 6, will be Nojac, a San Bernardino based funk and soul group. Nojac has opened for bands such as Tierra and Malo, and their set includes favorites from artists such as James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Tower of Power.
Performers during the series are:
June 13: Blue Breeze Band (Motown)
June 20: Nubes – Pride Night (Caifanes Tribute)
June 27 Pulp Vixen Band (Classic Rock)
July 11: Country Nation (Country)
July 18: Wise Guys Big Band (Big Band Vegas Swing)
July 25: Latin Soul Band (Cumbias, Salsa, Reggaetón)
August 1: No Duh (No Doubt Tribute Band)
