R I A L T O R E C O R D e eekkllyy

By Manny Sandoval

The Inland Empire Community News

(IECN) marks a significant transition as Gloria Macias Harrison, former owner, and publisher, has announced the sale of the community news organization to long-standing employees Denise Berver and Manny Sandoval

IECN has a rich history in the Inland Empire, with the Colton Courier beginning

By Manny Sandoval

The City of Rialto, in partnership with comm u n i t y o rg a n i z a t i o n

Never Stop Grinding Impact (NSG), is hosting its first annual Juneteenth celebration on June 23rd at Margaret Todd Park The event, part of the city's summer-long "Movies in t h e P a r k " s e r i e s , p r o m o t e s u n i t y, f r e e d o m , a n d c u l t u r a l awareness

" We w i l l b e s c r e e n i n g Wakanda Forever because it's a black-themed film that coincides with black culture and history," said Darious Harris, f o u n d e r a n d C E O o f N S G

Impact The film will be showcased as part of the event, and f a m i l i e s a r e e n c o u r a g e d t o b r i n g c h a i r s , b l a n k e t s , a n d s n a c k s t o e n j o y t h e m o v i e under the stars

Tameka Grayson, NSG's chief operating officer, highlighted the importance of including an educational element in the cele- in 1876, Rialto Record in 1910, and El Chicano in 1968 El Chicano, founded by Bill and Gloria Macias Harrison, was established to change the negative perception of Mexican Americans and Chicanos in the area, educate the public on community issues, and provide a voice for the underserved and underrepresented

Starting as a project of the University of California, El Chicano became an independent press in 1969 and has published a weekly newspaper every week for 54 years

Gloria Macias Harrison said, “We wanted t o c h a n g e t h e p u b l i c ’s p e r c e p t i o n o f Mexican Americans and Chicanos in our area; while educating the public on issues that affected the progress of our community Today, I’m proud to have published a newspaper every week over the past 54 years that reflect our communities and their issues I’m very proud to hand over the

IECN, cont on next pg bration "We also wanted to integrate an educational elem e n t , s o w e ' l l b e r e a d i n g Juneteenth A Children's Story at the event, as literacy is a pillar o f R i a l t o U n i f i e d S c h o o l District, which is one of our community partners So we're encouraging kids to read something different while telling the Juneteenth story in a kid-friendly way," Grayson said

The event serves as a reminder o f t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f J u n e t e e n t h , c o m m e m o r a t i n g the end of slavery in the United States and its recent recognition as a national holiday "We want to make sure people know this event is for everyone to celebrate culture and a fun way to g e t t h e c o m m u n i t y o u t , " Grayson added

Harris emphasized the importance of bringing the Juneteenth c e l e b r a t i o n t o R i a l t o " J u n eteen th r ep r es en ts u n ity, freedom, and equity So it's important to bring it to my NSG, cont on next pg legacy of IECN to Denise Berver and Manny Sandoval, who grew up with the newspaper and understand the spirit behind the publications ”

Berver, a 28-year employee and former Legal Advertising Manager, and Sandoval, Managing News Editor, will now serve as co-owners and publishers of the respected publication

A Colton native and IECN employee since her senior year of high school, Berver has built a strong reputation within the organization and community through her competence, efficiency, and trustworthiness

Berver said, “I learned the business from the publisher, especially Bill Harrison I operate like Bill does, ensuring everything runs smoothly for years I look forward to advancing our publication and utilizing technology to expand and maintain our community ties I accept the legacy and look forward to modernizing ”

Manny Sandoval, who began writing for IECN as a 19-year-old student at San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC), expressed his passion for the publication, stat- ing, “Initially, I became inspired to write and passionate about spotlighting non-profit organizations when I was just 12 years old after experiencing the loss of my younger brother to cancer My mom encouraged me to get out there, and it truly was a form of therapy that has since turned into a full-fledged career For the past decade, it has been rewarding and a privilege to shine a light on the initiatives being executed and positive news across the Inland Empire ”

Sandoval continued, “I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy, collaborating and partnering with KVCR, SBVC’s Department of Film, TV, and Media, and Colton High School’s Pepper Bough to elevate our digital and print news coverage in the cities of San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto, and beyond ”

Bill and Gloria Macias Harrison are proud of the opportunities they have provided young people through their newspapers, stating, “We are very proud of serving our communities and the lives we have affected for people who have worked with us The opportunities we provided to people over the years have landed former employees in PR, communications, national news companies, and government organizations We’re happy to have been part of this for over five decades We look forward to future collaboration with the IECN and remaining active in our community ”

As the new co-owners and publishers of IECN, Berver and Sandoval aim to preserve the legacy of the news publications while embracing modernization and new technologies Both SBVC and California State University, San Bernardino alums are committed to maintaining the strong community ties the publication has built

As IECN embarks on its new chapter, the communities it serves can look forward to an ongoing commitment to providing positive community news, highlighting local issues, and championing balanced stories that matter to the residents of the Inland Empire With the combined experience, passion, and dedication of Berver and Sandoval at the helm, the future of IECN looks brighter than ever

For more information about the Inland Empire Community News and its transition, visit iecn com or follow them on social media @iecommunitynews

NSG city," he said "I want my kids to appreciate how far we've come and understand our ancestors' struggles It's about teaching them humility and not taking anything for granted "

The event will feature food, vendors, music, youth activities, games and giveaways, and art Registrations for the giveaways can be made on the NSG Impact website However, it's first come, first served, and registration does not guarantee items

In addition to the movie screening, the event is part of an eight-week series running every Friday throughout the summer (excluding the week of July 4th), starting on June 2nd at Rialto City Park

The IEHP-sponsored event is open to all residents, not just those of Rialto

The Juneteenth Celebration of Culture will occur on June 23rd, from 5 - 11 PM at Margaret Todd Park The movie starts at sundown For more information, call (909)421-4949

CSUSB Entr epr eneurial Teams Take Fir st Place at Star t-up Competition

Community News

Two Cal State San Bernardino student teams representing the university’s School of Entrepreneurship took first place in their respective categories at the Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition held May 4-5 at San Jose State University

The competition, hosted by the SJSU SpartUp Program, featured 18 California State University campuses that competed for a total of $200,000 in prizes provided by sponsor Sunstone Management

The event featured five separate competition tracks: two product tracks, two services tracks and one social entrepreneurship track Each team delivered an 8-minute pitch presentation, followed by a 5-minute Q&A from the judges

CSUSB’s two teams – AxoTech and Solubrin – competed in both of the product tracks where they each took first place, winning $25,000 each

“The incredible performance of our student startup teams is a testament to the hard work and dedi- cation of both the students and our experienced entrepreneurship faculty,” said Mike Stull, School of Entrepreneurship director “This further reinforces why CSUSB’s entrepreneurship programs are recognized as among the best in the world for fostering entrepreneurship and innovation ”

The teams were coached by the School of Entrepreneurship faculty, led by associate professor Anna Long, assistant professor Ezekiel Bonillas, assistant professor Peiyi Jia and entrepreneur-inresidence and lecturer Steve Abbott

AxoTech LLC, an innovative handheld chemical sensor company that specializes in the development and deployment of advanced AI and machine learning technologies to address the growing concerns around hazardous substances, particularly fentanyl

The team members: Lizette Velasquez, Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MSEI) and MBA cybersecurity; Gustavo Cruz, MBA entrepreneurship (alumni); Oscar Flores Gonzalez, BA entrepreneurship; and Jorge Alberto Cervantes, BA entrepreneurship