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impressive features designed to cater to the needs of both residents and long-haul truck drivers The facility has 14 gas and eight diesel pumps, ensuring an ample fuel supply for many vehicles Additionally, the center provides 92 parking spots, e n s u r i n g c o n v e n i e n c e a n d accessibility for travelers

David Lopez, the travel center manager, highlighted the extensive amenities available to visitors "We have a range of facilities to enhance the overall experience for our customers," said Lopez "Among them, we have a cat scale for truckers, seven showers, a comfortable drivers l o u n g e , a n d v a r i o u s d i n i n g o p t i o n s s u c h a s A r b y ' s , C i n n a b o n , a n d a d e l i Additionally, we have a fully stocked convenience store and c l e a n , w e l l - m a i n t a i n e d restrooms "

The positive impact of the Travel Center extends beyond its economic value Acting City Manager Arron Brown stressed the project's significance: "It's b i g g e r t h a n j u s t e c o n o m i c value You'll take these trucks and commercial vehicles off the road, get off here to get their fuel and food, and hop back on the freeway "

By IECN Staff

When it comes to science, math and engineering, the Knights of Rialto High School are conquering by land and water

Rialto High School placed third at the Inland Solar Challenge on May 21 The annual competition tests students' abilities to design, build and then race a sixteen-foot boat equipped with solar technology The three-day event at Yucaipa Regional Park was the culmination of six months of work

Wi t h a b o a t i n s p i r e d b y L i g h t n i n g

McQueen from the Disney movie series “Cars,” Rialto High School earned the Best

Boat Craftsmanship Award

As part of the competition, students wrote two technical papers about their designs and presented a public service announcement about California’s water conservation e ff o r t s T h e y a l s o c o m p e t e d i n a n endurance, slalom, and sprint race Teams earn points at each stage of the competition Cajon High School took first place followed by Yucaipa High School in second

Mikal Thompson, Rialto High School M E S A ( M a t h e m a t i c s , E n g i n e e r i n g , Science, Achievement) teacher, said his students “rose to the occasion” for the competition

“I am really proud of our solar boat team,” Thompson stated “Although the students encountered several challenges along the way, they came together as a team with perseverance and determination and created an a m a z i n g - l o o k i n g a n d f u n c t i o n i n g b o a t After years and years of coming up short during the endurance race, this year's boat has been our most reliable Taking third place overall is a huge accomplishment for us, especially since 19 out of the 20 students on the team have never worked on the solar boat before Sixteen of the students are seniors and this was a great way to end their high school careers ”

RUSD, cont on next pg

Travel

In a gesture of goodwill towards the community, Pilot Company presented a generous check of $20,000 to the Rialto Unified School District (RUSD) The funds will enhance the district's technology initiatives, benefiting

Rusd

students and educators

As the Rialto Pilot Travel Center welcomes travelers and locals alike, the city anticipates a boost in tax revenue, improved transportation logistics, and enhanced amenities for the region With its array of services and convenient

The MESA program at Rialto High School, which is led by Thompson, has been on a run of recent success Several students placed at the Southern California MESA Regional Competition in April The Think Tank team of Anthony Freeman and Luis Ochoa took second place in the competition and Juan Ascencio-Martinez, Raiaan Hossain, and Harnoor Babbar placed fourth in the Math Escape Challenge The Knights also hosted its first-ever Rube-A-Thon Competition in February Rialto High School took first place in that competition

The mission of the Inland Solar Challenge is to “expand the horizon of education through handson activities, allowing students to create innovative ideas while providing a positive forum to implement their problem-solving and creativity skills,” according to the event website, www inlandsolarchallenge com

Devin Arciniega, the event co-chair and the Water Conservation and Public Affairs Manager for the San Bernadino Municipal Water Department, said Rialto High School’s “creativity and enthusiasm have been apparent throughout their years participating in the challenge ” location at the corner of Alder Avenue and Sierra Lakes Parkway, the center aims to become a preferred destination for those needing fuel, sustenance, and a comfortable break during their travels

“Rialto High School is one of the more creative schools They did a phenomenal job,” Arciniega said “They impressed me so much They have tenacity, for sure You’ve seen all that hard work over the years Even though this year they have a lot of new students participating, you’ve seen them continue to get better You can see how much they’ve grown and how they’ve enhanced their strategy They are always so positive and they have fun with the challenge ”

This year ’s Inland Solar Challenge was sponsored by West Valley Water District, which sponsored the Rialto High School team, the City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department, Yucpia Valley Water District, East Valley Water District, the City of Redlands, the City of Colton, Water and Electric, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency

“I could not be prouder of this set of students who have pushed themselves for months to compete and excel in the Inland Solar Challenge,” Dr Caroline Sweeney, Rialto High School Principal, stated “They have made Rialto High School proud and showed just what grit, determination, academic prowess and sportsmanship they truly have I know they have found a second family with their team and we celebrate with them ”

Inland Empir e Community News Honor ed at San Ber nardino County Museum Association's 2023 Buck y Ball Gala

By Manny Sandoval

The San Bernardino County Museum Association's annual Bucky Ball Gala was held on May 13th, drawing attention to the vital work of the nonprofit organization in supporting the San Bernardino County Museum and its branch, the Victor Valley Museum Among the esteemed honorees was Inland Empire Community News (IECN), recognized with the prestigious Good Egg award for its outstanding contributions to the community

Publisher Emeritus Gloria Macias Harrison spoke passionately about the origins of IECN, stating, "We started El Chicano in the 1960s as a way to combat negative ethnic stereotypes and to uplift Latino voices " Macias Harrison, a pioneer in community journalism, has played a significant role in providing a platform for underrepresented communities in the Inland Empire

Joined on stage by new coowners and publishers Denise Berver and Manny Sandoval, Macias Harrison handed over the spotlight to share their thoughts Sandoval emphasized the importance of community news, remarking, "Our community is in that in-between spacewe're not necessarily Los Angeles, and we're not necessarily the low desert Therefore, major news companies only cover our region during critical incidents or fires That is why community news organizations, like IECN, are so important "

The Bucky Ball Gala is a prominent San Bernardino County Museum Association fundraising event As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, its mission is to foster appreciation and curiosity in regional cultural arts, history, and natural and earth sciences through exhibits and educational programming

This year's gala took place in the picturesque outdoor courtyard of the San Bernardino County Museum, providing a lively setting for guests to reconnect and engage in conversations celebrating the museum's service to county families; the event aimed to support the museum's efforts to increase the number of youth pursuing art and science education and careers

Among the gala's highlights was a social and silent auction,

City of Rialto and Rialto Unified School District Par tner to K eep Childr en Safe 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 City of Rialto, in partnership with the Rialto Unified School District is announcing the implementation of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program for children walking and biking to school This event will take place on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at 10:30 am at Dunn Elementary School located at 830 N Lilac Avenue in Rialto

The event will include a demonstration on traffic safety with students showcasing their abilities to avoid traffic collisions on a miniature city course In addition, students will be dropping watermelons wearing bicycle helmets to emphasize the importance of bicycle helmet use

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“We want to encourage our students who live close enough to be able to safely walk or bike to school by providing them with the necessary infrastructure and resources to keep them safe,” said Chief Gordon M Leary, Rialto Unified School District Safety Services

The educational activities teach students how to use new infrastructure and to understand traffic rules It also encourages walking and bicycling by raising awareness of health and environmental benefits

Programs offered by the Rialto Safe Routes to School Program include:

• Walk to School Day:

This event encourages all students who live near their school to walk to school October 4, 2023, will be International Walk to School Day for Rialto allowing attendees to bid on unique items, including jewelry, exciting excursions, and more

The proceeds from the auction and other fundraising activities will directly contribute to the museum's ongoing initiatives and the community's cultural and educational enrichment

Brandon Mulder, Executive Director of the San Bernardino County Museum Association, expressed his connection to the museum "As a kid, I used to visit the museum in the summer to bear the heat and get some free AC," Mulder reminisced "Now, I'm taking my kids here They jokingly told me, 'Dad, you're going to work at our museum?' So it's a full circle for me "

The Bucky Ball Gala serves as a testament to the San Bernardino County Museum Association's dedication to preserving and promoting regional heritage and as a celebration of organizations like IECN, who tirelessly champion community voices and bring attention to the diverse narratives shaping the Inland Empire

Safe Routes to School is a nationally recognized program that aims to significantly improve safety for students who walk and bike to school The Rialto SRTS program combines education and a safer streets component to slow down drivers and build new pedestrian and bicycle safety treatments such as new crosswalks, and bump-outs at an intersection and add stop or yield signs

“The City of Rialto and the Rialto Unified School District understands the importance of our commitment to ensuring the safety of our students As part of our efforts, we will continue to invest in education, encouragement, engineering, enforcement, and evaluation for our schools,” said Tim Sullivan, Rialto’s Director of Maintenance & Facili-

• School Bike & Pedestrian Rodeos: The in-person bike and pedestrian clinic includes hands-on safety instruction, a discussion about the rules of the road and bike and pedestrian safety tips including the importance of wearing a bike helmet

• Community Events: SRTS outreach efforts include participating in community events to educate children and families about pedestrian and bike safety

• Parent Workshops: The workshops educate parents on bicycle and pedestrian safety as well as the benefits of walking and bicycling on their children’s health and the environment

For more information on Rialto Safe Routes to School programs and services contact: Amy Crow, Administrative Analyst, Maintenance & Facilities, City of Rialto, acrow@rialtoca gov (909) 421-7221

Claremont Graduate University

(CGU) has officially opened the Yuhaaviatam Center for Health Studies, the new home for its School of Community & Global Health and a nexus for researchers to address health and well-being challenges prevalent in underserved communities The naming of the center honors the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, whose funding supports the path to equality in community-based health research

Yuhaaviatam is a Serrano word meaning People of the Pines; the Yuhaaviatam Center was made possible because of a $14 million gift from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which allowed the university to purchase a bookstore on the perimeter of the campus that served The Claremont Colleges Another gift from the Tribe helped fund renovations to the interior of the architecturally significant building

“The Yuhaaviatam Center for Health

Studies is a wonderful example of partnership,” said CGU President Len Jessup “I could not be more grateful to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and our other supporters for their belief in CGU’s commitment to make a difference in the world The center will benefit our faculty and students, but most important, it will expand their ability to improve lives, especially in communities that need it most ”

Faculty and students are researching an array of health issues such as diabetes prevention and management, smoking cessation, burnout among healthcare providers, and stress among children and adolescents

They are also focusing on “diseases of despair,” including drug abuse, alcoholism, and suicide, that disproportionately afflict socioeconomically disadvantaged communities

The gift to CGU in December 2020 exemplifies San Manuel’s philanthropic commitment to inland Southern California a commitment rooted in the call of Yawa’, a Serrano word meaning “acting on one’s beliefs,” often expressed through a culture of giving Over the past 20 years, San Manuel has provided more than $300 million to support education, healthcare and well-being, transitional housing, and a host of other initiatives

“Among our priorities is providing resources that promote healthy and resilient communities, and research is a key pillar in those efforts,” Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena says “As healthcare continues to evolve along with factors that determine quality of life, it is important that underserved communities are represented in solutions to better living We hope the Yuhaaviatam Center will serve as a place for thought leaders to collaborate and bring forth solutions for all people regardless of their ability to access the best care ”

Valbuena, Tribal Secretary Audrey Martinez, and Council Member Ed Duro attended the official opening of The Yuhaaviatam Center on May 11, along with guests from Prime Healthcare, which also provided philanthropic support Valbuena and Jessup spoke at the