13
Youngsters pair up with police for annual “Shop with a Cop” in Redlands By Yazmin Alvarez D ozens of Santas parked their sleighs and took to the streets on foot recent- ly to take part in Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Foundation’s first-ever Santa Fun Run. The fundraising event, presented by the foundation and Loma Linda University Health PossAbilities, brought more than 200 partici- pants from throughout the Inland- area to take part in the run. Each participant received a Santa suit to wear during the 5K held Dec. 13. “It’s really a festive way to cele- Inland Empire By Yazmin Alvarez G ive David Zarbok $100 to spend for Christmas and the 11-year-old Redlands boy will buy gifts for others, specifically his two younger brothers. “I just want them to think I’m the best big brother in the world,” he said. “I think that’s what they’re going to say when they open their gifts.” David was one of 54 youngsters that was given the opportunity to Features, Lifestyle & News You Can Use! December 24, 2015 Vol 11, NO. 18 W W e e e e k k l l y y IECN IECN . . c c o o m m Shop with a Cop, cont. on next pg. IECn pHoto/yazmIn alvarEz “Santa” crosses the finish line during llU Children’s Hospital Foundation’s inaugural Santa Fun run. Got News? Send information to Inland Empire Weekly Community News Editor Yazmin Alvarez at [email protected] or call 909-381-9898 ext. 207. Santa run, cont. on next pg. IECn pHoto/yazmIn alvarEz David zarbok, 11, (left) and Denver Drieberg, a citizens volunteer patrol officer with the redlands police Department spent tuesday morning shopping for David and his two younger brothers. Santa Fun Run helps raise funds for LLU Children’s Hospital, PossAbilities Art Grants Available in San Bernardino T he City of San Bernardino Fine Arts Commission just released art grant applications for 2016. Now available on the city’s website. The grant application process is available to non-profit arts orga- nizations headquartered and operating in San Bernardino, and to teachers and schools in the city. The grant applications must be filed with the office of the City Clerk by February 11, 2016. Information sessions about application requirements will be held on Thursday, January 21 and Tuesday, January 26, 4:00, at the 6th floor Conference Room at San Bernardino City Hall. If granted, the projects will take place after July 1, 2016. To learn more or to download the grant application, visit www.facebook.com/SBFineArts Commission/ THIS THIS WEEK WEEK INSIDE INSIDE HOW TO REACH US HOW TO REACH US Inland Empire Community Newspapers Office: (909) 381-9898 Fax: (909) 384-0406 Editorial: [email protected] Advertising: [email protected] A10 A3 A8 San Bernardino McGee sisters find Las Vegas Success Happy Holidays Gloria’s Corner & Words To Think About ONE SECTION, 16 PAGES Calendar A6 Classifieds A11 Legal Notices A12 Opinion A4 Service Dir. A6

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Page 1: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

Youngsters pair up with police forannual “Shop with a Cop” in Redlands

By Yazmin Alvarez

Dozens of Santas parkedtheir sleighs and took tothe streets on foot recent-

ly to take part in Loma LindaUniversity Children’s Hospital

Foundation’s first-ever Santa FunRun.The fundraising event, presentedby the foundation and Loma LindaUniversity Health PossAbilities,brought more than 200 partici-pants from throughout the Inland-

area to take part in the run. Eachparticipant received a Santa suit towear during the 5K held Dec. 13.“It’s really a festive way to cele-

Inland Empire

By Yazmin Alvarez

Give David Zarbok $100to spend for Christmasand the 11-year-old

Redlands boy will buy gifts for

others, specifically his twoyounger brothers.“I just want them to think I’mthe best big brother in the world,”he said. “I think that’s whatthey’re going to say when they

open their gifts.”David was one of 54 youngstersthat was given the opportunity to

Features, Lifestyle & News You Can Use! December 24, 2015Vol 11, NO. 18

WWee ee kk ll yyIECNIECN

..ccoomm

Shop with a Cop, cont. on next pg.

iecn photo/yazmin alvarez“Santa” crosses the finish line during llU children’s hospital Foundation’s inaugural Santa Funrun.

Got News?

Send information to InlandEmpire Weekly CommunityNews Editor Yazmin Alvarez [email protected] or call909-381-9898 ext. 207.Santa run, cont. on next pg.

iecn photo/yazmin alvarezDavid zarbok, 11, (left) and Denver Drieberg, a citizens volunteer patrol officer with the redlandspolice Department spent tuesday morning shopping for David and his two younger brothers.

Santa Fun Run helps raise funds for LLUChildren’s Hospital, PossAbilities

Art GrantsAvailable in SanBernardino

The City of SanBernardino Fine ArtsCommission just

released art grant applicationsfor 2016. Now available on thecity’s website.The grant application process isavailable to non-profit arts orga-nizations headquartered andoperating in San Bernardino, andto teachers and schools in thecity. The grant applications mustbe filed with the office of theCity Clerk by February 11, 2016.Information sessions aboutapplication requirements will beheld on Thursday, January 21and Tuesday, January 26, 4:00, atthe 6th floor Conference Roomat San Bernardino City Hall.If granted, the projects will takeplace after July 1, 2016.To learn more or to downloadthe grant application, visitwww.facebook.com/SBFineArtsCommission/

THISTHISWEEKWEEK

INSIDEINSIDE

HOW TO REACH USHOW TO REACH USInland Empire Community

NewspapersOffice: (909) 381-9898Fax: (909) 384-0406

Editorial: [email protected]: [email protected]

A10

A3

A8

San BernardinoMcGee sisters findLas Vegas Success

HappyHolidays

Gloria’s Corner& Words ToThink About

ONE SECTION, 16 PAGES

Calendar A6Classifieds A11Legal Notices A12Opinion A4Service Dir. A6

Page 2: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

Page A2 • December 24, 2015 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers • Inland Empire Weekly

“Shop with a Cop” Tuesdaymorning at Target alongside mem-bers of the Redlands Police De-partment. His shopping buddy, Denver

Drieberg, a citizens volunteer pa-trol officer, beamed with pride dur-ing the shopping experience.He said what David was doing

showed the true meaning of Christ-mas. “These are the kind of citi-zens we need. David is very givingand kind and is always thinking ofothers all the time. He has thebiggest heart.” Tuesday’s event was made possi-

ble through a collaboration be-tween the police department,community organizations and

schools within the Redlands Uni-fied School District. Gail Howard,a community advocate, helpedfundraise for the effort. Donationstotalling $6,000 came from Target,local businesses, organizations andThird District Supervisor JamesRamos’ Office. Organizers are hoping to grow

the event and provide more chil-dren shopping opportunities in thefuture. To contribute to the cause, call

Howard at 909-213-1580.

Yazmin Alvarez is a reporterwith Inland Empire CommunityNewspapers and can be reachedat [email protected].

Shop with a Cop, cont. from front

iecn photoS/yazmin alvarezredlands police Department’s annual Shop with a cop.

brate and support the commu-nity,” said Jillian Payne, executivedirector for the Children’s Founda-tion.Proceeds from the fun run will

help fund the building of the newChildren’s Hospital and will alsobenefit PossAbilities.

Santa run, cont. from front

iecn photo/yazmin alvarezDavid zarbok helps bag gifts he bought for his younger brothersduring rpD’s annual Shop with a cop.

iecn photo/yazmin alvarezzimri Solis and his daughter,Briana, were among the partic-ipants of llU children’s hospi-tal Foundation’s inauguralSanta Fun run.

iecn photo/yazmin alvarez“Santa” and her elves cross the finish line during llU children’s hospital Foundation’s inauguralSanta Fun run.

Page 3: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

Inland Empire Community Newspapers • December 24, 2015 • Page A3

Words to Think About: Thoughts on Marriage

By G. W. Abersold Ph.D.

George and Mary Oehlinghave been friends ofmine for many years.

Recently they went on a cruise toAlaska. One evening the CruiseDirector was extolling the virtuesof a long marriage. He called outall the newlyweds and thenupped the number. When he gotto sixty, there was only one cou-ple standing-George and Mary.They have been married for 65years.

They were called to the frontand George was asked the reasonfor their lengthy marriage.In his dry humorous way he re-sponded with only two words.He said, YES, DEAR!! Itbrought down the house. He be-came the most popular man onthe ship.There are two issues that arebothering me. The first one is thenews report that younger peoplefrom 20-35 are no longer attend-ing church. All faiths are feelingthe fallout.The second concern is the factthat many long-term marriagesare either separating or divorc-ing. Friends of ours were married47 years when they divorced.The Buddy Ebsens, 39 years.The Leonard Nimoys, 34 years;the Luciano Pavarattis, 35 years;the Malcolm Forbes, 39 year;friends of ours, 60 years and theAl Gores were married 40 yearsat their divorce.The causes are as many as thereare divorces.Infidelity is a major cause fol-lowed by conflict over children,economic problems, serious ill-ness, in-law problems, religiousdifferences, political differences,sexual incompatibility, and re-tirement.As a therapist for over fifty

years, I’ve observed that mostmarriages of 25 or more thatbroke up was caused simply bythe fact, one or both simplychanged. They loved each otherto begin with, but over the years,they changed.In light of these observations, Ioffer the following suggestionsto forestall impending separationor divorce. But first it is vital thatnone of my suggestions come inexistence by accident. They takeinitiative and intent.The first suggestion is COM-PANIONSHIP. THE older weget, THE more important it be-comes. This means minimizingdifferences and focusing on en-joyment activities. Talking andtime spent together is very im-portant.Companionship has been de-scribed in many ways. “A cozyfeeling, a nice full felling after agood meal with family or friends,or that easy rhythm you fall intowith the familiar.”However, I’m inclined to viewa relationship should be the basisfor two people wanting to remaintogether. Talking, sharing and en-joying the time spent together.The second suggestion is acorollary. It’s COMPATIBILITY.Primarily activities that can beshared. What was once shared

has changed with the years.For example: sporting eventsthat both husband and wife en-joyed playing together but be-cause of the illness of one makesit impossible as a compatible ac-tivity.Therefore, it is vitally importantto develop new activities withthe passing of time and aging.The third suggestion is COM-PROMISE. Without it, gridlockis the result. In fact, it is an es-sential ingredient for any activitythat involves two or more people.A good example of gridlock isthe U.S. Congress. The Republi-cans and Democrats are stymiedbecause of each refusing to com-promise. Compromise involves aconcession. Giving somethingand getting something in return.In a relationship between hus-band and wife it also means anexchange. Alternating wishes isalso a synonym for compromise.Making concessions constantly isasking for trouble and ultimatelydivorce.The fourth suggestion is the ul-timate one. It is CARING. Theolder one gets, the more impor-tant caring becomes. In many re-spects it is the most important ofthe four.Ailments become commonalong with doctor visits and fre-

quent visits to pharmacists. Theneed for a caring spouse or sig-nificant other should be obvious.Dependence upon each othershould be obvious. Other familymembers, including children andgrandchildren, have their ownlives and problems. Caring foreach other is vital.While writing this article I wasfortunate to receive a copy of thecurrent AARP magazine. Thereis an article in it about thistheme-caregivers. Several quota-tions from it are applicable forthis article.A headline refers to “the sur-prising joys of caring for yourloved one.” Another item speaksof the qualities that she finds inthe person (spouse) she is caringfor.I like this comment; “We’re ona new journey, and love holds ustogether.” Another quote, “Wehave a good life, a real goodlife.” And probably the most in-sightful comment, “She is nolonger the woman I used toknow. This is who she is now.”Change is inevitable. Acceptingthe changes in both husband andwife brings Companionship,Compatibility, Compromise andCaring.Amen. Selah. So be it.

A Season of Giving:There are so many acts of kind-ness happening in our communi-ties that I will not attempt toname them all but know thateach one is appreciated. Individ-uals, service clubs, bike clubs,agencies, churches, schools,businesses, elected officials andVFWs have stepped up to helpchildren, families and people inneed with food, clothing, moneyand toys. In addition the commu-nity is donating funds for the vic-tims of the December 2 tragedy.Over $100,000 has been raisedby the City of San Bernardinothru GoFundMe and will be dis-tributed among the families ofthe victims. The Board of Super-visors in cooperation with United

Way, have raised over a millionthru SBUnited. Both GoFundMeand the United Way have waivedtheir fees as their contribution toaide the victims. San BernardinoMayor Davis said it best when hestated, " We earnestly hope thatthese funds will provide a smalllevel of financial security to thefamilies as they continue to en-dure the grief and trauma causedby the December 2nd event."

Legal Gardens:Blog writer, Jo Borras, recentlywrote that the NeighborhoodFood Act, AB2561, one of sev-eral sustainable food bills, wassigned into law by GovernorJerry Brown last week. I didn'trealize that growing one's ownfruit and vegetables on one's ownproperty is illegal in some states.The law is designed to removebarriers to growing food for per-sonal consumption. It overturnslocal zoning ordinances that pro-hibit growing food in front yardsfor example. I have a garden thatwhile it does not provide the ma-jority of our food, it is supple-mental and it's our way ofguaranteeing that some of ourfruit and vegetables are organicand pesticide free. For many ofus who grew up in this regionfamily gardens were just part ofthe culture and we traded cropsin the neighborhood dependingon the season. Welcomed newsfor us, gardeners.

Winners Announced:The Inland Empire EconomicPartnership (IEEP) has an-nounced the awardees to be hon-

ored at its Annual Dinner 2016on January 28. They include: • Non-profit of the Year -KVCR• Business of the Year - Met-ropolitan water District ofSouthern California• Public partner of the Yearaward - Rick Bishop, WesternRiverside Council of Govern-ments• Education Partner of theYear - Julia Lopez, College Fu-tures Foundation• President's Award -'Hasan Ikhrata, Southern Cal-ifornia Association ofGovernments• Chairman's Award -Dan Byrnes, UPSPaul Granillo, IEEP CEO andPresident stated, " The peoplewe are honoring contributeeveryday to the effort to makethe Inland Empire a betterplace to live and a better placefor business to thrive."

Save the Date:

Now - February 13, 2016 theRobert and Frances FullertonMuseum of Art (RAFFMA) pres-ents three solo landscape photoexhibitions featuring Lewis deS-oto: Empire, Sant Khalsa: Inti-mate Landscapes: and TomPortlock C.ASH_4_Gold. ThePortlock photo work is about thevisual impact of the economiccrisis on the San Bernardinoarea. An opening reception willbe held at the RAFFMA art mu-seum on the campus of Cal StateSan Bernardino on Saturday, No-vember 21 from 5 - 7 p.m. Gen-eral admission is free althoughthe museum will accept dona-tions. For information call909.537.7373

Monday, December 28 - SanBernardino Valley College issponsoring a free charity concertin memory of the victims of theshooting on December 2. Atten-dees will be asked to make dona-tions to the San Bernardino

United Relief Fund thru UnitedWay. Performers are gifting theirtalent and time to help their com-munity. Donations may be madeprior to the performance bygoing to: www.arrowheadunit-edway.org or calling909.884.9441 or cell phone textsbunited 71777.

Monday, December 28 - theBlack Chamber of Commercepresents Inland Empire BusinessMixer at 6:30 p.m. at Commu-nity Hospital, 1805 WesternAve., San Bernardino. For infor-mation call Navarre844.332.2243 x 903 or [email protected]

Saturday & Sunday, January9 & 10 - the San Bernardino In-ternational Tamale Festival willbe held at Perris Hill Park, 607E. Highland Ave. This eventopen at 10 a.m. on Saturday andat will end at 6 p.m. on Sunday.It will feature three stages withmusic and dance groups per-forming through the day. In addi-tion there will be many foodvendors, a kids zone, car showand a beer and wine gardens. Forvendor information call:909.521.8621, for volunteer in-formation call: 760.580.9491

Monday, January 18 - the In-land Empire Concerned AfricanAmerican Churches present the36th Annual Martin Luther KingJr. Breakfast with the theme"Justice & Equality: It Matters". Site for this year's event is theCoussoulis Arena on the campusof California State University,San Bernardino, 5500 UniversityParkway at 7:30 a.m. For spon-sorship and tickets contact: Bev-erly Jones Wright at909.434.6583 or Pastor OwusuHodari at 909.474.7036 or [email protected]

Monday, December 19 - theMartin Luther King maintenancecommittee will conduct a Wreath

Laying Ceremony at the MartinKing Statue in front of SanBernardino City Hall to com-memorate Dr. King's Birthday at10:30 a.m. The committee hasmaintained this larger than lifesize statue since the city filedbankruptcy three years ago.

Tuesday, January 19 - Lastday to Register to Vote for theFebruary 2 city council runoffelections in the City of SanBernardino.

Thursday, January 28 - the In-land Empire Economic Partner-ship (IEEP) presents its IEEPAnnual Dinner at the Red HillCountry Club in Rancho Cuca-monga from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.This event will celebrate accom-plishments of the organizationand honor six individuals/entitiesin the region that improve thequality of life and business cli-mate in the Inland Empire. Toregister for this event:http://ieep2016annualdinner.eventbrite.com

Saturday, January 30 - the 7thAnnual Pass Area Veterans Expowill be held at the BeaumontCivic Center, 550 E. 6th Street,Beaumont, CA from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. This free event is open to allmilitary veterans, families andfriends. Representatives from theVA in Loma Linda, MentalHealth Services, Veterans Af-fairs, Veterans Centers, Housing,Work Force Development/EDDand many more will be hand toprovide information. For moreinformation call 951.769.9858 oremail [email protected]

Favorite Quote:

"Blessed is the season whichengages the whole world in aconspiracy of love"

-Hamilton Wright Mabie

Gloria MaciasHarrison

Gloria’sCorner

Page 4: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

&OPINION LETTERS Views expressed in Opinion & Letters do not necessarily reflect the views of IECN

Page A4 • December 24, 2015 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers

YOUR COMMUNITY COMMENTARY!All letters must be signed. Please include your name, address & phone number

for verification purposes only. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Snow, reindeer and an icehill to slide down on an in-nertube — the “great

myths of winter” we IE’ers, An-gelenos and OC sun soakers allhear about during the holidays. Well guess what? They exist. Really. And for the first time we’re all

getting a chance to see what it’slike to have a white Christmasthanks to Absolute Event Solu-tions — the same company that’sdeveloped and produced the OCFair, as well as the Queen Mary’sDark Harbor Halloween Haunt,Chill Holiday Festival, and theBig Bite Bacon Fest (that alonemakes them the “real Santa”) —and their newest production, Win-terfest OC at the OC Fair & EventCenter, which runs through Jan. 3.It’s a festival of all things winter

we never get to experience likechecking out and feeding grahamcrackers to reindeer, ice tubingdown a 130 foot six-lane ice slide,crafts and activities, a carnivalwith more than 30 rides andgames, and a “North Pole” filledwith plenty more. And it doesn’t stop.Then there’s Ugly Sweater Day

on Dec. 26, ice skating with holi-day favorites projected on a the-ater-sized screen, a Christmas treelighting ceremony with snowfallevery night, local bands, live en-tertainment, ice carving demon-strations by the Chainsaw Chicks,shows from magician Jimmy H.and did I mention feeding grahamcrackers to reindeer? ChristinaGroenewald, the event managerfor Winter Fest said the reindeerabsolutely love it and it’s an ex-perience you’ll never forget.

And that’s the idea behind Win-ter Fest she said, “to create mem-ories and start traditions.” “Orange County didn’t have any

winter attractions or holiday festi-vals so the inspiration for WinterFest sparked from that. Wewanted to create something tobring families, visitors and espe-cially the Orange County commu-nity together for the holidays.” And as a way to say “thank you”

to those protecting, serving, andeducating in the local communi-ties, organizers are offering freeadmission to these local heroes in-cluding nurses, educators, ser-vicemen, law enforcement andfirefighters. Wednesdays at Winter Fest are

dedicated as “nurse appreciationday,” granting nurses free admis-sion to the event with a validworkplace ID. “Teacher appreciation day” fol-

lows on Thursdays, with educa-tors receiving free admission witha valid workplace ID. All firefighters, law enforcement

personnel, active and retired mili-tary will be granted free admis-sion daily through January 3,2016. All participants are requiredto show proper ID verifying theirprofession at the ticket booth toreceive admission.Tickets to Winter Fest start at

$10. For ticket purchase, eventlineup or to learn more visitwww.WinterFestOC.com.

Winter Fest Daily entertainment lineup:

December 24: Bill Magee, 7:30– 10:00 p.m.December 26: The Originalities,

8:30 – 11:00 p.m.December 27: Bill Magee, 7:30

– 10:00 p.m.December 28: Radio Domingo,

7:30 – 10:00 p.m.December 29: The Originalities,

7:30 – 10:00 p.m.December 30: Smith the Band

6:00 – 8:30 p.m.December 31: Bill Magee 2:30 -

5:00 p.m.January 1: Dance Hall Daze,

6:00 8:30 p.m.January 2: Groovetastic, 8:30 –

11:00 p.m.January 3: Smith the Band 6:00

– 8:30p.m.*set times subject to change

without notice

Yazmin Alvarez is a reporterwith Inland Empire CommunityNewspapers and can be reachedat [email protected].

By Yazmin AlvarezGet out of town: There’s a WinterFest going on in

the OC!

E-mail us your opinions,photos, announcements

to [email protected] limited to

500 wordswww.iecn.com

As 2015 comes to a close, SanBernardino will prepare for newleadership under a new city man-ager. This evening, the CityCouncil approved the appointmentof Police Chief Jarrod Burguan asthe Interim City Manager fromJanuary 1, 2016 until early Febru-ary 2016. After the interim period,Mark Scott, Burbank's currentCity Manager, will take over thecity manager position. The Coun-cil unanimously approved the ex-ecution of an employmentagreement between the City ofSan Bernardino and Mark Scott asCity Manager that will commenceon February 8, 2016.

Mark Scott and Jarrod Burguanbring decades of valuable man-agement experience to SanBernardino in their new roles.

"I am confident that this decisionwill help stabilize the City as wetransition between managementand continue forward with the im-plementation of San Bernardino'sRecovery Plan," Mayor CareyDavis stated. "Both leaders exhibitthe ability to properly lead the or-ganization toward achieving thegoals set in the Recovery Plan."

Mark Scott has served in the citymanagement profession for morethan 35 years. He served as Bur-bank's City Manager for approxi-mately two years, served asFresno's City Manager for threeand a half years, and was thelongest tenured city manager inthe City of Beverly Hills' history.Mr. Scott received his undergrad-uate degree in Political Science

from Fresno State University, andan MBA from the Stanford Uni-versity Graduate School of Busi-ness. He currently resides inBurbank, but will move to SanBernardino to immerse himself inthe San Bernardino community.He describes himself as an acces-sible manager who enjoys partici-pating in the craft ofcommunity-building and the roleof facilitating partnerships.

Burguan and Scott will be essen-tial in the implementation of SanBernardino's Recovery Plan. Welook forward to continuing theprogress that we have made thusfar, and are confident that bothleaders will excel in their roles.

Mayor Carey Davis,City of San Bernardino

City Manager Update

Community came together inthe face of tragedy

I have traveled around the worldto at least 27 different countries. Ihave lived in four different coun-tries. I must say, that before Dec.2, San Bernardino has had thehighest per capita number of peo-ple who loved and cared for theircommunity than any other place Ihave been.

A close second is Basel,Switzerland, where most peoplespeak at least four languages. InBasel, they learn and study thelanguage of culture. Whereas inSan Bernardino we live, eat andbreathe culture on a daily basis.

With this cultural aspect comesseveral groups of people who feelvery strongly about how to bettertheir community. We have battledhomelessness, education, employ-ment and economic bolsteringduring a sagging global economy.

Even though each sect of thecommunity has varying opinionsas to how to better our commu-nity, each group is intensely moti-vated to make our communitybetter and they do so by having a

common respect for opposingopinions. This is the reason I rankSan Bernardino citizens No. 1when it comes to love and care fortheir community.

Now we have been saddled witha calamity of the first order — thehorrific shooting incident of Dec.2.

San Bernardino has not beenweakened.

On the contrary, we have be-come stronger and will continueto become even stronger. We con-tinue to love and care for ourcommunity, but now we do sowith one voice.

Now our voice resonates beyondcity boundaries. It now resonatesnationally and internationally. Thewhole world is watching and wehave stepped up to the plate to be-come leaders as a city and com-munity.

We have shown the world agood example of love and respectfor each other, for the victims andfor our country.

Have you noticed that our lead-ers and the citizens within havefocused on expressing love andcondolences? We are no longer,black, white, Latino or Asian. Weare San Bernadinians. We are nolonger conservative or liberal, weare San Bernardinians first andforemost.

Out of respect for the victimswho lost their lives, were injuredor traumatized, we must hold dearto our core values and continue tospeak these values to the world asone voice. We will speak as SanBernardinians.

We must become even closer toour neighbors and friends — notto spy on their lives but to showour love and support to each otherin times of need. Let us continueto set good examples in our every-day lives.

Keith McCarter,San Bernardino

Inland Empire Community Newspapers(909) 381-9898 • FAX 384-0406

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 110, Colton, CA 92324 • Office Location: 1809 Commercenter West, San Bernardino, CA92408Letters are printed in the order they are received and are subject to editing for clarity.

Deadline is Tuesdays at noon. Readers may also submit their perspectives online

at [email protected] • For advertising inquiries email [email protected] Gloria Macías Harrison

Co-Publisher Bill Harrison

General Manager Diana Harrison Martinez

Managing Editor Diana Harrison Martinez

Community News Editor Yazmin Alvarez

Community News Editor Anthony Victoria

Advertising/Classified Sales Bruce Martinez

Legal Advertising & Receptionist Denise Berver

Fictitious Business Name& Accounting Danielle Vasquez

Graphic Artist/Web Mgr. Michael Segura

Circulation BDM Enterprises

Colton CourierEstablished 1876.Published weekly on Thursday. Adjudicated as a newspaper of gen-eral circulation by the Superior Courtof San Bernardino County, State ofCalifornia, case #73036 and thereforequalified to publish legal notices.

RIALTO RECORD Established 1910.Published weekly on Thursday. Adjudicated as a newspaper of gen-eral circulation by the Superior Courtof San Bernardino County, State ofCalifornia, case #26583 and there-fore qualified to publish legal notices.

El Chicano Established 1969.Published weekly on Thursday. Adjudicated as a newspaper of generalcirculation by the Superior Court ofSan Bernardino County, State of Cali-fornia, case #154019 and thereforequalified to publish legal notices.

Inland Empire WeeklyEstablished 2005.Published weekly on Thursday. As a community newspaper ofgeneral circulation.

Inland EmpireCommunity NewspapersColton Courier • RIALTO RECORD El Chicano • Inland Empire WeeklyWe are award-winning newspapers, having been so recognized by the Inland Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists

In addition to mail subscriptions a combined total of 20,000 copies are distributed to approximately 400 locations in Redlands, Mentone, Highland, San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto, Bloomington, Grand Terrace Loma Linda, Moreno Valley, Riverside

CIRCULATIONVERIFICATION

OF CALIFOR-

IECN

Page 5: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

Inland Empire Community Newspapers • December 24, 2015 • Page A5

Crafton Hills College Graduates84th Paramedic Class

Crafton Hills College(CHC) graduated its84th Paramedic Class on

Friday, December 11 at 6 p.m. inthe Performing Arts Center.This year’s 18 graduates areAdam Alkaddumi (Beaumont),Shane Bohner (Yucaipa), ScottCiotta (La Quinta), Justin Frey-der (Yucaipa), Vincent Gibby(Corona), Brandon Gossert (Red-lands), Justin Hommel(Menifee), Timothy Hoyt (ChinoHills), Omar Lopez (Fontana),Kaylee Moreno (San Jacinto),Paul Rarick (Canyon Lake),Matthew Schoellhorn (NewportBeach), Joaquin Silos (Yucaipa),Cody E. Smith (Yucaipa), PaigeStone (Rancho Cucamonga),Travis Taylor (Yucaipa), BenUrista (Redlands), and ChristianValdez (Claremont). They eachcompleted the 10-month pro-gram, attending classes Monday-Thursday, and finishing 600hours of field work.Run under the auspices of theEmergency Medical Services di-vision, the Crafton Hills CollegeParamedic Program is accreditedby the Commission on Accredi-tation of Allied Health EducationPrograms (www.caahep.org)upon the recommendation of theCommittee on Accreditation ofEducational Programs for theEmergency Medical ServicesProfessions (CoAEMSP).As one of the 132 colleges inthe California community collegesystem, Crafton Hills College iscommitted to providing citizensin the region with an accessiblehigher education. The philosophyof California's community col-leges is that education is the keyto better jobs, a better economy,and a better quality of life. CHCoffers 53 degree programs and 23occupational certificate plans.For more information, go tohttp://www.craftonhills.edu. Courtesy Photo

Enjoy the holidays atthe San Bernardino

County MuseumThe holiday season is a

busy, festive time of theyear, filled with shop-

ping, celebrations, family, visi-tors, and excited children. Whynot make the San BernardinoCounty Museum part of your hol-iday tradition?The Museum is a perfect placeto bring out-of-town guests for avisit. A Museum outing is afford-able and fun for all ages, and it’sa great way to share the culturaland natural heritage of our regionwith your visitors. A trip to theMuseum is also a great way tooffer children on winter break achance to recharge their batterieswith some hands-on learning.Museum exhibits include “Wel-come to Our World,” which illus-trates the ways that animals andhumans interact with the naturalworld. “Remembering Ramps”offers opportunities to look at

everyday technology from thedistant and not-so-distant past andto share your memories in thecontext of typewriters, cameras,and telephones. “Turn Left at theRockies” invites you to exploreCalifornia from the 1820s to1850. See some dinosaurs in“Fossils Underfoot” and explorea sample of the third largest eggcollection in the United States inour bird halls. And don’t forget tovisit the polar bear in our Mam-mal Hall, and our live bunny,bugs, and reptiles in ExplorationStation.The Museum Store is a conven-ient place to pick up last-minutestocking-stuffers—and if youdon’t have time to visit the gal-leries, you can ask for a shoppingpass at the front desk for a quickshopping trip in the Store.The San Bernardino CountyMuseum’s exciting events and

exhibits reflect the effort by theBoard of Supervisors to achievethe Countywide Vision by cele-brating arts, culture, and educa-tion in the county, creatingquality of life for residents andvisitors.The San Bernardino CountyMuseum is at 2024 Orange TreeLane, at the California Street exitfrom Interstate 10 in Redlands.The museum is open Tuesdaysthrough Sundays from 9 am to5pm. General admission is $10(adult), $8 (military or senior), $7(student), and $5 (child aged 5 to12). Children under 5 and Mu-seum Association members areadmitted free. Parking is free. Themuseum will be closed on Christ-mas Eve, Christmas Day, NewYear’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.For more information, visitwww.sbcountymuseum.org.

Page 6: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

City CouncilMeetings

Colton: First and third Tuesday,6 p.m.; 650 N. La Cadena Dr.Highland: Second and fourthTuesday, 6 p.m.; 27215 Base Line.No meetings in August.Loma Linda: Second and fourthTuesday, 7 p.m. (check city Website as dates are subject to change);25541 Barton Rd.Redlands: First and third Tues-day, 6 p.m.; 35 Cajon St.Rialto: Second and fourth Tues-day, 6 p.m.; 150 S. Palm Ave.San Bernardino: First and thirdMonday, 3 p.m.; 300 N. “D” St.

Afternoon DelightDance Socials

All seniors, couples and singles,welcome at free dance socials.Opportunity to make new friendsand remember music of our youth.

Joslyn Senior Center: First andsecond Tuesday 2 p.m., 21 GrantSt., Redlands (909) 798-7550.

Redlands Community Center:Every third Friday 2 p.m., 111 Lu-gonia Ave., Redlands (909) 798-7572.

Highland Senior Center: Everyfourth Tuesday 2 p.m., 3102 E.Highland Ave., Highland (909)862-8104.

Children’s WayFoster Family &Adoption Agency

We are reaching out to you to joinour growing family of Foster Par-ents. Come to our orientation ses-sion and learn how you can makea difference and share the love. We

offer Pre-Certification Train-ing.24-7 Professional Staff Sup-port. Monthly stipends from$877.00-$1048.00. Call Maria at(909) 890-4008 to serve a seat.Orientation and training are ongo-ing. New classes start monthly. Sehabla espanol.

Democra t i cL u n c h e o nClub of San

BernardinoThe Democratic Luncheon Clubof San Bernardino meet at 12:15on Fridays at Club Headquarters,136 Carousel Mall (near the cen-tral glass elevator) in SanBernardino. Speaker Schedule:12/11 Holiday Pot Luck12/18 TBA12/25 Dark for Holidays1/1 Dark for Holidays1/8 TBAVisit us at www.sbdems.com orour new Facebook page atwww.facebook/SBDems.

Ballet FolkloricoCultural Classes

Mondays 5:30-6:30 5-11yrs,Mondays 6:30-8:30 11-adult. Nocharge. 951-233-7027. Knights ofColumbus, 740 Pennsylvania St.,Colton, Ca.

ARMC weeklyFarmer’s Market

Wednesdays from 9 a.m. – 1p.m. in front of the hospital. Stopby on your lunch break for certi-fied fresh produce and artisanbreads. ARMC partners with theSouthland Farmers Market Associ-ation on the weekly market to helppromote health and wellness to thecommunity.

Home For TheHolidays

Saturday, December 12 at7:30pm at the Historic Califor-nia Theatre. The San BernardinoSymphony is gearing up for theirsecond annual holiday concert,“Home for the Holidays.” Theplaybill will include selectionsfrom Tchaikovsky’s The Nut-cracker Suite and Williams’ HomeAlone, as well as delightful rendi-tions of Berlin’s White Christmas,Leontovych’s Carol of the Bells,McCarrick’s arrangement ofHanukkah Habanera, Regney andBaker’s Do You Hear What I Hear,and more. The Symphony will bejoined by seven outstanding vocalsoloists and the very talentedLoma Linda Academy Choir, andthe audience will also have achance to lift their voices in a spe-cial sing-along. Both season andindividual tickets may be pur-chased by calling (909) 381-5388or visiting the Symphony box of-fice at 198 N. Arrowhead Ave.,San Bernardino. Tickets are alsoavailable on line at www.san-bernardinosymphony.org

Colton ChristmasParade

Saturday, December 12 at10am. the City of Colton and theColton Chamber of Commercepresent the annual Colton Christ-mas Parade and Christmas in thePark. The parade starts at 10 a.m.on La Cadena Blvd. in SouthColton and will end at FlemingPark in downtown Colton. Afterthe parade, the public is invited toenjoy live entertainment, vendors,car show, kid's zone and ChristmasSpirit from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.For information call 909.370.6153.

Santa Claus VisitsSan BernardinoPublic Libraries

The San Bernardino Public Li-brary will be hosting visits bySanta Claus at our city librariesthis 2015 holiday season. Santawill visit the Villasenor Branch Li-brary at 525 N. Mt. Vernon Ave. onMonday, December 7h at 4:00 PM.He will then appear in the BingWong Auditorium at the FeldheymCentral Library at 555 W. 6th St.on Tuesday, December 8th at10:30 AM and at the InghramBranch Library at 1505 W. High-land Ave. on Thursday, December10th at 4:00 PM. Children will beable to choose a free book at thesethree events. Mr. and Mrs. Clauswill be doing a special story andsong time the following week.They will be at the VillasenorBranch Library on Monday, De-cember 14th at 4:00 PM; the RoweBranch Library on Thursday, De-cember 17th at 11:00 AM; and theFeldheym Central Library onThursday, December 17th at 4:00PM. All of these events are freeand open to the public. Theseevents are sponsored by theFriends of the San BernardinoPublic Library. For more informa-tion call the Central Library 909-381-8235, visit our website atwww.sbpl.org

WEC o n n e c tHealth Fair &DACA Clinic

Saturday, December 12 at10am-3pm. at San BernardinoHigh School, 1850 North E StreetFree parking is available in lots 1& 2. This event will have freeMedi-Cal enrollment, basic healthscreenings, farmers market withhealthy food give always, money-solving programs and services, im-migrant resources, DACAapplications and renewals andlegal aid. For information call

582.569.4051.

Ma r i a c h iChristmas

Sunday, December 13. SinfoniaMexicana presents MariachiChristmas with the MariachiYouth Academy of San Bernardinoat Colton High School WhittmerAuditorium. This family celebra-tion will also feature the Flores DeDesierto Ballet Folklorico, RafaelPalomar (formerly of MariachiVargas) and a very special per-formance by the Colton HighSchool Choir. To order tickets call:909.884.3224

Dog TrainingClasses

The classes are starting the firstweek in January. The Wednesdayclass starts on Jan 6 at 6pm, Satur-day classes start on January 9 at9am or 11am. The fee is $80 forthe 7 week course. Dogs must havea current rabies vaccination. Allgroup obedience classes are held atthe Humane society of SanBernardino Valley 374 West Or-ange show road in San Bernardino. For more info visit my website atwww.danceswithdogstc.com. Phone is 909-496-5356.

Start the New Year byvolunteering

The San Bernardino Public Li-brary will be hosting visits bySanta Claus at our city librariesthis 2015 holiday season. Santawill visit the Villasenor Branch Li-brary at 5.

Email your calendaritems to [email protected]

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Page A6 • December 24, 2015 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers

Page 7: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

Inland Empire Community Newspapers • December 24, 2015 • Page A7

Inland Tribes Donate $600,000 To AssistVictims, Families of San Bernardino Attacks The San Manuel Band of

Mission Indians and Mo-rongo Band of Mission

Indians have committed to con-tribute a combined $600,000 toaid victims and families impactedby the San Bernardino terroristattack, Arrowhead United Wayannounced Monday.With the contribution by thetwo tribes, $1 million has beendonated to the San BernardinoUnited Relief Fund created by theArrowhead United Way to pro-vide support for those affected bythe Dec. 2 tragedy at the InlandRegional Center in SanBernardino.“This region of southern Cali-fornia is our home, our sharedcommunity. San Manuel and Mo-rongo have joined together at thistime to reach out to those im-pacted so our community mightrecover to a place of normalcy,”said San Manuel Band of Mis-sion Indians Chairwoman LynnValbuena. “As indigenous peo-ples of this region, our tribes areconnected to this land, its peoplesand are called upon to make this

commitment to support our com-munity as we heal together.”“We are committed to helpingbring solace and healing to the in-nocent victims and families ofthis heinous attack,” said TribalChairman Robert Martin of theMorongo Band of Mission Indi-ans. “We grieve for those whowere lost and injured, and we willstand strong with the SanBernardino community as our re-gion works together to rebuild thelives shattered by this act of ter-rorism.”

Fourteen people were killed and22 more were injured in a massshooting that has brought thecommunity closer together.“Morongo’s contribution of$250,000 combined with$350,000 from San Manuel, willhelp tremendously during thelong recovery period,” said DougRowand, President/CEO of theArrowhead United Way of SanBernardino.

“We are extremely proud andhonored to receive this pledge of

support from San Manuel andMorongo. Together their commit-ment has allowed us to surpassour fundraising goal for the longterm recovery and well-being ofsurvivors, their families, and oth-ers affected by this tragedy,” saidRowand. “Arrowhead UnitedWay is organizing a committee ofdonors and community leadersincluding San Manuel and Mo-rongo to help individuals and

families fulfill lives of promiseby offering ongoing support toaddress financial and educationalneeds.”

With the contributions fromthe two tribes, the United Wayhas surpassed its initial goal toraise $700,000 to assist those im-pacted by the attack.

San Manuel and Morongo willjoin a diverse group of contribu-

tors who have already raised$400,000 for the recovery fund,including Muslims United forSan Bernardino, Wells FargoFoundation, Kaiser PermanenteSouthern California, Union Pa-cific Railroad, Arrowhead CreditUnion, and the Arrowhead Fam-ily Medical Group in addition toover $100,000 raised through Ar-rowhead United Way’s crowd-funding text campaign.

Loma Linda UniversityHealth unveils secrets toliving healthier, longer innew online health show

to launch New Year’s Day

Loma Linda UniversityHealth’s online healthshow, “LIVE IT,” is mak-

ing its debut on YouTube Jan. 1,2016, just in time for New Year’sresolutions.From Loma Linda, the placewhere people live the longest inthe nation, comes a health seriesunveiling the secrets of living along and healthy life. Based onLoma Linda University Health re-search and encouraging others toLIVE IT, each episode featuressimple tips to live healthier,longer.“No other online health show fo-cuses on longevity,” said CosminCosma, director of advancementfilms. “Simply put, Loma LindaUniversity Health is a leading or-ganization on wellness and pre-vention that holds the treasuredresearch findings on this popularsubject. Through an easy-to-un-derstand format with animations,the show inspires viewers toLIVE IT.”The inaugural season of theshow contains 14 episodes, eachranging from two to three minutes

in length. The show will providequick, fun-to-watch videos on hothealth topics and research fromLoma Linda University Health.Each episode is presented by aphysician and journalist. It alsoincludes sound bites from themain researcher on each topic aswell as animation to visually ex-emplify the subject matter in anentertaining way. The show edu-cates viewers on simple ways toincorporate the health tips intotheir own life.The first episode will highlightresearch on nuts that ultimatelyreversed the health advise fromthe American Heart Association.Loma Linda University Health re-searchers discovered that eating ahandful of nuts a day lowers cho-lesterol by 10 percent and cutsyour risk of a heart attack in half.The second episode will premiereon Jan. 8 and subsequent episodeswill be released every Fridaythrough April 1.For more information on “LIVEIT,” the online health show, visitthe show’s website liveitloma-linda.org.

Page 8: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

Page A8 • December 24, 2015 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers

‘We cannot live with fear inside of us’

By Anthony Victoria

On a cold, blustery daymany of the flowerslooked wilted, the count-

less candles stood flameless, andsome of the signs were weathered.Yet at a growing memorial on thecorner of Orange Show Road andWaterman Avenue in SanBernardino, the terrorist attacks ofDecember 2 remained fresh in theminds of many visitors.On Saturday December 19, the

day after President Obama stoppedby to comfort the families of thevictims and first responders, therewas an increased presence of

mourners at the memorial site aswell as a large crowd from a pass-ing memorial march that hadstarted blocks north and was to endat the Inland Regional Center—less than a half-mile away from thesite of the shrine.Indian Springs High School jun-

ior Marlena Saldaña, 16, who sawthe presidential motorcade thenight before, stopped by the me-morial with her friend Eric, 11, andaunt to pay respects to the 14 vic-tims. She said that she had mixedfeelings about seeing the presi-dent.“Knowing that I will graduate

from a school where the president

was is historic, but it was sad in away for the reason he was there.”Saldaña’s aunt Gloria Estrada re-marked that she still struggles un-derstanding what happened nearlythree weeks ago.“There are still no words to ex-

press what happened. We are stillin shock over it. But we cannotlive with fear inside of us.”Marco Garcia, founder and pas-

tor of San Bernardino-based TheWay Worldwide Outreach joinedthe 50 or so participants of whatwas billed as the United PrayerMemorial March. He noted thatfaith is what helps many processthe many emotions resulting from

the tragedy.“This gathering is a part of what

shows that San Bernardino isstrong. After we got hit, it showedwhat we were made of. In lifetragic things happen—there willbe hate and anger–but when weare united in prayer, and respondin love, it will help us fight back.”San Bernardino residents Ron

and Rose Gearhart concurred withthe spirit of Garcia’s counsel. “I’mnot fearful over what happened,but my heart just goes out to thefamilies,” said Rose. Ron, a retiredU.S. Air Force master sergeant,

and who served six Americanpresidents, thought the supportwas overwhelmingly positive—and would help the community

weather the aftermath.“There is going to be a lot of

anger over what has happened, butall we can do is give it to God,” heremarked as he clutched the cou-ple’s dog Molly.Carlos Treviño, 24, was at the

memorial; he said he wanted tohelp out in any way he could.“People need comfort. They are

sad but it is nice to see this andhow it’s bringing people together.”

IECN PHOTOMarlena Saldaña, 16, with her friend Eric Luvano and her aunt Gloria Estrada at the Dec. 2 me-morial.

PHOTO/ANTHONY VICTORIAMoshe Khalili of Mega Praise Ministry (left), Flora Fort of Love-land Church (center), and Eddie Garcia, 40, of San Bernardinoleading marchers down Waterman Avenue during the United Me-morial Prayer March on Sat. Dec. 19.

Page 9: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

Inland Empire Community Newspapers • December 24, 2015 • Page A9

Disney on Ice brings ‘Frozen’ to Citizens Business Bank Arena By Yazmin Alvarez

While the weather out-side displays a typi-cally mild Inland

Empire Christmas season, insidethe Citizens Business Bank Arenain Ontario is an icy blue winterywhite wonderland as “Frozen”skates into town for the weekend.Presented by Stonyfield YoKidsOrganic Yogurt, Disney on Icepresents Frozen opened Wednes-day at the arena and continues withperformances today through Sun-day. The Academy Award winningtale, capturing the bond of tworoyal sisters, Anna and Elsa, isguaranteed to bring smiles to all,said Taylor Firth, who skates in theproduction as “Anna.”“It’s literally “Frozen” the movie,brought to life,” she said. “It’s res-onated with so many families allover the world and now we get topresent it.”Fans will be thrilled to see Anna,Elsa, Olaf, Prince Hans, Kristoff,and his loyal reindeer Sven hit theice recreating every magical mo-ment — including a flurry ofsnowfall — and sing along to fa-vorites like "Let it Go," "Do YouWant to Build a Snowman?" and"Fixer Upper."“While there may not be snowoutside, we’ll definitely be bring-ing the snow inside,” Firth said,adding that Feld Entertainmentpulled out all the stops to bring themagic of the movie to life for theproduction. “You’re going to sing, giggle, yellfor favorite character but most ofall make memories as a family be-cause the story is so easy to con-nect to.”Frozen shares a heart-warmingtale of love conquering fear asAnna, a girl with an extraordinaryheart, embarks on an epic journeyto find her sister, the magical Elsa,who is determined to remain se-cluded as she finally feels free totest the limits of her powers. Frozen runs today through Dec.27 with shows this afternoon at 4p.m.; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ChristmasDay; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. 7 p.m. Dec.26; and 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.Dec. 27. Tickets start at $35 and can bepurchased online at AXS.com,charge by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX or in-person at the venue BoxOffice.

COURTESY PHOTO/FELD ENTERTAINMENT

The Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario will be a winter wonderland as a everything from a snow flurry to a full-blown blizzard iscreated inside as Disney on Ice presents Frozen.

COURTESY PHOTOS/FELD ENTERTAINMENT

Anna, Elsa, Olaf and the rest of the gang will skate into the Citi-zens Business Bank Arena in Ontario this weekend as Disney onIce presents Frozen. The production runs today through Dec. 27.

Call Todayto AdvertiseYour

Business!!(909)381-9898Ext. 204

[email protected]

Page 10: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015

Page A10 • December 24, 2015 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers

Singers once known as the McGee Sisters inSan Bernardino finding success in Las Vegas

By Harvey M. Kahn

The recent mass shootingsin San Bernardino causedshock and pain to current

and former San Bernardino resi-dents across the nation. In LasVegas, where a former familyfrom San Bernardino has found ahome in that city's entertainmentcircuit, they are scheduled tobring their talents to a specialBlack History Month concert. Atthat same time, Delia andJulieann Renee will also sing intribute to the 14 who were re-cently mass murdered in theirhome town.By the time Delia and Julieann

Renee were 14-years-old theyhad already been associated withsome of the giants of the popmusic industry, and for four yearshad a TV theme song heard fivenights a week. Along with sistersEthyl, Marilyn and Carla, the

teenage prodigies from SanBernardino were known in the1960's as the McGee Sisters. Be-fore they were all 15, they had al-ready recorded for Casey Kasemunder an agreement with DickClark Productions and lateropened shows for Little Richard,Ike & Tina Turner, Lou Rawlsand a variety of British invasiongroups.

The McGee Sisters werethought enough of to work for thebest writers and producers in thehistory of rock music. Most ofthat notoriety came from a two-minute song that was the officialtheme for Casey Kasem's dailymid-60's TV dance show entitled"Shebang." It was co-written byTommy Boyce and Steve Venetand arranged by Hal Blaine andthe Wrecking Crew, who werethe music behind acts such asFrank Sinatra and the Monkees.Like the McGee's, Blaine at-

tended San Bernardino HighSchool before he went on to hisRock and Roll Hall of Fame ca-reer."No. We never really did meet

any of those people in person butwe certainly knew Little Richardand the others," said Delia Renee."They picked us to sing CaseyKasem's theme song and werecorded the vocals in a Los An-geles studio and went home thatday." Nevertheless, Delia andJulieann Renee and the rest of theAKA/The McGee Sisters wereoff and running with a careerboasted by winning an episode ofthe Gong Show, consideredsomewhat of an earlier version ofAmerica's Got Talent. The Renee's AKA/The McGee

Sisters say they never reallystopped singing. They touredwest of the Mississippi for yearsand recently Delia and Julieannhave performed in Las Vegas

lounges since 1999 in places likethe Silver Nugget. Due to familytragedy, marriages and raisingchildren, the singing sisters couldnot dedicate the time needed toreach the national level.

"We never really cared aboutbeing big-time stars. We werejust singers. Now, we're ready togo on the road. Maybe Atlanta tostart," said Delia Renee. "We leftsinging alone for awhile butnever stopped writing music.Things really seem to be clickingnow. It's never too late." The Sis-ters have adapted to using socialmedia for exposure and will beadding to their online recordingpresence. Their current style canbe called jazz and blues in theform of Billie Holliday or EttaJames.The McGee Sisters began per-

forming as pre-teens along withtheir McGee brothers, Earnest,

Lewis and Charles who had a hitrecord of their own when knownas the Metallics. Delia Renee hada Billboard R & B top-100 hit in1982 called "You're Going toMiss Me." Before they come toSan Bernardino for a week inFebruary, they will put on a showfor Senator Harry Reid and thenfind out more about a possiblerecording contract and possiblemotion picture assignment."Right now I am so sad about

San Bernardino. How can peoplebe like that to those who trustedthem. It has ruined my year," saidDelia Renee. "I hope we canbring some happiness." Delia andJulieann Renee are scheduled toappear in a Black History Monthshow on Feb. 7 at the new SanBernardino American LegionHall.

Courtesy PhotoDelia Renee was part of the McGee Sisters singing group from San Bernardino. Photo Courtesy/Julieann McGee

Julieann Renee and the McGee Sisters were on the rise as tal-ented teenage singing sensations from San Bernardino.

Page 11: Inland Empire Weekly December 24 2015
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Inland Empire Community Newspapers • December 24, 2015 • Page A15

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Page A16 • December 24, 2015 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers

Music club enriches youth with experiences, music

Photos/Rocio AguAyo

Members of hip-hop,pop, R&B, and soulband the gentle-man’s club spoke toapproximately 15youth at the Artthompson teen cen-ter on Fri. Dec 18about their experi-ences as musicians.Members explained tothe youth that, “deter-mination is key.”

clockwise from top-left: trumpet playerand colton residentthomas Robles, 23,performing for youth;, hunter Mora, 21,singing and playingthe guitar; sheamuso'Rourke, 17, clap-ping along to theband’s newest singlePicture Perfect; Key-board player DeAn-gelo sherman was allsmiles.