Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps Commander Capt. Stephen Ball; Arlene Lewis, wife of U. S. Congressman Jerry Lewis; Salvation Army Advisory Board Member Annorr Gowdy and Advisory Board Chairman Tom Brickley review plans for adding transitional living apartments to the soon-to-be-remodeled shelter at 925 10th Street, where The Salvation Army recently hosted a fund-raising luncheon. In early 2009 it will become the Hospitality House shelter for 125 women and children. Photo by Carl Dameron
Stater Brothers executives Steve Landry, district manager; Judy Lewis, chief financial officer and Sarah Cain, executive director of Stater Brothers Charities, present a $6,918.31 check to Nancy Tortorelli, financial officer for The Salvation Army and Capt. Stephen Ball, commander of the San Bernardino Corps of The Salvation Army. Photo by Carl Dameron
San Bernardino Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Judy Penman and San Bernardino City Attorney James Penman listen to a speaker at a lunch held to honor large donors to The Salvation Army Corps of San Bernardino. Photo by Carl Dameron
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The Salvation Army Corps of San Bernardino raised about $40,000 on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when it hosted a fund-raising luncheon at its future homeless shelter.
Most of this came in the form of donations of $1,000 or more from wealthy San Bernardino-area residents who share the Salvation Army’s vision for helping the community. Among these donors were Congressman Jerry and Arlene Lewis of Redlands.
For 30 years, Jerry Lewis has served as a representative in the United States Congress, and prior to then as a California Assembly member. But even before he entered politics, Congressman Lewis developed an appreciation for the services The Salvation Army provides.
“As a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, he had the opportunity to travel to India,” Arlene Lewis said. “He remembers seeing an ophthalmologist with The Salvation Army there and a long line of people standing in front of him waiting to have their cataracts removed so they could see. “
The building at 925 10th Street where the San Bernardino Corps plans to move its Hospitality House shelter in 2009 now houses the Adult Rehabilitation Center, a Salvation Army program serving 77 men who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. Arlene Lewis publicly acknowledges that branch of The Salvation Army became personally significant to her family a few years ago, when her son lived there for a short time while battling addiction.
“I love The Salvation Army and what they do here,” she said. “Especially because of our personal experience, Jerry and I want to help them in any way we can. We are excited about the plans for growth the Salvation Army has.”
Soon, Adult Rehabilitation Center will move to a new facility on Doolittle Street, with room to treat 125 men. The San Bernardino Corps will then remodel the building on 10th Street to better serve 100 homeless women and children, and it will build eight to 12 apartments so that some of these guests can have a better opportunity to rebuild their lives after becoming homeless, through transitional housing.
A donation of $6,918.31 came from Stater Brothers’ Charities, a 501c3 non-profit foundation the grocery store chain formed in March of this year to better serve the communities where it does business.
“The Salvation Army serves on the front lines of those communities, so we decided to make a major donation,” said Foundation Executive Director Sarah Cain. “our website want to help in their relief efforts.”
The Salvation Army has a rich history in San Bernardino. It began serving here in 1887, just 12 years after William and Catherine Booth founded the international organization in London.
For the last four to five decades, some of that service has taken place at the 925 10th Street Building. The San Bernardino Corps also had a shelter on Kingman Street for many years, but the shelter is now temporarily operating in the Headquarters Building on Fifth Street.
The Headquarters building has also served the community for decades as a church, a place for the needy to receive donations of food, toys and clothing and a staging point for emergency relief operations.
“As a shelter, the Headquarters building is a temporary solution,” said Capt. Stephen Ball. “When we remodel this shelter, we will be able to serve more women and children.”
To put a human face on the good The Salvation Army has done in recent years, four recipients of its hospitality told the lunch guests about their experiences with the Adult Rehabilitation Center and the Hospitality House.
Trent, a former guest of the Adult Rehabilitation Center, was able to break his addiction to methamphetamine and other drugs through the treatment program offered there. Through a Salvation Army Corps program called Pathway to Prosperity, he was then able to earn a certificate at San Bernardino Valley College to become a drug and alcohol counselor.
“I’ve been through a lot but I would do it all over again if I knew I’d end up where I am today,” Trent said. “I have nothing but pats on the back for The Salvation Army.”
Robin stayed at the Hospitality House with her husband and four children after both adults in the family lost their jobs and subsequently, their car and their home. The Salvation Army was able to immediately offer not just shelter, but a job for Robin’s husband as a company truck driver. That allowed the family to save up for an apartment and a new car.
Since then, her husband has obtained a better-paying job as a driver for the City of San Bernardino and she has found work with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. She still spends a lot of time at Hospitality House, because her job entails tutoring the children who li
ve there now.
“I just want to thank The Salvation Army for helping us to get back on our feet,” she said.
Jose, who is not yet 18 years old, has endured homelessness several times, along with his mother and his two younger brothers. Each time, he said, the staff of the Hospitality House has welcomed them and treated them with respect. As he nears adulthood, he helps with The Salvation Army’s youth ministry and is learning valuable leadership skills for a brighter future.
“If it wasn’t for The Salvation Army, I don’t know what would happen to me, my mom and my brothers,” he said.
Amanda, age 17, stayed briefly at The Hospitality House this year after her family threw her out on the streets. She continues to take part in its youth ministry. She said she first came with a negative attitude, but now sees that people there truly want to help.
“Because of The Salvation Army, I had a place to stay,” she said through her tears. “They care about me and want the best for me.”
While the $40,000 raised through the luncheon held Wednesday is greatly appreciated, more is needed to help people like Trent, Robin, Jose and Amanda. The Salvation Army is therefore encouraging others to give what they can.
Online giving, which can be directed specifically to the San Bernardino Corps, is possible at any time by going to www.salvationarmy.usa.org.
From mid-November through Dec. 24, donors can also give through the Red Kettle Drive, a holiday tradition the Army has relied on for more than 100 years. Look for red kettles accompanied by bellringers at locations throughout the Inland Empire and everywhere else. Everything a Salvation Army bellringer collects stays within the community.
Donations of time are also highly needed. For one, The Salvation Army wants to beef up the volunteer bellringer force. It also needs volunteers for its upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.
And, with holiday shopping on most people’s minds already, The Salvation Army hopes people will shop for their poorest neighbors too. Gifts of food and toys are needed for about 750 families relying on the San Bernardino Corps to have any kind of Christmas celebration at all this year.
Those interested in donating time or presents should call the San Bernardino Corps at (909) 888-1336. After Thanksgiving, toys can also be donated through the Sharing Tree programs at the Inland Center Mall, the Ontario Mills Mall, the Montclair Plaza and the Redlands Wal-Mart.
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
(ONTARIO, Calif.) The Inland Empire Chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) will host its annual Media Auction Tuesday, Nov. 18, 6:30-8:30PM at Dave and Busters in Ontario.
The auction is an opportunity for media buyers to purchase advertising at dramatically reduced rates, according to John McCarthy, program chair at the AAF. “These are incredible deals and the selling price for advertising is often 15-25% of actual value.”
For example, McCarthy said that radio spots on K-FROG valued at $3,420 sold for $600 and KCAL FM radio worth $4,050 sold for $500. A local cable TV package valued at $2,000 sold for $400.
In addition to the media auction, the ad club will also offer deep discounts on hotel packages, amusement park tickets, public relations services, photography and more.
Proceeds from the Media Auction helps support student scholarships and last year, over $2,500 was awarded to local college bound students.
Admission to the Media Auction is open to the public and there is no charge to attend.
For more information: http://aaf-inlandempire.com/events.html
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) If you are looking for a great restaurant to meet with a few clients, associates or friends for the holiday season, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire has the perfect place: Seasons Restaurant.
“We have a few reservations left between now and Christmas,” said International Culinary School Director and Executive Chef Eyad Joseph. “The restaurant was designed as on-the-job training for our talented and award-winning culinary students, but it has been highly successful since opening in July.”
Seasons is open to the public from 1 p.m. through 3 p.m., Mondays through Wednesdays, now through Dec. 17 at the San Bernardino campus, 630 East Brier Drive. Because of its popularity and seating for just 40 diners, reservations are suggested, but not required.
Seasons always offers menus featuring the best foods of a given season. For the duration of the current quarter those menus will focus on the upcoming holidays.
“That’s part of the reason the name was chosen: seasonal menus, plus seasonings in food preparation,” Chef Joseph said.
Ala carte lunch prices range from $6.50 to $12.00 The restaurant also welcomes call-in orders. The phone number for either reservations or call-in orders is (909) 915-2170.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion and Retail Management and Media Arts & Animation, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
Emaly Yruretagoyena won a 42-inch high-definition television during the student cooking competition held during Taste of Korea. She is a student at Crafton Hills College.
Winners and judges in the Korean cooking contest held during Taste of Korea.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Students from The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, Riverside Community College and elsewhere took part in a Korean cooking competition as part of the recent Taste of Korea event held in downtown’s Court Street Square.
The students competed in two-chef teams, preparing kimchi, a staple of the traditional Korean diet and a kimchi fusion dish, that is incorporating the pickled vegetables that make up kimchi into something from another culture.
Grand Prize winners, receiving $1,000 each, were Rosanna Saldana 20, of Ontario and Nina Mendiola 28, of Fontana. Both attend the International Culinary School.
Gold Prize winners, receiving $750 each, were Domonic Pena, 22 of Fontana and Robert Vasquez, 22. Both attend the International Culinary School.
Silver Prize winners, receiving $500 each, were Chris Harwood 31, of Yucaipa and Eddie Silvas 24, of Colton. Both attend the International Culinary School.
Bronze Prize winners, receiving $400 each, were Angela Carriaga 28, of Colton and Ceci Dominguez 30, of Fontana. Both attend the International Culinary School.
Popularity Awards, each worth $250 per contestant, were given to the team of Roy Revelles and Idana Munez, and to Heather Fisher and Gabriel Woo. Revelles is a Redlands attorney, and all are are students at the International Culinary School.
Spectator Emaly Yruretagoyena 19, of Redlands, who attends Crafton Hills College, won a 42-inch high-definition television.
The Taste of Korea was sponsored by the Korea Agro-Trade Center, The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire and the San Bernardino Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.
The Korea Agro-Trade Center is an agency of the Korean government, and its purpose is to promote Korean agriculture. It has done this by holding cooking festivals in the Los Angeles area, but this is its first time the Taste of Korea will be held in the Inland Empire.
The Salvation Army will collect boxes and boxes of non-perishable food and toys to give in gift baskets for the area’s needy.
(San Bernardino, CA) Every year families in need can turn to the Salvation Army to help to feed their families this Christmas and let their children have a little fun this holiday season. Last year the Salvation Army received thousands of food and toy baskets for the families in need, this year The Inland Empire Corps hope there will be an even bigger turn out.
From now until December your local Salvation Army Corp. is accepting donations for Christmas assistance. The turn out every year brings hundreds of families to the Salvation Army and providing up to 10,000 families in need with food and toy baskets.
“If we could get 200 families to donate food and toys, up to 1200 families will receive the holiday baskets.” Said Envoy Naomi Tamez of the Ontario Salvation Army Corp. Similar numbers of families can be helped through each of the nine corps in the Inland Empire. This year the Salvation Army urges Inland Empire residents and families to help other families have a holiday they will never forget.
To make a donation or sign up for assistance visit your local Salvation Army Corp. Here is a list of locations and dates:
San Bernardino: 746 W 5 St San Bernardino, CA Dates: Nov 5 – 7, 10 – 12 & 15 Phone: 909-888-1336
Victorville: 14585 La Paz Dr. Victorville, CA Dates: Oct 15 – Open Phone: 760-245-2545
Ontario: 1412 S Euclid Ave. Ontario, CA Dates: Now – Dec 19 Phone: 909-986-6748
Redlands: 838 Alta St Redlands, CA Dates: Nov 3 – Nov 28 Phone: 909-792-6868
Cathedral City: 30400 Landau Blvd, Cathedral City, CA Nov 3-5 Phone: 760-324-2275
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About the Salvations Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
Let students of The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire prepare a Thanksgiving Day feast for you an your loved ones. The holiday dinners include turkey, side dishes and pie for six for $65.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Thanksgiving dinner is only a phone call away! Culinary students at The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire are announcing the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner program, open to the public.
Thanksgiving dinners, cooked entirely by students at The International Culinary School include a 12lb turkey, corn bread stuffing, cranberry sauce, a dozen dinner rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans almondine and choice of a pumpkin, pecan or apple pie. Dinner will serve a family of six for a total of $65.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for families to save money this year and still enjoy a Thanksgiving feast,” said Chef Eyad Joseph, Director of Culinary Programs at the International Culinary School. “I don’t know where you can go to find such a high quality dinner at this price,” he said.
According to Joseph, the program gives culinary students an opportunity to cook and prepare Thanksgiving dinners while raising money for a worthy cause. All proceeds will go toward scholarships for culinary students enrolled at the college.
The deadline to order dinner is Monday, Nov. 17. Orders will be ready for pick up Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 24-26, from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. Instructions for reheating will be included with each order. Orders can be placed at (909) 915-2176.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is located at 630 E. Brier Dr., San Bernardino in the Hospitality area off Interstate 10 at Waterman.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Marketing & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Fashion Design. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start classes at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin Nov. 13 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information or a free tour of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire call (909) 915-2100 or go on line to artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire. The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 40 education institutions throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
[PITTSBURGH, NOVEMBER 10, 2008] – Recently a team of eight chefs chosen to represent The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes traveled to Efurt, Germany to compete against some of the world’s top chefs and confectioners in the 22nd Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) International Culinary Art Competition or “culinary Olympics.” The culinary Olympics are considered the most prestigious competition in the culinary industry—taking place only once every four years.
In the Culinary Arts category, The International Culinary Schools team earned five silver medals and one bronze medal in the Pâtisserie category.
The International Culinary Schools team included: Master Chef Walter Leible, Assistant Director of the Culinary Arts Program, The Art Institute of Phoenix, who served as the team’s captain and coach; also coaching the team Chef Bill Sy, Academic Director of Culinary Arts, The Art Institute of Tucson; Chef Larry Matson, Culinary Director, The Art Institute of Dallas; Chef Michael Nenes, Assistant Vice President of Culinary Arts, The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, Chef Eric Watson and Chef Manuel Catemaxca, both Chef Instructors, The Art Institute of Houston; Chef Robert Childers, Chef Instructor, The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago; and Tyler Burke, Culinary Arts student, The Art Institute of Phoenix.
“The International Culinary Schools team presence and accomplishments at the culinary Olympics was important because it demonstrates the expertise of our culinary faculty to the international culinary community,” said Chef Michael Nenes, Assistant Vice President of Culinary Arts for The International Culinary Schools.
Four days, each filled with twenty hours of hard work, led to the discovery of the worlds best in the culinary industry. Preparation and practice were key. “Historically, most entrants participating in the culinary Olympics dedicate an immense amount of time to the planning process in order to stay ahead of the competition,” said Chef Nenes. The International Culinary Schools team prepared for the event in a remarkably short amount of time. “Most teams spend a minimum of two years choosing and planning their competition menus. The International Culinary Schools team was able to pull our competition menus together in six months,” remarked Chef Nenes.
To learn more about The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/pr.aspx?ID=cul091 or www.exploreculinary.com.
About The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes is North America’s largest system of culinary programs with over 30 locations.
Based on classical Escoffier, Asian and Latin culinary techniques, with an emphasis on progressive trends and practices, the schools’ curriculum are designed to develop and sharpen fundamental cooking techniques and professional skills and introduce a variety of international cuisines. Internships, student-run school restaurants, guest lectures and Web-based seminars, and study abroad programs help broaden the scope of learning for students.
Program offerings vary at each school. Prospective students should check the course offerings at The Art Institute school they are interested in attending before enrolling. To learn more about The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/culinary or www.exploreculinary.com.
About The Art Institutes The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) is a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals.
High school seniors are encouraged to enter the Passion for Fashion Scholarship competition sponsored by The Art Institutes.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The search is on! The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is looking for high school seniors interested in pursuing a career in the fashion industry to enter The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition.
The Passion for Fashion Competition was created to encourage and reward young fashion talent.
One grand prize winner in each of the two categories (i) Fashion Design and (ii) Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Retail Management will be selected to receive a full tuition scholarship to study at a participating Art Institutes location.
To be eligible to enter, students must be a high school senior scheduled to graduate in 2009. In the Fashion Design category, entry requirements include submission of an original evening wear design. In the Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Retail Management category, entry requirements include a finished product or plan.
“We recognize that an interest in fashion has to start somewhere, and for many young men and women, that passion is nurtured right in high school,” said Director of Admissions Monica Jeffs of The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.
In addition to a full tuition scholarship, the grand prize winning student in each category will receive an all-expense- paid trip to New York City for Fashion Week in February 2009, a “meet and greet” at Seventeen Magazine’s offices and lunch with staff at Seventeen Magazine.
The deadline to submit entries to The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is November 21, 2008.
For complete rules and entry requirements on how to enter The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/pr.aspx?ID=p4f093http://
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Marketing & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Fashion Design. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start classes at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin Nov. 13 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information or a free tour of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire call (909) 915-2100 or go on line to artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire. The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 40 education institutions throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church presents Helen McNair in a Christmas concert Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) New Hope Missionary Baptist Church presents professional singer Helen McNair in a Christmas concert Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. The church is at 1575 W. 17th Street, San Bernardino. Dr. Robert L. Fairley is Pastor.
The mass choir and musicians of New Hope will assist her, including Minister of Music, Michael Jackson; Blinkey Williams–Powell, Director/Musician, Mass choir; and Carl Wilson, Director/Musician, Sanctuary choir.
The Guest Choir for the event will be Good News Community Church of Riverside. Ira Gray is the Musician/Director, and the Rev. Levonzo Gray is Pastor.
McNair began her professional career in the 1960s, along with her two sisters, in New Brunswick, New Jersey where they were known as the “Georgettes.” They began by singing in their church and traveling to New York City to record as background singers for professional and upcoming artists. “The group recorded ten records, none of which became national hits,” she said, “but were popular in the New Jersey and New York areas.”
McNair relocated to California in the ‘80s, where she continued to sing as a solo artist. She recalls, “During one of my engagements at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, Mrs. Gertrude Ward, the manager of the Clara Ward Singers, approached me when I had finished singing and asked me to come to Los Angeles for an audition. I went and auditioned and became a Clara Ward Singer.” The Clara Ward Singers were instrumental in bringing gospel music out of the church and into the main stream, performing in nightclubs, Las Vegas and Disneyland.
McNair has performed on stage with some of the gospel greats as well as The Clara Ward Singers. Other artists include Professor James Cleveland, Professor Raymond Rasberry, Gregory Perkins-Bowen, Vernard Johnson, Shirley Caesar and Albertina Walker.
Currently, McNair performs for weddings of hawaii, banquets, community organizations and church functions throughout the Inland Empire, Los Angeles and beyond. Her repertoire includes, gospel, spirituals, songs for special occasions and the classics. She is a member of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino, and is active in the Sanctuary choir, the Mass choir and the Mission chorus.
McNair can be reached for concerts and bookings at (951) 315-5691 or FAX (909) 888-2331.
Sonia Rincon, working as a server at student-run Cafe d’Eisenhower, gives a slice of cheesecake to Eisenhower High School Assistant Principal Joe Dumond. Although Cafe d’Eisenhower is a tiny restaurant in Eisenhower High’s culinary arts classroom, students create and serve meals the caliber of which can be found in a reservations-required commercial restaurant.
(RIALTO, Calif.) Most days, the teachers, administrators, counselors and support staff at Eisenhower High School in Rialto are so busy, they forget all about lunch. But not on Thursdays.
On Thursdays, a small group of students tempts their taste buds with dishes like Chicken Parmesan, Cesar salad and a macaroon desert. These students, members of the advanced culinary arts class double as the staff of Café d’Eisenhower, an on-campus restaurant catering almost exclusively to the school’s employees.
“I try to eat here every Thursday,” said Yvonne Jenkins, the school’s receptionist. “I’m mostly doing it to support them, but everything they prepare is very good.”
Jenkins has worked at the school for five years, but previously was an Eisenhower mom. Her four children all graduated from the school, and she knew about Café d’Eisenhower in those days too.
Some of her co-workers have been eating at Café d’Eisenhower since before the current student workers were born. No one who works at Eisenhower these days is sure when the restaurant first opened, but some have been enjoying the gourmet meals there since the mid-1980s.
“It’s so good, sometimes the retired staff comes back for lunch,” said Mary Saxon Hobbs, a retired school counselor who had, in fact, come back to her former workplace just to take in a Café’ d’Eisenhower meal.
“It’s the highlight of my week,” said Assistant Principal Joe Dumond, who adds that on the other four days, he’s so busy he doesn’t normally have time to even think about lunch.
Café’d’Eisenhower serves the quality of food where reservations are strongly encouraged. The other reason for reservations is because it only seats 30, and because most of the diners must take their lunch at a specific time (A Lunch or B Lunch), it fills up rapidly. That’s especially true during the first seating, a.k.a. A Lunch, where 28 of the 30 seats were filled during one recent meal.
The students are well prepared for their guests.
It’s all planned way in advance, and most of it is prepared beforehand. Preparations include not just cooking the meals, but also sending out invitations to Eisenhower and selected other Rialto Unified employees and making special accommodations for anyone who RSVP’s but has special dietary needs, or a preference for a vegetarian diet.
Wednesdays, students stay after school to and into the evening to make sure everything is as ready as it can be.
When class starts on Thursday, the tables, which are used as desks by instructor Carol Bertottto’s other students throughout the day, are transformed into six elegant seating areas with green tablecloths, white paper napkins and an array of silverware. Salads are assembled and lightly dressed, entrees are heated up and finishing touches like whipped cream flowerets are added to deserts.
And occasionally, entire meals are prepared. Since reservations aren’t mandatory, there might be far more visitors than the class had planned for. Once, early in the year no less, the students had prepared food for 30 guests, only to have about 60 show up.
“That was hard,” said Georgiana Witrago, a 12th-grader with aspirations to own her own bakery some day. “Everyone was in the kitchen helping out, and it all worked out.”
Normally, about half the students are in the kitchen working with food during Café’ d’Eisenhower’s open hours. The other half are working as a host or hostess and servers.
The first person to greet a visitor to Café d’Eisenhower is usually the day’s host or hostess. He or she checks the reservation list, collects the $7 charged per meal and invites the visitor to take any available seat at the five tables seating six people each.
Almost immediately, a student server appears, bearing a salad on a china plate and asking what you’d like to drink. Water, tea and lemonade are available, all served in glasses with lots of ice. Coffee is available too.
As soon as you finish the salad, your server returns with the main dish. Likewise, as soon as you’re done with this entrée, the server returns with desert.
Discreetly, the server is also taking away dirty dishes as they are used. This sever isn’t going very far with them, as this tiny restaurant’s kitchen is merely a divider away from the “dining room.”
Behind the divider, Bertotto and the students on kitchen duty are hard at work. Some are chefs, others clean things.
A number of students, these actually in the intermediate culinary class, are packaging food into “to go boxes” and carrying them out of the restaurant for hand-delivery to teachers and administrators who couldn’t break away from their desks.
Other than the intermediate students on the to-go crew, the job students do varies each week, so that everyone will have equal experience hosting, serving, cooking and cleaning.
“They have their hand in everything here,” said Counselor Wendy Better. “They plan the meals, they cook, they serve. They do it all very well.”
The quick but discreet service offered at Café d’Eisenhower and many other fine restaurants requires some learning, according to several students. It’s especially difficult at a school restaurant, where the diners usually only have 35 minutes for lunch. If any A Lunch guests tarry, the students will be bussing tables when B Lunch visitors come expecting the usual quick service. If any B Lunch visitors run late, the students may end up tardy to their fifth period class.
“It helps us to learn time management,” Witrago said. “We can’t be slow, but we can’t rush them either.”
Why do these students work after school two days a week and give up their entire lunch on Thursdays?
“I’m in this class because I love to cook,” said Sonia Rincon, a sentiment her classmates agreed with. “And it will look good on my transcript.”
If they’re not going to work in a restaurant or bakery, most of the students in Advanced Culinary Arts have plans that entail college. Rincon, for instance, hopes to become a lawyer.
The most important thing students learn in Advanced Culinary Arts is not how to sautee, flambé or grill. It’s teamwork.
“We’re like a body,” Rincon said. “If one person doesn’t come, we are missing a piece. And without teamwork, you can’t run a restaurant.”
The program now known as HECT has undergone a transformation over the last 30 years. Prior to the 1960s, the program focused on training women in skills they would need as wives and mothers. But, as more women began working outside the home, California changed its home economics curriculum to reflect this, and added the Home Economics Related Occupations component.
As all professions, including those in home economics related industries became more dependent on technology, so did the courses offered in secondary schools. To reflect this change, Calif
ornia renamed its home economics program Home Economics Careers and Technology in the 1990s.
Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps Commander Capt. Stephen Ball; Arlene Lewis, wife of U. S. Congressman Jerry Lewis; Salvation Army Advisory Board Member Annorr Gowdy and Advisory Board Chairman Tom Brickley review plans for adding transitional living apartments to the soon-to-be-remodeled shelter at 925 10th Street, where The Salvation Army recently hosted a fund-raising luncheon. In early 2009 it will become the Hospitality House shelter for 125 women and children. Photo by Carl Dameron 
Stater Brothers executives Steve Landry, district manager; Judy Lewis, chief financial officer and Sarah Cain, executive director of Stater Brothers Charities, present a $6,918.31 check to Nancy Tortorelli, financial officer for The Salvation Army and Capt. Stephen Ball, commander of the San Bernardino Corps of The Salvation Army. Photo by Carl Dameron 
San Bernardino Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Judy Penman and San Bernardino City Attorney James Penman listen to a speaker at a lunch held to honor large donors to The Salvation Army Corps of San Bernardino. Photo by Carl Dameron 
