Rialto Mayor Debora Robertson Endorses Dr. Kelly Erving for Rialto City Council
“I think Kelly Erving can add value to Rialto going forward, and this is why I’m supporting her for the Rialto City Council,” says Mayor Robertson.
RIALTO, CALIF. “As the mayor of our city, I welcome and support Dr. Kelly Erving for a seat on the Rialto Council. You may wonder why. First, Ms. Erving took the time to become familiar with local government and determined she wanted to be a part of continuing the progress and the direction she witnessed in Rialto, after choosing to make Rialto the place to become a homeowner. She chose Rialto, and proceeded to engage with various civic organizations, helping with serving the community by investing her time.”
Mayor Robertson praises Dr. Erving’s future orientation and supports her priorities. Dr. Erving says, “I want to create partnerships with businesses and organizations that result in affordable housing so that people who work in Rialto can afford to live in Rialto. The Renaissance Center has been an excellent addition to our community, and I am anxious to see more of this kind of economic development here. And I want to be sure that when our Council makes decisions, all the city’s stakeholders have had the chance to be heard and involved in the process.”
Mayor Robertson goes on to say, “When Kelly made the decision to run for a council seat, she took the time to introduce herself to me and share her reasons for running. I appreciate her respect for taking the time to seek my endorsement, rather than assume it was a foregone conclusion.
“We’re a diverse community and inclusion is very important to me. Additionally, I believe the citizens, in the end, will make the final decision on the representation they will support and continue to support. In the end, I believe character and respect for one another count.
“This election we have five candidates and only one incumbent. I think it’s important to balance between experience and individuals who will continue to want progress in Rialto and embrace technology and innovation.” Said Robertson.
“As mayor, my decisions will never be made on what my, or previous generations can do; my decisions are focused on embracing new technology, innovation and quality of life we all can enjoy.”
“I think Kelly Erving can add value to Rialto going forward, and this is why I’m supporting her for the Rialto City Council.”
Dr. Kelly Erving runs for Rialto City Council on a platform that includes improving the city’s infrastructure and using incentives to attract more local businesses.
” I am dedicated to the City of Rialto and all of its residents; I chose to reside in Rialto due to its limitless potential and the diversity of its residents,” said Kelly Erving.
RIALTO, CALIF. Rialto City Council candidate Kelly Erving’s platform has five priorities: help the homeless, enhance public safety, grow local business, ensure a living wage for Rialto workers and improve the city’s infrastructure. Her campaign slogan reflects these initiatives: “Committed to the Community.”
“If elected to City Council, my objective is to seek innovative, yet achievable, solutions to Rialto’s challenges,” said Dr. Erving. She proposes to tackle the homeless challenge by working with local nonprofit organizations to get them off the streets and into stable living quarters.
Erving works with the underserved and vulnerable subsets of society on a daily basis as an employee of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. “I am committed to seeing that every Rialto worker, public or private, is paid a living wage. I want the City to provide improved infrastructure, enhanced public safety and attractive incentives that encourage the growth of local businesses.”
” I am dedicated to the City of Rialto and all of its residents; I chose to reside in Rialto due to its limitless potential and the diversity of its residents,” said Dr. Kelly Erving
Dr. Erving’s academic credentials include a Master of Public Administration; a B.A. in Political Science (with a minor in Women’s Studies), and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership.
Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson and a number of others have endorsed Erving, seeing her as a “Go-To” expert in operations, policy analysis and the implementation of county, state, and federal programs and policies.
” I am dedicated to the City of Rialto and all of its residents; I chose to reside in Rialto due to its limitless potential and the diversity of its residents,” said Kelly Erving
For more information on Kelly Erving’s candidacy, visit her website at Kelly4RialtoCC.com.
PHOTO CAPTION: Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, will deliver the keynote address at the kick-off event for The Salvation Army’s Annual Red Kettle campaign.
“We are delightedto have Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, serve as the keynote speaker for the 2022 Ked Kettle Kick-Off,” said Major Isaias Braga, Commander of The Salvation Army of San Bernardino.
REDLANDS, CALIF.—Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, will deliver the keynote address at the kick-off event for The Salvation Army’s Annual Red Kettle campaign.
The “miracle” of Christmas is repeated through the joy of caring, sharing and donations to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettles. The ringing of the Silver Bells begins with The Red Kettle Kick-Off. This year’s event is Thursday November 17th at 5:30 PM.
For nearly 50 years, Chairwoman Valbuena has held numerous elected and appointed positions within San Manuel tribal government.
Valbuena has held several officer positions on the Business Committee, including Secretary/Treasurer, Vice Chairwoman and now her fifth terms as Chairwoman. Valbuena also has a long history of service and leadership with regional, state and national organizations, including the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN), where she is currently serving her 27th year as Chairwoman.
PHOTO CAPTION: Majors Isaias (left) and Adelma Braga.
“We are delighted to have Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, serve as the keynote speaker for the 2022 Ked Kettle Kick-Off,” said Major Isaias Braga, Commander of The Salvation Army of San Bernardino. “The tribe has supported the mission of The Salvation Amy for decades. We are honored to serve the same community,” he added.
PHOTO CAPTION: Red Kettle Kick Off
Lynn remains focused on serving the San Manuel tribal community and continuing efforts to preserve and strengthen the Tribe’s Serrano culture, governmental sovereignty and the Tribe’s long tradition of service to all who dwell or visit Serrano ancestral lands that includes the San Bernardino valley.
In 2019–20 The Salvation Army served 22,268 households that included 105,602 meals and 10,072 households receiving groceries. The Hospitality House provided 31,534 nights of shelter to families and children experiencing homelessness; 1,612 at-risk children participated in educational and recreational programs.
For Christmas, the Salvation Army creates holiday food baskets for about 500 local families. On Christmas Eve, The Salvation Army of San Bernardino hosts a Christmas Dinner that before covid, historically provided a delicious meal to approximately 200 people. Donations from people who donate to the Red Kettles help make this possible.
The Salvation Army of San Bernardino serves the cities of San Bernardino, Redlands, Highland, Rialto, Loma Linda, Colton, Yucaipa, Calimesa, Bloomington, Mentone, Grand Terrace, Muscoy and the mountain communities.
Suggested donation for the Red Kettle Kick Off is $250 per person, Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY. For local information call (909) 792-6868. Donors may drop off turkeys, hams, other food, cash or gift cards at the Salvation Army’s Corps Office at 838 Alta Street, Redlands California, 92373.
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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church. 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. To donate go to: www.salvationarmyusa.org
PHOTO CAPTION: Majors Isaias (left) and Adelma Braga.
“We are delighted to have been given this posting and we are already working on making this Corps an even more effective provider of services here.”
REDLANDS, CALIF.—The Salvation Army has appointed new leaders, Majors Isaias and Adelma Braga, to manage the San Bernardino/Redlands Corps and tasked them with both consolidating and expanding services to the greater San Bernardino community.
“We are delighted to have been given this posting,” says Major Isaias Braga, “and we are working on making this Corps an even more effective provider of services.” They have already combined the formerly separate San Bernardino and Redlands administrations into a single unit, located at 838 Alta St., Redlands.
This dynamic husband and wife team are originally from Brazil and have been instrumental in making good things happen everywhere that the Salvation Army has sent them. They met in 1976 at a Bible study. “Isaias was my first date,” says Adelma, “and we got married in 1980.”
The couple has three grown children: Isaias, Jr., who is 40 and an economist in Colorado; Felipe, 39, who is a Property Project Coordinator for the Salvation Army’s Northwest Seattle Corps; and daughter Aline, 36, also a Salvation Army officer, whose husband served in the U.S. Army as staff sergeant for 13 years (including two tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan and Korea), now on leave from the Salvation Army in order to care for her ill mother-in-law. Isaias and Aline each have two children and Felipe, one.
The Bragas moved to the USA in 1992, joined The Salvation Army in 1993 and spent 16 years with the organization, where from initial home meetings, they founded the first-ever Portuguese-speaking ministry, starting at the Torrance Corps, CA and now in operation at Redondo Beach Corps, CA.
The Salvation Army next invited them to take over a senior residential facility in Redondo Beach in 2005. That operation hosted 50 seniors and served 3,500 meals each week to residents and community members with a Meals on Wheels Program.
In 2012 the Bragas relocated to Colorado, first in Broomfield and then in Fort Collins for a total of seven years, followed by a two-year assignment to Renton, Washington. They then were appointed to their homeland, Brazil, where the Salvation Army gave Isaias the job of National Officer for Government Relations in Brasília, the Capital of Brazil.
PHOTO CAPTION: Majors Isaias (left) and Adelma Braga flank Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro.
Having served in the Brazilian Army from 1977 to 1987, mustering out as a First Infantry Lieutenant, Isaias knew the Brazilian system and during his Salvation Army posting, established close relationships with the country’s President and other prominent Brazilian leaders.
Unfortunately, Adelma was diagnosed with breast cancer, so the couple had to return from overseas for her treatment on a short medical leave. Happily, Adelma is now in remission and working alongside Isaias as they confront the challenge of finding a way to combine the Corps’ operations in four different locations into one, while also expanding the capacities of all their social services programs in order to serve an ever-increasing demand for Salvation Army services.
Major Braga’s team has identified a five-acre site in San Bernardino that could meet the Corps’ needs and is now in negotiations to secure the land, as well as the necessary funding for a building to house the church and all its service units.
“We will be able to use the proceeds from selling our existing lands and buildings,” says Major Braga, “but we will need additional resources in order to be able to build a facility large enough to accommodate all our needs.”
The Salvation Army opened in San Bernardino in 1887 and has been helping people in need since then. Its programs have proven effective in dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, hunger and coping with life’s many challenges. To find out more about the Salvation Army’s many community services and how you can get assistance or contribute to its mission, visit their website at https://sanbernardino.salvationarmy.org/
About the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church. 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. To donate go to: www.salvationarmyusa.org
San Pablo, Calif. – The City of San Pablo has once again been awarded the highest form of recognition possible from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. Specifically, the City has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. This is the City’s 26th consecutive year for receiving this prestigious award.
The report was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.
“We are extremely proud to have received this prestigious award,” said Matt Rodriguez, City Manager. “It acknowledges the fact that the City meets the highest standards of financial reporting that are established for public agencies throughout the United States and Canada.”
DSC06662 Photo Caption: A parents signs her daughter up for Girl Scouting in San Bernadino. The American Girl Doll Tea Party is made possible thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations of San Bernardino including the San Bernardino City Library Foundation.
(SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF.) Families—complete with fathers, mothers, grandparents, and lots of daughters—attended the first American Girl Doll Tea Party in three years at Dr. Mildred Dalton Henry Elementary School in San Bernadino. The Girl Scouts were there, and they signed up enough girls to start a new troop.
“Another great success of the American Girl Tea Party included Girls Scouts of San Gorgonio obtaining enough interest to start a new Girl Scout Troop in the Mt. Vernon area,” says Knea Hawley, Vice President of Development for Girls Scouts of San Gorgonio.
DSC06659 Photo Caption: Girl Scout leaders were attended the American Girl Doll Tea Party scouting for new members. Left to right: Linda Scroggins, Knea Hawley, Concetta Miller and Debra Donnell. The American Girl Doll Tea Party is made possible thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations of San Bernardino including the San Bernardino City Library Foundation.
“Girl Scouts is a great way to help girls learn new skills and make friends, but the pandemic has made it difficult for some troops to meet,” says Hawley. “I am thrilled to see the outpouring of support for girls and scouting. We’re grateful to have Girl Scout alumna Ivana Wright, who led a troop before the pandemic, and will lead this new one.
“I am really excited to work with a new group of girls and help them gain life skills, develop their interest in community and champion girls who will make the world a better place,” said Ivana Wright, Girl Scout of the Year 2017.
Foundation President Arlington Rodgers, Jr. says, “The mission of the San Bernardino City Library Foundation is to make sure that our public libraries continue to be places where everyone in the community can gather, learn, grow, and interact. The joining of local girls with The Girl Scouts at a Foundation-sponsored event, is a fine example of how the Library Foundation helps our community do just that.”
Photo Caption: Girls and Boys of all ethnicities attended the recent American Girl Tea Party. The Girl Scouts enough interest to start a new Troop in the Mt. Vernon area,” says Knea Hawley, Vice President of Development for Girls Scouts of San Gorgonio The American Girl Doll Tea Party is made possible thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations of San Bernardino including the San Bernardino City Library Foundation.
The doll collection and the multi-generational American Girl Doll Tea Party are both made possible thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations of San Bernardino including the San Bernardino City Library Foundation.
“The San Bernardino City Library allows children to check out an American Girl Doll kit. It includes ethnically diverse dolls, a carrying case, accessories, a book about the doll and a journal. Children checking out the dolls are encouraged to write about their playing with the dolls in a journal,” said Angela Encinas, Children’s Librarian.
For more information on how to join the new San Bernardino Troop or to start a new Girl Scout troop contact Concetta Miller cmiller@gssgc.org.
For more information on the San Bernardino City Library Foundation go to SBCLF.com
The mission of the San Bernardino City Library Foundation is to make sure that our public libraries continue to be places where everyone in the community can gather, learn, grow, and interact.
Since 1995, the San Bernardino City Library Foundation has provided the San Bernardino Public Library system with the financial support it needs to provide new books for patrons, offer free tutoring for all academic levels, provide patrons with access to e-books and audiobooks, and provide innovative programs like a Makerspace and the American Girl Doll program. To join the Foundation or donate go to SBCLF.com.
Board members include Arlington C. Rodgers, Jr., President; Cheryl R. Brown, Vice President, Community Relations; Mary Kay DeCrescenzo, Vice President, Operations; Debra A. Fields, Secretary, Dr. Chris Tickell, Evy Morales and Timothy Prince, Directors.
About The Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio
Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio serves more than 10,000 girls in Riverside and San Bernardino counties with the dedicated support of 3,000 adult volunteers. GSSGC believes that in order to be a leader within your community, you have to truly become a part of that community. Girl Scouts offers girls the unique opportunity to identify and support issues that are important to them, form partnerships with other people, businesses, and organizations and create sustainable projects that change the world around them. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit gssgc.org.
Photo Caption:Girls and Boys of all ethnicities attended the recent American Girl Tea Party. The Girl Scouts enough interest to start a new Troop in the Mt. Vernon area,” says Knea Hawley, Vice President of Development for Girls Scouts of San Gorgonio The American Girl Doll Tea Party is made possible thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations of San Bernardino including the San Bernardino City Library Foundation.
DSC06659 Photo Caption: Girl Scout leaders were attended the American Girl Doll Tea Party scouting for new members. Left to right: Linda Scroggins, Knea Hawley, Concetta Miller and Debra Donnell. The American Girl Doll Tea Party is made possible thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations of San Bernardino including the San Bernardino City Library Foundation.
DSC06662 Photo Caption: A parents signs her daughter up for Girl Scouting in San Bernadino
“I’ve quit drinking and for the first time in years, I was able to buy school clothes for my children and a sturdy pair of shoes for myself for work. Mike Delgado at The Salvation Army is helping me now to qualify for section 8 housing. I’m excited about work and feel so much better now that a big weight has been taken off of me. All I can say is that you should never give up.” (From left) Angel, Hope, Zoe, Andrew, Nicholas and Noah (twins), and Amanda Arista.
“We’re gonna be okay, thanks to the Salvation Army!” says Amanda Arista
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF.—A few years ago, a young mother saw her children’s dad getting into trouble with drugs and going downhill. She got him involved with the Salvation Army’s Hospitality House program and today he’s clean and sober, has a good job and his life is in good order.
Unfortunately, things later took a turn for the worse for that single mother of six, Amanda Arista. In 2019 she lost her job and was evicted from the residence she had been renting, along with her children ages 10 to 16. She didn’t know what to do and it broke her heart to place three of her children with their father and three with her mother. Then Covid hit.
Her mom got ill and Amanda started caring for her. For a while, her mother got better but then took a turn for the worse and passed away in August 2021. Amanda went on a mental and emotional roller coaster, sometimes up, sometimes down. Her mom had always been the one to help her with paperwork for things like applying for government help. She found herself unable to fill out Social Security assistance forms.
Amanda Arista said “I prayed for help from God and who should come to my rescue but my children’s father, Miguel, who got in touch and told me he hadn’t realized how bad things were.”
Amanda started drinking heavily and got into such a dark mood that she was sometimes afraid to leave her room. She was losing the will to live. She prayed for help from God and who should come to her rescue but her children’s father, Miguel, who got in touch and told her he hadn’t realized how bad things were.
And that’s when everything started to change for the better. The man she had helped to recover from his own downward spiral now turned out to be the one to help her. On a Saturday, Miguel told her about the Salvation Army’s Hospitality House program and that as it helped him, it could now help her.
The following Monday, Naomi Goforth, the Hospitality House Program Director, and Mike Delgado, the Social Services Director for the Salvation Army’s San Bernardino Corps, contacted her and processed her into the same program that had been so helpful for Miguel.
Delgado says, “Usually, our referrals come from churches, county agencies or veterans’ programs. Amanda’s case was different, as her children’s father, who she had referred to us a few years ago, was the one who got her into our program. It’s a great example of ‘paying it forward’ paying off for her and her children.”
“I was really in a dark place,” says Amanda, “depressed and anxious, talking to myself. Miguel saw that I needed help, and he got me connected with the Salvation Army. Today, I’m mentally stable, I have a place to live, I have my kids back with me and in school, and I have a job working for Super 8. The Salvation Army is paying the rent on two motel rooms for us, as the Hospitality House residence is at capacity right now.
Mike Delgado says, “Usually, our referrals come from churches, county agencies or veterans’ programs. Amanda’s case was different, as her children’s father, who she had referred to us a few years ago, was the one who got her into our program. It’s a great example of ‘paying it forward’ paying off for her and her children.”
“I’ve quit drinking and for the first time in years, I was able to buy school clothes for my children and a sturdy pair of shoes for myself for work. Mike Delgado is helping me now to qualify for section 8 housing. I’m excited about work and feel so much better now that a big weight has been taken off of me. All I can say is that you should never give up.”
The Salvation Army is able to help people like Miguel, Amanda and their children thanks to the generosity of the people and organizations who contribute money and other resources like food and clothing. To find out more about the Salvation Army’s Hospitality House Program and other Salvation Army services, visit their website at https://sanbernardino.salvationarmy.org/
About the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is able to help people like Miguel, Amanda and their children thanks to the generosity of the people and organizations who contribute money and other resources like food and clothing. To find out more about the Salvation Army’s Hospitality House Program and other Salvation Army services, go to https://sanbernardino.salvationarmy.org/ or call (909) 888-4880.
REDLANDS, CA— Last week, Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announced that the new Raspberry Rally cookie will join its nationwide lineup for the 2023 Girl Scout Cookie season. The thin, crispy cookie is a “sister” cookie to the beloved Thin Mints®, infused with raspberry flavor instead of mint and dipped in the same delicious chocolaty coating. Raspberry Rally gives devoted Girl Scout Cookie lovers yet another reason to be excited for the upcoming cookie season. This must-have new cookie will be the first in the Girl Scout Cookie lineup to be exclusively offered for online sale and direct shipment only, enhancing girls’ e-commerce sales and entrepreneurial skills. Raspberry Rally will be available to consumers nationally during the 2023 Girl Scout Cookie season. Girl Scouts in San Gorgonio and across the United States will offer the Raspberry Rally cookie next season alongside favorites like Thin Mints®, Adventurefuls™ and and Caramel deLites®.
Cookie season is an exciting annual event for Girl Scouts across the nation. Proceeds raised from in-person and online cookie orders directly benefit local councils and troops. When Girl Scouts run their own cookie business, they are a part of the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world. Girl Scouts learn leadership, problem-solving, and community building through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, resulting in an invaluable experience that cultivates an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program encourages girls to be risk takers, to think outside of the box, and to be confident in their own abilities. Whether they’re working toward earning their Cookie Goal Setter badge as a Daisy or their My Cookie Business Resume badge as an Ambassador, Girl Scouts are learning qualities crucial for all forms of leadership and life-skills. The program embraces the understanding of the world of business, money management, and entrepreneurship. Cookie Business badges range anywhere from goal setting to learning effective in-person and online sales pitches, using market research, creating business plans, and implementing digital marketing campaigns.
Available nationwide, every purchase of the online-exclusive Raspberry Rally cookie supports local Girl Scouts who are helping make our world a better place. Let’s come together to celebrate the young change-makers who are solving problems and learning new skills—one box of cookies at a time.
Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio kicks off cookie season on January 29, 2023 in San Bernardino and Riverside County; visit www.girlscoutcookies.org to sign up to be notified as soon as Raspberry Rally and other Girl Scout Cookies are on sale. Online marketing begins January 15, 2023.
Find your adventure at Girl Scouts by joining or volunteering at www.gssgc.org/join.
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We serve more than 10,000 girls in Riverside and San Bernardino counties with the dedicated support of 3,000 adult volunteers. We believe that in order to be a leader within your community, you have to truly become a part of that community. Girl Scouts offer girls the unique opportunity to identify and support issues that are important to them, form partnerships with other people, businesses, and organizations and create sustainable projects that change the world around them. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit gssgc.org.
Carl M. Dameron, president of Dameron Communications
“I am honored to receive this recognition for our work in Adverting and Public Relations,” said Carl M. Dameron, president of Dameron Communications.
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF. – Corp Today Magazine, named Dameron Communications as the 2022 Global Business Awards Best Full-Service Advertising & PR Agency—California 2022
Corp Today is a business magazine covering the world for companies. Corp Today is a platform that focuses on emerging and leading fastest-growing companies and their style of doing business and ways of delivering effective and collaborative solutions to strengthen market share.
“Our dedicated team of in-house researchers has handpicked each of our 2022 award winners. This proven approach ensures that we award on merit, and not popularity, and recognize the very best in the business,” said Corp Today’s Patricia Waldron.
“I am honored to receive this recognition for our work in Advertising and Public Relations,” said Carl M. Dameron, president of Dameron Communications. “Since 1988 we have worked hard to deliver effective adverting and public relations delivering significant public relations successes.”
Dameron Communications’ is Advertising and public relations agency based in a Southern California receiving award winning client accolades, and delivering effective Advertising and public relations for more than 30 years.
“We infuse research and creativity into our advertising and public relations methods to deliver winning and measurable results,” said Dameron.
He added, “We serve clients who make the world a better place: businesses small or large; candidates; governments or nonprofits; and products, services, or causes. We reach our clients’ communications goals.”
