Carl M. Dameron Founder and creative director of Dameron Communications Photo by Robert A. Whitehead/CSUSB
Inland Empire, Calif.– The heroes of September 11th, 2001 include firefighters and police officers who showed their courage by running into flaming buildings to save those who they could. Private citizens who lead frightened people down dark staircases for dozens of flights. Some went back up those dangerous stars to lead more people to safety and never returned.
“The heroes of 9/11 include the passengers of the hijacked and doomed United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco who refused to be used as weapons against this nation. They sacrificed their lives to protect untold lives in Washington D.C.,” said Carl M. Dameron president of Dameron Communications.
“The men and women who died at the Pentagon and the twin towers in New York City were killed by cowards who used terror to attack this nation. The terrorist attempted to cause fear and division among us,” said Dameron. “Terrorist still don’t understand that Americans come together in crisis. We will not be intimidated by any terrorist.”
On December 2, 2015,14 peoplewere killed, and 22 others were seriously injured in a terrorist mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. “Again, our brave citizen heroes helped their fellow victims survive. Again, our law enforcement and firefighting heroes ran into danger to save people. Again, this nation found the terrorist responsible and brought them to justice,’ said Dameron.
“I celebrate the contribution of our heroes and morn the losses this nation experienced on September 11thand December 2nd. The United States I love, is place where we are not panicked by terror, but we come together to fight terrorist and injustice,’ said Dameron.
“The United States of America is a place that will not be bowed. We rebuilt on the site of the Twin Towers. We reopened the Inland Regional Center,” said Dameron. We work together to make life better an honor those who were murdered in the name of freedom.”
Inland Empire, Calif. The Inland Empire Tax Payer’s Association host the first Congressional Candidate Forum for the 31st Districtmoderated by local news reporter and Radio’sJoe Lyons.
Candidates Republican Sean Flynn and Democrat Kaiser Ahmed have confirmed their attendance. As of this writing Pete Agular was invited but has not confirmed his attendance.
The forum takes place in Rancho Cucamonga at the Lions East Community Center, 9191 Baseline Road. The event is Wednesday, May 30thfrom 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
“The goal of the candidate’s forum is to give voters an opportunity to hear the positions of each candidate and ask them questions. Come ready with your questions,” said Lyons.
The 31st District represents all or portions of Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, San Bernardino, Highland, Redlands, Loma Linda, Grand Terrace, Colton, and Rialto.
Norris P. Gregory Jr., 85, the first black council member in the of San Bernardino, died April 21, 2011. (This is a reporter photograph of a photograph.) (04/28/2011, None / The Press-Enterprise)
(San Bernardino, Calif.). There is a nomination for naming the 2.5 acre multi-use park on E Street between 9th and 10th streets, Norris P. Gregory Park.
The park will be maintained by the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. It will have sitting areas, an outdoor fitness exercise area, playgrounds, picnic areas, basketball court, skateboard area, multi-use field, walkways and splash pad.
It is being built with a $5 million grant and will be ready for use at the beginning of 2017. Below is a bullet list of accomplishments for Mr. Gregory who died in 2002.
Norris Paige Gregory, Jr.
• He was a resident of San Bernardino from 1958 to his death at the age of 85 in 2011
• Elected and served as San Bernardino City’s first African American councilman also making him the first African American elected official in San Bernardino County.
• Served the 6th Ward for 2 terms starting in 1967 to 1975
• He was a member of the NAACP, the Urban League, the Mexican Chamber of Commerce as well as the VFW and American Legion
• The San Bernardino and California Teachers Associations and an Honorary Mason.
• He owned a business up until his death on the Westside.
• He served with the Redevelopment Agency
• He was an assistant district administrator for the office of Congressman George E. Brown, Jr.
• He was a teacher and administrator for San Bernardino City Unified School district
• He was an activist working for improving the underserved and minorities in San Bernardino
“I am trying to collect 100 signatures from San Bernardino residents’” said Vera Campbell . “I have an application to fill out and then I turn it in for City Council to approve. I don’t think there is much competition but getting those 100 signatures is proving difficult. I started something that I will see to the end. My phone number is 909-804-1021 if you have suggestions.”
Carl Dameron, president of Dameron Communications at a recent award ceremony.
Dameron Communications has been selected for the 2016 California Excellence Award amongst all its peers and competitors by the American Economic Institute (AEI).
“I am honored to receive this prestigious award for a lifetime of work in public relations and advertising,” said Dameron.
Each year the AEI conducts business surveys and industry research to identify companies that have achieved demonstrable success in their local business environment and industry category. They are recognized as having enhanced the commitment and contribution of small businesses through service to their customers and community. Companies of this caliber enhance the consumer driven stature that California is renowned for.
Dameron Communications has consistently demonstrated a high regard for upholding business ethics and company values. This recognition by AEI marks a significant achievement as a leader within various competitors and is setting benchmarks that the industry should follow.
As part of the industry research and business surveys, various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the selected companies in each category. This research is part of an exhaustive process that encapsulates a year long immersion in the business climate of California.
About AEI
The AEI is a leading authority on researching, evaluating and recognizing companies across a wide spectrum of industries that meet its stringent standards of excellence. It has spearheaded the idea of independent enterprise and entrepreneurial growth allowing businesses of all sizes to be recognized locally and encouraged globally.
Particular emphasis is given to meeting and exceeding industry benchmarks for customer service, product quality and ethical practices. Industry leading standards and practices have been developed and implementation of the same has been pioneered by the dedicated efforts of the business community and commerce leadership.
More information on AEI can be found at www.aefgh.org
“By adorning our public buildings and parks with artistic monuments we can inspire a sense of appreciation and history in the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans,” said artist Patrick Jewett.
(San Bernardino, Caif.) On December 1st, 1955, after a long day at work, a courageous black woman by the name of Rosa Parks boldly challenged then-widely accepted Jim Crow laws, also known as enforced racial segregation, by refusing to give up her “colored” seat to a white individual on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
Rosa Parks Statue Will Memorialize Her Trailblazing Civil Rights Role
On December 1st, 1955, after a long day at work, a courageous black woman by the name of Rosa Parks boldly challenged then-widely accepted Jim Crow laws, also known as enforced racial segregation, by refusing to give up her “colored” seat to a white individual on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
This one act of bravery led to the Montgomery bus boycott, an event that triggered what historians now refer to as the beginning of the civil rights movements in America, and that earned Parks the title of “the first lady of civil rights.”
Parks’ challenge to segregation on buses brought about the end of institutionalized segregation in the South.
In March 2006, in honor of Parks’ trailblazing role in advancing civil rights, the California State Senate and Assembly designated the California Transportation Building in downtown San Bernardino as the Rosa Parks Memorial Building.
The memorial will include a life-sized bronze statue of Parks, which will be placed in front of the building. The statue will be created by renowned local artist Patrick Jewett and the project is proudly sponsored by the San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation.
“It seemed like after naming a building after her, the only thing missing was a statue of her,” Jewett said of why he took it upon himself to approach the state about creating the work of art. “And if not me, who?”
Jewett said he hopes that once the statue is in place it will give people a sense of empowerment in the ability to bring about change.
Plans for the statue have been underway for about three years and fundraising goals to turn an artistic dream into an enduring reality have nearly been reached.
The community at large is invited to top off the efforts by contributing to the project that will honor this American hero.
The total amount needed is $15,000 to complete the statue.
Tax-deductible donations may be to:
The Rosa Parks Sculpture
C/O San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation
P.O. Box 7288
San Bernardino, CA. 92411-0288
Donor names will appear on a plaque near the sculpture. The Black Culture Foundation is a non- profit 501c3 charitable organization.
“By adorning our public buildings and parks with artistic monuments we can inspire a sense of appreciation and history in the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans,” said Jewett.
For more information on the project, contact Patrick Jewett at (909) 856-5487.
As a former scout I am honored to serve scouting and to receive the prestigious The Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award.” Photo by Robert A. Whitehead/CSUSB
“I am honored to be one of the recipients of the Boy Scouts of America Whitney M. Young Jr. Award,” said Waudieur “Woodie” Rucker- Hughes.
(San Bernardino Calif.) The Boy Scouts of America California Inland Empire will honor Waudieur “Woodie” Rucker-Hughes, Child Welfare and Attendance Manager, Riverside Unified School District and Carl M. Dameron, Creative Director, Dameron Communications. They are the 2016 Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award Honorees.
The gala is Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at Shandin Hills Golf Club located at 3380 Little Mountain Drive in San Bernardino. A table of 8, a full page ad in the program, and camp sponsorship for 3 youth is $1,000. Individual tickets are $75.
The Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award is to recognize outstanding service by an individual for demonstrated involvement in the development and implementation of Scouting opportunities for youth from rural or low-income urban backgrounds-this in fulfillment of Dr. Young’s dream of justice and equality for all.
The proceeds from The Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award Dinner will support the Assistance to Others Fund of the California Inland Empire Council, Boy Scouts of America, designed to help provide financial outreach for those youth and families in need of Scout registration fees, camperships, Scouting handbooks, uniform needs and training scholarships.
Whitney Moore Young, Jr. was an Americancivil rights leader, born July 31, 1921 and died March 11, 1971.
On March 11, 1971, Whitney Young died of a heart attack after swimming with friends in Lagos, Nigeria. President Nixon sent a plane to Nigeria to collect Young’s body and traveled to Kentucky to deliver the eulogy at Young’s funeral.
“Whitney understood power, he understood politics, and most of all he understood people. They said Martin was in the streets, Roy and Thurgood were in the courts, and Whitney was in the boardroom. One could not have been successful without the other.” – Vernon Jordan, CEO National Urban League
“I am honored to be one of the recipients of the Boy Scouts of America Whitney M. Young Jr. Award. Mr. Young was a true Civil Rights advocate, a shrewd and politically aware advisor to President Lyndon Johnson, the president who history notes had some of the greatest Civil Rights legislation and programs created and passed during his tenure, said Rucker-Hughes.
She added, “Mr. Young was also the recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom and in his capacity as a leader of the Urban League, he was a co-sponsor of the historic March on Washington which I had the privilege of participating in. I thank everyone who thought enough of me to nominate me for this Award.”
Rucker-Hughes is currently the Child Welfare and Attendance Manager for the Riverside Unified School District’s Pupil Services Department. As the State mandated District Homeless and Foster Liaison she and her staff work to serve the needs of students in order to prevent educational barriers.
In addition to her busy career, Rucker-Hughes is also the current President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Riverside Branch; a member of Chief of Police, Sergio Diaz’s “Citizen’s Advisory Board”; and Amos Temple CME Church’s Chancel Choir. She has served on the Trustee Board of Amos Temple CME Church.
Rucker-Hughes has meritoriously served the Riverside community at large as a humanitarian and pillar. She most recently was appointed to the California-Hawaii State NAACP Executive Committee, where she serves as its South East Area Director. Woodie also serves as the NAACP Region 1 Secretary, an elected position that she has held since 2010.
Her most recent honors have included being appointed to the Citizen’s Advisory Board for the State of California Highway Patrol, where she advises the HWP Commissioner on matters affecting the Highway Patrol. In February of 2015 Woodie was presented the 61st Assembly District’s Women of Distinction Award by Assemblyman Jose Medina. She was honored in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the community.
Dameron is the founder and creative director at Dameron Communications advertising and public relations agency serving California since 1989. He has placed stories with the most prestigious and popular media in the nation including the New York Times, Washington Post and NBC news.
“I am pleased to serve my community and help where ever I can,” said Dameron. “As a former scout I am honored to serve scouting and to receive the prestigious The Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award.”
Since 1989 Dameron has worked for some of the area’s biggest names: California Portland Cement Company, Sprint, The Salvation Army, Capstone Turbine, The South Coast Air Quality Management District, The Art Institute of California, Argosy University, The California Department of Education, Dukes-Dukes and Associates, Meta Housing, the cities of Colton, San Bernardino and Rialto, and San Bernardino and Riverside counties, helping them with what he calls “Advertising and public relations that works.”
Committed to the Inland Empire Dameron contributes his marketing skills to help non-profits elevate awareness of their service and increase donations.
A few of the companies Dameron has worked with include: The Boys Scouts, The Salvation Army, Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce, Inland Empire African American Chamber of Commerce, California State University San Bernardino, Argosy University, The San Bernardino Black Cultural Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, San Bernardino Bicentennial Committee and Time for Change.
Dameron has received awards and recognition from: The American Advertising Federation, The League of Women’s Voters, the San Bernardino Black Cultural Foundation, Entrepreneur of the year finalist, The Victorville African American Chamber of Commerce, Who’s Who in advertising and public relations
Many Cultures-One Mission – the mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
The California Inland Empire Council has been serving youth of the Riverside and San Bernardino Counties for over 92 years. The current council was formed in 1973 through the merger of the Arrowhead Area, Grayback and Riverside Councils. In 2006, a portion of the Old Baldy Council merged into the California Inland Empire Council.
The council has served hundreds of thousands of youth over the years. Its Scouts and leaders have provided innumerable hours of service to communities and individuals.
Council territory includes all of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, and stretches from Fort Irwin and Death Valley to Temecula and Indio; Ontario and Barstow to the Arizona and Nevada borders. The area we serve covers some of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the nation, National Parks and Forests, rural farmland, military bases, and open desert.
For more information on call Tracy Youden at (909) 793-2463 extension 123.
Mike Morrell says “It is amazing how many big hearted people there are doing extraordinary things to help children & families each day.”
Doctor Tomás Morales, President of California State University of San Bernardino, will be recognized.
Carl M. Dameron founder and creative director of Dameron Communications will also be recognized. Photo by Robert A. Whitehead/CSUSB
Redlands, Calif. – The Unforgettables Foundation will host its 5th Annual Heart Awards Luncheon on Friday, February 12th at the Fox Event Center in downtown Redlands. The Foundation will honor the exceptional volunteers, service groups and companies that care for and give to children, families and the less fortunate across Inland Southern California.
California State Senator Mike Morrell did not envision how successful the Unforgettable Hearts Awards would be five years ago when he and Unforgettables Founder Tim Evans mapped out the idea over a lunch in mid December 2011. Morrell says “It is amazing how many big hearted people there are doing extraordinary things to help children & families each day.”
This February 12 at 11am at The Fox Theatre in Redlands, another list of 60 ‘Unforgettable Hearts’ from across San Bernardino and Riverside Counties will join a previous alumni group of over 200 individuals, foundations & business’. The title sponsor is Alaina Matthews of Highland.
Doctor Tomás Morales, President of California State University of San Bernardino, will be recognized, as will 11-year old Faith Powell of Highland and Tyler Nguyen of Rialto, and Anne Rogan of Rogan Building Services in Riverside.
Recipients from 25 different Inland Empire towns example the power of people to do good, like Dameron Communication’s Carl Dameron of San Bernardino and Margaret Muller of Yucaipa who’s idea Knots of Love has created almost 300,000 knit caps to cover the heads of cancer patients.
Over 200 community members have received the Heart Award honor already. One special honor called the Unforgettable Summer Austin Award is given to worthy recipients for exemplary financial commitment to The Unforgettables Foundation. The award honors John & Judy Austin, formerly from Redlands, and their daughter, Summer, who died at the age of 20. Their dedication to the cause has helped raise over $250,000 for families not able to afford to bury their children.
Many local politicians will be present to congratulate the chosen recipients from across the region, including keynote speaker Mike Morrell, Assemblypersons Marc Steinorth and Cheryl Brown and San Bernardino County Supervisors James Ramos and Josie Gonzales and Janice Rutherford-Lim.
Tickets to the event are $75 pre-registration and $85 at the door. Tables of 10 can be purchased and sponsorships are available. Please call 909-335-1600 to reserve your seats.
About The Unforgettables Foundation
The Unforgettables Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded by Timothy Evans in 1999. During a decade of clinical ministry to children and their families, Evans assisted families with many crises surrounding the death of a child-not the least of which are the financial burdens experienced by families with limited resources. For 16+ years the organization has provided burial assistance for more than 5,000 families in Southern California. It is the mission of the organization that every family that goes through the terrible tragedy of losing a child should be able to afford a dignified burial. For more information please call 909-335-1600.
Wife, Mother and Community Leader Jonnie Mae Catoe Dies at 86
(San Bernardino, CA) Jonnie Mae Catoe departed this life December 9, 2014.
In this life Jonnie leaves behind her loving children: Eddie Jr., Kathleen (Randy), David (Sylvia), Donna (Brian), and stepdaughter Melissa (Ira).
She is also survived by: six grandchildren, one step-grandchild, four great grandchildren and four-step great grandchildren, one sister Anna and a host of cousins, nephews and niece.
Catoe was proceeded in death by her loving and devoted husband Eddie Sr. a retired Air Force veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars and local entrepreneur, one brother Howard, two sisters Jean and Minnie Lee, one daughter Barbara, two grandsons Andrew Paul and Jordan Matthew and step grandson Thomas David.
Her viewing is from 1:00 – 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at Harrison-Ross Mortuary, 738 East Highland Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92404
Funeral services are 10:00 a.m., Thursday, December 18, 2014 at Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 1583 Union Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410. She will be interned with her husband at Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, CA 92518 subsequent to services.
Jonnie Mae Catoe was born December 6, 1928 in Kershaw, South Carolina to Andrew and Fanita Mae Clinton. She was the second of five children. She spent her early years residing in Kershaw, SC where she received her primary education and later relocated to Washington D.C. whereas she completed her secondary education.
“My mother received Christ as her personal Savior at an early age. She was baptized by her maternal grandfather Reverend Zedidiah Beckham and resided with him and her grandmother prior to her relocation to Washington D.C.,” said son Eddie Catoe, Jr.
Jonnie met Eddie Catoe Sr., the man who would serve as her life long partner and husband of 49 years as a child in Kershaw, SC., and later reunited with him in Washington D.C. The two entered matrimony in 1951 and began a family. From this union they had five children.
Catoe fulfilled her dream of residing in California moving with her family to San Bernardino in 1960. She later attended nursing school at St. Bernadine’s Hospital and serving as a “Candy Striper”.
“Mom was well known for her fashion sense,” said Eddie Catoe. “She was well known as a talented and phenomenal seamstress and tailor. She worked in this capacity at Harris & Franks and the old Harris Company in San Bernardino prior to embarking in her own tailoring business. She was highly skilled known for her own designs and patterns producing and hosting numerous fashion shows,” he added.
Eddie describes his mother as a very beautiful, athletic and vibrant woman. She was member of St. Anthony’s Church, later attending Temple Missionary Baptist Church. She was a member of the Les Juenes Ami’s Social Club and the NCO Wives Club.
-end-
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
I wish I had the words to commemorate such an important day of gratitude to our creator. I do not so I humbly share with you Abraham Lincoln’s first Thanksgiving proclamation in fervent hope that it will bring “the Almighty’s hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”
October 3, 1863
By the President of the United States
A Proclamation
The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United Stated States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
Amen
Abraham Lincoln
Publisher’s Inland Empire Business Journal was precursor to economic growth in region
Visionary local publisher and media owner Bill Anthony died August 12, 2014 from complications of respiratory failure. Anthony was best known as the publisher of the Inland Empire Business Journal (IEBJ) for the past 25 Years.
Visionary local publisher and media owner Bill Anthony died August 12, 2014 from complications of respiratory failure. Anthony was best known as the publisher of the Inland Empire Business Journal (IEBJ) for the past 25 Years. Bill’s health had been declining suffering from kidney failure three years ago. However, he kept diligently working and those who knew him said he never lost the passion to make the Journal each month.
Bill’s memorial service will be held on September 12, 2014 at The Crossing, The Loft Building, 2115 Newport Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 at 1:00 p.m. Those who wish to attend are advised to park in the parking structure. In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Trellis-Homeless Project at 303 23rd Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627.
Bill is survived by his wife, Ingrid, his two daughters, Christine and Joann, sons-in-laws, David and Todd and four grandchildren.
Along with his wife, Ingrid Anthony, Bill founded the Inland Empire Business Journal in 1989 as a monthly magazine exclusively covering business news in the Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside counties). It was the first such publication in the region and an indication of the massive economic growth the two counties would soon see.
Associates say Anthony was always quick to point out how crazy everyone thought he was when he began the Journal.
At the 2012 ceremony when Cal State San Bernardino’s library archived every issue of The IEBJ, Bill explained, “Back when Ingrid and I started in 1989, everyone told me, ‘Bill, there isn’t any business in the Inland Empire except dairy farms and military bases.’ But we ignored them and saw the banks and developers investing in this area and knew it was only a matter of time before the region took off.”
The first issue of the Inland Empire Business Journal was published on April 17, 1989 and featured an article that predicted an upcoming economic recession. A recession hit the United States economy 15 months later. The first issue also began what became a hallmark feature of the IEBJ – lists. The first lists published were for the Largest Residential Real Estate Builders in the Inland Empire, as well as the largest HMO’s and PPO’s. The IEBJ would go on to publish an annual “Book of Lists”, which cataloged a vast amount of key business indicators and the companies behind them, from top employers to the largest hotels.
PBS’ Hispanic Lifestyle TV show creator and producer Richard Sandoval, a former business editor with IEBJ, acknowledged the deep debt of gratitude that he and others feel toward Anthony for giving them their start in media.
“I would not be in the business I am today without Bill Anthony,” Sandoval said. “He started many careers, including my own, and laid out the blueprint of how to run a regional media business. He also figured out how to create an audience where none existed prior. He was a true innovator, who did not copy others; but instead, succeeded by doing what no others had done before.”
Anthony and his wife also began creating business conferences for working professionals shortly after creating the Journal. The most famous became the Women in Business Expo, which ran annually from 1990 to 2007. Other conferences included the Inland Empire Economic Forecast Conference and the Future 2000.
In 1994, Bill began another enterprise that would be another first for the fast-growing Inland Empire region: it’s first TV newscast. The Inland Empire TV News (IETVN) was a daily 30-minute news program that first began airing on the local cable public service stations. Eventually, Anthony struck a deal to air the news on KPXN, channel 38, which would become part of the new Pax TV network. The show was run in standard local news format, with two anchors reading headlines, and outside reporters producing field pieces, along with in-studio entertainment, sports and weather reports. IETVN ran until 2000, after NBC bought a 32% share in Pax TV and the network began running KNBC newscasts to fulfill its broadcast requirements for local programming.
IETVN was noted for its weekly restaurant reviews, hosted by Anthony himself. Each had a self-deprecating, humorous take on Anthony’s dining experience and rated the restaurant in number of pigs. The graphic for the pigs was a photo of Anthony’s face on a pig’s body and sound effects were added to shots of him eating to exaggerate his hunger. He frequently reviewed the restaurants with IETVN co-anchor and AM 1510 personality Joe Lyons, along with guests that included notable business persons from the Inland Empire.
Emmy-winning reporter for KCBS/ KCAL and NBC4, and owner of Instantriverside.com, Craig Fiegener was the IETVN’s first News Director.
“Bill’s vision was for hyper-local news before anyone understood that term,” remembered Fiegener. ” I remember on June 17, 1994 O.J. Simpson became a wanted fugitive, the world was watching his chase. Bill could have scrapped the newscast for that day, however he wasn’t fazed.
We broadcast our local program that day as usual. I believe Bill’s vision grew out of a desire to end the thinking that the Inland Empire was second to Orange County or Los Angeles. For me that is one of his greatest legacies,”
Anthony’s other ventures in TV included the PBS show Southern California Business Focus and the public affairs program Southern Exposure, along with Ontario In-Focus, a half hour weekly program produced for the city of Ontario.
He was also the host of several business and leisure-themed radio programs, including Time Out, on AM1510 KSPA, as well as a connoisseur of fine wine who helped found and co-owned the New World International Wine Competition.
Anthony received a number of awards and wore many hats over the years, including being involved with the Children’s Fund, Chaffey College Foundation, The A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management, Leukemia Society, California State University San Bernardino, The Unforgettables and many Inland Empire Chambers of Commerce. In October 2011, Anthony initiated an event called Community Cupid, which provided weddings for ten military couples returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ingrid Anthony recalled, “This was quite an undertaking for him and the local community leaders he partnered with. It held very fond memories for him.”
Bill was born in New York City on August 9, 1939 and moved to California in 1966. He lived in Huntington Beach for the past 43 years. Prior to founding the Journal, Anthony was a partner in a computer school and was involved in construction projects in the Orange County and Los Angeles area also has developed the best hunting knife.
A number of other notable people worked with Anthony over the years including:
Bill Ruh – Mayor Pro Tem, City of Montclair
Olga Ospina – Weathercaster for FOX 11 News, former reporter for KTLA
Sid Garcia – ABC7 reporter
Gitika Ahuja Kaul – Four-time Emmy Award winning television news producer, Coordinating Producer – ABC News, Producer – Good Morning America
