Inland Empire, Calif. The Inland Empire Tax Payer’s Association host the first Congressional Candidates Forum for the 31st District moderated by local news reporter and KCAA Radio’s Joe Lyons. Candidates Republican Sean Flynn and Democrat Kaiser Ahmed have confirmed their attendance. As of this writing Democrat Pete Agular is invited but has not confirmed his attendance.
The forum is Wednesday, May 30thfrom 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.in Rancho Cucamonga at the Lions East Community Center, 9191 Baseline Road.
“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.
While touring at Kelley Space in San Bernardino, Sean Flynn candidate for the 31st Congressional District looks at the machines cylinder used in pulley systems that helps electricians perform their job more safely. Flynn toured 31st district businesses to learn more about their companies and what they need from government. Sean Flynn is on the left and in the front right is Mike Gallo Presdient of Kelly Space.
“The same issues came up repeatedly: overregulation, high healthcare costs, tax reform, high workers compensation rates, and burdensome, confusing labor laws that add cost and hurt worker productivity,” said Flynn.
Rancho Cucamonga, CALIF.- Economist, jobs expert, academic, and congressional candidate Sean Flynn had a busy week meeting with local small business owners during National Small Business Weekto learn about the needs of businesses in the area and how our government can serve them better.
“California does not have a business-friendly environment, which is why it is so important for me to hear from small business owners who are working hard to run successful companies in San Bernardino County. We are going to work together to find solutions to the problems that confront them daily,” said Flynn, candidate for the 31st Congressional District.
Small businesses make up a large part of the economy. According to the Small Business Association (SBA) more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and these businesses create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.
“I recently met with San Bernardino County small business owners. We talked about their concerns about our current business environment, and the major issues that are impacting them,” said Flynn. “The same issues came up repeatedly: high healthcare costs, overregulation, tax reform, high workers compensation rates, and burdensome, confusing labor laws that add cost and hurt productivity.”
Business leaders joining the discussion included: Denny Shorett owner of Crown Connect, a 40 year old printing company in San Bernardino, Fontana’s California Recyclersowner Cristina Valle-Parke, California Financial Plannersowner Rich Crean from San Bernardino, and Account Executive M’liss Silva with City News Group, which has six publications in the Inland Empire.
Sean Flynn candidate for the 31st Congressional District Cristina Valle-Parke, owner of California Recyclers in Fontana. Flynn toured 31st district businesses to learn more about their companies and what they need from government.
Flynn also sponsored a free jobs workshop in Rancho Cucamonga. The workshop helped local high school and college students create job winning resumes, fill out job applications that will make them stand out from their competitors, and practice successful interview skills.
The jobs workshop was lead by Karina Anderson from Employment Means Success, a local nonprofit dedicated to finding qualified people jobs. Flynn is a co-founder of the non-profit and is vice president of the board of directors.
In addition to these events, Flynn visited local businesses. He toured California Recyclersin Fontana, Valley Resource Center’s San Bernardino County branch in Fontana, Flamingo Palms Cuban Cafeserving Caribbean Cuisine in Rancho Cucamonga, Angel Jewelersin Rancho Cucamonga, and local chopped salad franchise Chop Stop, owned by Kelley Choi in Rancho Cucamonga.
The tours continued with Flynn touring Kelly Spaceand Technology with President Mike Gallo, and Technical Employment Trainingin San Bernardino, which provides manufacturing trades education and hands-on machinist skills training to prepare students for National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) credentials.
At each stop, Flynn got to sit down and talk with the owners about the issues they face while doing business in San Bernardino County.
“This is just part of my meetings with local business owners. It was exciting to celebrate Small Business Week, and I will continue to stay connected with business owners small, medium and large. I celebrate the successes of local businesses and support them daily,” said Flynn.
Sean Flynn is running for the 31st Congressional District representing all or portions of Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, San Bernardino, Highland, Redlands, Loma Linda, Grand Terrace, Colton, and Rialto.
Flynn gained national attention as the best-selling author of Economics for Dummies. He is also coauthor of the world’s best-selling college textbook, Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies. An avid martial arts enthusiast, Flynn is also a former U.S. National Aikido Forms Champion and has coached five of his students to U.S. National Aikido titles.
The primary election is on Tuesday, June 5, with the top two vote recipients advancing to the General Election on Tuesday, November 6.
The San Bernardino County Tobacco Control Program serves in the capacity of local lead agency for tobacco prevention, education and control efforts in San Bernardino County. With funding support from the California Department of Public Health – Tobacco Control Program, SBCTCP is administered by the California Health Collaborative to implement a comprehensive tobacco control plan Coalition Members left to right back row: Lynda Barbour, Susan Heppner, Evi Hernandez, Roberto Terrones, Clara Omogbai, Jennifer Harmon. Front Row: Terry Roberts, Cynthia Turk, Maggie Acuna
(San Bernardino, CA) Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Where there’s no smoke, there’s a firestorm.
Most people know that smoking and secondhand smoke are harmful to their health but very few are aware about the dangers of “third-hand smoke” exposure.
Third-hand smoke is the residue from tobacco smoke that accumulates on surfaces. It sticks to walls, windows and furniture or can settle as toxic dust in homes and cars. It even sticks to clothing and hair. The residue builds up in the environment, becoming more toxic over time, according to TobaccoFreeCA.com.
In San Bernardino County, the California Health Collaborative (CHC) has been crusading for tobacco-free apartment units since 2015. Through voluntary tobacco-free housing policies, CHC touts the benefits for renters, property managers and owners, said Roberto A. Terrones, Program Coordinator for San Bernardino County’s Tobacco Control Program.
Terrones said that many in the housing industry expect for tenants of apartment buildings to be against these types of tobacco free policies, but that is not the local nor state-wide sentiment when it comes to these changes. While there has been some blowback, he said, the majority of tenants appreciate the new rules.
“We survey the tenants before we go smoke free. Some people think these smoking policies aren’t popular but we’ve seen that a lot of people are for it,” Terrones said. “People that were opposed don’t always smoke but they see it as a right being taken away. We’re not telling you that you can’t smoke but you have to smoke somewhere else outside of the property.”
One-third of Californians live in multi-unit housing, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Units share common walls, floors or a ceiling, which means that millions may be exposed to secondhand smoke even if they do not allow smoking in their home.
Nine out of 10 people do not smoke in their homes, Terrones said. About seven out of ten people who want tobacco free-housing are people that don’t smoke.
The importance of having tobacco-free housing is to protect the health of tenants, said Evi Hernandez, CHC Director of Program Services. Many times, Hernandez said, they are protecting people that cannot afford to live in single-family homes and those at highest risk for serious illness caused by tobacco smoke exposure, including children and the elderly.
“Among other things, any contact with third-hand smoke can cause skin irritation, trigger asthma attacks and lead to respiratory illnesses,” Hernandez said.” You don’t really see it in the form of smoke and if you’re not aware that it’s there, you can’t avoid it.”
Terrones said the county has been successful with subsidized housing because while many of the tenants’ love where they live, the smoke is killing them, he said. And for financial reasons, they are unable to move. “It’s essentially a trap,” Terrones said. “They can’t just pick up and leave because of their financial situation.”
Some have agreed to set aside a certain percentage of smoke-free units, but as Terrones said, “If you can smell what your neighbor is cooking, you can smell if they’re smoking.”
Long considered a health hazard, secondhand smoke seeps through doors, open windows, outlets and ventilation systems. The health benefits may be obvious, but decreasing the hidden financial costs are a bonus as well. Estimates to ready a unit for rent after a smoker has lived there could be in the thousands of dollars, Hernandez said.
“I’ve gone to these multi-complex houses and their blinds are completely yellow. You can’t get rid of the smell in the carpet. Sometimes the smoke is so pervasive it penetrates the walls and a treatment/paint plan can take weeks,” Terrones said. “It’s (another) benefit of multi-unit apartments to go smoke free.”
When an apartment complex goes tobacco-free, CHC offers a resource directory for tenants that includes local tobacco cessation resources and information about the California Smokers’ Helpline (1-800-NO-BUTTS).
For further information, contact the County of San Bernardino Tobacco Control Program at (909) 647-4532 or go to sbctcp.blogspot.com
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About The San Bernardino County Tobacco Control Program (SBCTCP)
The SBCTCP serves in the capacity of local lead agency for tobacco prevention, education and control efforts in San Bernardino County. With funding support from the California Department of Public Health – Tobacco Control Program, SBCTCP is administered by the California Health Collaborative to implement a comprehensive tobacco control plan that includes the following objectives:
1) Retain and engage community members representing diverse/priority populations and non-traditional partner agencies in the San Bernardino County Tobacco Control Coalition; 2) Partner with apartment managers/owners, apartment management companies, the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino, and tobacco control stakeholders to guide efforts that result in the adoption of smoke-free policies at multi-unit housing complexes; and 3) Coordinate efforts by incorporated cities in San Bernardino County to adopt a policy that eliminates sales and distribution of tobacco and/or electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDD) products in pharmacies where licensed professionals provide health care services.
Program plan strategies were developed based on results of a community needs assessment and prioritization process and adhere to priority areas and guidelines set forth by the California Tobacco Control Program.
(Redlands, CA) Fans of Jazz will enjoy a performance this weekend at Edwards Mansion in Redlands brought by concert promoter One Touch Management.
Knotts’ Family Agency’s annual Summer Soiree Jazz and Wine Tasting “Under the Stars.” Tickets for this 7 p.m. event are $45 per person.
Mark L. Akridge, son of legendary bass guitarist Mark L. “Bassdagg” Adams from Slave will highlight the Jazz event, he leads this seven-piece band, primarily influenced also by the likes of Michael Jackson, Prince, Sting and Phil Collins, as well as funk bands Zapp & Roger, Lakeside, Heatwave and New Horizon.
Gwen and James Knotts
“This will be a do notmiss event,” said Gwen Knotts, owner of Knotts Family Agency. “Slave was a great band and huge part of the Black culture. You will be able to enjoy a summer evening listening to a new band that sounds a lot like Slave, while tasting some excellent wines from around the world.
“At the same time, you will help us at Knotts Family Agency to provide cultural enrichment opportunities for foster children,” Knotts said. “You are going to experience fun and culture by coming to our summer soiree. Shouldn’t all of our children also be able to experience fun and culture through opportunities appropriate for their age?”
Listeners can also enjoy a variety of wines at the Summer Soiree. These come from Wine Guyz, who will feature a variety of international wineries. Wine Guyz has worked with Knotts Family Agency for several years to put on the wine tasting portion of the event.
This year’s wine selection includes wines from Australia, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. One of the wineries featured is Yalumba, which is Australia’s oldest winery, owned by one family since 1849.
Jorge Odonez Group wines will also be featured. Jorge Odonez is the owner of a chain of boutique wineries in Spain that focus on crafting wines from “very old” vines. These older vines, while less productive, produce wines regarded by winemakers and sommeliers as of higher quality in all respects. Jorge Odonez Group is a major importer of Spanish wines to the United States.
Knotts Family Agency works with the Department of Children & Family Services in both San Bernardino and Riverside counties to identify homes and families for foster children of all ages.
Edwards Mansion’s beautiful Victorian Tea Garden is the site for The Summer Soiree. The Garden has a picturesque fountain, hand-painted tiles in romantic motif, shade trees, colorful flowers and vine-covered arbors combine to create an elegant setting.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please call: Sandy Oquin at (909) 880-0600 or go online to http://www.KnottsFamilyAgency.org/
