February 3, 2023 County Update

The ground we are breaking today signals that we are getting very close to completing this magnificent 110-mile project,” Rowe said during a ceremony at the northern end of California Street in Redlands, which will mark the eastern end of the trail’s Phase III.

If the weather cooperates, the 3.8-mile segment of the trail will be complete in August. It will then be possible to walk or bicycle on a trail along the river from a spot north of California Street, through all of San Bernardino and Colton, and nearly to the western end of Riverside. It picks up near the Orange County line and runs to the Pacific Ocean in Huntington Beach.

When completed, the Santa Ana River Trail will be the longest multi-use trail in Southern California. San Bernardino County Regional Parks is responsible for the creation, operation, and maintenance of the 22 miles of trail that will be located within our county.

“This project shows that San Bernardino County and our many partners have made the quality of life in our communities a top priority,” Baca said.

Regional Parks Director Beahta Davis said funding for Phase III came primarily from two sources: $6.9 million dollars of state Proposition 84 grant funding provided by the California Coastal Conservancy, and $1.1 million in federal Active Transportation Program grant funding.

“This aligns with the commitment our county’s leaders made when they adopted the Countywide Vision and launched the Vision2BActive campaign to promote a healthy and active community,” Rowe said.

To view more photos, or for more information about the Santa Ana River Trail, visit San Bernardino County Regional Parks.

Whether you need help with nutrition, mental health, oral health, transportation, housing, finances, parenting skills, or help paying utilities, Preschool Services can help with direct services and referrals.

PSD is education-driven with educational programs for families and a research-based and developmentally appropriate curriculum individualized for each child. The curriculum, methods used, and environment meets Head Start, California State, and Community Care licensing standards.

Each PSD preschool site offers resource fairs annually featuring our community partners that provide health, safety, financial, educational, and nutritional services. Call for dates and locations.

For more information, call 1-888-KIDS-025 or visit our website at Preschool Services.

Employment Opportunities with Preschool Services Department (PSD)

Looking for an opportunity to change people’s lives? Come work for Preschool Services! PSD is hosting a recruitment fair to streamline the application process. Interviews are by invitation only, so applications must be submitted by February 10.

PSD is continuously recruiting employees for the following positions:

• Clerk
• Custodian
• Food Service Worker
• Office Assistant
• Program Generalist
• Teacher Aid
• Teacher

For job information, visit Job Opportunities or call the job line (24 hours/7 days) at (909) 387-5611.

That would be a challenge even with full staffing, much less the 20 job openings Mountain View has been unable to fill due to a labor shortage that is impacting businesses large and small across California and the nation.

My payroll is actually higher than if we were fully staffed because of all the overtime we’re paying,” said Eric Goodman, President of Mountain View, which has been providing supplies to healthcare facilities for 35 years.

With the support of the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department, Goodman hopes to chip away at the vacancies he now has while also providing career-advancement opportunities for the company’s loyal employees. At a recent meeting of the county’s Workforce Development Board (WDB), Goodman highlighted the initial success he has had with the department’s On-the-Job Training (OJT) program, which pays up to one-half of an employee’s salary while being trained for a new position.

As a result of OJT, Goodman was able to train two employees for higher-paying positions, keeping them both at Mountain View.

“I have an employee who has been with me for 10 years, a single mother of two living at home with her parents. It was a situation where she was going to have to seek out other employment,” he said. But thanks to OJT, he was able to train her for a higher-paying position, which “worked out great” for both the employee and the company.

“On-The-Job Training has become an extremely popular resource for the growing number of businesses that call San Bernardino County home,” said Dawn Rowe, Chair of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

It’s also one of many programs and services available to employers through WDB and its Business Services team.

“We see our work as a partnership that goes beyond simply filling a position, but creating opportunity, transforming lives and helping the company and their workers succeed,” said William Sterling, WDB Chair.

For Mountain View Services, success, or failure, can have far-reaching impact. The company provides 500 intermediate care facilities with food, medical and other supplies. These facilities serve clients who rely on those supplies to get through life. Many are immunocompromised or otherwise unable to leave the facility.

The company is funded through Medicare and Medi-Cal providers, which limits what it can charge the care facilities and, therefore, what it can pay employees. With the pandemic and inflation, “the cost of everything has gone through the roof,” Goodman said.

Most of the company’s openings are in its warehouse, and, because of the funding restrictions, most are at minimum wage. Even if it were feasible to raise wages, many employees would resist for fear of losing state subsidies and health care benefits.

“It makes it really tough,” Goodman said.

In the meantime, he said he will continue to seek the support of programs such as OJT.

“We understand that we provide a service that people rely on every single day. It’s important to us and it’s important to the people we serve, and we’re committed to continuing to make people’s lives better,” Goodman said.

For more information, visit Workforce Development.

By exploring the historical, cultural, and biological uses of the cactus, alternative ideas for its use present themselves to help mitigate the effects of weather-related phenomena due to climate change.

The exhibit opens tomorrow, Feb. 4 through May 14, 2023. An opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is sponsored by both the Land of Milk and Honey and the San Bernardino County Museum Association.

Light refreshments and a nopal tortilla demonstration will be available. All visitors will receive complimentary admission for the two hours.

San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.

For more information, visit Handle with Care Exhibit Opening Reception.