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Young Abbey Umali, 12, of Redlands will again appear on the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon. Abbey is currently serving a fourth term as MDA's National Goodwill Ambassador. She has Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and walks with the aid of leg braces.

The 46th annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon will air from 6 p.m. to midnight Sunday, Sept. 4. In the Inland region, the telethon can be seen on KCAL, Channel 9.

As national goodwill ambassador, Abbey and her parents, Joel and Wendi Umali, have traveled the country in support of the MDA's mission to find cures and treatments for CMT and other neuromuscular disorders.

On the telethon, Abbey will perform a duet with country artist Darius Rucker, and she'll present a check to MDA from her "Read-a-Thon" fundraiser. In 2010, Abbey read more than 50 books, collecting more than $20,500 for the association.

For more information on MDA, visit www.mda.org.

Most kids today have heard of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, but because they were too young or weren't born yet, there is some confusion about what happened and why. As we approach the 10 year anniversary, kids will hear more about that day and may have questions. To address the confusion and upcoming questions, Nick News has created a special report.

Nick News with Linda Ellerbee will discuss the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and answer questions for children in the special report, "What Happened?: The Story of September 11, 2001," premiering Thursday, Sept. 1 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

The special will air commercial-free and is being complemented with an online discussion guide for parents, educators and caregivers. The guide was created through a partnership between Nickelodeon and the American Psychological Association.

The special will tell the story of that day and will feature first-hand accounts from young adults who were kids at that time. There will also be experts on hand to take on kids' questions about 9/11 and the aftermath. The experts will include Aaron Brown, principle anchor for CNN's original Sept. 11, 2001 coverage; Ari Fleischer, former White House Press Secretary under President George Bush; Juliette Kayyem, former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; Tom Kean, Chairman of the 9/11 Commission; Akbar Ahmed, American University's Chair of Islamic Studies; and Bruce Hoffman, Georgetown University Professor and author of "Inside Terrorism."

UltraStar Cinemas in Temecula is introducing a new Baby's Night Out program that provides a baby-friendly setting for new parents so they can comfortably bring their infants to the movies.

During Baby's Night Out - once a month - the lights are dimmed, but not completely darkened as in a normal screening, so new parents can still see their babies to nurse or comfort them. The volume of the movie is reduced so loud action scenes aren't as startling, and changing tables are set up in the auditorium so parents won't have to miss any of the movie when a diaper needs attention.

Baby's Night Out movies will be recently released titles, such as comedies or dramas, specifically geared to parents.

"New parents often miss out on seeing the latest Hollywood movies because they don't want to bring the baby out of courtesy to other guests," said July Bravo, vice president of advertising and marketing for UltraStar Cinemas. "We created this program to cater specifically to new moms and dads, providing a comforting environment where crying, feeding and diaper changing is not only allowed, it is expected."

Baby's Night Out is held the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. The Aug. 11 film is "Crazy Stupid Love, staring Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. UltraStar Tower 10 is located at 27531 Ynez Rd. in Temecula. Admission is $5.50 for adults, and children under age 4 get in free.

I had the great pleasure of once again sitting down with Lauren Potter (Becky Jackson on FOX's "Glee") and her mom, Robin Sinkhorn at their Riverside home to talk about how Lauren's life has changed over the last few years, since she began filming the show.

Lauren Potter

When I first talked to Lauren in June of 2009, she had taken the part of Becky Jackson - a "cheerios" cheerleader on the show - and was scheduled for two episodes. "Glee" was brand new, scheduled to premiere in the fall, and she had no idea just how big the show would be.

Lauren has Down syndrome is a member of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles, which has an in-house talent agency called Heart & Halo. She auditioned through the agency and her life has been a whirlwind ever since.

In the second season of "Glee" Lauren has been in all but two episodes. And as her character has gotten more outgoing and "spunky," as she calls her, so has Lauren, putting her own personal spin on many scenes.

"I get into it," she said of playing the part of Becky Jackson. "And then I'm her."

"There have been a couple of scenes where she did it one way and they rewrote the scene to use that," Sinkhorn said.

Lauren liked the cast from the very beginning and has gotten even closer with many members. She's become good friends with Dianna Argon, who plays head cheerleader Quinn Fabray on the show.

"We're like sisters," Lauren said.

Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester) is "adorable," she said. And she's also enjoying working with newcomer Darren Criss (Blaine).

"They're all my friends!" she said.

Currently Lauren is filming the prom episode, which is going to be "a big shock!" she said.

"Glee" was a great jumping off point for some of Lauren's other interests and now she's spending a lot of time speaking out against bullying and the "r-word," and speaking up for individuals with disabilities.

She's the spokesperson for the "Disable Bullying" campaign launched by the Special Olympics, AbilityPath.org and Best Buddies, and has been interviewed on CNN, Fox, Entertainment Tonight, E News and others. Last month she spoke before congress.

Lauren had some personal experiences with bullying lately when a group began posting hateful messages on her Facebook page, using the "r-word" and other derogatory language. Her mom saw the posts before Lauren did and cleaned them up. But after seeing how her fans were defending her, she decided to share one with Lauren and craft a response thanking the fans for having her back.

The positive response was overwhelming and fans from around the world are still posting great messages like, "Peru has your back" or "Texas has your back."

Lauren has recently completed a new campaign with Jane Lynch (Cheerios Coach Sue Sylvester) for the Special Olympics that will launch soon, and will participate in Best Buddies bike rides with Timothy and Maria Shriver this summer.

On the local front, Lauren will be at the Carolyn E. Wylie Center's Stroll 'N' Roll fundraiser at Shamel Park at 3650 Arlington Ave. in Riverside on April 30. Activities begin at 9 a.m. and Lauren will be there at about 10. She'll be in her "Glee" cheerleading costume and will have goodies to give out. To register for the walk visit www.wyliecenter.org.

Lauren was in infant stimulation classes at the Wylie Center as a baby and her mom attributes the many positive things in Lauren's life to having a great start.

Lauren plans to continue acting and sharing her message about living with a disability.

"Different isn't bad, it's just different," she said. "And when you see bullying, don't just stand by."

See Lauren at the 2011 Golden Globes here.

Read the 2009 story about Lauren Potter here.

For the Justin Bieber tween superfans out there: Tickets for "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" go on sale at Harkins Theatres today. The film opens Feb. 11.

In his big screen debut, Beiber stars in his own biographical film, reenacting his rise from living in low-income housing with his single mom to international stardom. There's real concert footage in 3D as well. Beiber was discovered on YouTube and mentored by Usher.

Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online at www.harkinstheatres.com.

Two Corona women were lucky recipients of a ton of amazing gifts on today's episode of "Oprah." Laura Janik, a small business owner and member of Soroptimist International of Corona, nominated Kristi Camplin, founder and director of Inspire Lifeskills Training, as a Hometown Hero for the show.

Both women were asked to attend the show that aired today at 3 p.m. They flew to Chicago where they got the surprise of a lifetime. They both found they were attending the final "Oprah's Favorite Things" show, which included a huge list of items given to the audience, and a special holidays concert with Johnny Mathis and Josh Groeben.

Among other things, each audience member walked away with an iPad, a set of pots and pans by Le Creuset, Jessica Leigh diamond earrings, and the biggie ... the brand new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle - so super secret with its new design, the audience could only see a silhouette of the new look.

"It was HUGE," Janik said in an e-mail. "We are very VERY thankful this Thanksgiving."

Reed Alexander of Nickelodeon's iCarly visited Riverside Wednesday to talk about his health initiative on Charter Local Edition, which airs on CNN's Headline News Newwork (HLN).

Alexander was interviewed as a celebrity with a cause in two 4-minute segments by host Brad Pomerance.

Kurt Miller/The Press-Enterprise

The interviews will air on CNN HLN, channel 49 in the Inland region during the week of Nov. 29. The segments will run about 15 times that week, and then will migrate to Charter channel 101 and On Demand.

iCarly fans know Alexander as Nevel Paperman, a conniving web genius bent on the destruction of the web show iCarly.

"It's a lot of fun to play," Alexander said of his character. "The entire cast makes it fun."
But unlike negative Nevel Paperman, real-life Alexander is positively glowing with conviction for a personal cause he has dedicated a great deal of time to--nutrition and fitness.

About a year and a half ago, he decided he needed to lose some weight and get in better shape.

"I didn't like the way I looked and felt," Alexander said.

As he began researching, he found there were a lot of adult diet and exercise resources, but not a lot for kids. He decided to change that and created the site KewlBites.com, which has a blog, health resources, recipes, exercise tips and more ... all for kids.
Since beginning his initiative Alexander has lost about 15 pounds.

He also joined the empowerME Movement as a Champion, which means he spreads his health message through event appearances, media outreach and his website.

EmpowerME was founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation.

"I love going out and meeting others," he said. "I always call myself a work in progress ... these kids are all going through the same thing."

Alexander was asked to visit Charter Local Edition to talk about the website and his partnership with the empowerME Movement.

"These celebrities can make a difference," Pomerance said. "The kids who watch shows like iCarly really look up to these actors."

Alexander always loved eating out and with friends and family, but since beginning KewlBites.com, he discovered he also loves experimenting in the kitchen.
"I'm like a chemist in there," he said.

Within the next few months Alexander will be releasing KewlBites recipe cards and he has plans for many other expansions.

"I'll predict he'll have a show on the Food Network soon," Pomerance said. "And you can quote me on that."

Harkins Theatres 2011 loyalty cups and t-shirts will go on sale Thursday, Nov. 18 and it's a cool program for regular moviegoers. You buy a Loyalty Cup for $4.75 and all soft drink refills (in the cup) for the rest of the year (2011) cost $1. You buy a Loyalty t-shirt for $25 and everytime you wear it through the end of the 2011 year, you get a free medium popcorn.

The 2011 editions are available for purchase at Harkins Moreno Valley 16 and Harkins Chino Hills 18 or online at www.harkinstheatres.com. The Loyalty Cup and T-Shirt are valid until December 31, 2011.

Harkins Moreno Valley 16 is located at Freeway 60 and Center Pointe Drive, inside the Moreno Valley Mall. Harkins Chino Hills 18 is located at Highway 71 and Chino Avenue.

Nicolle McNally, a two year old from Moreno Valley, will appear nationally on the Sprout network's PICME episode "Up, Up and Away!" on Oct. 18 between 5 and 6 p.m. ET.

PICME's 2-D Flash animation software allows parents to superimpose a digital image of their child on an animated body. Parents can visit www.sproutonline.com/sprout/picme to upload an image of their child, whose character then stars in a story alongside animated animal friends Juno, Gerty, Banjo, Umi, Clarence and Neville.

Sprout chooses a new child's photo every weekday to appear in PICME.

Remember "Sixteen Candles" and "Pretty in Pink?" Believe it or not, 80s icon Molly Ringwald will be right here in the Inland region Saturday, Oct. 16 promoting her new book "Getting the Pretty Back" and "InStyle" magazine's Not Your Daughter's Jeans.

Ringwald will be at the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors who buy from Not Your Daughter's Jeans will receive a free signed copy of the book.

The final movie in the first ever Movies and Music on Main Summer Series will play Thursday, Sept. 23. Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" will be played on a large outdoor screen in the Civic Plaza on Main Street between Mission Inn and University Avenues.

Movie watchers can bring a chair and snacks. Nearby downtown restaurants will also be open late. Downtown Riverside also has Riverside ArtsWalk every first Thursday of the month from 6-9 p.m.

There is also one last night of live music in the series Sept. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The summer series is presented by the Riverside Downtown Partnership and sponsored by the City of Riverside and its Parks, Recreation and Community Service Department. For more information visit www.riversidedowntown.org or call 951-341-6550.

Performance Riverside has signed season 9 "American Idol" contestant Derek Klena and season 3 "America's Got Talent" contestant Stephanie Burkett Gerson for its season opener, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," September 17-26 at Landis Performing Arts Center.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's lively interpretation of the biblical story of Joseph of Canaan is suitable for all ages. The original 70's rock opera, Joseph has been given a 21st century makeover....watch out for woolly sheep, singing camels, Frenchmen in berets and a fantastic Elvis impersonator.

The production is directed and choreographed by John Vaughan, with music direction by David Lamoureaux.

Derek Klena is making his Performance Riverside debut in the role of Joseph of Canaan. Last year Klena was one of the twenty five contestants sent to Hollywood Week on FOX's "American Idol." This summer, he played the Prince in Cabrillo Music Theatre's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" alongside Sally Struthers and Marcia Wallace. He's performed on NBC-TV's "America's Most Talented Kids," and he was one of Orange County Performing Arts Center "Tomorrow's Stars of 2008".

Stephanie Burkett Gerson is well suited for the vocally demanding role of the Narrator in Joseph. She traveled the globe for two years as a lead female vocalist for Holland America Cruise Line and has been a featured vocalist for Disney World Tours, in the Disney 50th Birthday Celebration, the Disney Spirit Awards, and the Disney Christmas Spectacular at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. She sang on Ed McMahon's "Next Big Star," Robert Schuller's "Hour of Power," and appeared in MTV's "Legally Blonde. In 2008, she sang on NBC's "America's Got Talent" with her husband Zane (Lt. Joseph Cable in Performance Riverside's Twenty-Fifth Anniversary production of "South Pacific)."

Performances of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" are Sept. 17, 18, 24, and 25 at 8 p.m., and September 18, 19, 25, and 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $27-$48, with group ticket pricing for 10 or more. Specially priced Discovery Theatre Previews for School Groups are available on Sept. 17 and 24 at 10 a.m.

Landis Performing Arts Center is at 4800 Magnolia Ave. in Riverside. For more information call 951-222-8100 or visit www.PerformanceRiverside.org.

"Movies and Music on Main" is still going on in downtown Riverside with kids movies playing through mid-September on Thursday's at about 8:15 p.m. Music starts at 7:15 p.m. Here's the lowdown on upcoming flicks:

August 12: "Shorts" -- During a freak storm, a mysterious Rainbow Rock, which grants wishes to anyone who finds it, falls from the sky. As the object ricochets from kid to kid, the wishes coming true quickly turn the neighborhood upside down as a series of mythical misadventures are set into motion.

August 26: "The Spy Next Door" -- Jackie Chan stars as an undercover CIA superspy who decides to give up his career in espionage to settle down with his next-door neighbor and girlfriend, Gillian. But he has one more mission to complete before Gillian agrees to marry him: winning over her three opinionated kids.

September 9: "Up"

September 23: "The Princess and the Frog"

The outdoor screen will be set up in the Civic Plaza on Main Street between Mission Inn Ave.and University Ave. Attendees can come early and bring chairs. Riverside Arts Walk also goes on the first Thursday of the month from 6-9 p.m.

For more information visit www.RiversideDowntown.org or call 951.341.6550.

The Biggest Loser is back and searching for teams of two or individuals for Season 11 of the show. If you have 100 pounds or more to lose, you can apply to compete for a chance to win $250,000.

There's an open casting call coming up at the NTC Promenade - Command Center at 2640 Historic Decatur Rd. in San Diego. Auditions are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, August 21.

For detailed nationwide casting information and to download the application visit www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.

We've all watched Miley Cyrus grow up on Disney's "Hannah Montana." I'm sure it comes as no surprise that now she's now trying to reinvent herself as a separate entity from the young, sweet Hannah Montana.

It's also no surprise to hear the collective groan from parents as she works out those growing pains in suggestive clothing, with some sexy new dance moves and lyrics. I'm of two minds about this.

One: There's a lot worse out there. My daughter recently came home from a friend's house singing Kei$ha lyrics that made me cringe. I don't think she even knew what she was saying, but ugh. And I'm hearing a lot of her friends singing the same songs, or Lady Gaga lyrics or others in the same group.

On the other hand: Kei$ha and Lady Gaga didn't start out on a Disney show. Yes, they've got tweens and younger girls who have become fans, but they didn't initially gear their music toward that age group.

So far, I don't think Miley has crossed any major lines. Yes the newest music video is a bit risque, but I think she's just working on escaping the Disney image. However, she's walking a well-worn path the Britney's and Lindsay's of the past didn't do so well on. I hope she keeps it together.

I'm looking for opinions. And not just from parents. Kids, tweens and teens, please also share your thoughts on the subject by commenting here on the blog or via e-mail at jdean@PE.com.

The Associated Press

I meant to get this up on the blog yesterday ... but congrats to Fox TV's "Glee" for the Emmy nomination for best comedy series!

I've enjoyed the show very much and had the great opportunity to sit and talk with Riverside's Lauren Potter, who has made several appearances as Becky Jackson, a 16-year-old "Cheerio" with Down syndrome.

"Glee" was one of six Emmy nominees for best comedy series announced. The others included ABC's "Modern Family" (love it), "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Nurse Jackie," "The Office" and "30 Rock."

Raw video: Long lines for 'Eclipse'

Photo Gallery: 'Eclipse' opening brings out the Twi-hards

I've been living and breathing "Twilight" for days. Here's my final roundup on all the hubbub about the premiere:

Krikorian Redlands Cinemas 14 was the site of great division this week. There were the Team Edwards and then there were the Team Jacobs swarming the theater beginning Sunday morning, three days prior to the midnight Tuesday premiere of "Twilight Saga: Eclipse."

After the huge turnout for "New Moon" in November, the Redlands theater brought in security and portable toilets for campers, which numbered in the thousands by Tuesday evening.

According to Nikki Kealalio, marketing director with Krikorian Theaters, the midnight showings sold 2,400 tickets and the 3 a.m. show sold 503 tickets.

Little update to the "Eclipse" saga: The latest "Twilight" movie was booked in 4,416 theaters nationwide for its debut early Wednesday, a new record. It beat out "Iron Man 2," which had the previous record at 4,380 theaters.

Along with the midnight screenings, some theaters (like the Krikorian Redlands Cinemas 14 premiere I covered last night) scheduled 3 a.m. showings to meet demand as theaters sold out. The fans were already lined up in the middle of the night at the Redlands theater for the 9 a.m. showing this morning. I'd guess that was probably going on at other theaters in the region as well.

Last November's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," leads the box-office charts for best opening day with $72.7 million. The movie's opening weekend of $142.8 million is No. 3 on the all-time chart. We'll see how "Eclipse" does this weekend.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Raw video: Long lines for 'Eclipse'

Photo Gallery: 'Eclipse' opening brings out the Twi-hards

Since I know there are a lot of other 'Twilight' fans out there who are also moms, I decided to blog the 'Eclipse' madness here on the Momarama. I found out last week that the Krikorian Redlands Cinema 14 was allowing campers to begin staying at the theater as early as 10:30 a.m. Sunday. To make the stay more comfortable, the theater hired security and brought in porta potties. (I also heard Denny's complained after 'New Moon' movie goers used the bathroom one too many times at the last 'Twilight' premiere).

I hit the theater shortly before twilight (hehe) and found what had to be at least a thousand fans camped out ALL OVER the place. The hard core fans who showed up Sunday morning were, of course, closest to the theater entrance, but campers were located as far away as Orange Street north and east of the theater and Redlands Boulevard on the south side. To the northwest were fans who missed the sold out midnight premiere (in all 14 theaters) and bought tickets for the added 3 a.m. show, which had already sold about 300 tickets.

'Twilight' fans were decked out in t-shirts (some bought, some homemade), had posters or handmade signs decorating their temporary camp sites, painted faces and more - I even spotted a 'Twilight' tattoo (and it was real). Most claimed "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" but there were also a few "Team Alice" fans and I spotted one "Team Emmett" and one "Team Charlie." (Bella's dad)

Despite the heat of the last few days everyone was in good spirits, pumped for midnight. Cars honked and fans yelled and screamed continuously. It looked like a blast.

I'll be posting a photo gallery of the Redlands 'Twilight' crowd shortly and look for a video with fans from Redlands, Riverside and San Jacinto theaters later tonight as well.

Go Team Jacob! (And yes, I'm way too old for this. But I like it anyway.) :)

Riverside Downtown Partnership is presenting Movies & Music on Main starting July 8. Every second and fourth Tuesday there will be live entertainment from 7-7:45 p.m. and movies at 8. Live music from local bands will take place every third Thursday.

Here's the movie schedule:

July 8: "Star Trek"
July 22: "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"
August 12: "Shorts"
August 26: "The Spy Next Door"
September 9: "Up"
September 23: "The Princess and the Frog"

Movies will be projected on a big outdoor screen on Main St. between University and Mission Inn Ave.