Happily Divorced And After

Barack and Michelle Obama and Others, Congratulate President-Elect Joe Biden, and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris

By Derek Major

Former Vice President Joe Biden has now become President-Elect after being named the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election. Supporters were quick to show their support.

“Finally, I want to thank everyone who worked, organized and volunteered for the Biden campaign, every American who got involved in their own way and everybody who voted for the first time,” Obama wrote. “I know it can be exhausting, but for this democracy to endure, it requires our active citizenship and sustained focus on the issues—not just in an election season, but all the days in between.”

Biden was declared the winner Saturday morning, after days of ballot counting, protests, and Donald Trump’s wildly false claims about election fraud. Biden won states on both coasts, including Washington, California, Oregon, and Nevada as well as New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New Jersey. But it was the states in the middle of the country that made the difference. Biden and Harris also took Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the last two of which flipped from Republican.

The former first lady also congratulated Biden and his wife, Jill, as well as Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff.

“I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indian-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it,” the former first lady wrote on Twitter.

Hillary and Bill Clinton also expressed their congratulations to Biden’s and Harris for winning the White House.

“America has spoken and democracy has won,” tweeted former President Bill Clinton, less than an hour after the Associated Press officially called the election for Biden after receiving the 270 electoral college votes necessary. Hillary Clinton wrote “It’s a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America.”

CNN reported Sunday Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) both called and congratulated Joe Biden on his election victory. They were the only two Republicans to express their support to Biden and Harris.

Congress Approves Medal of Honor for Army Sergeant Who Dragged Comrades from Burning Vehicle

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — After a 15-year effort by his family and members of Congress, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a bill authorizing a posthumous Medal of Honor for U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Alwyn Cashe.

Introduced by U.S. Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), the bill waives a federal law that requires a Medal of Honor be awarded within five years of the actions that prompted it.

The House of Representatives passed it on Sept. 22, but its momentum slowed while Senate Republicans were focused on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation process. The bill will go to the White House to be signed into law. It permits the Department of Defense to waive the five-year rule for Cashe.

Cashe died on Nov. 8, 2005, from injuries he sustained while rescuing his fellow soldiers from a vehicle destroyed by an Improvised Explosive Device in Iraq.

“I am so grateful the Senate passed our bill to pave the way for the President to award Alwyn Cashe the Medal of Honor,” said Murphy, who represents the Sanford, Fla., and Oviedo Fla., communities where Cashe was born and raised.

“We are now very close to recognizing this unbelievably heroic soldier, who died saving his men, with our nation’s highest award for combat valor, which he earned beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

Cashe Family with Rep. Stephanie Murphy: SFC Cashe’s son, Andrew, a newly minted Army infantryman, poses in front of a memorial plaque with Cashe’s sister, Kasinal Cashe White, and Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) at the renaming of the Oviedo Post Office. (Courtesy of Rep. Murphy’s Office)

Murphy’s co-sponsors were effusive after the bill cleared the Senate on the eve of Veterans Day.

“We are one step closer to properly recognizing Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe for his bravery in risking his own life to save his fellow soldiers,” said Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL. “He is deserving of the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award for bravery on the battlefield, and we urge President [Donald] Trump to quickly sign our bill into law to make sure that happens.”

“It’s not every day you read an extraordinary story like Alwyn Cashe’s,” Waltz, a former Army Special Forces officer, said. “His bravery in the face of danger has inspired so many already, and this is a significant step forward to properly recognize him for his heroism.”

Cashe will be the 91st African American serviceman to receive the Medal of honor.

The long, hard road to now

Cashe was born on July 13, 1970, the youngest of a blended family of 18 children. He is remembered by his sister as a “rambunctious, spoiled, somewhat bad kid” with a passion for the outdoors.

“He was very outdoorsy,” said Kasinal Cashe White, 62, a registered nurse in Tallahassee, Fla. “His favorite times were when he had a gun on his hip or a fishing pole in his hands.”

For more than 15 years, Cashe family and members of Congress have lobbied for a posthumous Medal of Honor. (Courtesy of the U.S. Army)

After graduating from Oviedo High in 1988, Cashe enlisted in the U.S. Army, where, as an infantryman, he served tours of duty in the 1991 Gulf War and during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

On Oct. 17, 2005, acting as a platoon sergeant for 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, Cashe, and his troops embarked on a mission to clear a route in the city of Daliaya.

According to Military Times reports, Cashe was in the lead Bradley Fighting Vehicle when it struck an Improvised Explosive Device, rupturing the vehicle’s fuel cell, covering him in fuel, and causing the Bradley to engulf into flames.

While ablaze and under heavy gunfire from insurgents, Cashe rescued six soldiers from the burning vehicle, returning multiple times and refusing medical assistance until everyone was pulled from the burning wreckage.

At the end of the skirmish, an interpreter was killed in action, with 10 soldiers wounded, seven severely.

Cashe was flown to a medical facility in Germany after having 72% of his body severely burned before being transported to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds.

When the news of her brother’s incident first came to light, White thought little of it.

“I was told that Al had been hurt,” she said. “My sister, Bernadine, told me he’d been in an accident, so I thought maybe he broke his leg.”

During her commute from her then-Lake Butler, Fla., home to Gainesville, Fla., where she was working as an intensive care nurse, she received another call: the description of his condition was downgraded from “hurt” to “wounded.”

“Now, you’ve got my full attention,” she said. “I was routed to the doctor in Iraq that told me Al had been burned and was in critical condition. That’s not a term that’s used loosely. All I could think was, ‘please don’t let my brother die. Send him home to me.’”

The fog of war made initial reports of the action sketchy. Unaware of how badly wounded Cashe was and the extent of his heroism, mainly performing a rescue while taking on enemy gunfire, his battalion commander at the time, now-Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, nominated Cashe for the Silver Star.

Along with a Purple Heart, that award was presented to Cashe’s mother outside his hospital room, where he lay fatally wounded.

Meanwhile, the hospital staff provided Cashe’s sister with more details of his actions on that fateful day in Daliaya.

“They were telling me that my brother was a hero, but, in the U.S., that’s a word we throw around a lot,” said White. “But, I did my research and concluded that my brother deserved a Medal of Honor.”

After getting the “run-around” from former Sen. Bill Nelson and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who both claimed they could not aid in her efforts to upgrade Cashe’s Silver Star to a Medal of Honor, Rep. Murphy took up the mantle.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to authorize a posthumous Medal of Honor award for U.S. Army St. First Class Alwyn Cashe. (Photo: U.S. Army)

“She called me and said, ‘Ms. White, I’ve been reading your brother’s story, and I can’t believe a Florida citizen did this, and there’s not a building named after him. I will support you,’” said White.

On July 14, 2014, a new Army Reserve Center in Sanford, Florida got Cashe’s name. The Oviedo, Florida post office was renamed in his honor in May 2019.

Buoyed by additional statements provided to the Army by Brito to justify upgrading Cashe’s award to a Silver Star, Murphy, Waltz, and Crenshaw reached out to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper last fall to formally request the upgrade.

“After giving the nomination careful consideration, I agree that SFC Cashe’s actions merit award of the Medal of Honor,” Esper responded in a letter to Waltz on Aug. 24.

“However, 10 U.S.C. § 7274 requires that the Medal of Honor be awarded ‘within five years after the date of the act justifying the award.’ Before we can take further action with this nomination, Congress must waive this time limit. Once legislation is enacted authorizing the President of the United States to award, if he so chooses, the Medal of Honor to SFC Cashe, I will provide my endorsement to the President.”

After skepticism born of a decade and a half of trying, White said she is elated at the news.

“My heart is overjoyed. We now have passed the Senate, which means we have full support,” she said. “This means more than you’ll ever know because now all we need is for the president to sign off on the endorsement, and my brother, Sgt. First Class Alwyn C. Cashe, will finally get the medal he deserves, our nation’s highest honor.”

(Edited by Daniel Kucin Jr. and David Matthew)



The post Congress Approves Medal of Honor for Army Sergeant Who Dragged Comrades from Burning Vehicle appeared first on Zenger News.

“When You Understand That There Is Nothing and I Mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHINGThat Can Happen ?Unless I Allow It ? You Will Be Alright!”

By Lou Yeboah

Mad because the affairs of man did not turn out the way you wanted them too. Who do you think you are? Listen, and listen good. ALL existing authority is set up by Me. [Romans 13:1]. There is no authority except from Me, and those that exist have been placed there by Me. I tell you, when you understand that there is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing that can happen unless I allow it, you will be alright. For I am God and God all by myself! And let me just say this, if you resist the authorities whom I have appointed, you will incur judgment. You better know that you know! For it is I, who declare how things turn out long before they ever happen. For it is I, who declare not just natural events, but human events. I rule the kingdom of men and give it to whom I will. [Daniel 4:32]. I plan and govern all things, not you. [Isaiah 46:8-11]. It is I, who declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done. It is I, who removes kings and set up kings. [Daniel 2:21]. I tell you, when you understand that there is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing that can happen, unless I allow it, you will be alright.” My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purposes. “For the earth is Mines and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” [Psalm 24:1]. EVERYTHING is subject to My command. Nothing can take place without My sanctioning it. If you will only grasp this truth and comprehend that fact, you will stop worrying about a lot of things because absolutely nothing happens without My permission. Even the devil has to seek My permission.  Know that I will use anything and anyone of My choosing to fulfill My divine purpose. [Job 1:6, 12; 2:6] [John 19:11].  “For no plan of Mine can be thwart.” [Job 42:2].

I want you to know that EVERYTHING in the universe is either caused by God or allowed by God. Nothing ever “just happens” and nothing is caused by someone or something outside of God’s control. Whatever is happening to us is part of the working of God’s plan. God is at work in all things at all times to accomplish His will in the universe. He does whatever pleases Him. And He will ALWAYS have the final say! [Ephesians 1:11].

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” [Proverbs 16:33; 19:21].

I believe “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” [2 Timothy 3:16, 17.] and that includes the text in [Romans 13

The Shoppes at Chino Hills partners with GUARDaHEART Foundation to offer No-cost COVID-19 Antibody Testing

The Shoppes at Chino Hillsis the Inland Empire’s premier destination for shopping and dining features more than 380,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and office in an open-air, main street-style pedestrian setting partners with GUARDaHEARTFoundation to offer No-Cost COVID-19 antibody testing for the City of Chino Hills community and the surrounding areas. The COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody tests are covered under the CARES Act and will be available to the community with or without insurance starting on Tuesday, Nov. 10 through Thursday, Nov. 12 at The Shoppes at Chino Hills 13920 City Center Drive, Suite 4055, Chino Hills CA 91709 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Located across from Victoria’s Secret, between H&M, and The Den Salon). Free parking at the back of the building, Paseo of the Stars parking lot. 

The Shoppes at Chino Hills executiveswill be available for interviews from 9-10 a.m. to discuss the importance of offering the no-cost Covid-19 antibody testing to the community. The Shoppes has been very much focused on reaching into that community in various forms of activity.” Chino Hills is a great, family-oriented community set in a great commercial environment with a mix of cultures, which is representative of the culture of Southern California.  

Dr. Douglas S. Harrington M.D., Fellow of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, and the American Society of Clinical Pathology, an expert in laboratory diagnostic testing. Dr. Harrington is also the Chairman of the GUARDaHEART Foundation 501(c)3 will be available to discuss the difference between a COVID-19 swab test vs SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody test, including other topics on the SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody test and the correlation of heart disease and the coronavirus. 

The SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing being provided is one of the most reliable antibody tests available. It has a sensitivity of 100 percent and a specificity of 99.6 percent performance evaluations. This COVID-19 antibody blood test can be used to detect the presence of an IgM & IgG antibody response. A positive result indicates that an individual has been infected with the COVID-19 pathogen and has developed some level of immunity. This test could be a critical next step in battling COVID-19, continuing to flatten the curve and ensuring a safe re-opening of the community. 

If members of the media are not able to attend on opening day, Dr. Harrington is available for interviews either by Zoom, phone or email Q & A. 

WHO: Confirmed & Available for on-site interviews on Tuesday, November 10th from 9-10 AM

  • Dr. Douglas S. Harrington, MD, Fellow of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology and Chairman of the GUARDaHEART Foundation
  • Estrella Harrington, Founder of the GUARDaHEART Foundation
  • Darryll Goodman, GM for the Shoppes at Chino Hills 
  • Cynthia Moran, Chino Hills Council Member
  • Other City Officials Invited
  • Executive of The Shoppes at Chino Hills

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020 – First Day of Antibody Testing. Everyone is available to receive the COVID-19 serology antibody test at no cost to them as long as they don’t have any symptoms of COVID-19.  Testing starts at age one and anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

WHERE: The Shoppes at Chino Hills 13920 City Center Drive, Suite 4055, Chino Hills CA 91709 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Located across from Victoria’s Secret, between H&M, and The Den Salon). Free parking at the back of the building, Paseo of the Stars parking lot.

Seniors Now Eligible to Renew Driver’s Licenses Online

SACRAMENTO, CA— Californians age 70 and older with a noncommercial driver’s license are now eligible to renew online or by mail, eliminating the need to visit a California Department of Motor Vehicles office. Licenses with an expiration date between March 1, 2020, throughout the COVID-19 emergency are eligible.  

Through Executive Order, Governor Gavin Newsom has temporarily waived the California law requiring drivers age 70 and older to visit a DMV field office to renew their license for the length of California’s State of Emergency or until modified. The DMV is completing the programming necessary so customers who meet the criteria will be able to complete their renewal online beginning December 6.

Nearly all California drivers are now eligible to renew their license online or by mail – even if their renewal notice states an office visit is required.

The DMV previously provided yearlong extensions to senior drivers with noncommercial licenses expiring in March through December 2020. Those who received the extensions are eligible to renew online.

Commercial licenses, including those for drivers 70 and older, expiring between March and December are extended through December 2020, to align with federal guidelines.

The DMV previously expanded eligibility for drivers 69 and under to renew online, even if their DMV notification states they must come to an office.

Summary of California driver’s license extensions

  Expiration month Status
Age 70 & older (noncommercial)
Age 69 & younger (noncommercial)
Beginning March 2020Expanded eligibility to renew online or by mail for licenses expiring during the emergency
Commercial (all types, all ages)March-December 2020Extended to December 31, 2020
Learner’s permits (noncommercial)March-November 2020Extended six months or to a date 24 months from the date of application

The ability for senior drivers to renew online is the latest action to help Californians avoid or delay a DMV office visit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DMV continues to streamline its processes to limit the time customers spend at an office. Customers applying for a REAL ID are encouraged to fill out the online application and upload the required documents before they come to the office for expedited service.

The DMV continues to recommend that customers use its online services, expanded virtual services and other service channels to complete transactions, including eligible driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. Customers can use the Service Advisor on the DMV website to learn their options to complete DMV tasks.

###

Never miss the latest news from the California DMV. Sign up now to receive customized information on DMV related topics. To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit DMV News Alerts: https://www.emailalert.dmv.ca.gov/DMVEmail_Alert/

A Blueprint California’s Black Students Need: Educators Conference to Focus on Equity

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media 

The California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) will hold its fourth annual conference in a virtual setting this year. 

Scheduled for Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13, the statewide conference will be centered on the theme “Blueprint for Educational Equity.”

Organizers say attendees can look forward to workshops that highlight the newest innovations in learning and cutting?edge educational interventions that lead to academic success, particularly for Black students. 

“Despite the challenges posed by COVID?19, this year’s conference will continue to build on CABSE’s strong legacy of shining the spotlight to expose inequities faced by students of color in this country,” said Micah Ali, the Conference’s chairperson. “I am confident that our speakers and workshop programming will offer an illuminating view of the challenges faced by Black and Brown students.” 

“I look forward to the thoughtful, productive and collaborative solutions that will undoubtedly be advanced during this convening,” Ali continued. 

Confirmed speakers include Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Dr. Shaun Harper, Founder and Executive Director of the University of Southern California’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education. 

Dr. Thomas Parham, President, California State University Dominguez Hills, is also scheduled to speak during the virtual meeting. 

Compton Unified School District (USD), Riverside County Office of Education (COE), San Diego USD, Ed Trust West, Corona Norco USD and Fresno COE, among others, will all participate in scheduled workshops. 

Each workshop will address a “Blueprint” theme: Applying a Holistic Cradle?to?Career Lens to Education; Embracing Technology as the Great Equity Equalizer; and Challenging Inherent Bias and Promoting Positive Campus Climates. 

“Our Blueprint for Educational Equity is envisioned as a living document that crowdsources the best and brightest ideas in the educational space,” said CASBE President Gary Hardie, Jr. “We look forward to seeing how these issues will be elevated and the kind of solutions that will be proposed.” 

Even with a thoughtful blueprint to help Black students succeed, CASBE faces an uphill climb. The organization is holding its annual conference at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a blow to public school education in California and across the country. Public education policy experts warn that distance learning will likely increase the disturbing achievement gap that already exists between Black students and that of their peers of other ethnic groups. 

In California, nearly 68 percent of all African American perform below their grade level in English and language arts. In math, about 80 percent of Black students do not meet the state’s proficiency mark. 

CASBE is a nonpartisan organization consisting of elected and appointed school officials, administrators, and instructors from across California who are committed to advancing equity for Black students. CABSE members represent governmental agencies, charter schools, and charter school organizations, traditional public schools, and community colleges. 

The organization says its mission is to expand the PK?14 educational opportunities available to all students in California, with an emphasis on underrepresented and under?served Black students. 

Find more information about the conference and register online at www.cabse.org.

Who Was Voting How? (Part I)

By Charles Ellison via b | e note

The 2020 American Election Eve Poll, a 15,000-sample sized election eve poll that will provide the most accurate information about the 2020 vote choices and motivations of Latino, African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Native American voters, released its first collection of select national findings. 

Sifting through that data, some interesting findings to highlight. 

First: Race and the 2016 Vote

Before we get into these 2020 findings, it’s useful to look at the 2016 exit polls in terms of the racial demographics, particularly those broke down by gender and age.

Now back to 2020 … 

The Black Vote

This is the total Black Vote …

Black Men Vote … 

Black Women Vote …

And young, Gen Z/Millennial Black voters showing the second largest cut of Black voters going for Trump compared to other cross tabs … 

Along with Black Independents showing a rather significant shift towards Trump … 

The White Vote 

This is the total White vote … 

This is White men … 

And here we see that, at least according to this poll, White women in 2020 are nearly voting the exact same way they did in 2016 … 

Interestingly enough, slightly more White voters age 60+ voted for Biden … 

… Than White GenZ and Millennial White voters … 

COVID-19 infections seemed to make little difference to White voters who experienced it … 

 Biden won slightly more White independents, however … 

The Latino Vote … 

Here is the total Latino Vote – four percentage points more for the Democrat than in 2016 … 

There is a slightly larger share of Latino men voting for the Democrat than Trump, but still significantly more Latino men voting for Trump than Black men … 

Significantly more Latino women voting for Biden than Trump – more Latino women for the Democrat in 2020 than 2016 … 

Older Latino voters, however, showing the most inclination to support Biden than any other group within the Latino voting bloc … 

Low-income/working class Latinos show the strongest support for Trump among all income groups …

And huge differences in Biden vs. Trump support among Mexicans …

            Puerto Ricans … 

            And Cubans … 

People in Prison Can Receive $1,200 Stimulus Payments

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media 

The first round of economic impact payments funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, has been opened to a new group of Americans. 

Incarcerated individuals can now apply to receive their stimulus payments of up to $1200. 

According to a June report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the IRS initially sent nearly 85,000 payments, totaling about $100 million, to incarcerated individuals. After the report raised concerns about the payments, the IRS decided that payments to incarcerated people were not allowed under the CARES Act and ordered that the payments sent should be returned. 

Then a class-action lawsuit was filed. Lawyers argued that denying the payments solely based on an individual’s incarcerated status was against the law. The language of the CARES Act does not explicitly say that incarcerated individuals cannot receive payments. 

On Sept. 24, Judge Phyllis Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ordered the Treasury Department and the IRS to reverse the decision. The previously rescinded stimulus payments now have to be returned to the incarcerated individuals. 

On Oct. 14, Hamilton also ordered the IRS to extend the deadline for incarcerated individuals covered by the lawsuit to file paperwork to receive the money to Nov. 4. People covered by the lawsuit who did not file a 2018 or 2019 tax return will have to submit a postmarked simplified Form 1040 paper return by Nov. 4 to receive the stimulus payment. 

The IRS also extended the online deadline to register for a stimulus payment for people who don’t typically file a tax return to Nov. 21. 

According to the IRS website, the government is working on an appeal to the decision. “The government has filed an appeal and request to stay the preliminary injunction. Any updates regarding the appeal will be posted on this webpage,” the IRS states. 

Under the CARES Act, stimulus payments must be made by Dec. 31. People will still have an opportunity to get the stimulus funds next year, but they won’t receive the money until they file their 2020 tax return. 

Information on how to help an incarcerated person file for a stimulus payment is available at caresactprisoncase.org. The website includes directions on where to mail the simplified return, as well as a sample Form 1040 with instructions on where to add the incarcerated individual’s personal corrections number to ensure payment is sent to the right place.

San Bernardino Seniors Receive More Pandemic Care Packages

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The senior population is growing in San Bernardino County and now, more than ever, identifying and solving issues they face is important to ensuring a respectable quality of life for them. Due to seniors being most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, Assemblymember Eloise Reyes coordinated an effort to provide seniors with resources they need. Committed to this task, Assemblymember Reyes held her 4th Annual Senior Advocacy Week from October 5th to the 9th; visiting 12 senior facilities.

Partnering on the Senior Advocacy Week was UNITEEE, The Holy Land Church, California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Autism Society, and IEHP. Through this collaboration over 1200 seniors were provided with Person Protective Equipment (PPE) including facemasks, N95 masks, hand sanitizer, face shields, and brochures with local and state resources for seniors. A senior from one of our visits stated, “the items were very nice and came in so handy especially the hand sanitizers and the box of 50 individual masks.”

The mission of Senior Advocacy Week is to listen to the issues that are impacting seniors. For too long seniors have been without a voice in Sacramento and the Inland Empire. With over 200,000 seniors in San Bernardino County, they cannot be ignored any longer. Since being elected in 2016, Assemblymember Reyes has given seniors a voice to share policies that impact their quality of life, including income, lack of public transportation, unnecessary fees, lack of community spaces, and affordable housing. 

Senior Advocacy Week concluded with the Seniors Scam Stopper Town Hall with the California Department of Insurance (CDI) and the Department of Aging and Adult Services, where seniors were informed on how to protect themselves and their loved ones from scams. During the Seniors Scam Stopper Townhall, Peter Meza, a CDI expert stated that, “about 70 percent of the wealth in the U.S. is within the senior citizen community which makes them a big target for scams involving unsuitable life insurance policies and annuities.” He further stated that, “there was an 85-year-old senior who was put into a life insurance plan that was not going to pay out for 20 years, so they would not begin to collect till they are 105 years old.” Stacey Hernández from the San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services stressed the importance of not responding to unrecognized phone calls, text messages, and emails. She additionally advised that, “if you happen to be speaking with someone who seems legitimate and they insist on payment for the service they offer to be in the form of gift cards, money transfer, or cryptocurrency, then it is most likely a scam.

“I believe senior advocacy week has become something that our seniors look forward to each year. Our office knows that San Bernardino communities have different issues that have to be addressed, which why it is so important that we continue to talk to our seniors and ask them what they need. With that information we can continue to offer the services our seniors need and remain responsive to the other issues they may face,” said Assemblymember Reyes. 

Senior Advocacy Week allows Assemblymember Reyes to gain insight into the issues that are impacting seniors in the Inland Empire and to find public policy solutions to address them. Call our office at (909) 381-3238 for further details.

Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes represents Assembly District 47 which includes the cities of Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, San Bernardino, and the unincorporated areas of Muscoy and Bloomington.

SBPL Patrons Can Pick Up Books Placed on Hold at Rowe Branch, Feldheym Central Library

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Patrons of the San Bernardino Public Library are now able to pick up books placed on hold at Rowe Branch, 108 E. Marshall Blvd. Book pick up continues at the lobby of Feldheym Central Library at 555 W. Sixth St. Books may be picked up Monday – Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Patrons may place books on hold via the online catalog at SBPL’s website at www.sbpl.org or by calling 381-8201 Monday – Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reference Librarians will also be available via phone during those hours to answer patrons’ reference questions. Rowe staff can be reached directly at 883-3411 during its service hours Monday – Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.