2017-12 December

Opportunity Tickets…Barbara Robinson

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December drawings at three for $1 are:

Blue Sky Restaurant ($25)

2028 Winchester Blvd, Campbell 408-378-0424

(Thanks to Barbara Robinson)

Safeway (Various Locations) $5 Gift Card

(Thanks to Jan Delucchi and the Treasure Chest Fund)

Campbell Express

Two Free Subscriptions 408-374-9700

(Thanks to Stephon Hansen)

Weekend Coffee Roasters

Bag of Fresh Coffee Locally Roasted

(Thanks to Rick Loek)

November winners were:

“Kool Kit”: Joy Walsh

Red Robin Free Dessert: Marilyn Clough

Campbell Express: Myra Gaver and Frank McDaniel

Weekend Coffee Roasters: Jeanne Ulrich

Community Service…Marilyn Clough

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Moffett Field gift wrappers, remember! Those well-spent hours are also Volunteer Hours to be claimed with our form on the bottom of the agenda and put in the purple envelope at our general meeting. And let that be an inspiration to the rest of you whose hours are a mystery.

We are looking ahead to February when we will have what has become our annual food drive. The change in our year-end luncheon timing makes conducting this effort at a restaurant more complicated than doing it at our regular meeting. Pop-top cans are especially sought after as many people in need do not have what we take-for-granted as modern cooking facilities. You can run into some good sales on soups, stews, beans, peanut butter, etc., as you do your own shopping, so keep our drive in mind.

Legislative Report…Daniel Nnorth and Claudia Schott

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Legislatively, we are on vacation. The California Senate left for the holidays at the end of September and right now, Congress is on vacation; although they are technically between breaks (Thanksgiving and Christmas).

If you remember what we wrote about last month, it is still relevant this month. We still need to call or write our Senators to support the Portman-Brown bill, which will stop the health tax increase. Each year, nearly 10 million taxpayers with high health care costs deduct those expenses from their taxes. This deduction means real savings, especially for seniors who spend large amounts of their money on prescription drugs, hearing aids, home-based care, nursing home care, and other health care costs, but if Congress doesn’t act quickly, seniors who use this deduction will see higher taxes. Reducing the medical expense deduction threshold from 10% to 7.5% will provide real tax relief for seniors.

AARP strongly supports this bill. “Changes to the tax code should not result in a disproportionate, adverse impact on older Americans,’’ said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond. “Efforts to restructure all or part of the federal tax system should recognize the importance and maintain incentives for health and retirement security.” Please call or write our Senators now. There is also an advocacy page at action.aarp.org. Just type “Seniors Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2017” into the search bar and you will find a link to the action page.

On that note, we wish you happy holidays and a happy and healthy new year! See you in 2018!

Membership…Shelly Schwartz

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Don’t forget to pay your Membership dues for 2018! Annual Membership dues, including the Dispatch e-mailed to you, will be $14.00. If sent by regular mail, will be $17.00. You can pay at the next meeting on December 19th, or send your check payable to AARP Campbell Chapter 5151 to me at the address shown on the Membership Application. Please include the application with your payment.

Program…Gene Lennon

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What does one do when they get their layoff notice in a Silicon Valley semiconductor company? Become an entertainer, of course! “It’s was a lateral move,” says Phil Ackerly, a Bay Area native making his home in Santa Clara, where “the homes were more affordable.” Since 1992, Phil has been following his passion performing his theatrical magic shows at company events and private parties for all ages from the young to the young at heart. “When I perform it’s really magic. I walk in a room as a stranger and after my performance, I’m part of the family.” Phil’s act has taken him across the country to off- Broadway at Monday Night Magic, Atlantic City, New Orleans, Las Vegas and the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. Phil combines his experience from the theater with sleight-of-hand magic, along with good clean humor and a few stories that tug at your heartstrings. And for that special occasion, Phil personalizes his performances for a special event or to celebrate that special someone.

DECEMBER 19 MEETING

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DECEMBER 19 MEETING IN Q80 10:00 a.m.

Social Time 9:30 a.m.

Leave clean clothing, bedding and nonperishable food for Sacred Heart on the bench outside. Please do not bring garage sale type items for Sacred Heart. Please bring books to share. Place these items on the first table: donations for the troops; new and used greeting cards in the box; your volunteer hours in purple envelope.

Lunch after meeting:

Furo Sato Japanese Restaurant

1651 W. Campbell Ave, Campbell 408-370-1300

(across from Nob Hill)

Program:

Phil Ackerly, Illlusionist

Annual January Luncheon…Paddy Wray

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PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR POST HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

ON TUESDAY JAN 16TH 11:30

Price approx. $10.00 with drink & tax

We have reserved a private room at the Santa Clara Hometown Buffet. The restaurant is in the Moonlite Shopping Center at El Camino Real and Kiely Blvd. We would like you to reserve your space at the December meeting or call Paddy Wray or Margaret Schieck by Jan 3rd. If any of you talented people would like to offer some entertainment, we are seeking dancers (ballet, tap, belly, whatever); also actors to provide a play or skit.

President’s Message…Ken Schieck

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Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah to all the members of Campbell AARP Chapter 5151! May you all give and receive the blessings of this period. I hope that some of you were able to participate in the annual Christmas wrapping party which was held on Friday, Dec. 8.

We are privileged to have Campbell mayor and AARP member Liz Gibbons install our new slate of officers at our December meeting. I have enjoyed leading this group, and I look forward to working with the Board and you in 2018.

Every issue of the Campbell Reporter mentions the scams that unprincipled people make on seniors; please be careful of phone calls, e-mails and good old snail mail. If they look or sound suspicious, they probably are!

There are a lot of notable (and maybe not so notable) folks who have birthdays in December including: Woody Allen (1st), Brittany Spears (2nd), Walt Disney (5th), Mary Queen of Scots (8th), Kirk Douglas (9th), Frank Sinatra (12th), Beethoven (16th), Pope Francis (17th), Joseph Stalin, Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg (18th), Cicely Tyson (18th), Mao Zedong (26th), and Woodrow Wilson (28th).