Newsletter

Enjoy a Laugh (or Seven)

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Are we the ones with dementia? Are we the ones who are aging? Really? Recently, I went to McDonalds and I saw on the menu that you could order 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. “We don’t have half dozen nuggets,” said the teenager at the counter. “You don’t?” I replied. “We only have 6, 9 or 12.” was the reply. “So I can’t order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?” “That’s right.” So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets (unbelievable but sadly true). (Must have been the same one I asked for sweetener and she said they didn’t have any, only Splenda and sugar; and they think they are worth $15 per hour!)

Inside every older person is a younger person— wondering what the heck happened.

Love is grand; divorce is a hundred grand.

I am in shape. Round is a shape.

Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

Brain cells come and go, but fat cells live forever.

 

Cybersecurity…Rick Loek

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I’ll say it again and again, there is nothing that is 100% secure, nothing! You can take steps to help protect your computer from attacks. You can use the *free* versions of AVG and MalwareBytes. The free MalwareBytes is a manual version, meaning you need to remember to scan your computer. By *free* I am intending to alert you that they have paid versions. When you download and install the *free* versions they usually want you to use their *trial* versions. Skip the trials, stick with free. Also, NEVER download from CNET – they seem to add useless additional software. https:// www.avg.com https://www.malwarebytes.com/ pricing/

Community Service…Marilyn Clough

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IT’S TIME! Last month marked the beginning of Sacred Heart’s Pack-aBack program which has always been supported by our chapter. Keep this in mind as you shop and spy a good deal on school supplies such as pencils, pens, notebooks, backpacks, etc. They will accept red or blue for the homeless. Ask for the manager of the store and tell him/her why you are buying these items. They will sometimes give you a teacher’s discount! At the end of August, hundreds of packed bags are ready to help launch neighbor children into a successful school year. We will be accepting donations (money and gift cards, too!) at our next summer meetings to help meet this community need. As always, clothing and bedding are always welcome.

Program…Gene Lennon

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Michele is an Independent Agent with her own agency, Michele Campbell Insurance Services. She has over 30 years working in the insurance industry and has gained an in depth knowledge of the industry working in many facets of insurance. She is an entrepreneur at heart and has owned several businesses. Initially she wrote individual, small group and life insurance. In 2008 she moved into the Medicare market and fell in love with the senior market, which soon after became her primary focus. She has grown her agency to over 1,200 clients, 2 employees, and then became a Managing General Agent for carriers like United Healthcare (AARP’s Medicare carrier) and others. With a growing team of over 20 agents, she trains and helps other independent agents to become successful agents like herself. She and many on her team are some of the top California agents for several carriers. Most recently, she was asked to sit on the AARP Agent Advisory Council, which is prestigious to only 12 agents in the country!

Michele is a Rotarian and an active member in her community, sits on the Gilroy Chamber Board of Directors and will be Chair of the Board in 2018. She is currently Chair of the Gilroy Chamber Ambassadors Committee and has been serving as an ambassador for 4 years. In 2017, she joined the Board of Directors for the Gilroy Downtown Business Association and has been serving on the Organization Committee for the downtown since last summer.

JULY 18 MEETING IN Q80

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10:00 a.m. Social Time 9:30 a.m.

Please bring books to share. Leave clean clothing and bedding and nonperishable food for Sacred Heart on the bench outside. Please do not bring garage sale type items for Sacred Heart. Put new and used greeting cards in the box on the troop table. Bring your items for the GI’s into the meeting area. Put your volunteer hours in purple envelope at TROOP table.

Lunch after meeting: The Garret (408-559-7930)

1777 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell

Program: Michelle Campbell

“The State of Medicare, Currently and The Future”

Sunshine…Irene Ilardo

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A Get Well card was sent to Angie Jaggars and a Sympathy card to the Cancellieri family upon the passing of Bob Canceillieri, former owner of Saratoga Bakery. Be sure to let me know when a card needs to be sent.

President…Ken Schieck

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I hope that you all had a safe and sane 4th of July. One of the more foolish (although fortunately harmless) pranks I was involved in took place on the 4th of July, 1961; while my parents and aunt were at the local bar, I helped my cousin put firecrackers in a couple of my mom’s flower pots and light them. For some reason, my cousin thought that all the sand we packed into the pots would prevent them from blowing up! Maybe some of the safety laws that municipalities have passed in the years since are due to this and more serious pranks. Oh yeah, my cousin asked me not to tell my mother what happened; as mothers so often do, she found out anyway!

July 20th marks the 48th anniversary of the moon landing, Apollo 11, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin doing the honors. This was the first of six manned flights which ended in late 1972. Armstrong was quoted as saying ‘one small step for man, one large step for mankind.’ He died in 2012 at the age of 87; Aldrin is still alive at the age of 87.

Famous people born in July include Selena Gomez (July 22), Tom Hanks (July 9) Gerald Ford (July 14), George W. Bush (July 6), Malala (I am Malala) Yousafzai (July 12), and Jennifer Lopez (July 24). More importantly, July is the beginning of a lot of outside entertainment venues such as Campbell’s Music in the Park on Thursdays, Los Gatos Jazz on the Plazz and weekend entertainment at Vasona Park, as well as venues sponsored by San Jose Jazz; many, if not all of these are free.

Check out national AARP ‘Summer of Service to Seniors’ at aarpfoundation.org/summerofservice; the site gives you information about a nationwide initiative to help older adults across the U.S. who don’t have enough to eat; it shows how you can support these seniors.

Community Service

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Community Service…Marilyn Clough

This month marks the beginning of Sacred Heart’s Pack-a-Back program which has always been supported by our chapter.  Keep this in mind as you shop and spy a good deal on school supplies such as pencils, pens, notebooks, backpacks (no blue or red), etc.  Ask for the manager of the store and tell him/her why you are buying these items. They will sometimes give you a teacher’s discount! At the end of August hundreds of packed bags are ready to help launch neighbor children into a successful school year.  We will be accepting donations (money and gift cards, too!) at our next summer meetings to help meet this community need.  As always, clothing and bedding are always welcome.

 Campbell Summer Concert Series 2017 
6:30  Thursdays Orchard City Green

6/22 Daze on the Green: Classic Rock Party Band
6/29 The Cocktail Monkeys: Dance Party Band
7/6   Steven Ybarra: Country Singer
7/13  Phil’n The Blanks: Rock Cover Band
7/20 The Houserockers: Rock and Roll Band
7/27 The Johnny Neri Band: Classic Rock’n Soul Dance
8/3   The Crocodiles: Mixture of Music Styles
8/10  Sage: Funk and Soul

For details:
https://www.downtowncampbell.com/event/2017/06/citycampbell-summer-concert-series-2017

2017 Vasona Park Vibrations
5-7 pm Saturdays in June & July

6/3     Celtic Heart: contemporary & traditional Irish/ American folk
6/10  Scott T. Miller & The Acoustic Porkshop Band: roots music; jump blues; country 6/17   Andre Thierry: alternative Creole sounds
6/24   Jessica Johnson: soul, R&B, and jazz
7/1    The Jones Gang: high-octane Americana
7/8     10th Avenue Band: Dixieland
7/15   Bean Creek: bluegrass
7/22   The DTs: eclectic power Folk, Americana+
7/29   Top Shelf Big Band: big band jazz

 

Legislative Report…Daniel Nnorth and Claudia Schott

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The American Healthcare Act (AHCA) passed the House. This is not what we want. However, we have a second chance to get rid of it once and for all. There is a toll free number we can call to let our Senators know how we feel about this really bad proposition. 1-844-866-1425. In case you missed it from last month, here are the highlights as to why this is a bad bill:

BAD NEWS FOR AMERICANS:

 Age tax would let insurance companies charge 50-to-64-year-olds five times more for health coverage than anyone else

 Older Americans with conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease could have to pay more than $25,000 a year

 Weakens Medicare, leaving the door open for benefit cuts and Medicare vouchers

 Jeopardizes essential care for seniors, children and Americans with disabilities

 Does NOTHING to lower prescription drug prices while Americans continue to pay the highest drug prices in the world

 GREAT NEWS FOR SPECIAL INTERESTS:

 Provides $200 billion in tax breaks for drug, insurance and medical device companies

 Allows insurance companies to overcharge older Americans by thousands of dollars AARP is committed to working with both sides to pass legislation that will lower health insurance and prescription drug costs for all Americans, but a bad bill is a bad bill.

Instead of giving tax breaks to drug companies and boosting insurance company profits, Congress should be reducing skyrocketing health care and prescription drug costs, especially for older Americans. Please! Make sure to call and let Senators Feinstein and Harris know how you feel about this travesty of a bill! 1- 844-866-1425

There is a new bill on the California Legislative floor: AB 806, the Family Caregiver Tax Credit. This one is important for anyone making less than $75,000 individually or $150,000 jointly and is a family caregiver. This tax credit would be 50% of the net tax paid up to $1000.00 and is scheduled to start for the tax year starting January 1, 2018. If you’re interested in the whole verbiage, you can read about it right here:

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB806

Have a great summer and stay informed!