solano highlights · clyde carpino c. shirley michel endowment fund ending balance as of december...

Solano Highlights January 2016 Got email? We’re online. Contact [email protected]

Solano Highlights California Retired Teachers Association

Solano County Division #24

January 2016

Volume 20 Issue 4

Happy New Year to all our CalRTA friends!

We hope you enjoyed the holidays. Make your New Years’ Resolution to de-clutter! Many of us have resided in the same house for 30 years plus and have accumulated so much. Many organizations would love to have your donations. Division 24 would like to have a “Book Give-a-Way” at our March meeting. Please bring any gently used novels, best sellers, or travel books. (No textbooks- we’re retired!)

One up coming opportunity to volunteer is for the Solano County Academic Decathlon on Saturday, Jan. 30 & Feb. 6th. Needed are proctors, judges for speech, & interview, and essay readers. Contact Ken Scarberry at [email protected] or 707-646-7603 if you would like to participate.

We are interested in taking a survey of our members who are substitute teaching or doing special projects for their school district. Please contact Cathy or Carol and let them know or go directly to the link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RX8GYXV

Many thanks for your tremendous generosity at the December luncheon. We made the most money ever on our raffle tickets, which fund our teacher grants. An unbe-lievable $750 was collected for the Grange Middle School Band Boosters.

Remember to mark your calendars for our next luncheon at Zio Fradeo’s in Vallejo on Thursday, Feb, 11th! See you there. Co-Presidents Cathy & Carol

Know Someone Who Did Not Pass the High School Exit Exam?

On October 7, 2015, Governor Brown signed SB 172 into law, which enacts a suspen-sion of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) until 2017-2018. With the adoption and implementation of new California standards, CAHSEE was suspended pri-marily due to a mismatch of expectations for students. Therefore, for the next three years, passage of the CAHSEE has been removed as a condition of receiving a diploma or graduating from high school for students who complete grade 12.

An additional provision of the law is that those students who completed grade 12 begin-ning 2006 and met all other requirements except passage of the exit exam, will now have the opportunity to receive a diploma. Since its inception, nearly five million students have taken the CAHSEE, and approximately 249,000 students were not able to pass it. Not all of these students will qualify for diplomas unless they also met all other requirements such as passing grades or sufficient credits.

Do you know of anyone in this situation? If so, alert them to this new law. Former students should contact their school districts of attendance to determine if they qualify.

Source:https://leginfo.legislature.ca.govfacesbillCompareClient.xhtmlbill_id=201520160SB172

CalRTA Web Sites:

http://div24.calrta.org http://calrta.org

Log in: member number

on back of your CalRTA magazine

Password: your last name

Our E-mail: [email protected]

Message from your Co-Presidents Carol Kalamaras -Cathy Canaday C 2

THE INSIDE SCOOP

Membership Information New Members/Updates Directory Corrections

2

Luncheon-Zio Fraedo Scholarship Applications Veteran’s Day Parade

3

Board Minutes Financial

Legislation Grateful Thank You

4

Insurance Update Correspondence In Memoriam

5

Book Club Spotlight on Volunteers Volunteer Hours Due

6

Luncheon Pictures Luncheon Reservation

7

Directions: Zio Fraedo 8

Your partner in pension protection

Newsletter Editor-Kathy Raina [email protected]

707-429-2010

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB172

Solano Highlights January 2016 Got email? We’re online. Contact [email protected] 2

Help Us Raise Our Membership Submitted by Bonnie Munkholm

August 2014 August 2015 August 2016

Think Growth—Do you know a retired teacher who may like to join? Invite him/her to join us for lunch.

Please consider becoming a Dues Deduct member. Your monthly dues of $4.50 will be taken out of your retirement check. That way you will not have to remember

to send in a check each year. Contact Bonnie Munkholm at [email protected] for more information.

637 620 ?

New Members

Troy Burke

Linda Becker

Sarah Jane Callahan-Chin

Ann Cheveres

Margaret Lewis

Susan Haase

Member Changes

Helen Allen

Judith Altier

Virginia Black

Tacy Carlson

Gerald Knapp

Alvina Sheeley

William Stitt

Edna M White

Barbara & Eberhard

Wiedenmeyer

Norma Yuha

Directory Corrections

Liz Irwin

Pat Owen

Joanne Williams

Sandi Nygard


Support Teacher Grants Purchase Raffle tickets for:

May Quilt drawing/Door prizes

General Meeting and Luncheon

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Social 11:00-11:30 Meeting 11:30-12:00 Lunch 12:00

Pasta with Meatballs in Marinara,

Chicken Marsala, Pasta Primavera Pasta Salad, Cranberry Spinach Salad, Green Salad

Roasted Potatoes, Bread & Butter Chocolate Mousse Soda/Coffee/Tea

Entertainment Songs presented by Mrs. Silveira’s first grade class from Lincoln Elementary

$26.00/person

Reservations due no later than

February 3, 2016

Looking Ahead……March 14, 2016 - Vacaville Opera House

C. Shirley Michel Scholarships Applications Available Submitted by Tacy Carlson

Scholarship applications and instructions will be available in early January, 2016 from Tacy Carlson, Scholar-ship Chairperson. I can be contacted at [email protected]. In addition, all training universities and every school district in the county will have a copy of the application and the instructions. There will be hard copies available at the February Zia Fraedo luncheon in Vallejo.

Scholarship applications will be due March 31.

CalRTA-Contemporary Auto (1950-1975) First Place

The local chapter of the California Retired Teachers' Association (CalRTA) won first place in the contemporary division of the Veteran's Day Parade with their entry of two decorated Ameri-can cars with military veterans and retired teachers Jim Bates, Jack Batson and John Alexander, accompanied by co-presidents Cathy Canaday and

Carol Kalamaras, all of Fairfield. The group's entry, "Land of the Free Education, Because of the Brave" featured a vintage WWII pilot's jacket, symbolizing the soldier that didn't return and the huge sacrifice made by our troops.


December Executive Board Meeting Minutes Submitted by Lona Adams

At December’s executive board meeting final plans were made for volunteers to man our booth at the Santa’s Last Stand craft and Christmas faire on December 12th and 13th. We will be selling quilt raffle tickets and letting people know about our organization.

New directories have been mailed out and all members should have received theirs by now. If there is incorrect per-sonal information please email Bonnie Munkholm at [email protected] with corrections. Please keep this direc-tory as the board is now considering printing directories every other year due to the costs of printing and mailing. Our next luncheon is Thursday, February 11th, at Zio Fraedo’s in Vallejo and our March luncheon is planned for Monday, March 14th, at the Opera House in Vacaville.

Treasurer/Budget Edyie Santomieri

Checking/Savings balance Total balance as of December 31, 2015

$24,985.10

Scholarship Treasurer Clyde Carpino

C. Shirley Michel Endowment Fund

Ending balance as of December 31, 2015 $523,004.97

Financial Statements 2015-2016

Legislation-Politics 2016 Submitted by Monica Brown

2016 is an election year. Are you registered to vote? Registering to vote can be done on line. Go to the Cali-

fornia secretary of state office to register.

•New Year, new laws. California now has the strongest equal-pay protection. Employers are prevented from retaliat-ing against workers discussing or asking how much their male colleagues are paid. The burden of proof is on an employer to show a man’s higher pay for similar work is based on factors other than gender.

•California’s minimum wage is raised to ten dollars an hour.

•Concealed weapons are banned at K-12 and community colleges. •A search warrant is required before law enforcement officers can obtain emails, text messages, online history and other digital data from suspects.

•To protect student privacy, companies cannot use student personal information for profit. Companies can only use the data for school purposes and are responsible for protecting the personal information.

•On a national note the Elementary and Secondary Education Act-commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind have new provisions. For me the most important one is reducing the amount of standardized testing in schools.

Control of testing has been given to the states.

•An important case Friedrichs v California Teachers Association is set for oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court Jan, 11, 2016. Stay informed by using going to www.AmericanWorksTogether.us

Congressman John Garamendi is hosting Roundtable Conversations at local Senior Centers to hear your issues and concerns. Please mark your calendar: Vacaville Feb. 18 Noon-1:30 at McBride Senior Center; Fairfield Feb. 19 1:00 to 2:30 Adult Recreation Center

A Very Heartfelt Thank You from Division 35 Thank you for your very generous donation to our Educators Supporting Educators fund. We were able to dis-tribute 21 $50 Walmart gift cards to active and retired teachers affected by the Valley Fire. Many teachers in 3 schools districts lost their homes. Without your support we would not have been able to help all 48 educators on our list. Thank you very much! Division 35 President Joyce Anderson

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.AmericanWorksTogether.us


Correspondance

Our sincere sympathy for your loss: Ann Romer

We are thinking of you: Edna White, Patty Cooper, Nancy Hales,

Richard Gideon, Alvina Glantz, Leona Bonovich

Thanks so much: Joyce Anderson, Clyde Carpino, Dotty Johnson,

Dave & Joan Gaut, Wally Hunt

Get Well soon: Rose Ungstad

Kenneth Freeman Irene Moss

Juanita Williams

We remember you with fond memories. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Note to Family In case of the death of a

retired teacher please notify STRS

1-800-228-5453 #2 to receive a one-time death

benefit of $6163.00

So that we can continue to reach out and support each other, please let me know of any of our members who are having sur-gery, who have experienced illness or loss, or who would appreciate a thoughtful note. Thank you. Martha White-Corresponding Secretary [email protected]

Important Insurance Update Regarding Long-Term Care

Kathlan Latimer, Insurance Chair

The Latest on the CalPERS Long-Term Care Lawsuit

The CalPERS Long-Term Care lawsuit has been tentatively certified as a class action. The final decision on certification is anticipated in early February 2016.

Here is a timeline detailing the history of the lawsuit:

August 2013 - A lawsuit was filed to obtain relief for the approximately 150,000 individuals, many of them CalRTA mem-bers, who purchased long-term care insurance through CalPERS and were faced with premium increases of up to 85. The basis for the suit, in part, is breach of contract as well as failure of CalPERS to exercise proper fiduciary responsibil-ity.

May 2014 – The Court denied the CalPERS motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

September 2015 - Plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification wherein the case would proceed as a class action rather than require each policyholder to file an individual lawsuit.

November 2015 – A hearing was held in Los Angeles Superior Court where parties to the suit made additional arguments regarding the case. Prior to the hearing the presiding judge issued a tentative decision certifying the suit as a class action. Parties are allowed to file written briefs prior to the final decision.

December 2015 – Defendants, CalPERS and Towers, filed supplemental briefs.

January 2016 - Plaintiffs to respond.

February 2016 - Final decision is expected.

Once certified, class action suits usually take two to three years to settle. Although not a party to the suit, CalRTA pro-vides information for members on its web site (www.calrta.org).


If you are interested in volunteering for the Historian or Nominating Chair opening please contact Cathy Canaday at [email protected] or Carol Kalamaras at [email protected].

Sharing Volunteer Opportunities. We are starting a new column this month titled “Spotlight on Volunteers”. If you would like to share what you are doing to volunteer in the community please send me an article at [email protected]. It should be no longer than Mar-garet’s article (above) and can include a picture. If you would like to share and don’ t have computer access please feel free to send an article by mail to Thank you to member Julie Davis for this great suggestion.

Horseplay Therapeutic Riding Center By Margaret Renn

I have been volunteering five hours each week for a year now at the Horseplay Therapeutic Riding Center in Dixon. It is a non-profit organi-zation that provides structured riding programs for people with special

needs. The horse's symmetrical, rhythmic, and multi-dimensional movements mimic that of the human gait and as a result help to improve rider balance, flexibility and strength. Bonds with horses and volunteers provide emotional benefits. Volunteers are always needed and donations are greatly appreciated. For information call Horseplay at (707) 447-8733 or check www.horseplayriding.org. Pictured: Margaret, Diana, Deb and Farina

Paneras in Fairfield - 11:30 lunch

Thursday, January 21, 2016

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

Book Club

2015 Volunteer Hours Are Due Now!!! Submitted by Marilyn Blake

Thanks to you who have already turned in your hours. For the rest of you, all I need is your name and the total number of hours for the calendar year 2015. The final deadline is February 11 at the luncheon. In March there will be a drawing for a free lunch. The names of all who turned in their hours will be entered in the drawing. The reason for turning in hours is to protect your salary. Both the number of people who do volunteer work and the total number of hours are important, so turn in your hours whether it is 2 hours or 4,000 hours or some-where in between. It shows that we are an asset to our state. Let me know by e-mail [email protected], or bring to the luncheon on Feb. 11

If you would like to volunteer some time to CalRTA but don’t want to make a huge commit-ment, here is your chance. We have lots of little “behind the scenes”, one-time jobs you could do. If you are interested in helping out please email Cathy Canaday at [email protected] or Carol Kalamaras at [email protected]

Santa’s Last Stand CalRTA

Informational Booth December 12 & 13

http://www.horseplayriding.org./


Rancho Solano Country Club

Luncheon Reservation

Please sign me up for the luncheon at

Zio Fraedo in Vallejo

Thursday February 11, 2016

11:00 a.m.

Please send reservations to: Dorothy Johnson CalRTA Div. #24

P.O. Box 5204 Vacaville, CA 95696

(707)448-7081 If leaving a message please be sure to leave

a clear return phone number.

$26.00/person Checks payable to

CalRTA, Division #24 Reservations due no later than February 3, 2016

Name(s) ______________________________________

__________________________________________________

We do not take luncheon reservations at the door. We are responsible for paying for 100% of lunches ordered. The Executive Board of CalRTA Division #24 has made a commitment to have all luncheons self-supporting.

Please make sure your check is received by the deadline. Thank you, Division #24 Executive Board

Thank you all so much! You are very generous. We had a great time playing for you today. Wally


If any of your information has changed please let Kathy Raina or Bonnie Munkholm and CalRTA know.

Directions to Zio Fraedo 23 Harbor Way, Vallejo

Core purpose of CalRTA: To enhance and protect the benefits of retired teachers

Major Goal To be the dominant, authoritative voice for all retired educators

Solano County Division #24 P.O. Box 5204 Vacaville, CA 95696

From the West Take I-80 East

Take Sonoma Blvd/CA-29 (exit 29A)

Stay straight on onto Sonoma Blvd

Turn left onto Curtola Pkwy

Curtola Pkwy becomes Mare Island Way

Turn left onto Harbor Way

23 Harbor Way is on the left

From the East

Take I-80 West

Take right for CA-37 to San Rafael/Novato (exit 33B)

At exit 18 take ramp right and follow signs for Sacramento St./Wilson Ave.

Turn left onto Wilson Ave.

Wilson Ave becomes Mare Is-

land Way Keep straight onto Mare Island

Way Turn right onto Harbor Way

23 Harbor Way is on the left

solano highlights · clyde carpino c. shirley michel endowment fund ending balance as of december...

Documents