March-April 2021 (Bi-Monthly) The Observer Volume XL, Issue 4 Non-proft Newsletter published for members of CalRTA Core Purpose: To enhance and protect the benefts of retired educators Co-Presidents: Barbara Hightower & Margaret Simpson Editor: Debbie Klass ([email protected]) Division web page: http://div69.calrta.org Division email: [email protected]

Presidents’ Message our new Division 69 Facebook page, and it looks Greetings to all Division 69 fantastic! Thank you, Barbara! Check it out, leave members! Although it’s been a comment and share with your Facebook over a year since we’ve been friends! We want to begin using social iiiiiiiii able to gather together, you are media as a way of letting the public iiiiiiiii always in our thoughts and (especially educators) know about CalRTA. close to our hearts! Hopefully, We are participating in CalRTA’s new Membership you have been able to receive at least one COVID Enhancement Program (MEP). Be sure to read vaccination and are well on your way to staying all about it in Barbara Bates’ article inside. healthy and safe from the virus. Barbara was also the force behind getting Many of you have participated in our Zoom Valentines sent to 200+ members, who do not have Division meetings. Thank you!! We so enjoy email addresses and therefore, were unable being able to see all of you virtually. The to receive the emailed Valentines fyer. Legislative Update at our February virtual Thanks, Barbara, for all that you do as meeting, given by our Area XI Government Membership Chair. Relations Chairs (GRC), Lee and Marcia Finney, Our Pre-Retirement Webinar, “Planning for a was extremely informative. We are so proud of Successful Retirement”, is coming up on March CalRTA’s leadership in advocating for issues 9th. Division 4 ( City) is joining us as relating to retired teachers and public education! hosts for this event. We already have 200+ people They are our champions!! registered! There is a defnite need for retirement Our next Division 69 virtual meeting will be held information and CalRTA is happy to be a viable on April 1st (this isn’t a joke!!) and will feature the source that current educators can count on. A amazing program “Shelter to Soldier”. Look for special thanks to Debbie Klass, our Observer more information on this wonderful organization editor, for taking care of the registration, and upcoming program on page 5. Be sure to emailing those attending the webinar, and register, as you won’t want to miss it! formatting fyers for us! Barbara Hightower has been tirelessly working on Take care and stay healthy, happy and safe. Division 69 Supports East County Teacher Grants Your Teacher Grant Committee has been very contribute, through Donors Choose, all or part of busy. Since January, we have donated nearly the cost of that project. Many of the donations are $700.00 in Teacher Grants to East County doubled or tripled by companies like SDG&E. teachers! COVID-19 restrictions have prevented Division 69 has donated toward needs like our school visits and grant presentations, but we've headphones for distance learners and books for found a new way to get our Teacher Grant money diversifying classroom lending libraries. to East County teachers. Our Donors Choose donations have gone Donors Choose is a great nationwide online to Campo Elementary, Flying Hills Elementary, organization, where teachers describe a classroom Fletcher Hills Elementary, and Tierra Del Sol Middle project or need, and how much it would School. We also recently completed a $200.00 cost to accomplish. Then donors (like donation to Granite Hills Theater Program. CalRTA Division 69) select a project and 1 Membership Barbara Bates I hope you are all well and staying hopeful during been supporting this unique time. Hope has been defned as the retired educators for more than belief that circumstances in the future will be 90 years. Information about a better. It allows us to be optimistic for a positive new Advocacy Membership future. I believe that brighter days are ahead and option will also be included in a return to a more normal daily life is just around the mailing. This membership is not affliated with the corner. a specifc Division. There is no expectation of meetings or volunteering, but 24/7 online access is On the membership front, Division 69 will available for resources and information. This may participate in the Membership Enhancement appeal to some people. Advocacy Membership Program, MEP. We have written a grant proposal dues stay at the State level to support CalRTA to recapture lapsed members from our Division. programs. We are HOPEFUL this outreach effort The state offce will reimburse our Division for will regain some of our missing members. printing and mailing costs. Sometimes cash members unintentionally let their memberships Looking forward to the time when we can once lapse. Our plan is to reach out to 112 lapsed again get together. cash members with a WE MISS YOU letter. It will STAY HEALTHY AND POSITIVE! highlight current membership benefts and invite members to rejoin the only organization that has

Welcome Deborah Farrior Kelley Bates Stephen McDaniel Charles Charter Paul Preddy Donald Walker Jeanette Firth

New Members!! In Memoiam

Treasurer’s Report Mae Goldman Checking Account $12,448.95 Account balances as of February 28, 2021. Scholarship $ 4,015.94 Teacher Grant $ 4,628.98 Tour Account $ 43.12

Division 69 Offers Student Teaching Scholarships Moneth Piper & Nancy Bainum - Scholarship Committee Our division is once again offering two $1500 We have sent the application student teaching scholarships. Thanks to Debbie information to San Diego County Klass’s help we have updated the application and colleges and universities and are looking forward made it possible for students to apply using a link to receiving applications from some outstanding to the Division 69 website. If you know a student students. at a local university who will be student teaching during the Link 2021-2022 school year, please OR let them know about this to Application opportunity. 2 Hospitality Betty Sopfe & Vivian Weiner In these times of stay-at-home orders and limited social opportunities, many of us are craving comfort food and treats to munch on. Our Hospitality co-chairs have two such offerings. Give these a try the next time you are binge watching that new series or sitting down with a good book. Bon appétit!

Bunny Bait The Best Mac and Cheese Ever

Softened butter, for baking dish 1 pound elbow macaroni 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 bag salted popped popcorn, non-buttered 2 cups shredded Jack cheese (I got the pre-popped bag at Costco) 4 ounces butter (melted) 2 cups Chex cereal 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/2 - 2 cups small pretzel sticks 3 large eggs, well beaten 1 cup peanuts 12 ounce can evaporated milk 1 cup Easter Milk Chocolate M&M’s 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste) 1/2 - 1 cup egg shaped candies, such as M&M’s 1/4 teaspoon white pepper peanut butter eggs or mini-Cadbury eggs 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (anything with a hard coat) Paprika 1/4 cup Easter sprinkles One 12 oz. bag Bright White Wilton Candy Melts • Preheat oven to 350 F, generously butter (You can also use pastel colors.) 13 x 9 baking dish. • Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment • Bring pasta pot with salted water to boil, cook paper. macaroni to al dente, drain. • Place popcorn, Chex cereal, pretzels and • In a large bowl, mix the cheeses, saving one peanuts in a large bowl and gently mix. cup for the top of the dish. Layer the • Heat the candy melts in a microwave safe dish remaining cheese and macaroni in the on 50% power for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring every buttered baking dish, beginning and ending 30 seconds until melted. with the macaroni. • Pour melted white chocolate evenly over the • In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, popcorn mixture and mix gently with a spoon. sour cream, eggs, evaporated milk, salt, • While chocolate is still wet, add sprinkles and pepper, and cayenne. Pour the cream sauce candies and gently mix again. over the macaroni and cheese. Top with the • Spread the mixture on the lined baking sheet reserved cup of cheese, sprinkle generously and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Break with paprika. Place the baking dish on a apart. baking sheet, to catch bubble over. • Bake until the cheese is bubbling and the top **Make 3 or 4 batches, each a different color. is brown and crusty, 30 to 45 minutes. Mix together for a rainbow effect. Remove from oven allow to stand 10 minutes.

And Speaking of Books . . . One For the Blackbird, One For the Crow by West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge is Olivia Hawker is set in Wyoming in 1870. This is historical fction at its best. After surviving a a captivating pioneer family saga, hurricane at sea, this captivating book that begins with betrayal and tells the true story of transporting two heartache and ends with forgiveness giraffes across depression era America and friendship. A powerful novel of to the San Diego Zoo. The delightful survival and sacrifice on the characters involved make this story American frontier. truly memorable. 3 Legislation Watch Anne Stone By now, everyone reading this important but one area, the “WEP/GPO”, has a newsletter has heard about particularly good chance to pass during this CalRTA Advocacy Day. Yes, congress, but we need your help. It is in the even in these times with social House as HR 82. As of now, none of the distancing, we did have Representatives in our area are supporting the bill. “ADVOCACY DAY 2021” via WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT PICTURE! The ZOOM. Lee and Marcia Finney headed up the Advocacy Day helped to bring information to our program for Area 11. We were given several representatives, but they need to hear from you, webinars to prepare us and then Lee divided us up the membership. Tell your story every Tuesday according to districts. It appears we have 5 and Thursday. E-mails, phone calls and post districts that encompass our members. Each cards are best. Letters sit in the mailroom person had a special focus area to talk about in because they are not going to put anyone in under 3 minutes. Barbara Hightower and I were harm’s way, and they do not know what is inside. I on some of those teams. know most of our members have contacted our representatives at least once, but it has been Our focus areas were the WEP/GPO, Social suggested that we do it multiple times. It doesn’t Security/ Pensionomics, Medicare, Medicaid & take long. In fact, if you click on the email address ACA, and Special Education Funding. Now that in the chart below, you can do it as fast as you can we have directly talked to our legislators, it is time tell your story. YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE! for all of our members to let them know we are not a small group of people. Every focus area is

CalRTA District Representative Party e-mail CA Phone DC Phone Div. 49 D [email protected] 760-599-5000 202-225-3906 45/63/81

50 R [email protected] 760-593-6116 202-225-5672 63/64/69 619-422-5963/ 51 D [email protected] 202-225-2772 60 760-312-9900* 52 Scott Peters D [email protected] 858-455-5550 202-225-0508 4/78

53 Sara Jacobs D [email protected] 619-280-5353 202-225-2948 4/60 *Imperial County Offce Become a Citizen Scientist April is Citizen Science month. As described on Libraries are becoming “hubs” for campus and the SciStarter website, science needs more eyes, community participation in Citizen Science. ears, and perspectives than any scientist Project kits are being previewed, shared and possesses. Citizen Science is a collaboration selected for individuals and organizations to check between scientists and everyday folk who have an out from a growing number of libraries. A citizen interest in making a difference. There are science kit is a small box that contains everything thousands of activities, spanning all types of needed for a specifc citizen science project. The topics, that get amateur scientists outside to learn CalRTA Educational Foundation is working to help more about nature in their local communities. make these kits available for check-out from Individuals use smartphones or tablets to campus, city, and community college libraries, photograph, journal and report observations to online or onsite. Look out for them at a scientists and environmental monitoring sites. library near you! Learn more and search for specifc topics at SciStarter.org.

4 CalRTA Division 69 Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Thursday, April 1, 2021 10:00 a.m. Featuring a presentation from Shelter to Soldier

“Shelter to Soldier™ is a CA 501c3 nonproft organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other injuries associated with traumatic service experiences.” (From sheltertosoldier.org) Click below to register: or take a photo of the tinyurl.com/36cktjzf QR code with your smartphone.

3. About a week before the meeting, you will New to Zoom? receive a meeting link in an email. Save that Don’t let your lack of experience keep you from email. attending our virtual meetings. Just follow these 4. On the day of the meeting, fnd that email and steps. It’s easy! click on the link below “Join Zoom Meeting”. 1. You can access Zoom meetings from your You will be given some prompts while joining computer, tablet, or smartphone. You will frst the meeting. You can join with video or, if you need to download the app. On a computer, go are having a bad hair day, you can choose to to zoom.us, click on the “Sign Up, It’s Free” join without video. You will then be given audio button, and follow the directions to activate choices. On a computer, select “Join with your account. If you are using a tablet or smart computer audio”. On a tablet or smartphone, phone, download the Zoom Cloud Meetings follow the prompts. app from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you would like to learn more, CalRTA has an 2. When you fnd an event you want to attend, like instructional video here to help guide you through the one in the fyer above, sign up for the many of the Zoom functions. Give it a try! We meeting by clicking on the registration link. You would love to “see” you at our next virtual will need to include your email address when event. you register. 5 California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) - Area XI - Division 69 New Member Enrollment Form - Do not use for Renewals Please check your payment method and complete the enrollment information below. ____ cash payment $66 annually (renewals due on anniversary date of original membership - you will be sent a reminder) ____ dues deduct - monthly from your CalSTRS pension ___ $5.50 (self) ___ $11.00 (self & spouse) I authorize the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) to deduct my association dues. Should the amount of the dues be adjusted, as deemed necessary by CalRTA, I authorize the adjusted deduction shall continue unless I notify the CalRTA business offce in writing to the contrary. To terminate dues deductions, I agree to make my request in writing to the CalRTA business offce. Last Name ______First Name ______Spouse (if joining) Last Name ______First Name ______Address ______Phone ______City/State/Zip ______Cell # ______Email Address ______Birth Month & Day ______Retired from (school and district) ______Social Security # ______Signature ______Send this completed form and payment method to CalRTA, PO Box 2236, La Mesa, CA 91943 Make checks payable to CalRTA

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