THE PULSE

CalSTRS website: https://calrta.org/ Div. 8 website: https://div8.calrta.org/

President Linda Carbajal 608 Portsmouth St. Bakersfield, CA, 93311 (661) 665-0371 Treasurer Denice Mettle 2608 5th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93304 (661) 323-0210 Editor Marsha Parr 10205 Alyssum Ct., Bakersfield, CA 93311 (661) 663-9306 Volunteers Leticia Ibarra 5616 Silver Crossing St. Bakers., CA 93313 (661) 412-7019

Volume XXXX, Issue 6. . . . . . March, 2020 Your Partner in Pension Protection

My fellow CalRTA members, “May the luck of the Irish be with you,” or “Beware the Ides of March.” Let’s wish for LUCK. As a child, I remember looking for four-leaf clovers through the grass in the park. I never looked in our own yard because Mom’s green thumb not only was found in the fruit trees and flowers, but in the lawn. No clover could be found on our lawn. Mom made sure of that! Mom was so proud of her yard. As a child, I don’t remember ever finding a four-leaf clover. As an adult, I guess I’ve found a few. It’s a silly thing that I cling to … , wishing for a bit of LUCK. My adult mind knows better, but, my “child’s” mind still wishes for LUCK. On March 16 and 17, St. Patrick’s Day, there will be a team from our Division attend-ing Advocacy Day in Sacramento. Our task will be to advocate on behalf of our CalRTA mem-bers. One issue, in particular, will be overturning the law that prohibits teachers from receiving their Social Security benefits or their S.S. widow’s pension. The bill, HR141, needs 290 legis-lative sponsors and we have about 226. Our goal of reaching 290 sponsors has been illusive but we will do our best. With a little “LUCK of the Irish” … we can come closer. Your wishes of “Good LUCK” are welcomed. HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

Linda Carbajal, President

At the February Division meet-ing, the Mariachi Group from Compton Jr. High (BCSD) did a great job of entertaining us. Quite a few of these students started Mariachi training at College Heights Elementary. Their hard work shows! Photo courtesy of Matt Michael. Thanks Matt!

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CalRTA Kern County - Division 8 Minutes Division Meeting, Hodel’s

February 25, 2020

1. The meeting was called to order by President Linda Carbajal at 11:30 AM. 2. The Flag salute was led by Anna Poggi. 3. Doug Heinrichs and Kathleen Schaffer led us in singing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”. 4. Marciel Stramler shared two humorous and inspiring pieces: “See You on the Porch” and “A Lesson on Stress”. 5. Historian, Gil Gia told us how local teachers suffered pay cuts during the Depression. 6. Second VP, Helen Collins reported we have 1,030 current members and no new mem-bers during January. 7. Kathy Green reported guests who attended the January meeting: Jeannene Perry and Jane Ferdinand. Bob Walston was a guest of Shirley Walston. 8. GRC Division 8 Chair, Pam Baugher encouraged all to vote and pay attention to Proposition 13 which will help funds for education. LUNCH 9. Committee Reports A. Representing the Nominating Committee, Ramona Gia announced fellow committee members: Matt Michael, Helen Collins, Cathee Romley, and John Laird. The slate for next year’s officers include President Linda Carbajal, 1st VP Jim Norsworthy, 2nd VP Helen Collins, Secretary Ramona Gia, and Treasurer Julie Bedford. Voting will take place at the March luncheon. B. Judy Meyers announced the Kern County Spelling Bee will be held on Monday, March 2 at 6 PM in the BCSD Auditorium 1300 Baker St. We are anticipating more than 30 students to participate. Live streaming coverage will be on Channel 23. C. Scholarship Association President Jan Peacock reported applications have gone out. A letter from a grateful and successful 2001 winner thanking us for the award was read. D. New Teacher Grant Chair, Kris Eastridge announced that the names of winners will be posted in next month’s PULSE. E. Volunteer Hours Chair, Doris Dunham reported we are at 93% of our goal and members have until March 7 to report hours. Letitia Ibarra will be the chair starting in March. F. By-laws chair, Irene Heath has a committee working on any needed changes to our current bylaws. 10. 1st VP, Jim Norsworthy introduced the Compton School Mariachi Band conducted by Mr. Mark Rodriguez along with violin coach Letitia Ramirez. 11. Esther Ibarra won the centerpiece. 12. Meeting was adjourned at 1:18 PM. The next Board Meeting is Tuesday, March 3 in Room 101 at 1:30 PM at Larry Reider Learning Center. The next Division/General meeting is Tuesday, March 24 at

11:30 at Hodel’s. Ramona Gia, Secretary

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“15% CUT IN SALARIES FOR LOCAL TEACHERS”

Bakersfield Californian, May 10, 1933 Salaries of teachers and other employees of Kern County Union High School will be subjected to a 15% reduction, effective with the beginning of the next school year, it was announced today by T.N. Harvey, president of the High School Board of Trustees. The estimated savings will be $64,340. [The proposed cuts would come from the salaries of teachers, office assistants, proctors, clerks, janitors, mechanics, and bus drivers. The relative income value today is an astonishing $8.9M. In this next sentence notice the apparent lack of teacher input in the cuts.] “The order reducing all salaries will be made official at the next regular meeting of the Board on Monday evening, June 5th, the agreement reached by members of the Board at an the executive session this week, not yet having been placed on record.” In view of the reduction of between 6 and 7% made on maximum salaries this year, many of the teachers face a total cut of approximately 21% for the two-year period. Salaries ranging between $1,730 and $2,730 per year would average between $1,500 and $2,300 per year in 1933-34. “The board has taken this step as a temporary measure necessitated by business conditions,” Mr. Harvey said. “We hope that conditions will soon warranty return to the old salary schedule.” “Calling attention to the fact that of all school expenditures 80% goes for salaries, Mr. Harvey pointed out inconsistency in the position taken by some critics who asked for reductions of school costs without reduction of salaries. We could cut-out half of the balance of the expenditures and, without a reduction in salaries, the total cut would be only 10% of the budget.” [Mr. Harvey identified night school as the next program for cuts, but notice which program would not be cut.] “However, further reductions are to be made in one department, the evening High School. I believe that next year, all night-school work except Americanization classes and courses of a similar nature will be eliminated.”

-Gilbert Gia, historian for Kern Division

VOTE ON TUESDAY, MARCH 3! The California primary is now part of “Super Tuesday”. It’s very important that YOU vote. If you vote by mail, your ballot must be in by Tuesday, March 3, not just post-marked March 3. You can hand deliver it to the Elections Department or to any polling site. CalRTA supports Proposition 13 Schools and College Facilities Bond which is on the March 3 ballot. It will have no effect on property taxes. This has NO relation to the 1978 Prop 13 property tax initiative.

TREASURER’S REPORT —Denice Mettle

Beginning Balance (January 1, 2020) $ 15,056.39 Receipts $ 1,796.25 Disbursements $ 63,62 Ending Balance $ 16,789.02 (January 24,2020)

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Congratulations and Finale —Doris Hopwood Dunham, Volunteer Hours Chairperson, Retiring

As of this writing (02/26/2020) we have three more days to volunteer and ten days to report our hours. All hours must be reported no later than March 7th. After entering the hours reported at yes-terday’s luncheon, we now have 61,088.36 hours reported by 174 members. That is 100.02% of our 60,000 hour goal. We have surpassed our goal! The dollar value of those hours is $1,829,596.30. Remember also, this is not the final figure, which will be reported in the April Pulse. For me, March 7th is the finale. Beginning March 1st, all hours need to be reported to Letitia Ibarra, who is the new Vol-unteer Hours Chairperson. I ask that you give her your cooperation and encouragement. Her contact information is in the directory. Please note that she does not have email, so turn in your hours at the luncheon, to her personally by phone or text, or by USPS mail. If you do not have a current directory you may contact me or Judith O’Brien to get Letitia’s contact information. Thank you all again for your support during the several years that I have worked with and for you as Volunteer Hours Chair. (Editor’s note) Thanks to Doris and to Lori Hughes for their years of service to our organi-zation. ****************************************

Did someone in your family die recent-ly? Obituaries are prime hunting ground for scammers, who learn the names of vul-nerable widows, widowers, children or grandchildren. Honor the dead, but keep personal information in obits to a mini-mum. Do you live in the United States? Many public records are available at the federal, state, county and city levels, including cen-sus data, property information, criminal records, bankruptcies and tax liens. Private companies can pull together all this infor-mation on you and sell it to anyone. And it's 100 percent legal. AARP Bulletin Jan./Feb. 2019

HOW DO SCAMMERS KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT ME?

Resource Services – Barbara Michael

Many people don't understand how they get on the radar of crooks. Here are some of the ways. Do you frequently enter con-tests? Online contests are gateways to unwanted sales pitches. Not only do marketers collect information like name, age and address, they may learn other things – that you like to travel or are buying a car. Also, they know you be-lieve in luck. That could make you a tar-get. Do you mail in warranty cards? Ever notice when you fill out a warranty card for a toaster or coffee maker that it re-quests information like how much mon-ey you make? It is likely that your in-formation is being sold to others, either legitimately or as part of a scam. Do you fill out lots of surveys? Did you recently fill out a questionnaire rat-ing your stay at a hotel or the service at a restaurant? Selling survey data is big business, and marketing firms and even criminals can learn a lot about you based on travel preferences, what type of home you own or what car you drive. Do you share personal updates on Fa-cebook? Scammers turn to social media postings to learn more about those they've targeted. So be prudent: Don't post personal info, narrow who can see your posts and avoid posting real-time updates about your whereabouts. Do you toss your mail? Shred all mail that has your name and address, account numbers, or other personal data. If you

don't have a home shredder, save your papers for a neighbor-hood shredding event. Messy garbage won't deter a bad guy.

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Do You Know of a CalRTA member who is ill or hospitalized?

Please call Anna Poggi, Courtesy Chair, 661-809-0123. She will be happy to send a “get well” card.

CALIFORNIA RETIRED TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION KERN DIVISION

TAX-FREE DONATION FOR Your tax-deductible gift may be made for New Teacher Grants by writing a check made payable to KCSOS ED.SERVICES FOUNDATION (write CalRTA New Teacher Grants on memo line) and send to Kris Eastridge, 2121 22nd Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301. NAME________________________________________________________ ADDRESS____________________________CITY_________________STATE____ZIP_________ My gift of $____ is ______Undesignated;_____On the occasion of __________________________ In memory of/In honor of;____________________________ Please make my gift known to (Name)________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________________ **If this donation is for the SCHOLARSHIP ASSOCIATION “DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS” please make checks payable to KDRT SCHOLARSHIP ASSOCIATION and send to: WALT BURROWS, 3412 Elm St., Bakersfield, CA 93301.

APPLICATION TO JOIN CalRTA (Please note change in prices)

Dues deduction $5.50 per month or $66 a year. (Life membership is no longer an option) Dues deduction ____ ($5.50 per month from your STRS warrant) I authorize the State Teachers' Retirement system (STRS) to deduct my CalRTA dues. Should the amount of dues be adjusted, as deemed necessary by CalRTA, I authorize that the adjusted deductions shall continue unless I notify the CalRTA business office in writing to the contrary. To terminate dues deduction, I agree to make my request in writing to the CalRTA office.

Social Security #_____________________ Telephone ( )_________________ Name______________________________ Retired from ______________________ Address____________________________ City_____________________ State______ Zip_______ Signature

___________________________________ Mail to: Helen Collins, 4005 Adidas Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93313

Just a reminder! If you would rather get The Pulse via email, contact Marsha Parr by phone or email at parrmarsha60@gmail.com or 663-9306. If your email address has changed, contact as well. Thanks! Marsha Parr, Ed. To change a mailing address, phone number, and/or email address, contact Judith O’ Brien

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Houchin Blood Bank Advance Deposit Fund

For CalRTA, Kern Division #704

To give or receive blood supplies For our members

CalSTRS Ombudsman Tom Barrett

916-414-1411 OMBUDMAN@ CalSTRS.com

HOW TO INCREASE MEMBERSHIP IN CalRTA

1.TALK TO A FRIEND ABOUT CalRTA. 2. DISCUSS WHY MEMBERSHIP IS IMPORTANT. 3. TREAT HER/HIM TO A LUNCHEON. 4. GIVE THAT PERSON THE PULSE.

SHOW THEM THE MEMBERSHIP FORM.

5. EXPLAIN THE DANGERS WE ARE FACING REGARDING OUR PESIONS. 6. REMIND THEM THAT CalRTA IS

THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS PRESERVE OUR PENSIONS.

************************************ CHANGES FOR MARCH

Sadly, I am no longer receiving address changes from Hall’s Printer. This has been my main source of information for years. This saved us money as The Pulse was automatically sent to the new address and not to CalRTA at our expense. The names listed below are peo-ple who are not getting mail because I don’t know where they are. Their mail was returned with no forward address. So, if you know the correct address of any of these members, please let me know. Thank you. Judith O’Brien buglight2@brighthouse.com 661-301-4719

Bobby Dean Horacek Ethel A. White

A FORMER STUDENT BECOMES A PUBLIC SERVANT

--Irene Heath

Our aspirations as teachers are for our stu-

dents to become responsible adults who make gen-

erous contributions to their communities.

One resounding success is Andrae Gonzales, who

has devoted his life to public service. He was

born in Bakersfield in 1982 in a family with five

siblings. Some of us will recognize the names of

Manuel, Angela, Erica, Mark and Crystal. All of

them passed through our local school system.

Andrae was a special favorite of his teach-

ers beginning at Harding Elementary School.

Matt Michael was the principal and remembers

Andrae well. He would always greet Andrae with

a sunny “Hey Guy” when he saw him and that

made Andrae feel special.

Beginning at Compton Junior High

School, Andrae might have been expected to

involve himself in sports but he suffered from

asthma, so sports weren’t an option. His mind

drifted in another direction all the way through

East High School.

He used to say that he wanted to be the

president of the United States when he grew up.

Instead, he became deeply concerned with how

our students were being educated and became a

member of the Bakersfield City School District

Board of Education. He served on the Board for

six years. He has also worked with a non-profit

stewardship organization for ten years, focusing

on helping the disabled and elderly. He assisted

them with their finances and made sure they

spent their income wisely. Now, Andrae is an

enthusiastic member of the Bakersfield City

Council and looks forward to serving on the Coun-

cil for years to come. He is also very involved in

local politics and charitable organizations.

Andrae is a credit to his family and his teachers!

In Memoriam for March Carol J. Harris

Elana C. McDonald Note: Our Monica Young has not passed away, my error. I am deeply sorry and apologize for any undue sadness I may have caused. - Judith O’Brien, Chair

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New Teacher Grants

—Kris Eastridge, New Teacher Grants Chair

The grant committee met in January to read through the grant proposals that were re-ceived this year. A big thanks to Ann Bonas, John Laird, and Beth Stark for their assistance! 26 applications totaling $7,556 were funded for projects such as science equipment (rockets, snap circuits), classroom library books, flexible seating, learning games, computer technology, video equipment, speakers and microphones, organizational tools and furniture, geometric models, news pamphlets, and math manipulatives. Here is a list of this year’s recipients: Name Grade Level School District Name Grade Level School District Alfred Alvarado 8th Science BCSD Amanda Mendez 6th Panama-Buena Vista Brooke Blackmon 5th/6th Fruitvale Tabatha Mills 9th-11th Video Prod. KHSD Jami Carrasco 9-12 Sp. Ed KHSD Christin Morrow 5th Taft Rebecca Cummings 5th McFarland USD Shanna O’Neal 1st Vineland Christina DeClaro 4th Delano Union Michele Packebush 1st Panama-Buena V. Amelia De La Rosa Kindergarten BCSD Kendal Peddy 6th-8th ELA El Tejon Dawn Durkee 2nd BCSD Rebecca Saceaux 5th Greenfield Randi Elmore 2nd/3rd Mojave Unified Madelyn Smith 3rd Sierra Sands Kristin England 1st Mojave Unified Jennifer Warnock 5th South Fork Middle Katelyn Evans 4th BCSD Tabrea Wilson 5th BCSD Kristina Franklin Kindergarten Fruitvale Caitlin Wingate 1st BCSD Saul Gonzalez 9th Geometry KHSD Allyssa Wise 4th Taft Jennifer Lopez 2nd BCSD Carey Marvin TK/K Sierra Sands After funding these grants, we are again in the process of building up our account to fund new teacher grants next year. Thank you to the following members for their tax-deductible donations in the past month. Name Memory/Honor of : Barbara Whitson undesignated Linda Carbajal Danny Howerton

Quotes from the House Manager —Janis Roberts, House Manager

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: When it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” Charles Dickens Join us at “the wearin’ of the green” on March 24, 2020 at Hodels. If you have Lucky Shamrock, bring it to share with your friends!

IMPORTANT DATES IN MARCH March 2 - Read Across America Day March 8 –Daylight Savings Time Begins March 14 - Pi Day March 17 –St. Patrick’s Day March 19 –First Day of Spring March 31 –Cesar Chavez Day March birthstone is aquamarine and the flower is the daffodil. March is Women’s History Month

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CALIFORNIA RETIRED TEACHERS KERN DIVISION P.O. BOX 6275 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93386-6275

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 133 Bakersfield, CA

March, 2020

Your partner in pension protection

Kern County

Division 8

MAKE RESERVATIONS Help us avoid the confusion of

needing to set up more tables at the last minute by making a reservation. We want you to come! And we want to be ready to seat everyone!

CANCEL RESERVATION You may cancel your reservation up

until 9 a.m. on the day of the luncheon. Verla Phillips 871-2559 Donna Warneke 587-0287 Mary Lou Lee 396-1331

Cost of lunch is $15.00.

A reservation made is a commitment to pay!

MANAGEMENT AT HODEL’S HAS REQUESTED THAT OUR MEMBERS DO NOT ARRIVE FOR LUNCH BEFORE 10:30. IT INTERFERES WITH THE SET-UP OF THE ROOM.

March Meeting

Our March meeting will be at Hodel’s at 11:30 on March 24th Past Presidents Day

Program will feature Kathleen Granger-Schaffer and Dr. Jim Mahony Singing duets for our pleasure

And Dollars for Scholars, Pennies for Pines

April Meeting Our April Meeting will be at Hodel’s at 11:30 on April 28th

April Showers Program will feature

Curran Junior High School (BCSD) Advanced Choir And Election of Officers