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Christmas isn’t about mis-tletoe, roasting chestnuts, or some fat guy sliding down the chimney. It’s more like “Peace on earth; goodwill toward man.” It’s the birth of Christ.

Yet it’s not appropriate to say Merry Christmas because you might offend someone, so it’s best to say “Happy Holidays.” It’s not kosher to display a na-tivity scene in public anymore. Someone may be offended, so it’s best not to display one at all. And it’s surely not right to men-tion the name Jesus because somebody might not like it.

Well, we put up Christmas lights every year and as I was putting them up that phrase “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” kept coming to mind. I’ve heard the phrase many times, but never actually read the article that accompanied it. The thought “Yes, Virginia, there is a Christ in Christmas!” came to me after reading that article.

“Is there a Santa Claus?” was the title of that editorial ap-pearing in the September 21, 1897 edition of a New York

newspaper called “The Sun.” The editorial, which included the famous reply, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” has be-come part of popular Christ-mas folklore.

That Fall, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon was asked by his eight-year-old daughter, Virginia, if Santa Claus really existed. She began to doubt he did because her friends had told her he didn’t exist. Philip suggested she write “The Sun,” assuring her, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” While he may have been trying to pass the buck, the good Doc-tor unwittingly gave Francis Pharcellus Church, one of the paper’s editors, an opportu-nity to rise above the question and address a philosophical one. (For more than a century the piece remains the most re-printed editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language)

Virginia’s note to the editor said:

“Dear Editor. I am eight years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you see it in The Sun it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? Virginia O’Hanlon - 115 West 95th Street.”

In reply to Virginia’s question, Francis Church wrote:

“Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his in-tellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devo-tion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the

world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which child-hood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that nei-ther children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart.

Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Vir-ginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

One can’t see the wind, but it’s real. Yet, only small minds can conceive what’s seen. How dry the world would be with-out childlike faith. Ah … yes, Virginia, Christ exists. He lives forever more in our hearts and minds. A thousand years from now, nay, ten times ten thou-sand years from now. Oh … Virginia, there is a Christ in Christmas. The skepticism of an age can never tarnish that.

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Christ In Christmas By Greg Allen

Senator Anthony Cannella issued the following state-ment after voters in the 12th California State Senate Dis-trict elected him to serve a second term:

“I am humbled that the vot-ers of this great district have entrusted me to be their voice at the State Capitol for a second time. During my first term, I focused on solutions to the major problems facing our state such as: building a stronger economy; ensuring we have a clean and reliable water supply; and providing a quality education for every child. These aren’t partisan issues, they’re priorities for most Californians, which is why I will continue to take a common-sense approach to proposing solutions and de-livering results.

“My team of volunteers, staff and family members have dedicated countless hours to this campaign and I thank them for all their hard work in this victory. Most of all, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my

SEE PAGE >4

Merry Christmas

fromCentralValleyVoice

Senator Anthony Cannella Thanks Voters

CENTRAL VALLEY VOICE.COM 3

RIP By Hermione L. Williams

This is neither an obituary nor a walk down memory lane of the people we have lost in our lives. This is just a aha moment I had.

When someone passes away, the proper thing to do is to give our condolences. "Rest in peace" (Latin: Re-quiescat in pace) is a short epitaph or idiomatic expres-sion wishing eternal rest and peace to someone who has died. The expression typically appears on headstones, often abbreviated as "RIP" or "R.I.P.". The phrase dormit in pace (English: "he sleeps in peace") was found in the catacombs of the early Christians and in-dicated that "they died in the peace of the Church, which is, united in Christ."

But why can’t we RIP here on earth?

There was a time when I thought peace was a destina-tion, in much the same way I imagined I’d eventually arrive at happiness or success.

It seemed like something I needed to chase or find—def-initely not something I could experience without dramati-cally changing my life.

I needed to work less, re-lax more, and generally re-vamp my circumstances and relationships in order to be a peaceful person.

I’ve realized that peace is always available, and like any desirable state of mind, it requires effort, even if that effort entails consciously choosing to be still. (Mark 4:39 NIV Bible)

Sure, our circumstances af-

fect our mental state, but they don’t have to control them, not if we make tiny choices for our well-being.

Admittedly, it’s not easy to choose peace when we’re going through tough times. I still go through periods when I get caught up in worries and stresses, and it can feel like that’s the only available response to things that have happened.

But it’s not. There are count-less things we can do to cre-ate peace of mind—both in response to events in our lives, and proactively, every-day. (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV Bible)

Meditation Take 5-10 minutes for a

simple seated meditation.Communication Write down everything

that’s weighing you down mentally and then burn it as a form of letting go.

Write down everything you’ve learned from a difficult experience so you can see it as something useful and em-powering instead of some-thing to stress you out.

Tell someone how their ac-tions affected you instead of holding it in and building re-sentment.

Call someone you’ve de-nied forgiveness and tell them you forgive them.

Apologize for a mistake instead of rehashing it, and then choose to forgive your-self.

Creativity Engage in a little art thera-

py; grab some crayons, mark-ers, or paint and put all your feelings on the page.

Take a walk with the sole intention of photographing beautiful things that make you feel at peace, like a tree with colorful autumn leaves.

Activity Get up and dance to your

favorite song, focusing solely on the music and the move-ment. Get into your body and get out of your head!

Go for a bike ride in a sce-nic part of town, and immerse

yourself in the calm of your environment.

Acceptance Muster compassion for

someone who hurt you, in-stead of wallowing in bitter-ness, which will make it easier to forgive them and set your-self free.

Create a list of things you love about yourself instead of dwelling on how you wish you were different.

Focus on what you ap-preciate about the people in your life instead of wishing they would change (assum-ing you’re in healthy relation-ships).

Don't be jealous of others. Being jealous means that you have low self-esteem, and consider yourself inferior to others. Jealousy and low self esteem, often, lead to lack of peace of mind.

Recognize if you’re judg-ing yourself in your head with phrases like “I should have” or “I shouldn’t have.” Replace those thoughts with, “I do the best I can, my best is good enough, and I’m learning and growing every day.”

SolitudeSchedule a date with your-

self—a time when you don’t need to meet anyone else’s requests—and do something that feeds your mind and spirit. Go to a museum or take yourself to your favorite res-taurant and simply enjoy your

own company.Be your own best friend. Tell

yourself what’s on your mind, and then give yourself the ad-vice you’d give a good friend who had the same issue.

ConnectionTell the truth in your rela-

tionships. When we hold in our true feelings, we create stress for ourselves. Be kind but honest and share what you really feel.

Catch critical, blaming, or self-victimizing thoughts. In-stead of ruminating on what someone else did wrong, ex-press yourself and ask your-self what you can do to create the change you’re seeking.

Have fun with someone you love. Forget about every-thing that feels like a problem and do something silly and childlike.

Contribution Volunteer your time to help

a charity you believe in. Put all your energy into helping someone else and you will in-advertently help yourself.

Do something kind for someone else without ex-

pecting anything in return. If they ask what they can do for you, tell them to pay it for-ward.

Leverage your passion to help someone else (i.e.: if you’re an aspiring designer, design a logo for a friend). You get to get in the zone doing something you love; someone else gets support they need. A win/win!

Peace of mind is a state of mental and emotional calm-ness, with no worries, fears or stress. In Inner peace eventu-ally, leads to external peace. By creating peace in your in-ner world, in your mind, you bring it into your external world, and into other peo-ple's lives.

I wish you all PEACE… DisclaimerThe topic discussed in this

article is based on research, knowledge, and experiences from the health community. Please keep in mind that I am not a Doctor or other health professional so please consult the appropriate professional for further help.

Hermione L. Williams

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4 DECEMBER 2014

State NewsMost Want More Higher Education Funding—But Oppose Raising Student Fees or TaxesMajorities Favor Some Tax Increases, Including Extension of Proposition 30SAN FRANCISCO,—Most Cali-fornians say the state is not providing enough funding for public colleges and universi-ties. However, most residents are unwilling to pay higher taxes to maintain current funding for these institutions. And—amid debate over a tu-ition increase at the University of California—a record-high majority oppose raising stu-dent fees to do so.

These are among the key findings in a statewide survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

In the survey—a wide-rang-ing examination of California’s post-election political land-scape—an overwhelming majority of residents (76%) say the state’s public higher education system is very im-portant to its quality of life and economic vitality over the next 20 years. Asked about the current level of state funding for public colleges and univer-sities, 59 percent say it is not enough (24% just enough, 12% more than enough, 6% don’t know).

But 56 percent of adults and 58 percent of likely vot-ers say they oppose paying higher taxes to maintain cur-rent funding. A much larger majority of adults and likely voters—77 percent for each—oppose increasing student fees to do so. This strong op-position to fee increases holds across parties, regions, and demographic groups. In addi-tion, 59 percent of Californians say that overall affordability is a big problem for students in the state’s higher education system. In contrast, far fewer (25%) see the overall quality of higher education as a big problem.

"Most Californians believe that higher education is very important to the state’s future

and that their state govern-ment is not providing enough funding for it,” said Mark Bal-dassare, PPIC president and CEO. "But their concerns do not translate into support for tax increases to fund higher education, and they are even more strongly opposed to raising student fees.”

Strong Support for Raising Cigarette, Alcohol Taxes

The survey shows that Cali-fornians are receptive to some targeted tax increases. Slim majorities of adults (53%) and likely voters (52%) favor ex-tending the temporary sales and income tax increases in Proposition 30, the measure passed two years ago, mainly to fund schools and commu-nity colleges. There are strong partisan differences on this question, with 71 percent of Democrats in favor of extend-ing the tax increases and 64 percent of Republicans op-posed.

Strong majorities of adults also favor raising state taxes on the purchase of cigarettes (74%) and alcoholic beverages (68%). A tax on the extraction of oil and natural gas fares less well (45% favor, 49% oppose). While there is bipartisan sup-port for increasing taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, par-tisan differences are stark on an oil and gas tax: 58 percent of Democrats support it, but only 34 percent of Republi-cans do. Half of independents (49%) are in favor.

Asked about extending the state sales tax to services not taxed now, most adults (62%) are opposed. What if this ex-tension was paired with a low-er overall sales tax rate? Oppo-sition drops to 48 percent.

Notable Increase in Opti-mism about the Economy

Californians are feeling more upbeat about the econ-omy than they have in years.

Today, 52 percent of adults say the state will have good times financially in the next year. The last time that more than 50 percent said they expected good times was in January 2001 (51%). Opti-mism today is higher in the San Francisco Bay Area (68%) than elsewhere (58% Los An-geles, 47% Orange/San Diego, 40% Inland Empire, 39% Cen-tral Valley). Among racial/eth-nic groups, Asians (73%) are much more likely than blacks (57%), Latinos (50%), or whites (47%) to expect good times fi-nancially.

Asked to think ahead to 2025, 37 percent of adults say California will be a better place to live than it is now. Fewer today say the state will be a worse place (28%) or that there will be no change (29%).

But Californians’ concerns about the economy and their place in it persist. Residents continue to name jobs and the economy (29%) most fre-quently as the most important issue facing the state. Most adults (55%) say that when children in California grow up they will be worse off finan-cially than their parents (37% better off). And when asked if the state is divided into haves and have-nots, a record-high share of Californians (68%) say yes. When they are asked to place themselves in one group or the other, 40 percent cat-egorize themselves as haves and 46 percent say they are have-nots. What role should government play in address-ing income inequality? A slim majority of residents (52%) say the government should do more to make sure that all Californians have an equal opportunity, while 41 percent say all people have an equal opportunity to get ahead.

Water, Budget Concerns Persist

Californians passed bal-lot propositions that deal with water policy and the state budget, and the survey shows that these issues re-main a focus of concern. Wa-ter or drought is named by 23 percent of Californians as the most important issue fac-ing the state—second only to jobs and the economy. Most Californians (60%) say the wa-ter supply is a big problem in their part of the state, and 60 percent say that the state and local governments are not do-ing enough to respond to the drought. Strong majorities of adults (70%) and likely voters (64%) say they would vote yes if their local water district put a bond measure on the ballot to pay for water supply infra-structure projects.

Majorities of adults (51%) and likely voters (55%) say the state budget situation is a big problem. The majorities who viewed the budget as a big problem were larger two years ago (68% adults, 74% likely voters in December 2012)—a sign that the passage of Prop-osition 2, the "rainy day” fund measure, has helped calm fis-cal fears. Still, 59 percent of adults and 61 percent of like-ly voters today say the state budget process is in need of

SEE PAGE>5

family. My wife and children spent many weekends on the campaign trail and it’s meant to world to me to have the people I love the most by my side every step of the way.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2CANNELLA

major changes. "In the wake or Proposi-

tions 1 and 2 passing, water and the state budget remain on the to-do-list for Califor-nians,” Baldassare said. "Ma-jorities want their state and local governments to do more about the drought, and most believe that the state budget process is in need of major changes.”

Brown’s Job Approval at 57 Percent among Likely Voters

In the aftermath of the election, in which most in-cumbents won and few seats changed parties, Californians were asked to rate their state’s elected officials. Governor Jerry Brown, who won reelec-tion by a 20 point margin, has a job approval rating of 54 percent among adults and 57 percent among likely voters. The legislature’s job approval rating is 41 percent among adults and 39 percent among likely voters, an improvement from two years ago (34% adults, 26% likely voters in December 2012). How much confidence do residents have that the governor and legisla-ture can solve the state’s most important problems? Just 16 percent have a great deal of confidence, while 41 percent


CALIFORNIA SURVEY...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

SACRAMENTO — Empha-sizing its commitment to of-fender rehabilitation and long-term success after in-carceration, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has ramped up efforts to ensure that parolees obtain health coverage.

“The benefits of receiving health care services, includ-ing primary health care, den-tal care, mental health and substance abuse services, are immeasurable for our parolee population,” said Dan Stone, Director of CDCR’s Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO).

In July, DAPO and the Di-vision of Rehabilitative Pro-grams (DRP) began robust outreach efforts to assist fe-male parolees in obtaining health insurance coverage under the expanded eligibil-ity criteria in the Affordable Care Act. That effort included developing county-specific Resource Guides and commu-nity resource fairs to encour-age enrollment and provide referrals and assistance.

“Staying healthy is an im-portant part of rehabilitation,” said Millicent Tidwell, DRP Di-rector. “That includes treating

mental health and substance abuse issues. By assisting pa-rolees in obtaining coverage, CDCR is helping keep commu-nities safe.”

Following the successful outreach effort, nearly every female parolee in California now has health coverage or is on her way to obtaining it.

From Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, staff followed up with California’s 3,455 female pa-rolees to determine who was already covered and who was

eligible for Medi-Cal, and to provide continued assistance in getting coverage. Today, 93 percent of the female parolee population either has health coverage (77 percent) or is in the process of obtaining cov-erage (16 percent). These out-comes do not include female parolees who were in custody, at large or otherwise unreach-able.

For more information, con-tact Krissi Khokhobashvili at (916) 445-4950.

CDCR’s Helps Parolee find Health Care Coverage

Governor Brown to be Sworn In, DeliverInaugural Address on January 5th in Sacramento

SACRAMENTO - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will take the oath of office as Governor of California and deliver his in-augural address in the Assembly Cham-ber on Monday, January 5, 2015.

When: Monday, January 5, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Where: California State Capitol, Assembly Chamber, Sacramento, CA 95814

**NOTE: This event is open to invited guests only. Additional information re-garding media credentialing will be pro-vided ahead of the event. The inaugural address will also serve as the Governor's constitutionally required annual report to the Legislature.

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.

have some confidence, 29 per-cent have very little, and 12 percent have none.

Underscoring their skepti-cism of state government, two-thirds of Californians (66%) say state government can be trusted to do what is right only some of the time or never. And two-thirds (67%) say state government is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves, rather than for the benefit of all people (28%).

Baldassare notes: "In an election year with record-low turnouts and status quo re-sults, the public’s distrust in state government remains high and few believe that it is run for the benefit of all of the people.”

How much confidence do residents have in the state government’s ability to plan for California’s future and growth? Just 17 percent have a great deal of confidence, 46 percent have only some, and 35 percent have very little or none. When asked the same question about their local governments, the results are similar (19% great deal, 48% only some, 23% very little, 9% none). Notably, Republi-cans are much more likely to express a great deal of confi-dence in their local govern-ment (19%) than in the state government (9%) when it comes to planning for the fu-ture.

Divide on Health Care Re-form Persists

As the second open enroll-ment period begins for the Af-fordable Care Act, Californians remain divided on health care reform. They are split on the law itself, with 46 percent having a generally favorable view and 43 percent a gener-ally unfavorable one. And they are divided on how the state’s health insurance marketplace, Covered California, is work-ing: Half say it is working very well (15%) or fairly well (37%), while fewer say it is working not too well (25%) or not at all well (14%). Blacks are the most likely to say the exchange is working well (67%), followed

by Latinos (57%), Asians (54%), and whites (45%). When asked about the long-term impact of the law on the state, 37 per-cent say California will be bet-ter off, 34 percent say the law won’t make much difference, and 25 percent say the state will be worse off. Californians are similarly split when asked about the law’s long-term im-pact on the uninsured (37% better off, 34% not much dif-ference, 24% worse off). When asked about the impact on themselves and their families, half (49%) say the law won’t make much difference, while 26 percent expect to be better off and 22 percent expect to be worse off.

When uninsured Califor-nians are asked if they will obtain health insurance, an overwhelming majority (71%) say yes. Why? A quarter (24%) say they don’t want to pay the penalty, 20 percent say the law requires it, 16 percent say they are eligible for financial help, and 13 percent say a new insurance option has become available.

Support for State Action on Climate Change

President Obama has re-cently reached an agreement on climate change with China, and the governor has said that climate change will be a prior-ity in his next term. Most Cali-fornians (76%) continue to say that global warming is a seri-ous threat to the state’s future economy and quality of life. Most also continue to believe that California’s actions to re-duce global warming will not reduce the number of jobs in the state: 43 percent say the result will be more jobs, 29 percent say there will be no effect on the number of jobs, and just 21 percent say there will be fewer jobs. Californians in the Inland Empire are the most likely to say that efforts to reduce global warming will lead to more jobs (56%), and those in Orange/San Diego are the least likely (36%).

6 DECEMBER 2014

Education News

Fresno State President Jo-seph I. Castro has joined Presi-dent Barack Obama, the First Lady and Vice President Joe Biden along with hundreds of college presidents and other higher education leaders to announce new actions to help more students prepare for and graduate from college.

During the summit with President Obama, Castro an-nounced that Fresno State

will commit to increasing its six-year graduation rate to at least 70 percent by 2024. The goal is to graduate thou-sands more students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, agriculture and mathematics.

“Fresno State’s academic and athletic programs are boldly rising together. Our priority focus on student suc-cess will lead to a dramatic

increase in our graduation rate. Students, families and communities throughout the Valley and beyond will benefit from the contributions of our graduates — the next genera-tion of leaders,” Castro said.

The White House College Opportunity Day of Action was organized to support the president’s commitment to partner with colleges and universities, business lead-

ers and nonprofits to support students across the country to help our nation reach its goal of leading the world in college attainment.

Today’s participants were asked to commit to new ac-tion in one of four areas: building networks of colleges around promoting comple-tion, creating K-16 partner-ships around college readi-ness, investing in high school counselors as part of the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative, and increasing the number of college graduates in the fields of science, technology, engi-neering and mathematics.

The president will announce new steps on how his admin-istration is helping to support these actions, including an-nouncing $10 million to help promote college completion and a $30 million AmeriCorps program that will improve low-income students’ access to college. This event is the second College Opportunity Day of Action and will include a progress report on the com-

mitments made at the first day of action on Jan. 14, 2014.

According to the president, expanding opportunity for more students to enroll and succeed in college, especially low-income and underrep-resented students, is vital to building a strong economy and a strong middle class. He said that nationally only 9 percent of those born in the lowest family income quartile attain a bachelor’s degree by age 25, compared to 54 per-cent in the top quartile.

In an effort to expand col-lege access, the Obama Ad-ministration has increased Pell scholarships by $1,000 a year, created the new American Opportunity Tax Credit worth up to $10,000 over four years of college, limited student loan payments to 10 percent of income, and laid out an ambitious agenda to reduce college costs and promote in-novation and competition.

University Announces Commitment to ImproveGrad Rates at White House Event

Fresno State received rec-ognition for its community service efforts when it was named to President Barack Obama’s 2014 President’s Higher Education Commu-nity Service Honor Roll. The University was recognized with distinction in the gen-eral community service cat-egory and for education ser-vice efforts.

Since 2006, the Corpora-tion for National and Com-munity Service has presented the honor roll to recognize colleges and universities for tackling community prob-

University Receives Federal RecognitionFor Community Service

lems and implementing long-term civic engagement in its student population.

Fresno State has been in-cluded in the honor roll every year since it was established. In 2008 Fresno State won the Presidential Award and was a finalist for that honor in 2010.

Last year, over 14,000 stu-dents, faculty and staff pro-vided more than 1 million hours of service. It was the fifth consecutive year that Fresno State’s annual volun-teer hours topped 1 million.

“Community service em-powers students and helps

them see that applying their knowledge, personal skills and time to helping oth-ers provides great benefits for them and for those they serve,” said Chris Fiorentino, director of the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Communi-ty Engagement and Service-Learning.

Among the many service projects undertaken by the campus are support for Cen-tral California Blood Center, Mediator Mentors, Reading and Beyond, Jumpstart, Cal-State TEACH, Bulldog Pantry and Alternative Spring Break.

The University was also rec-ognized on the educational front, including involvement in the CSU’s Math and Sci-ence Teacher Initiative. Fres-no State’s Physics Outreach program provided science enrichment services through visits to 57 schools in 14 dis-tricts.

Fresno State students pro-vided hands-on opportuni-

ties for K-12 students to ex-plore science principles by lying on a bed of nails, spin-ning like an Olympian figure skater or creating ice cream using liquid nitrogen.

For more information, contact Chris Fiorentino at 559.278.7079.(University Communications news assistant Jodi Raley con-tributed to this report.)


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Phi Kappa Phi Recognized as Chapter of MeritThe CSU Stanislaus chapter

of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi was recently rec-ognized as a Chapter of Merit for achieving academic excel-lence and engaging the com-munity of scholars in service to others. The award places the CSU Stanislaus chapter among 53 others recognized this year, 24 of them as a Chapter of Merit.

“The Chapter Recognition program offers Phi Kappa Phi the opportunity to say a special thank you to chapters who go above and beyond in promoting academic excel-lence on their campuses,” said Society Executive Director Mary Todd.

Phi Kappa Phi is distin-guished as the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate

honor society for all academic disciplines with chapters on more than 300 campuses in North America and the Phil-ippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and gradu-ate students and 7.5 percent of juniors.

“One of the highlights of each academic year is recog-nizing academic excellence among our students, fac-ulty, administrators and staff through initiation into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. We have had some ter-rific officers and student vice presidents over the years who have been integral to the chapter’s vitality and visibil-ity on campus,” said Chapter President Janice L. Herring.

“Our signature event in the

fall is the annual Spooktacular Booook Drive and giveaway, with donations coming from the entire campus communi-ty,” Herring said. “We are also proud to offer at least two $500 chapter scholarships each year.”

Next semester, the chap-ter is looking forward to pro-viding a Princeton Review workshop that will be open to all students, a community service event with United Sa-maritans Foundation, and the annual Phi Kappa Phi Week events and initiation ceremo-ny.

For their distinction as a Chapter of Merit, the CSU Stanislaus chapter will receive a letter of commendation and a $100 award.

Low-Income Students with Federal AidShielded From UC, CSU Tuition HikesSAN FRANCISCO,—Although in-state tuition at California’s public universities more than doubled in the past decade, most students with federal financial aid and family in-comes under $75,000 pay lit-tle or no tuition because fed-eral, state, institutional, and private grants have expanded to cover the increases, accord-ing to a report released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

Given tuition and fee levels that remain at all-time highs, the report concludes that policymakers can help keep college affordable by improv-ing outreach to students who can benefit from aid.

"Low-income students who successfully navigate the fi-nancial aid process pay little or no tuition at UC or CSU,” said Jacob Jackson, PPIC re-search fellow and author of the report, Higher Education in California: Student Costs. "Given the importance of higher education in Califor-nia’s future, it is more impor-tant than ever to reach stu-dents who are eligible for aid

Improving Outreach to Eligible Families Could Expand College Accessbut don’t apply for it.”

From 2008 to 2011, the av-erage tuition at a California State University campus in-creased from $3,793 to the current $6,486. But students with financial aid and family incomes under $75,000 saw little or no change in their net tuition—the full tuition price minus grant and scholarship aid. Average tuition at the University of California rose from $8,057 to $13,208 over this period. Even students with families making as much as $110,000 saw virtually no change in their net tuition if they received federal aid.

The total amount a stu-dent pays for college can far exceed the costs of tuition and fees. The full price of at-tending UC and CSU has in-creased in recent years, but the net price for low- and middle-income students has grown more slowly because grants and scholarships can be used for expenses other than tuition. On average, stu-dents from the state’s lowest-income families are paying no more to attend UC than they

did before the tuition increas-es. CSU students have seen small increases in the aver-age net price. The PPIC report notes that even a modest increase is cause for concern for low-income students, who are more likely to attend CSU than UC. The dollar amounts are small, but they represent a relatively large share of fam-ily incomes.

Net tuition and net prices are difficult to advertise be-cause they are highly indi-vidualized, depending on a student’s exact family in-come, family size, and other financial and academic fac-tors. The PPIC report suggests a range of actions to reach students from low-income families who are eligible for financial aid but do not ap-ply for it. Universities can make it easier to find and use net price calculators on their websites. The state can enact policies to ensure that more students complete the required Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form–national data suggest that significant numbers of

low- and middle-income stu-dents fail to do so now. And the federal government can simplify the process of filling out the FAFSA.

The report is one of three companion pieces focusing on higher education finance in California. A second re-port, Higher Education in California: Institutional Costs, evaluates both revenues and spending in the UC and CSU systems. It finds that costs—including faculty salaries and benefits, the largest bud-get category—have not in-creased significantly in the past several years.

A third report, Higher Edu-cation in California: Perfor-mance Budgeting, suggests that as California begins to reinvest in public higher edu-cation, it could tie funding more closely with results—for example, the number de-grees awarded. This approach could expand student access and improve student perfor-mance. The report raises key questions to consider in de-signing such a system.

The three reports were sup-ported with funding from the California Postsecondary Education Commission Foun-dation and the Donald Bren Foundation.

8 DECEMBER 2014

Uc Merced Presents Daughters of Slain Civil Rights Activist with Spendlove Prize

he University of Califor-nia, Merced, presented the prize during a Nov.

6 ceremony to Liuzzo’s three daughters, Sally Prado, Penny Herrington and Mary Lilleboe.

Viola Gregg Liuzzo, a civil rights activist who was killed by the Ku Klux Klan while

Pictured: Ida Johnson, center, with daughters of Viola Gregg Liuzzo, Penny Herrington, left and Sally Prado, right.

The School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts at UC Mer-ced presented “ A Civil Rights Discussion on November 7. The Civil Rights Discussion were held a day after The University of California of California, awarded the prize to Liuzzo’s three daughters.

The panel was hosted by UC Merced Professor Nigel Hatton and featured Sherrie Spendlove, Denard Davis, Justice John Kirihara, Sherman Kishi, Dr. Bill Stockard and Michelle Allison.

Gloria Sandoval panel member at UC Merced on November 7.

Charlie and Pam Bennett were among the attendees at the UC Merced presentation of the Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance.

driving another activist home from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in March 1965, has been named the 2014 recipient of the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance.The Spendlove Prize was es-tablished in 2006 through a

generous gift to the universi-ty from Sherrie Spendlove in honor of her parents, lifelong Merced residents Alice and Clifford Spendlove. The prize every year honors an individ-ual who exemplifies the deliv-ery of social justice, diploma-cy and tolerance in his or her work. Past recipients include, Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a Mer-ced native, award-winning author Peter Balakian, immi-grant rights activist and law-yer Cruz Reynoso, and former president Jimmy Carter.

T

A Civil Rights Discussion

Michelle Allison a panel member at “A Civil Rights Discus-sion,” presented by the School of Social Sciences, Humani-ties and Arts at UC Merced.

Mary Lilleboe shared with the audience memories of her mother.


Antioch Missionary Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Sterling Kyle, Jr.

Pastor Study: (209) 722-9806Church: (209) 383-9758

Pastor

Rev. Dr.Sterling Kyle, Jr.and Sister Sandra Kyle

404 W. 6th St.Merced CA 95340

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.Worship Service: Sunday 11:00 a.m.Bible Study: Wed. 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Behold, I stand at the door.Rev. 3:20

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Antioch Celebrated 67 Years

Mount Olive, FriendshipBaptist Church andSenior Saints

Thank You Mt. Olive for Honor-ing Our Senior Saints!

Mt. Antioch Missionary Baptist Church celebrated 67 Years of Service on Sunday November 16, 2014.

Dr. Jerry Huey, (former Pas-tor of Saint Matthew Baptist Church, Merced, CA.) was the guest speaker for the11:00 a.m. service.

Reverend Dr. Eric Haley, (Pastor of Little Zion Mission-ary Baptist Church, Mendota, CA.) was the speaker for the 3:00 p.m. service.

Under Dr. Sterling Kyle Jr.’s leadership, the Mt. Antioch Missionary Baptist Church continues to carry out the great commission.

Theme: “Confident the Work He Had Begun in Us Will Be Finished” -Philippians 1:6.

Dr. Eric Haley, Pastor of Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Mendota, CA was the speaker for the 3:00 p.m. service.

Mother Glendora Palmer, member of Antioch Mission Baptist Church at the Antioch’s 67th Year Anniversary. Mother Palmer has been a member for 40 years and served as an usher 38 years.

The Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church held their an-nual 75+ Appreciation Ser-vice November 9, 2014 in At-water, CA.

Reverend Roderick Co-chran, (Pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Merced, CA.) delivered the af-ternoon message.

Theme: “Great Is Thy Faith-fulness” Lamentations 3:23-24:1-2. Each member was introduced and received spe-cial recognition.

The church remembered the late Brother Amos Hunter May 1, 1924-Novemver 23, 2104 and Brother Warren White: January 26, 1934-June 30, 2014.FRIENDSHIP SENIOR SAINTS

Sister Beatrice Coe-September 24Sister Francis O’Neal-July 15thSister Marlene Powell-April 9thSister Georgia Simpson-March 21stSister Margaret Warmack-August 29th

10 DECEMBER 2014

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY

Sacrifices to IdolsConsider the practice of eat-

ing meat that had been sacri-ficed to idols previously --- a very lively issue in the first cen-tury. Here is the background: A meat sacrifice would be made to an idol. After a cer-

Mother Hewitt Birthday Celebration

SEE PAGE> 15

Missionary Rosie Hewitt and children (top row, left-right) Gwen, Eldridge, Brenda, Allen, Louise Hewitt-Smalls, Rose Hewitt-Kirk, (bottom row, left-right) Elvis Hewitt, Missionary Rosie and Clora Hewitt at her 89th Birthday Celebration.

(left-right) Missionary Rosie Hewitt, Ruthie Mae Cole and Mrs. Indiana Lewis.

Reverend Roderick Cochran guest speaker.

The Christian and Holidays Is it wrong for Christians to "cele-brate" some of the holidays pop-ular in our society --- like giving gifts at Christmas time, allowing children to go "trick or treating" at Halloween, or to hunt eggs at Easter? In considering this issue, several things should be kept in view. A practice may have originated under certain circum-stances but, eventually, lost that significance --- either in whole, or at least significantly. There is Bible precedent for dealing with this principle.

By Wayne Jackson

Sister Mary Alfred-May 27Sister Freddie Braxton-November 5thBrother Charles Butcher-June 6thBrother George Carter-February 15thSister Nadine Carter-September 1Sister Odessa Cole-November 15thSister Iris Horton-March 7thSister Dorothy Hutcherson-November 21stSister Mary Johnson-April 23rd

Sister Irene Jones-December 1stSister Fannie Mitchell-June 6thSister Sammie Moore-July 18thBrother James Pennick-March 26thSister Earnestine Portis-August 22ndBrother LeRoy Tolbert-February 26thSister Reber Tolbert-January 16thSister Mildred Vassell-December 14thBrother Carson Wilhoit

MOUNT OLIVE SENIOR SAINTS

tain portion was consumed in sacrificial flames (or by the priests), the balance would be sold as common food in the market. The controversy, therefore, arose: "Is this meat contaminated simply because it had some connection with an idol? "Paul's answer is, "No" (see 1 Cor. 8:1-13). If one has "knowledge," i.e., that an idol is "nothing," and his conscience is not offended, he may eat of that meat. The meat is not contaminated merely by its former association.

Yet, there is this caution. If one is in an environment wherein some "weak," i.e., without mature knowledge, brother is liable to be dam-aged, then it would be best to refrain --- in that instance

--- lest the weak brother's con-science be wounded.

It would be wrong to par-take religiously of a practice that compromises one's fidel-ity to the truth. The apostle deals with such with such a matter in 1 Corinthians 10. If, in a service where sacrifices were being offered to "de-mons," the Christian were to partake, i.e., have "commu-nion" [koinonia - participa-tion, fellowship] with those involved in the illicit worship, such clearly would be sinful (10:20-21).

To practice Christmas, Hal-loween, or Easter religiously would be unwarranted. To do so merely as a cultural custom would be a matter of personal


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Reflections

Central Valley Community

News From across the Central ValleyBoys and GirlsThe annual Spirit of Christmas luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Boys & Girls Club, 615 W. 15th Street, Merced. The meal is free and open to all. Partici-pants will receive free gro-ceries. To donate or for more information, call Joe at (209) 726-5251.

Season of GivingBlood DriveBloodSource Merced is host-ing its 2014 Season of Giving drive until Dec. 31. Blood do-nors will receive a commemo-rative T-shirt and other items. Last year more than 900 people gave blood, helping to save more than 2,700 lives. The group hopes to collect more than 1,000 donations this month to help 3,000 local patients in need. BloodSouce is at 382 E. Yosemite Ave., Merced and 1040 W. Monte Vista Ave., Turlock. For more information, go to www.bloodsource.org or call (866) 822-5663 to schedule an ap-pointment.

Coat DriveThe United Way is sponsoring a coat drive to benefit those in need in the community. Please donate new or slight-ly used coats to United Way of Merced County at 658 W. Main St., Merced. They can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

McNamara Ribbon-cuttingThe staff of the McNamara Youth Center plans a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 30 at the building in McNamara Park, 1040 Canal St., to celebrate the reopening of the center. A team of five nonprofits will run the building after it opens at no cost to the city of Mer-ced for staff time. For more on the event, call Kelly Turner at (682) 553-2366.

Tina Williams, left and Kim McMillon participated with theNational Council of Negro Women in Merced Veteran DayParade.

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Jeremiah Williams was honored as Citizen of the Year by Modesto’s American Legion Post 74 at a reception, dinner and program.

"CITIZEN OF THE YEAR" FOR MODESTO!

“I'm humbled and honored to be selected For American Legion post 74 "2014 Citizen of the Year," said Jeremiah. “I give thanks to God ,my Wife,my children ,my church/Bishop/Pastor ,my friends, associates, fellow Board members, Facebook friends , and many others . It was everyone of you that has added to my life and has made me what I am and who I'm to be. So I say to you all congratulations. From the bottom of my heart”.

-Jeremiah Williams

Congratulations to Jeremiah From Central Valley Voice

Jeremiah Williams has been honored as Citizen of the Year for 2014 by Modesto's Ameri-can Legion Post 74. The award ceremony was held on Tues-day evening, November 11, at the Legion Hall, 1001 South Santa Cruz Avenue. Post 74 has been presenting this award for 66 years.

The reception will begin at 6:00 p.m., dinner and program will follow at 7:00 p.m. Harold Peterson, last year's recipient of the award, serve d as Mas-ter of Ceremonies. All Legion-naires and community mem-bers were invited.

Jeremiah and his wife Nancy SEE PAGE> 14

Ernie Amezcua Turns 65

Ernie Amezcua and Theresa Valenzuela at Ernie’s 65th Birth-day Party held November 8, 2014 at Italo Hall in Merced. The celebration included family, friends, no hostess bar, dinner and a live band-Margo and Force “Em.


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Mt Pisgah AME Zion Church celebrates 95 Years of Service

Pictured above left to right: Co-chair Deaconess Vicki Underwood, Pastor Ed Prothro-Harris, Rev. Kadesta Prothro- Harris and Co-chair Deaconess Evelyn Vickers on November 9, 2014.

In 1919, the First A.M.E. Church was established in Merced, CA. The location was at 14th and “L” Street. This church was established under the leadership of Bishop Ben-jamin Martin and was named “Fancher Chapel A.M.E Zion Church.” In 1929, the Church was destroyed by fire.

In 1932, with the direction of Pastor Lucy Bolles and the Church Trustees, the Church purchased property at 13th and “M” Streets. Because of financial difficulties this prop-erty was not maintained. Thereafter, until 1932, when the Church was rebuilt at 14th and L. Street, services was held in the parsonage.

The Church was named Mt. Pisgah A.M. E Zion Church. In 1958, freeway construction the sale of the Church prop-

erty to the State of California. The Structure was relocated to the current site of 8th and “N” Streets.

Mt. Pisgah continues to take an active role in the Merced Community. We believe that discipleship matters and is necessary. We strive to be-come true worshippers of God. We believe and say each Sunday, that God wants each of us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them

SEE PAGE> 14

CHURCH HISTORY

Merced Veteran’s Day Parade Celebration

Members of the National Council of Negro Women marched in the Merced’s Veteran Day Parade November 11, 2014. The group honored women who served in the Military.

(NCNW) is a council of national African American women’s organizations and community-based sections. Founded in 1935, the NCNW mission is to lead, develop, and advocate for women of African descent as they support their families and communities. NCNW fulfills this purpose through research, advocacy, and national and community-based services and programs on is-sues of health, education, and economic empowerment in the United States and Africa. With its 39 national affiliates and more than 240 sections, NCNW is a 501(c)3 organization with an out-reach to nearly four million women.

14 DECEMBER 2014

MAN OF THE YEAR...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

The Merced County Community Action Agency will be hosting its Fourth Annual Emp-ty Bowl Project 2015 to fight hunger in Merced County.

A small donation of $20.00 will allow com-munity members to receive a meal of soup, bread and a handcrafted bowl to keep as a reminder of all the people who go hungry in our community. All proceeds from this event will be used to feed the homeless population of Merced County.

Please join us on Thursday, February 5, 2015, 5-7:30 p.m. for our Annual Empty Bowl Project at the Christian Life Center located at 650 E. Ol-ive Ave. Merced, CA.

For additional information, tickets, or dona-tions contact Jacqueline Martinez Juarez by phone 209-723-4565 ext. 1121 or email at [email protected]

Can we count on your support to help feed the hungry of our community?

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR

(Modesto, CA) – The Great Valley Museum of Modesto Junior College invites the communi-ty to “A Night at the Museum – The Inaugural Gala” on Saturday, January 17 in the Science Community Center on West Campus.

The elegant evening begins with a silent auction and hosted social hour at 6 p.m. fea-turing wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres. At 7 p.m. a dinner prepared by Chef Hank Winkle of O’Brien’s Market will be served.

Guests will be able to view the new museum exhibits as they tour the Great Valley Museum and Planetarium.

Individual gala tickets are $150 and spon-sorship opportunities are also available. To purchase tickets or obtain sponsorship infor-mation, contact Sandy Marks in the MJC Foun-dation Office at (209) 575-6619. Proceeds from the event benefit the programs and activities of the Great Valley Museum of Modesto Junior College.

Additional information is also available by contacting the Great Valley Museum at (209) 575-6196 or visiting the museum webpage at http://www.mjc.edu/gvm.

Great Valley Museum offers “A Night at the Museum – The Inaugural Gala”

have been married 28 years. They have two daughters and twin sons as well as two love-ly grandchildren. They live in Modesto, California.

After graduating from Tu-olumne Christian School, Jeremiah attended Modesto Junior College and subse-quently earned a Diploma in Theology from Texas Bible College. He currently serves as a licensed Minister in the United Pentecostal Church In-ternational. He also attended the Renaissance Art School in Oakland for three years and is graduate of Leadership Modesto. He owns and oper-ates Oak Crafts by Jeremiah, a local cabinet manufacturing business.

Among his extensive com-munity and civic involve-ments are the following:*Vice president of the Modesto Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P.*Current President and previ-ous vice President of the Ki-wanis club.*Doctors Medical Center Foundation Director.*Modesto Chamber of Com-merce Director and Chair of the Chamber's African American Council.*Past president and Director of the Downtown Modesto Association.*Gallo Performing Arts Board of Trustees.

*Stanislaus County Human Rights Commission officer.*Modesto City Schools Bond oversight committeemember.*City of Modesto Charter Review Committee member.*Chair of the Community Action Coalition of Stanislaus County.*Board member of theLatino Community Round-table in 2003.*Past CASA Board member.*Member of Gideons Interna-tional.*President of the King Ken-nedy Board of Directors.*Board member of the Stan-islaus County Boys and Girls Club.

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” We under-stand something, sometimes this task may seem difficult but we also believe that God knows each of us. And wheth-er you feel you are not wor-thy to speak of Him, or that you still have to get yourself together, or even if you feel that you never have the right words to say, please believe what God has said, He has promised “AND SURELY I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE!”

MT. PISGAHCONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

Pictured above are the youngest daughter Gwen Hewitt and grandchildren of Missionary Rosie Hewitt. Missionary Hewitt celebrated her 89th birthday November 8, 2014 at The Branding Iron, Merced, CA.

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Not Too Late To Receive A Flu Shot

Health Corner

The Merced County De-partment of Public Health (Department) is advising residents that it is not too late to get immunized to prevent the flu. Kathleen Grassi, R.D., M.P.H., Department Director states, “Health providers are beginning to see an increase in cases of the flu. Now is the time to get a flu shot from your regular doctor or clinic.”

Everyone six months of age and older should be vaccinated against the flu annually. However, it is especially important for people with asthma or other chronic lung diseases, heart disease,

and/or diabetes to get an influenza vaccination. Pregnant women, seniors, and people who live with or care for those at high risk should also be sure to get vaccinated to prevent influenza. Merced County Health Officer, Tim Liver-more, M.D., notes that, “Getting an annual flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu from spreading. Also protect yourself and others by covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer, and staying home

and away from others when sick.”

There are no reported shortages of flu vaccine this year. The Department also continues to offer flu shots at weekly clinics in Merced and Los Banos. For more information about the flu, go to: http://www.co.merced.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=2086 or call the Department’s Flu Info Line at 209.381.1180 (in English) or 209.381.1181 (in Spanish). For more information call the De-partment’s Immunization Program at 209.381.1023.

Covered California Kick-Offreception/rally

Covered California Kick-Off reception/rally at Healthy House, 301 W. l8th St., Ste. 101, at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 11, 2014.

The Director of Covered California, Peter Lee, arrived in the Covered Califronia bus, which parked in the Healthy House parking lot. Healthy House, a Covered California Navigator organization, hosted the event and was hon-

ored to introduced Mr. Lee to our local elected officials and community partners.

The three-month window to sign up for health insurance or renew coverage will run from Saturday to Feb. 15, 2015. During the first enrollment period, about 1.2 million Califor-nians signed up for coverage. Officials aim to increase that number to 1.7 million.

The Director of Covered California, Peter Lee greets Candice Adam-Medefind, Executive Director of Healthy House in Merced upon arriving in Merced.

Rev. Felix Phil Jenkins, Healthy House Board Chairman at the Covered California Kick-Off reception/rally. CHRISTIANS/CHRISTMAS...CONTINUED FROM PAGE10judgment.

In Romans 14, Paul argues the general proposition that there will be different levels of knowledge among brethren, and that, to a certain extent, these must be accommodated for the sake of Christian unity. For example, some, out of con-viction, chose not to eat meats; others saw nothing wrong with such a practice.

The apostle instructs that neither individual is to "set at naught" the other. No man is to create a "law" in areas of expe-diency, and then demand that all others submit. If an overt act of transgression is not the issue, peace must prevail.

InconsistenciesMost folks who are sensitive

about these cultural practices are not consistent in their own conduct. Consider, for example, the celebration of birthdays. In ancient Egypt, the birthdays of the Pharaohs were consid-ered as "holy" days, with no work being done (McClintock & Strong, Cyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 817). Moreover, as John Lightfoot noted: "The Jewish schools esteem the keeping of birthdays a part of idolatrous worship..." (A Commentary on the New Testament From The Talmud And Hebraica, Vol. 2, p.

217). Does this mean that if a man, in this era, gives his wife a birth-day present, or hosts a birthday party for his child, he has com-promised the faith? Surely no one will so allege. What about the man who takes his wife out for dinner and gives her flow-ers on Valentine's day? Has he yielded to the Catholic dogma regarding "Saint Valentine"? Has one adopted the religion of the Puritans merely because he has Thanksgiving dinner? When one puts flowers on a grave, is this the same as the Hindu practice of putting food on the grave of an ancestor as an act of worship? Does a wedding ceremony in a church building imply that we endorse the Catholic no-tion that marriage is a "church sacrament"? Common sense must prevail in such cases.

Practices can change with time and mean different things to different people. We must not compromise the truth, but neither are we permitted to make spiritual laws for others. Member, Merced church of Christ * (209) 722-2852 * 384-8503(The East Main Messenger, November 12)

16 DECEMBER 2014

Motown Boogie Hip Hop Festival

Saturday, January 10, 2015 at the Maddux Youth Center

The City of Modesto Parks, Recreation and Neighbor-hoods Department presents “Motown Boogie Hip Hop Festival” on Saturday, Janu-ary 10, 2015 at the Maddux Youth Center, 615 Sierra Drive, Modesto from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

This family event will pres-ent high-energy break dance competitors in a 2-on-2 B-Boy and a 1-on-1 Popping contest for trophy awards. The pro-gram will offer an Urban Art

Show, Fashion Show, B-Boy Showcase, and will feature professional dancer Ivan “Ur-ban Action Figure” Manriquez and D.J. Hocus Manriquez who will both be hosting this exciting event.

Ivan Manriquez will also be presenting an educational B-Boy Dancers Workshop. Ad-mission is $5.00 per person, children under 12 are free.

For more information, contact Bruce Lockard at (209) 341-2951 or [email protected].

New Years Eve Gala FeaturesCheryl Lockett

ing in the New Year with a champagne toast, live music, dancing, food, &

fun with favors and more at the American Legion Hall at 939 W. Main Street in Merced.

Wonderful live music will be provided by Cherly Lockett’s Party Band, featuring Sean McDonald on guitar, Jesse Bloodworth on bass, Danny Lavilla on drums and Cheryl Lockett, voice.

Special guest will be Al Laz-ard, one of the Bay Area’s fin-est saxophone players. Also,

sound will be provided by Ju-lio Ortiz (JO Studios).

Appetizer Menu: Cajun Pork tenderlionsliders, Southern Fried Chicken Wings, Creole Potato Salad, Cat Fish & Hush-puppies from Chef Allen Bur-ley and Kobo Tea Beverages: Kombucha tastings (refresh-ing tea elixir) from Misako Kashima.

Tickets are $30. For informa-tion call (209) 722-0940.

PHOTO: ROGER WYANCheryl Lockett

R

At The Gallo Center January 16

MODESTO, CA -"We call him 'the genius of modern piano,' because he is," Wynton Mar-salis, artistic director for Jazz at Lincoln Center, has said of his former bandmate Marcus Roberts. Roberts will perform a solo piano show at the Gallo Center for the Arts beginning at 8 pm on Friday, January 16.

Tickets for the performance are $20, $30 and $45, and may be purchased online at www.galloarts.org, by calling (209) 338-2100, or from the Gallo Center ticket office at 1000 I Street in downtown Modesto.

Roberts’ respect for the con-

tributions and achievements of the great masters of jazz and classical music has led to his innovative and original piano style and philosophy of jazz improvisation. He is also an active composer and ar-ranger, with scores of individ-ual compositions and numer-ous entire suites of music. The alumnus of the Wynton Mar-salis Band has released such celebrated CDs as “New Or-leans Meets Harlem, Volume I,” “Celebrating Christmas,” “Deep in the Shed: A Blues Suite,” and “Across the Imaginary Divide.”

JAZZ GENIUSMARCUS ROBERTS


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(NAPSI)—Whether you’re welcoming last-minute guests in from the cold at Christmas, ringing in the New Year, or gathering round the grill to watch the fireworks on July 4th, here’s a hint from Registered Dietitian and lifestyle expert Erin Palinski-Wade on how to have a suc-cessful holiday party in nearly no time, at any time of the year:

“Be sure to stock your freez-er with convenient and deli-

cious options like Matlaw’s Stuffed Clams, that won’t leave you stuck in the kitchen while your guests are cele-brating in the other room.”

An excellent party finger food, the Stuffed Clams come elegantly served in a natural clam shell and in a variety of delicious flavors including Ba-con and Cheese, Chili Lime, Chorizo, and classic New Eng-land Style.

They’re even easy to pre-pare. Simply place on a bak-

Stuffed clams make a great party appetizer or main dish.ing sheet into a preheated 450° oven and cook for 30 minutes; or wrap clams in a foil pouch—leave it open for a crispy top or closed for softer, moister clams—place on the grill preheated to medium and heat until hot throughout. Serve with but-ter, lemon and hot sauce and let the party begin.

Discover more great reci-pes, food pairing ideas, menu recommendations, special offers and coupons at www.Matlaws.com/setsail.

Club Mercedes is scheduled to present a New Year’s Eve Party featuring Donnie and the Wayrads. Tickets are $15 per person and you must be 21 and over to attend. The club is at 569 West 9th St. in Merced. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music is from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. A full beverage bar is available at extra cost. There will be finger foods at 10 p.m. and a champagne toast at midnight.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (209) 777-6750 or the club after 4 p.m., (209) 383-9906.

New Year’s Eve Party

Sports NewsSupport Your Local Sports

18 DECEMBER 2014

Vote Daily for Favorite Play-ers to Represent Kings at 2015 NBA All-Star Game

Sacramento, Calif. – The Sacramento Kings launched its 2015 NBA All-Star cam-paign – “SAC to NYC” – which leverages grassroots sup-port and technology to send Kings players to the All-Star game. Engagement includes in-game programming, social media content, home game giveaways for voting, and fan ambassadors to assist with online voting during home games.

In the past, a panel of broadcasters and media mem-bers determined the top 60 players in each conference.

This year, and for the first time, every NBA player is eligible for vote. Voting runs December 11, 2014 through January 19, 2015, and the All-Star Game is scheduled for February 15, 2015 at Madison Square Gar-den in New York City.

“We’re off to a great start this season, and we’re excited for our players to compete for a spot in the All-Star game,” said Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro. “We have the best and most loyal fans in the NBA, and through the league’s new voting process, they’re going to have a chance to show how proud they are of our players.”

Fans around the world can

vote for their favorite Kings Guards and frontcourt play-ers on a daily basis at www.NBA.com/ASB, as well as so-cial media networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Weibo and Tencent Microb-log in China), SMS text, and the NBA Game Time and NBA Game Time applications. More details:

· The NBA.com ballot is avail-able in 11 languages on www.NBA.com/ASB. Voters can fill out one full ballot per day on www.NBA.com/ASB from a desktop or mobile browser.

· Through Twitter, fans can tweet a vote for 10 unique players each day throughout the All-Star balloting period.

Sacramento Kings Announce “SAC to NYC” All-Star Ballot Campaign

SEE PAGE >19


ALL STAR BALLOT...SEE PAGE 18

Athletes of the WeekCSU Stanislaus

Chris Read Tyler Barber

Chris scored 32 points and 8 rebounds in two road wins last week. He had a nice all-round game on Friday at Cal State L.A. with 13 points, 4 assists, 2 blocked shots and 4 steals.

12/9/2014 Tyler scored 20 points with 8 rebounds in two games last week to help the Warriors win both games on the road. He made 3 of 5 3-pointers and finished with 11 points on Saturday at Cal State Dominguez Hills

12/9/2014

The tweet, retweet, or reply must include the player’s first and last name, along with hashtag #NBABallot.

· Fans on Facebook can post a status from their personal ac-counts. The posts must include the player’s first and last name, along with hashtag #NBABallot. Fans can post votes for 10 unique players per day.

· Fans are encouraged to use Instagram to vote by posting an original photo, using #NBA-Ballot and the player’s first and last name in the photo caption. Fans can vote for 10 unique players per day.

· Fans voting via SMS can text the player's last name to 6-9-6-2-2 on any wireless device. Fans

can vote for 10 different play-ers per day, per phone number, via SMS by sending 10 separate messages, each one with a dif-ferent player's last name. Mes-sage and data rates may apply.

· Kings fans can vote daily through the NBA Game Time and NBA Game Time applica-tions, available on Android and iOS.

Starters will be announced live on TNT on January 22, 2015 during a special one-hour edi-tion of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 4:00 p.m. PT, featuring Ernie John-son, Charles Barkley, Kings Minority Owner Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith.

For more information, visit www.Kings.com/ASB.

20 DECEMBER 2014

Shopping On 3Ufirst.com IsRecycling Black Dollars At Its Best!

NAPSI)—There’s good news for those looking for appropri-ate and memorable holiday gifts for clients and colleagues.

A company known for its ex-pertise in creating and deliver-ing flowers and truly original arrangements, 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. also has a division that specializes in providing gourmet baked goods and gift baskets, ideal for corporate gifting, offering convenience, customization and more.

With a wide variety of gour-met gift baskets and towers, 1-800-Baskets.com provides companies with memorable gift offerings to give a year-end thanks to supervisors, account leads and senior teams. Wheth-er it’s a wine and cheese paired gift, gourmet sweets tower or coffee and tea-themed basket, it can deliver a warm holiday greeting. In addition, many products have customization capabilities, allowing compa-nies to include logo brand rib-

CAREER OPPORTUNITIESNew Year, New You: Recharge Your Career

(NAPSI)—According to some career experts, the holiday sea-son or any quiet time at work is a good time to plan, organize, reflect on where you are in your career and where you would like to go.

“In overly hectic lives, career planning often gets moved to the back burner,” said Michael Bevis, director of Academic Affairs for University of Phoe-nix and faculty member for the School of Business. “Many Americans feel unsatisfied and stagnant in their careers, and the only way to take action is to devote time to making a plan for change. This does not nec-essarily mean a career change, but often an adjustment in the way you approach your exist-ing career.”

According to Bevis, job complacency should not be ignored because career sat-isfaction plays a major role in overall satisfaction. In fact, a

national University of Phoenix survey conducted by Harris Poll found that nearly half of work-ing adults in the U.S. gain equal or greater feelings of self-worth from their jobs and careers as they do from their personal lives, and 45 percent are still searching for the right career. Another survey from the Uni-versity shows that nearly two-thirds of all working adults say they currently have limited op-portunities within their compa-nies, but 53 percent acknowl-edge they should take charge by being more entrepreneurial in their careers.

Bevis agrees. “Being entre-preneurial means approaching your existing career with pur-pose, not relying on your em-ployer to manage your career,” he said. “Setting career goals, developing a strong personal brand and constantly looking for ways to grow and tie your responsibilities to the com-

pany’s bottom line can help you succeed and feel more en-gaged in your career.”

Bevis says taking charge of your career takes planning. He suggests you use downtime to:

1. Learn as much as possible about your organization, in-dustry, and career growth op-portunities.

2. Develop a strategic busi-ness plan to grow and improve your personal brand within your organization.

3. Keep your personal brand current and sustainable by knowing how your skills and experience fit into the big pic-ture of your organization.

4. Network with individuals who have diverse experiences.

5. Identify and engage with a mentor. This individual does not necessarily have to be in your own company. Find some-one who you admire profes-sionally and whose success mirrors your goals.

6. Identify and engage with a

A less hectic time at work may be your opportunity to take charge of your career. sponsor in your own company. This person can champion your success and advocate for your growth within the company.

7. Research options for con-tinued learning. Take a class, pursue an advanced degree or research certificate and con-tinuing education programs. With educational options grow-ing more customized every day, it is easier than ever to find ways to learn, grow and challenge yourself long after you gradu-ate high school or earn a bach-

elor’s degree.“Business education encour-

ages students to think outside the box and be more entrepre-neurial in their careers,” adds Bevis. “Employees at every level who approach their career as if they were entrepreneurs, with purpose and measurable goals, are often the happiest and most successful.”

For more information about the survey, visit phoenix.edu/news.

bon and personalized greet-ings.

Those looking to celebrate the holidays in the office with sweet treats can enjoy Cher-yl’s baked goods and cook-ies. These offerings include trays of individually wrapped sugarplum cookies, butter-cream-frosted cookies, sig-nature brownies, cake slices, buttercream-layered chocolate cookie sandwiches and more sweet treats. For many, this is the go-to baked goods brand for office parties and teamwide holiday gifts.

For those who enjoy savory snacks, The Popcorn Factory has a version of America’s fa-vorite snack popcorn for every-one to enjoy-from classic but-ter, cheese and caramel to bold jalapeño and cracked pepper and sea salt to sweet cranberry and butter toffee almond.

Available in iconic holiday-themed three-flavor tins and modern clear canisters, the

flavorful popcorn is a delicious and fun snack to enjoy dur-ing the holiday season. With the ability to add personalized messages, company logos and images to holiday tins, The Popcorn Factory can be an ex-cellent way to wish colleagues and clients a Happy New Year.

To learn more, visit the web-site at www.GreatFoods.com.

From sweet to savory, there is a convenient way to deliver memorable holiday gifts to clients and colleagues.

Business News

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BUSINESS NEWS AND NOTESThree Important Steps To Consider When Launching Your Business (NAPSI)—If you are starting a business, it's important to remember that actions you take now can have significant consequences in the future.

While this can apply to many aspects of the startup process, the three main steps you need to address include deciding the best structure for your company, choosing and reserving your company name and selecting a reg-istered agent in the state(s) where you're planning to conduct business.

Protect Your Assets By Choosing The Business Orga-nization That's Right For You

Choosing a statutory busi-ness organization instead of operating your business in your own name presents sev-eral benefits. There are many business organization op-tions available. However, the two most commonly used are the Limited Liability Compa-ny (LLC) and the corporation.

Using a corporation or LLC establishes immediate legiti-macy and credibility for your new venture. Vendors, part-ners and customers often prefer conducting business with a statutory business or-ganization. In addition, it al-lows for asset protection. As an owner, you're able to dis-tinguish, separate and pro-tect your personal assets from business debts and liabilities.

Once you decide on your preferred company struc-ture, you should look for a trusted service provider with the proper expertise to help you navigate each step of the organization process, and ensure your company stays compliant with state and federal requirements as you attain specific milestones for your business.

Reserve Your Business Name

While choosing a business

Choosing a corporation or LLC establishes immediate legiti-macy and credibility for your new venture. In addition, it al-lows for asset protection

SEE PAGE > 24

Raja Sengupta

By Raja Sengupta

name can be exciting, you also need to make sure that your company's legal name complies with state laws. One of those laws requires the legal name to be available in the state. That means the name is not already on the Secretary of State's records as belonging to another com-pany. If your desired business name is available, you should reserve it with the state be-fore filing any paperwork to form your corporation or LLC.

Even if your legal name is not on record with the state, that doesn't mean it isn't currently being used by an-other entity in commerce as a trademark. Therefore, you should consider performing a trademark search on any name you choose, to ensure that it does not infringe upon someone's trademark rights.

If you have aspirations to expand your business into other states, you should consider whether the name is used in those states. You should also identify if your desired name is available for online purposes. Be mind-ful of pre-existing domain names and what types of ser-

22 DECEMBER 2014

(209) 537- 4066

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THE SAW SHOPWhat To Get The Auto Enthusiast On Your List(NAPSI)—Whether it’s the

holidays or any occasion you want to be special, a gift that features a friend’s or family member’s favorite automotive item can be a great way to show you care—and know—about the person. For exam-ple, you can put car fanciers on the road to happiness with items such as these from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Mopar brand:

• Hemi® Engine Blueprint Reproduction. In honor of the 426 Race Hemi engine’s 50th anniversary, this very-limited-edition poster captures and preserves the beginnings of the iconic engine. Each print comes with a letter of authen-ticity signed by “the father of the Hemi,” Tom Hoover, and Mopar President and CEO Pi-etro Gorlier.

• Holiday Ornaments. The custom-made 426 Hemi en-gine ornament and spark plug ornaments are each made of mouth-blown glass and hand-painted.

• Piston Key Chain. This piston-and-rod-assembly key chain is made of solid die-cast metal with nickel plating and has an articulating, realistic piston head.

• Pro Racing Drag Strip Elec-tric Slot Car Track. This kit in-cludes two Pro Stock racers, two variable-speed control-lers, power pack, 13 feet of racetrack and electronic start and end gates. It also features a fully functioning LED Christ-mas tree, an electronic finish

line with win lights, in-track sensors for the red foul light, and Pro and Sportsman racing modes.

• Carbon Fiber Hat. This black custom-made cap is made from UV-treated mois-ture-wicking fabric and fea-tures an embroidered Mopar logo on the crown, tonal eye-lets and button, and a Velcro back closure.

• A Pandora Charm. This charm of the Mopar logo is made from 100 percent ster-ling silver.

• Wooden Sign Art. Each one-of-a-kind 1937 Mopar logo or 1972 Mopar logo wood art comes ready to hang.

• Mopar Epoch Jacket. This black and royal blue sweater jacket of heavyweight cotton and polyester has a striped knit collar, cuffs and waist-band. It sports a Mopar ap-pliqué on the front and the American flag on the sleeve.

• Dog Leash and Collar. These are made of black coarse weave webbing mate-rial, feature heavy-duty clips and assembly, and Mopar’s signature logo.

• Power Wagon Replica Truck. This green wooden pickup truck was inspired by the Dodge Power Wagon.

• Hemi 50th Anniversary Scheme Mopar Funny Car. The Dodge Charger driven by Matt Hagan during the 2014 NHRA Championship-winning sea-son is represented as a 1:24 scale authentic brand die-cast with more than 100 parts and the same graphics and logos as the life-size version.• Gift Cards. These come in

increments of $25, $50 and $100.

You can order any of these great gifts and find further information at www.mopar.com.

This custom-made 426 Hemi® engine ornament is just one of the many holiday gift ideas available at Mopar.com.


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Central Valley Voice

Crash Course In Advice(NAPSI)—If you’re like the average driver, you’ll be in-volved in an auto accident once every seven to 10 years—and now you can get help dealing with it.

Many people don’t know what to do when it comes to collision repair. To help, a group of car parts manu-facturers known as the OEM Roundtable launched a use-ful website.

It provides information that can help people make in-formed decisions about colli-sion repair, regardless of what vehicle they own, including Audi, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram, SRT, Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Honda, Acura, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, Infiniti, Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Having your vehicle dam-aged and dealing with a body shop, insurance companies and a car rental company can be a confusing and stressful time. The site, www.crashre-pairinfo.com, offers tips on choosing the right body shop, common collision and insur-ance terms and other help-ful information. Many people who have used it are telling friends and family about the site on social media.

CAR CORNER

24 DECEMBER 2014

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BUSINESS ... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21vices similarly named compa-nies offer.

If you plan on using your business name as a trademark (meaning you are using it in commerce to identify your goods or services), then to protect your business name nationwide and legally, be sure to register a trademark. This will prevent others from subsequently using an identi-cal or similar name that could confuse or deceive consum-ers. To qualify for a trademark, the name you choose must be

"distinctive"—meaning com-pletely unique and not a name that would be confused with any other product in the mar-ket.Designate A Registered Agent

A registered agent is a busi-ness or individual that receives legal papers, such as a sum-mons and complaint, and cer-

tain official state documents, including tax forms and annu-al corporate and LLC reports on behalf of a business.

As a business owner, you must designate a registered agent in every state where you conduct business. The busi-ness owner can act as the reg-istered agent, but this is often difficult or not possible due to the business' physical loca-

tion. Selecting a professional reg-

istered agent provides several benefits. The first is peace of mind. You can rest assured knowing that your registered agent has knowledge of all le-gal or government documents served on or sent to your busi-ness. The registered agent acts on your business' behalf and has the expertise to handle documents correctly. Regis-tered agents will complete work processes promptly, ef-

ficiently and discreetly—en-suring your business remains compliant and is positioned for continual growth.

Raja Sengupta is the Execu-tive Vice President and Gen-eral Manager for CT Small Business, which provides com-pliance solutions to small- and mid-sized corporations and entrepreneurs, as well as the advisers who serve them. CT is a Wolters Kluwer Company.

To learn more, visit ct.wolterskluwer.com.

December 2014

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