NEXT BUISNESS MEETING: March 10, 2010
MONTHLY DINNER MEETING - Officer of the Year: March 24, 2010President's Message February 2010
Howdy folks,
It's once again almost time for our annual "Officer of the Year" awards ceremony in just four weeks. Mark your calendars, March 24th. It truly is an honor for us to recognize our local Law Enforcement Officers for their great dedication to protecting our communities.
At our recent board meeting, we accepted several new members and discussed Desert Thunder. The funds from last year won't be as much as the year before, but we are still very fortunate to receive these funds and distribute them within our communities.
As I meet with all the various agencies throughout the basin, I am amazed at the work load by all our law enforcement personnel. And even more, I am glad to report that the dedication to making our communities a safer place is an everyday priority.
As I write this message, we received another directive from our training division of another California law passed that affects how we do business. A California law was passed last year that placed more complications upon law enforcement. It is too long to explain here, with my typing being what it is, so make plans to attend this month's meeting where I will explain.
Also, our elderly continue to be victims of fraud. Please, if you have the chance, educate and warn our elderly citizens about fraud and scams. If they're in doubt or just want to use caution, have them contact law enforcement for advice. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it most likely is. The 2010 Census will be taking place soon, so be careful about who you are giving personal information to. Check for proper identification and ask for their supervisor's name and regional office telephone number. DO NOT provide your social security number, any bank account numbers, credit card information, pin numbers or passwords, money or donations. This is not part of the census information. Also, do not allow them into your homes.
Last but not least, bring a guest or potential new member to the meeting, and, please, keep our Law Enforcement Officers and Military Personnel in your prayers.
Happy trails,
Donnie
Congratulations
2009 Officer of the Year Recipients
San Bernardino Co Sheriff's Department, Deputy Steven Everhart
Joshua Tree Court Services, Deputy Cindy Heller
United States Park Service, Ranger Trouper Snow
Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Special Agent John Johnson
Provost Marshal's Office, Sergeant Gordon J. Moreau
San Bernardino County Probation, Probation Officer II Kina Buchanan
California Highway Patrol, Officer Guy "Smoke" Henry
Vice-President's Message February 2010
**Paul wasn't able to get his message in this month. Look forward to hearing from him in March.
Irish Blessings
May the blessings of each day be the blessings you need most,
May the most you wish for be the least you get,
May the Lord keep you in His Hand and never close His fist too tight.
May you live a long life
Full of gladness and health,
With a pocket full of gold
As the least of you wealth.
May the dreams you hold dearest,
Be those which come true,
The kindness you spread,
Keep returning to you.
"May the dust of your carriage blind the eyes of your foe!"
May you never forget what is worth remembering,
Or remember what is best forgotten.
Secretary's Message
Spring is coming. The rain was a welcome sight for our dry desert. It was good we didn't have a downpour or flooding in our area. The desert should be beautiful this spring with wild flowers because of the snow and now the rain.
"Officer of the Year" will be Wednesday, March 24th at Sizzler. Frank Doherty has been working very hard securing the funding for these presentations. Congratulations to all the selected officers from the various law enforcement agencies of the Morongo Basin. I can't leak the names before the night of the event. Sorry!!!
Election of officers for next year will be coming up in May. We will have a nominating committee to compose a slate of officers. If you are interested in becoming an officer, please contact one of the Board members in order to have your name submitted to the nominating committee.
Take care. I'll see you at the Dinner meeting February 24th at the Sizzler.
Lynne Vest , Secretary
Help Get The Word Out
On Monday, January 18th, Oprah did a powerful show regarding texting & talking on cell phones while driving. You can watch the entire show at Oprah.com, but here is a sampling. Please help get the word out that people are being killed & families torn apart by something so preventable. No phone call or text is worth someone's life!
Millions of people text, talk or e-mail on their cell phones while driving-a recent survey finds that 71 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 49 admit they text or talk on the phone while they drive.
If you think you can call, text and drive at the same time, you cannot. That message you can't wait to send could kill. Distracted driving is an epidemic that is sweeping through our country, claiming lives and destroying families. Think you can drive and text or talk at the same time? Science shows your brain just can't keep up. University of Utah researcher David Strayer has been studying distracted drivers for 10 years. "The brain just doesn't work the way we'd like it to work," he says. "We can't multitask the way that a lot of people think they can."
David's research found that talking on a cell phone quadruples your risk of an accident. "For comparison purposes, someone who's drunk at a 0.08 blood alcohol level has a four-time crash increase. So talking on a cell phone is about the same as driving drunk," he says. "When you're text messaging, the crash risk goes up to eight times."
"One of the things we know when people are talking on a phone is that they get in kind of a tunnel vision," David says. "You don't see the information in the periphery. So if there's a car, a pedestrian, something like that, you just don't see it," he says. "They're not looking at their side mirrors." "You suffer from something called inattention blindness," David says. "About half of that information is removed. It could be a stop sign. It could be a pedestrian. And so this inattention blindness makes us drive in a way that makes it worse than drunk driving."
The next time you're in the car, put down the phone. "We're just not wired to multitask in that way. We think we can do it. We simply can't," he says. "And we're deceiving ourselves if we think we are."
This is good information - 2010 Census to Begin
Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson
With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data. The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:
If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.
Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the census. REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.
While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.
AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. . No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.
Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.
For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit http://console.mxlogic.com/redir/?5dZ4sMevKrjod7dXToKr01Hlzfj-l3PWApmVv8-xae4Ah42yUo5Ly5r2gE91A2f0o1DwC0Z0jgO1krEI9EICb-U0M4P0A63a1s2hy0mC5BDMa464b5MCdFBFH5z90i0tksg1a0Qbxkk481M32gE8ky8Rgb1dcnsb8-0G0m9Td79BckCOjhYn6z3xBUc68xMjcKLyw4zdNwJ4CwbwAOIes5181wOd1Bp0bRB0TvHCzCUVYsYqekPhOrKrfAa9ILn1iJ8sKrjhsd7apJ5dYsyqen6kjhOrjodyU2F6y1eWdPh09v2zt3h1eFEw6v8OwrDUvf5zZB0SyrhdFI6zCZXTpdFRgtPpPE
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO THE FOLLOWING:
1st Tammy Tremblay
2009/2010 Sponsors/Advertisers
S P O N S O R/SEARS HOMETOWN STORE (760) 365-1588
S P O N S O R S/ Members/ KIM & DONNIE MILLER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDY (760) 363-7388
Yucca ValleyWAL*MART STORES, INC. Store Manager (760) 365-7750 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R S/Member DIAMOND AUTOMOTIVE Kevin & Tracy Quinlan (760) 365-4109 Yucca Valley
CARPET-N-THINGS Andy Pitts (760) 228-1841 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R/ CHRYSLER FORD SUZUKI JEEP DODGE Carol Smith (760) 228-1818 / 365-2353 Yucca Valley
Members ELITE COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL (760) 365-9700 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R / Member/ DEMORROW'S JEWELRY & REPAIR Dean DeMorrow Certified emologist/Jeweler (760) 367-7185 29 Palms
S P O N S O R / Member/ DISCOUNT TIRE CENTER (760) 365-2471 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R /YUCCA VALLEY FLORIST (760) 365-9779
BROWN'S MUSIC (760) 228-1514 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R / Member /AFG REALTY Sue Garvin - Realtor (760) 369-2347/ (877) 370-2347 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R/ ULTIMATE MOTORS (760) 228-1040 Yucca Valley
Member/Past President President LT. DALE MONDARY San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Morongo Basin Station
S P O N S O R/JIM HARRIS
JOSHUA TREE OUTFITTERS (888) 366-1848
Member/ CHRIS GARDNER San Bernardino County Probation Department
S P O N S O R/ BETTER SOUND AUDIOLOGY Diane E. Williams, M.S., CCC-A (760) 228-1381 Yucca Valley
Member/ MEMORIAL TO BILL SKINNER - Alleene Skinner
TROPHY EXPRESS Geoff & Judy Gordon (760) 228-1080 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R/ YUCCA VALLEY CITIZEN'S PATROL Morongo Basin Station (760) 366-4175 / (760) 367-9546 (760) 9413
S P O N S O R/ ARTISAN IN WOOD Peter Schmuckle (760) 365-3210
CARROWS RESTRAUANTS (760) 228-1232 Yucca Valley
Member/ THORNTON GUNSMITHING (760) 365-4699 Yucca Valley
Member/ ANDY TAKATA Yucca Valley Town Manager
S P O N S O R/ THE MILLERS YUCCA VALLEY INSURANCE AGENCY, INC. (760) 365-3307
T & R ELECTRONICS Authorized T.V.; VCR; DVD Electronic Repairs (760) 228-0211 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R/Member/MACKENZIES (760) 228-2829
KELLY'S FUTURE (Furniture) (760) 365-5057 Yucca Valley
INTL. FOOTPRINT ASSOCIATION MORONGO BASIN CHAPTER 71 Frank & Lil Doherty Grand Director (760) 365-1922
S P O N S O R/ COMPUTER ZONE (760) 365-ZONE (9663) Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R / Member RDC ROGER DURAN & CO. Roger Duran, EA, ATA (760) 365-6358 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R/ KATHY'S BOUTIQUE (760) 709-7177 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R/ B.P.O. ELKS YUCCA VALLEY LODGE # 2314 (760) 365-2314
THE CACTUS WREN BOOK EXCHANGE (760) 365-6652 Yucca Valley
S P O N S O R/ B.P.O. ELKS PAST EXALTED RULERS YUCCA VALLEY LODGE # 2314 (760) 365-2314
Member/ MEMORIAL TO DALE SMITH - Judy Smith
S P O N S O R/SPORTSMAN'S CLUB (760) 366-2915