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The Newsletter of the Marin County Association of Retired Employees
Member California Retired County Employees Association (CRCEA)
FEBRUARY 2015
Jennifer Walter, Editor ([email protected])
P.O. Box 4203, San Rafael, CA 94913
Web site: www.mcareinfo.org
NEW AREA CODE
BEGINS STARTING
FEBRUARY 21, 2015
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
by Mary Ann Gallardo
Happy Valentine's Day and President's Day! This
is a busy month, and I’m happy to report that we
had a terrific turnout at our January lunch
meeting with speaker Jeff Wickman, MCERA
Retirement Administrator. Jeff and Sydney
Fowler, his Communications Coordinator,
brought us up to speed on everything. Cloann
DiGrazia was temporarily filling in as Secretary
and now I'm happy to report that Jan Rippe,
retired from Sheriff's Office, will be our Secretary
and Tom Hendricks will assist. We have lots of
good speakers coming up: February- Casey Kho,
ATT Outreach Specialist; March - Skip Murphy,
CRCEA President coming up from San Diego;
April- Jim Farley, Retired Director of Marin
Center. I hope to see many of you at our
meetings to learn about programs available to
seniors, as well as updates on pension/health
reform happening in some California counties.
Don't forget that April 20th is the the deadline for
Scholarship applications, which are available on
our website: mcareinfo.org, click on Scholarship.
Hope to see many of you soon.
A NEW WEBSITE IS COMING THIS SPRING.
STAY TUNED TO FUTURE ISSUES FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION.
The 415/628 area code overlay begins February
21, 2015 which means that all calls in the 415
area code that are currently dialed with 7 digits
will need to be dialed using 1 + area code + 7digit telephone number for all calls to and from
telephone numbers with the 415 and new 628
area codes.
Customers with the new 628 area code will also
need to dial 1 + area code + 7-digit telephone
number for all calls to and from telephone
numbers with the 415 and 628 area codes.
After February 21, if customers do not use the
new dialing procedure, their calls will not be
completed and a recording will instruct them to
hang up and dial again.



Your cost per call will not change.
Your local calling area will not change.
Continue to dial 9-1-1 for Emergencies.
The overlay will primarily affect the County of
San Francisco, most of Marin County and a
small portion of San Mateo County. The
communities that will be affected are Belvedere,
Brisbane, Corte Madera, Daly City, Fairfax,
Ignacio, Inverness, Larkspur, Mill Valley,
Nicasio, Novato, and Point Reyes.
For more information, contact
your service provider, or visit
www.cpuc.ca.gov/415areacode.
Brandon Bosse
Robert Guidi
James Irving
Shu-Yi Schip
Sheriff
DA
So Marin Fire
Courts
There are no new MCARE members this month.
IN MEMORIAM
Our deepest sympathy is extended to the
family and friends of:
Sarah Doyle
Sheriff
Frances Goodwin
IT
Rose McPherson
Beneficiary
Margaret Pedroli
Beneficiary
Helen Wallace
H&HS
Michael Antill
Spouse of
Gretchen Antill
The surviving spouse of a member is eligible for
MCARE membership. For enrollment information
email: [email protected]
REMINDERS:
February 10 - Lunch at San Rafael
Joe’s - $21.00
11:30 Social Hour
12:30 Lunch - Chicken Parmigiana
with green salad
Speaker: Casey Kho, Outreach Specialist for
California Phones
February 14 - Valentine’s Day
February 16 - President’s Day
COMING SOON……
March 10 - Lunch at San Rafael Joe’s - $21
11:30 Social Hour
12:30 Lunch - Menu: Corned beef and cabbage
with green salad
Speaker: Skip Murphy, President, CRCEA
March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day
March 31 - Northern Meet and Greet at the Palms
Grill in Petaluma, located on the corner of East
Washington and South McDowell, one block off the
freeway. There will be a choice of three sandwiches:
a cheeseburger, French dip or clubhouse, with fries
and soft drinks, or a Caesar salad. The price will be
$18.00, tax and tip are included, except if you order
shrimp or chicken on your salad, the price will be
$20.00. The luncheon will start with a social hour at
11:30 a.m. and lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.
sharp, with no exceptions for scheduling problems.
We have to guarantee 20 people. If you are
interested in attending, please send a check made
payable to Ed Henry at 632 Saint Francis Drive,
Petaluma, CA 94954 by March 15. All sales are final
and no refunds will be made unless the minimum
required amount of attendees is not met and the Meet
and Greet is cancelled. If we don’t have 20
participants by March 15th, we will have to cancel the
event and return all the checks. Hope to see you
there. Ed Henry
SCHOLARSHIP NEWS
Tenth Year of MCARE Scholarship Program
By Mary Ann Gallardo
Can you believe it’s been ten years? We've had
many winners, and I plan to talk about them in
future issues. Please note the 2015 application
deadline is April 20th with Office of Education
interviews during the week of May 4th-8th. Go to
website: mcareinfo.org and click on the Scholarship
link. We offer three categories of scholarships:
Agnes Nathanson Award for a High School Senior;
Bob Roumiguire Award for a College Undergraduate;
and Joe Coffrini Award for a Graduate Student.
These scholarships are only available to children or
grandchildren of MCARE dues paying members. If
you have a child or grandchild who doesn't plan to
go to a college, they can also apply for a scholarship
to a Trade School. They still need to be a high school
graduate and meet some of the criteria. A past
winner received his Paramedic or Firefighter's
Certificate with the help of one of our scholarships.
So think outside the box! Who knows, your
offspring could be a $1,500 winner.
SPECIAL ATTENTION: Members who had an
MCARE scholarship winner in their family during
the past ten years, please contact me via email at
[email protected] or by letter (Mary
Ann Gallardo, 1903 Las Gallinas Ave, San Rafael, CA
94903) with an update on their status, when or where
they graduated, what they are doing with their degree
or if they are still working on it. We'd all love to know.
I'm making plans for a special celebration at our July
Scholarship luncheon and would appreciate as much
information as possible. Thanks in advance, and a big
thank you to all who have supported this worthwhile
cause to date.
MCERA REPORT
By Sean Webb
Greetings! These last twelve months have been
a time of transition for MCERA. First, as of the
end of the last fiscal year, June 30, 2014,
MCERA posted a gain slightly over 18%, or over
twice the assumption rate of 7.5%. This is
amongst the top rates of returns for similar 1937
Act counties. Second, we have two "new" board
members, Phillip Thomas, the new Employee
Representative, and Allen Haim, the Retiree
Alternate. You will remember that Allen has
previously served as Retiree Representative for
a number of years. His experience and expertise
will be of great help in the times ahead. Third,
the Board is undertaking a methodical
examination of our investment portfolio to see if
there are additional types of investments that
may complement and enhance our fund's
performance over the next couple of years. I'll
have more to say on this topic as the Board
looks at the various options that are brought
forward by our consultants, and substantive
decisions are made. At the January 15, 2015
meeting, it was decided that we will make an
allocation to Real Assets, which will be the focus
of this year’s efforts. The fund balance as of
December 31, 2014 was $1,953,509,278.
In October, Mary Ann Gallardo, Edith Simonson,
and myself, attended the California Retired
County Employees (CRCEA) convention in
Sacramento. CRCEA is an educational and
lobbying group to which we belong. The major
topic of discussion was a decision by the court
dismissing the suit filed by a taxpayer and
citizens group seeking to end Ventura County’s
and some city employees' participation in their
defined benefit plan. The suit was thrown out of
court for a couple of reasons. The initiative, as
written, dealt with more than one issue, and
there is no authority under the law that allows a
city or county to change state law. Counties and
cities are administrative creations of the State of
California, not the reverse. California has no
current laws or procedures that allow for this.
However, there are clouds on the horizon in the
form of the so-called Reed Initiative. Chuck
Reed is the mayor of San Jose, and over the
past couple of years he has proposed that local
jurisdictions be given the power to opt out of
their commitments to their current employees
and lower the retirement of existing retirees. Mr.
Reed would be required to gather the signatures
necessary to qualify and then raise money for a
very aggressive campaign. CRCEA, SACRS
and various other labor groups are actively
organizing their members and resources to gear
up for this possibility. I have volunteered my time
and efforts to participate in this endeavor should
it become necessary.
It is unfair to attack our pensions when we have
performed our part of the equation. We
negotiated contracts that insured a reasonable
standard of living in our retirement without being
a burden to our children or our community.
Indeed, many of us are still supporting our adult
children and grandchildren to one degree or
another. We played by the rules. We had a
contract, we went to work, and we paid our
portion. Our retirement system is economically
sound and has weathered the lows of our
current and prior economic crises. The results
speak for themselves. There will be more to
come! Stay alert!
If any of you have questions, please contact me
by email at [email protected], or by
telephone at 707-889-6139. It is a distinct honor
and privilege to be your elected representative
to MCERA.
NEW OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
President:
Vice President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Sgt. At Arms:
Directors:
Mary Ann Gallardo
Elaine Weston
Jan Rippe
Marlene Freetly
Roberto Soriano
John De Carlo
Tom Hendricks
Edith Simonson
Nancy Brooks
Russ Hunt
Ed Henry, I.P.P.
Jennifer Walter, KIT Editor
Non-Voting Members: Sean Webb, MCERA Rep.
Allen Haim, Alt. MCERA Rep.
See website at www.mcareinfo.org
for contact information.
Life is like riding a bicycle, you must
keep moving. Albert Einstein
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
MCARE
P.O. Box 4203
San Rafael, CA 94913
Novato, CA 94947
Permit #17
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
IN THIS ISSUE:
President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
New Area Code Begins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
New Retirees & Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
Reminders & Coming Soon . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
Scholarship News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
MCERA Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
New Officers and Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
Announcements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Feb. 10, Tuesday, 6-7:15 p.m. FREE
Documentary film, “Lost Bohemia” at Bay Model
Visitor Center, 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito. Free
parking.
Feb. 13, Friday, 7:30 p.m. - Preview of “LOVE
LETTERS”- evocative, touching, frequently funny
drama by A. R. Gurney, Robert Wilson directing
starring James Dunn and Anne Ripley. Donation
$10.00. College of Marin, Studio Theatre PA32,
Performing Arts Bldg, Kentfield. Reservations: Kim
Foulger 415-485-9555.
Feb. 14 - May 16, 2015 - “Unconventional and
Unexpected: Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000”,
a dynamic and visually vibrant selection of
American pieced quilts and quilt tops from the mid
to late 20th century. Sonoma Valley Museum of
Art, 551 Broadway, Sonoma. Additional
information is available at www.svma.org or by
calling 707-939-7862.
Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m. Cheryl Forberg, RD, has
created delicious, healthy recipes for "The Biggest
Loser", helped open Wolfgang Puck's Postrio
restaurant in San Francisco, and authored the
James Beard award-winning "New Mayo Clinic
Cookbook”, will demonstrate and you will enjoy an
evening of fine food. Cost $55. Reserve by calling
415-382-3363, x243. Key Room, Homeward
Bound, 1385 N. Hamilton Pkwy, Novato.
Plan ahead for a May 9 or 10, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., visit
to Redwood Hill Farm – Goat Farm. Milking demo,
play with baby goats, games for kids, taste
samples of cheese, yogurt and kefir. Reserve at
www.redwoodhill.com.