El Paso Retired Teachers Association

October 2020 - Volume 7 - Issue 3

IMPORTANT DATES (The EPISD Dates are based on the current

Calendar Available 7/14/20) Oct. 5 Last day to register to vote Oct. 12-16 EPISD Intersession Oct. 13 District Fall conference via ZOOM Oct. 13 First day of early voting Oct, 23 Last day to apply for a mail in ballot Oct. 30 Last day for early voting Oct. 31 Halloween Nov. 3 Election Day Nov.11 Veterans Day—No School Nov. 18 EPRTA Meeting with Tim Lee via ZOOM Nov. 23-27 EPISD Fall Break Nov. 26 Thanksgiving Dec. 18 EPISD End of Fall Semester Dec. 21-Jan. 5, EPISD Winter Break Dec. 25 Christmas Jan. 1 New Years Day Jan. 5 EPISD Students return to class Jan. 12 87th session of the Texas Legislature begins Jan. 18 Martin Luther King Day Jan. 20 EPRTA Luncheon Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day Feb. 15 Presidents’ Day, No School Feb. 17 EPRTA Luncheon Mar. 8-12 EPISD Intersession Mar. 14 Daylight Savings Time starts Mar. 15-19 EPISD Spring Break Mar. 17 St. Patrick's Day Mar. 17 EPRTA Luncheon Apr. 2 EPISD Spring Holiday Apr. 2 Good Friday Apr. 4 Easter Sunday Apr. 21 EPRTA Luncheon May.19 EPRTA Luncheon May 31 Memorial Day Jun. 15 EPISD Last Day of school

President’s Message

Thank you to all those who “attended” our September General meeting. It was held via Zoom. We had 42 people check in. If you need help using Zoom, feel free to contact Lila: lilamurphy799@gmail.com, 915-253-5792.

Our next meeting will be the District Fall Conference on Tues-day, October 13, 2020 at 10:00 am (check in at 9:30 am). It will be a Zoom Meeting. You will receive an email with the Zoom link. There will be speakers from TRS and TRTA.

At the EPRTA November 18 ZOOM meeting, TRTA Executive Director Tim Lee will be our speaker. Further information about joining the meeting and asking questions of Tim will be pro-vided in the November Grapevine

To learn about TRS-Care changes for 2021, regis-tration is now open for the 2021 TRS-Care Virtual Info Sessions. Go to TRS.texas.gov

Don’t forget about keeping track of your volunteer hours. Many of you are taking care of grandchildren, helping with school-at-home, helping family members with health care, attending virtual meetings for your organizations, etc. The Volunteer Calendar is included on page 7 of this Newsletter.

If we don’t have your email address and you are interested in re-ceiving information by email (some items go out only as email), please send your email address to lilamurphy799@gmail.com.

If you have not yet paid your dues, this is the link to get a mem-bership form. Membership Form https://tinyurl.com/y388xpw4

Lila Murphy President, EPRTA,

lilmuphy799@gmail.com, 915-253-5792

Special Notice: Due to printing problems resulting from COVID-19, the EPRTA Yearbook will not be printed this year.

Tim Lee

mailto:lilamurphy799@gmail.comhttp://TRS.texas.govhttps://tinyurl.com/y388xpw4mailto:lilamurphy799@gmail.com

2

HEALTHY LIVING

As we move into Fall it’s important to remind our-selves of some top tips to keep healthy.

Keep active. Do something to keep fit each day Do something you enjoy that maintains strength, balance and flexibility and promotes cardiovascu-lar health. Physical activity helps you stay at a healthy weight, prevent or control illness, sleep better, reduce stress, avoid falls and look and feel better, too.

Eat well. Combined with physical activity, eating nutritious foods in the right amounts can help keep you healthy. Many illnesses, such as heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis, can be prevented or controlled with dietary changes and exercise. Calcium and vitamin D supplements can help women prevent osteopo-rosis.

Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight increas-es your risk for heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Use the Kaiser Permanente BMI (body mass index) calculator to find out what you should weigh for your height. Get to your healthy weight and stay there by eating right and keeping active. Replace sugary drinks with water—water is calorie free!

Prevent Falls. We become vulnerable to falls as we age. Prevent falls and injury by removing loose carpet or throw rugs. Keep paths clear of electrical cords and clutter, and use night-lights in hallways and bathrooms. Did you know that people who walk barefoot fall more frequently? Wear shoes with good support to reduce the risk of falling.

Get regular dental, vision and hearing check-ups. Your teeth and gums will last a lifetime if you care for them properly that means daily brushing and flossing and getting regular dental checkups. By age 50, most people notice changes to their vi-sion, including a gradual decline in the ability to see small print or focus on close objects. Common eye problems that can impair vision include cata-racts and glaucoma. Hearing loss occurs commonly with aging, often due to exposure to loud noise.

Taken from Parent Giving.

EPRTA LEADERSHIP

President: Lila Murphy 1st Vice President: Donnette Vollmer 2nd Vice President: Debra King Treasurer: Carlos Martinez Secretary: Beverley Mueller

Past President: James Lamonica

The following members serve as committee chairs.

Book Project: Anna Marie Tolland Community Service: Jackie Morgan-Tomko Communication: Gloria Banister Courtesy: Page Morgan Foundation: Hank Dunbar Healthy Living: Beverly Baldwin Legislative: Joe Barbe Member Benefits: Lydia & Mateo Hinojosa Parliamentarian: Jackie Morgan-Tomko Protective Services: Yolanda Barbe Reservations: Ceci Carpio & Eileen Hovis Retirement Seminar: Ruth Frith Technology: James Lamonica Yearbook & Grapevine

publishers: James & Mary Jean

Lamonica

You may email any of these members by sending

your comments to elpasorta@gmail.com. Please

indicate in the email who you wish to communicate

with.

In Memorium Bertha Carver

Coletta DeArman

Beverly Worley

Thinking

of You

If you wish to be tested for COVID

19, CLICK HERE for the location of

El Paso testing sites and information.

https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health/care/!ut/p/a0/FchBCsMgEADAt-QBsusSRHOTNm9o9bbIYoRogkjz_SbHGYjwhdj4VzKPcjTeb4ckbUhfLil5G_CBCPHsnCtDaIdKnDZ5jvsoaRcIDl9EZFA5tF5pvaKy2q43yb9pNmjcDGet9vLT9AeujA5S/https://www.parentgiving.com/elder-care/10-essential-health-tips-for-seniors/#:~:text=10%20Essential%20Health%20Tips%20For%20Seniors%201%20Maintain,Get%20regular%20dental%2C%20vision%20and%20hearing%20checkups.%20mailto:jphlamonica@hotmail.commailto:epasorta@gmail.comhttps://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk02yTCYc1t1PJ5UBb5VHxtAiJzSu7g:1595273563694&q=List+of+Covid+19+testing+sites+in+El+Paso&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=31906993,-106436846,1531&tbm=lcl&ved=2ahUKEwjriNWQydzqAhUET6wKHVheBpEQjGp6BAg

3

PROTECTIVE SERVICES These scammers aren’t investigators!

If you get a call claiming to be from the FBI or Department of Justice (DOJ), you need to

put the phone down.

If you’re chosen as a target, the scammers will call you pretending to be DOJ investiga-

tors or employees. They’ll ask for your assistance in an “investigation,” which eventually

leads to them asking you for personal information.

And if the call goes to voicemail, these scammers won’t give up. Instead, they’ll leave a

voicemail with a return phone number. Call the number and you’ll hear a recorded menu

that sounds exactly like the real DOJ phone menu. Spend enough time with the recording and you’ll reach an

operator that — you guessed it — also tries to ask for personal information.

If you end up speaking with the scammers long enough, you might get asked for information like your SSN,

bank account, credit card number and address. To stay safe, know the signs to spot the fakes. Here’s how:

Any legitimate FBI agent or DOJ officer will not demand cash or gift cards from a citizen. If the person

on the phone asks for either, it’s a scam.

The DOJ can call you for investigations, but you have the right to consult with an attorney before an-

swering any questions. If you tell the person on the phone you would like to speak with a lawyer and

they threaten you with fines or punishment, hang up. That’s a clear sign of a scam.

The DOJ or FBI cannot threaten arrest over the phone. Don’t trust any caller who says otherwise.

The DOJ will not contact you using foreign area codes. Pay close attention to the number calling you.

What can I do?

If you made the mistake of giving your information to a government impersonator, here are a few steps you

can take to protect yourself and your data:

Report the scam to the FTC by calling 844-330-2020 or on its website at ftccomplaintassistant.gov. Submit a complaint to the FBI’s fraud tip line at justice.gov/criminal-fraud. If you or another victim you know is a senior, report the crime to National Elder Fraud Hotline at https://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/.

If you shared financial information, call your bank or credit card company and let them know you may be

at risk for fraud.

Set up two-factor authentication for your bank accounts to prevent any unauthorized attempts to access

your money.

If you shared your SSN with the scammer, contact a credit bureau and request a freeze until you’re sure that you’re safe. Tap or click here to see how to perform a credit freeze.

Reporting these crimes will help stop future victims from getting scammed — and can potentially lead to

these imposters getting caught. And with so many scams making the rounds these days, the last thing we need

is more of these criminals clogging up phone lines.

--Based on information from James Gelinas at KimKomando.com (Sept. 16, 2020)

Yolanda Barbe, Chairperson.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#crnt&panel1-1https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/report-fraud?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdeliveryhttps://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/https://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/https://www.komando.com/privacy/instructions-to-freeze-your-credit/606317/

4

ELECTION DAY IS COMING!

That’s right...the long awaited Election Day 2020 is almost here! We should actu-

ally say Election Days, plural, because we now have multiple opportunities on

multiple dates to exercise what may be the greatest American right: to choose our

leaders and decision makers at federal, state, and local levels. In previous editions

of the Grapevine, we have discussed voter registration (deadline October 5) and voting by mail, and even

touched on voting in person. Let’s look more at voting in person for those who choose that option over voting

by mail. If you vote in person, you actually go physically to a vote site (polling place) to cast your ballot. Vot-

ing in person may be done during state established dates for early voting, or on Election Day itself.

IF YOU PLAN TO VOTE EARLY IN PERSON, there are some dates that you should keep in mind. Early

voting for this election has been set for October 13-30, 2020. There are thirty-five early vote site locations in

El Paso County where you can vote early. Voters registered in El Paso County can vote at any of the locations.

You can find the list of locations and their individual schedules on the Elections Department website at https://

epcountyvotes.com and click on “Early Voting”, or call by phone to the Elections Department at 915-546-

2154.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO VOTE IN PERSON ON ELECTION DAY, November 3, 2020, you may vote at

your regular precinct or at any of the other vote sites in the County. All vote sites will be open from 7:00AM to

7:00PM on November 3. To see a list of all the vote sites in the County, go to https://epcountyvotes.com and

click on “Current Election” or call 915-546-2154. As I mentioned in an earlier Grapevine article, if you plan to

vote on election day, be prepared for some delay at the polling locations due to an anticipated large number of

voters.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO VOTE IN PERSON EITHER DURING EARLY VOTING OR ON ELECTION

DAY, remember to bring with you an ID accepted in Texas elections. Call 915-546-2154 or see the compre-

hensive list at https://epcountyvotes.com/voter_information/identification_required_for_voting .

SAMPLE BALLOT: To see a sample ballot for this election, regardless of when or how you plan to vote, go

to https://epcountyvotes.com , click on “Current Election” and choose the ballot you want to see. For any other

questions you may have, go online to https://epcountyvotes.com or call County Elections Department at 915-

546-2154.

CURBSIDE VOTING: If a voter is physically unable to enter the polling place without assistance or likeli-

hood of injury to his or her health, he/she may ask that an election officer bring a voting unit during Early Vot-

ing or a ballot during Election Day to his/her car at the entrance of the polling place. All curbside voters will

be allowed the same privacy as a voter at the voting booth. For

information, call Elections at 915-546-2154.

Texas has more election laws and regulations than we can pos-

sibly cover here. Most are well known, but if you have any

questions of any type, please see the El Paso County Elections

website at https://epcountyvotes.com or call them at 915-546-

2154.

HAPPY VOTING!!!

Joe Barbe, EPRTA Legislative Chair

5

EPRTA AWARDS 2019 – 2020

In September 2019, EPRTA started with great expectations for another successful year. Suddenly, everything

changed with the onset of the COVID pandemic. It would have been easy for EPRTA to close down, as many

organizations and businesses have done. Fortunately, because of the efforts and skills of three individuals, we

continue to function. The Awards Committee has chosen to honor these three members for their extraordinary

service to sustain EPRTA in the 2019 – 2020 year.

JOE BARBE is our constant communicator of all things that affect us as active EPRTA members. He makes

us aware of the actions and inactions of the Texas Legislature, including meetings and notices from our state

and local representatives. Currently, Joe is providing detailed information regarding the upcoming election in

November. He monitors and alerts us to the latest TRTA and TRS actions. Joe has a love for our El Paso

community and serves it well. Included in his extensive community service is his active participation in the

huge El Paso effort to provide food to those in need and his encouragement for us to do what we can to help

EPRTA has greatly benefitted from the experience of JAMES LAMONICA. He has served as our President

for the past four years, while participating in related activities at the district and state levels of TRTA. His

continuing efforts, with the assistance of his wife Mary Jean, to create, edit and distribute the GRAPEVINE,

our monthly newsletter, has provided a central unifying source of information to keep us on track and moving

forward. He has also willingly shared his technology skills enabling EPRTA to greatly improve communica-

tion and record keeping. His extensive contacts within the El Paso educational community have provided ad-

ditional information making board and luncheon meetings informative and worthwhile.

If you have a question about anything concerning our EPRTA unit, everyone in EPRTA knows to ask LILA

MURPHY. If she does not know the answer, which is rare, she somehow knows where to find it. She has

been and is our technology guru. She is even teaching and encouraging the reluctant among us to use ZOOM.

As our new President, she and James have worked together to make a smooth transition under obviously diffi-

cult circumstances. She has dedicated herself to diligently working to ensure the continuing success of EPR-

TA. Her ever-present enthusiasm is contagious and leads members to follow in her footsteps.

Among these three, we have all the ingredients for success. Together they have maintained, informed and

moved EPRTA into a new mode of existence.

The Awards Committee, on behalf of EPRTA, recognizes JOE BARBE, JAMES LAMONICA and LILA MURPHY as the 2019-2020 recipients of the highest award given by EPRTA, THE EL PASO RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION HONORS AWARD. Their names will be engraved on the plaque to join the

names of all past recipients since 1985, when the award was first given.

TREASURER’S REPORT Beginning Balance on August 27, 2020 ..... $16,156.41

Income

From Member Dues .................... 425.00

Dividend (August 31, 2020 ........... 2.04

Expenses

TRTA Connect State Dues ............. 630.00

Newsletter Printing ................. 138.00

Ending Balance ........................... $15,815.45

Each month, we will provide you with

a brief report on our income and ex-

penses for the month with the corre-

sponding balances. Reports will be

updated and presented at each of our

monthly meetings.

Carlos Martinez, Treasurer

6

COMMUNITY SERVICE

WHERE CAN I VOLUNTEER DURING THE COVID-19? There are some safe ways and places to volunteer, but remember to wear a mask and sanitize your hands. Here are some ideas for volunteering:

1.Shopping for groceries or medications, or running errands for family and friends 2.Volunteering for child care for the family 3.Providing health care for family or friends 4.Volunteer services you perform for other organizations, or your church.

Volunteering does make a positive impact on the lives of others. Just remember to report your hours on the calendar provided on page 7 of the newsletter - no matter how small or large the numbers. We will ask for your total hours in January. In El Paso Retired Teachers Association, let’s be a committed and dedicated group. Jackie Morgan Tomko, Community Service Chair

MEMBER BENEFITS

Senior discounts are one of the few truly great perks that come with growing older. You can even start collecting senior discounts at age 50 from some stores, so you could save big long before you even qualify for retirement! To help you keep track of all the deals, click here for a senior citizen discount list.

Be aware that for many of these businesses, the senior citizen discount varies by location; brands may let individual franchisees decide whether to provide the perk. As a result, one of your local res-taurants might give you a higher percentage off than the same chain would across town.

Before heading out on a shopping spree, check with your local store about the discounts for sen-iors on offer. Senior Citizen Benefits Are Disap-pearing

Senior savings have been around for decades, but

it seems like retailers are slowly phasing them out.

In some cases the stores are allegedly changing

tactics to provide better savings all around. How-

ever, other retailers have simply dropped their

senior discounts altogether.

Information provided by:

Elizabeth Harper,

DealNews Contributing Writer

https://www.dealnews.com/features/discounts/senior-discounts/https://www.dealnews.com/c377/Home-Garden/Food-Drink/Restaurants/https://www.dealnews.com/c377/Home-Garden/Food-Drink/Restaurants/https://www.dealnews.com/features/discounts/senior-discounts/

7

Calendar

for each

month is Volunteer Hours

January

calendar Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa JAN Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa APR

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30

Februar

y Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa FEB Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa MAY

1 1 2

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31March

calenda Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa MAR Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa JUN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

29 30 31 28 29 30

Year is

auto

updated in

cell at

right.Third

quarter

calendars Volunteer HoursJuly calenda Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa JUL Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa OCT

1 2 3 4 1 2 3

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

26 27 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

August

calenda Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa AUG Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa NOV

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 30

30 31Septemb

er Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa SEP Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa DEC

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 27 28 29 30 31

Annual

Total

2020

2020

Impo

rtan

t

Num

bers

Write your hours next to each date thoughout the year. In

January of 2021, mail your total to Volunteer Chairperson,

EPRTA, PO BOX 973164 El Paso, TX 79997

Teacher Retirement System of Texas 1-800-223-8778TRS Web site. www.trs.state.tx.usTRS Health & Insurance benefits 1-888-237-6762TRS-Care Aetna Claim and Healthline 1-800-367-3636Humana Medicare Advantage 1-800-320-9566CVS Caremark Customer Service 1-844-345-4577

8

El Paso Retired Teachers Association

PO BOX 973164

El Paso, TX 79997

NON-PROFIT

ORG.

US POSTAGE

PAID

EL PASO, TX

PERMIT NO.2182

Return Service Requested

CHECK US OUT ON

SOCIAL MEDIA

Website: http://localunits.org/elpasorta

Email address: elpasorta@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EPRTA

TRTA website: https://trta.org/

http://localunits.org/elpasortamailto:elpasorta@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/EPRTAhttps://trta.org/