LCR Events & Standing on Current Issues

Future, Current, and Past Events

Dear LCR Members, Friends and Supporters,

The Latino Community Roundtable (LCR), an IRC 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, cordially invites you to attend our next monthly luncheon.

LCR will dedicate July’s luncheon to the issue of Water and Clean Air.  Water is so essential to our farming community and for drinking purposes.  Clean air is also high in our list of priorities.  Air pollution affects us all. It is important to have a conversation that involves our farming economy and our community’s health.

As far as water goes and how policy affects our economy, there is a big debate because of our needs for our Valley water and the other people’s needs, including fish like the salmon.  One issue is how should we handle the yearly salmon run–whether we should save the salmon no matter what by increasing the rivers’ water stream levels to the ocean when the economic costs are far more expensive than if we bought a first-class airfare ticket for each one of those fishes to the site where they hatch.  Where should we stan on that issue? And what about the “water grab”? Should The South get desalination plants?

Regarding water quality, many Latino and other minority children and adults that may not have the ability to purchase bottled, drinking water must drink whatever water is available–safe or unsafe, polluted or unpolluted, at school or at home.  One recent report states that some of our schools do not have safe, clean water. Governor Newsom has recently visited the Monterrey Track located in our County.  The Track lacks safe, drinking water. What are we going to do about it? Is bottled water deliveries to The Tract by The County the appropriate solution as suggested by some? 

And as far as clean air, we have complained that the Bay Area send us their own, and it gets worst during the Summer months. Just go up to the mountains and look at our Valley during those months, and you will see a dense gray layer of air covering it. Are some of us polluting our own environment? How do burning permits work? There are a lot of questions we all might have. Does climate change go into this category? And is it real or just mother earth going through a warming up period?

Come and be part of this important economic and health conversation.

This luncheon event will take place Thursday, July 18^th, 2019, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Red Event Center, located at 921 8th Street, Modesto, CA.  (Please see attached flyer.) 

This month’s distinguished speaker will be Assemblyman Heath Flora that represents our 12th California Assembly District.  My online research indicates that he has experience in the Assembly’s Agriculture and Natural Resources committees. 

First elected to the Assembly in 2016, Heath’s first priority has always been making sure the Valley has a voice and is not forgotten in Sacramento. Whether its water, public safety, job creation, or tackling homelessness each has been a legislative focus for Heath.

As well as representing this District, Heath is a lifelong farmer who serves as a Director for International Sales at the Exact Corporation, a family-owned business that manufactures innovative products for both nut-harvesting and forcible entry equipment for firefighting. Heath also owns Golden Valley Equipment which sells used agricultural equipment. Prior to entering the business world, Heath received training as a paramedic and worked for Cal Fire for three summers.

A volunteer firefighter for over fifteen years, Heath worked his way up the ranks — serving as firefighter, engineer, captain and now as battalion chief.

In 2018, Heath was chosen as Republican Floor Leader for the Assembly. In this position, Heath will champion legislation that reduces the burden and improves the lives of Californians. This leadership position will give him an even bigger platform to advocate for our communities and make sure the Valley is no longer forgotten by Sacramento.

Last, but certainly not least, Heath is married to his lovely wife Melodie and the proud father to two little girls, Lacy and Paris.

He will give us an overview about our Valley’s water issues and will also address clean air, or should we say, dirty air? and what are our elected and other government officials doing about it, if anything. He will then answer questions from the floor.

—As always, a delicious Mexican buffet meal will be served at this luncheon.  Food is available before 12:00 p.m., and the program will start at 11:45 a.m.  Cost is $20 at the door. Courtesy table reservations of four (4) or more are available. For more info., contact Amanda Duran at 209-447-4493, or the writer at 209-567-1040. 

Other Notes:

1. LCR appreciates the prompt response by our County Board of Supervisors and thanks its members, including our Chairman Terry Withrow, for the action taken to address LCR’s concerns on how to deal with, and remove, the illegally dumped thrash in the County pocket areas of the City of Modesto.  The Modesto Bee published a front-page article about the Board’s actions to remedy the situation earlier this year.  Now, there is no thrash in those alleys that were filled with it, which created rodents, dangers to children, and fire hazards in our community. Let’s keep it clean for the good of our community.

2. Karen Warner from our Congressman Josh Harder’s district office has informed us that if any of you are interested in getting our Congressman’s newsletter, please go to: harder.house.gov and sign up for it.

3. ***Coming to LCR. 

-For August, after school recess is over, our County Superintendent of Schools Scott Kuykendall to speak on educational issues that affect Latinos: job training, The Military Academy, among other issues;

-For September 5th, U.S. Rep. Josh Harder to speak on water, jobs, health care, and immigration;

-For October—still waiting for confirmation, Assemblyman Adam Gray to speak on issues that affect the Valley, i.e., homelessness, health care, jobs, immigration and water.

-Going forward: LCR elections and candidates’ forums.  Heads up: Nothing in LCR’s bylaws state that business members get to vote twice.

Thank you for supporting LCR, a full volunteer organization with non-paid staff.

Sincerely, 

AARON O. ANGUIANO

LCR PRESIDENT

 

Cell: 209-918-2525

Office: 209-567-1040

Fax: 209-567-1051

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LCR Position on Current Issues