Rao bulletin 1 October 2014 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles
Extracting Innovations COO Seth Cox shows Navy veteran Hikima Nukes how to make active butter for edibles at the Grow 4 Vets cannabis giveaway
Download 479.35 Kb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Vet Cremains Update 24 ► 5 Receive a Long-Overdue Official Farewell
- Boxes holding veterans’ remains rest on a table at the Massachusetts National Cemetery as members of the Patriot Guard stand by.
- Vet Toxic ExposureLejeune Update 47 ► Financial Relief Coming
- Vet Toxic ExposureLejeune Update 48 ► VA Final Regulations
- “VA Camp Lejeune Final Regulations Fact Sheet”.
- NORC ► A Means to Age Gracefully in Your Home
- Illinois Veterans Homes Update 06 ► New Chicago Home Breaks Ground
- Architectural Drawing of New Chicago Home ******************************** Retiree Appreciation Days ► As of 28 Sep 2014
- “Retiree Activity\Appreciation Days (RAD) Schedule”.
- Vet Hiring Fairs ► 1 thru 31 Oct 2015 The U.S. Chamber of Comme
- Details Register
Extracting Innovations COO Seth Cox shows Navy veteran Hikima Nukes how to make active butter for edibles at the Grow 4 Vets cannabis giveaway Martin said he discovered edible marijuana as a way to reduce pain and help him sleep more, and he wants other veterans to have the same chance to address ailments. Matt Kahl, a former Army specialist who works for Operation Grow4Vets as a director of horticulture, said using marijuana saved his life and reduced his dependency on pain medication. Kahl said he was injured when serving in Afghanistan when he was thrown from a vehicle, causing a traumatic brain injury and hurting his spine and back. As part of his recovery, Kahl started taking more than a dozen pain medications per month. After a suggestion from a friend, Kahl started using marijuana to help with the pain. Now, he said, he is off all but two of his medications. "It doesn't make sense that our first line of defense is toxic medication," Kahl said. He said marijuana use lessened his symptoms of hyper vigilance and pain, and he moved to Colorado, "I would not be alive without this," Kahl said. People who came to the hotel Saturday were given a bag of items that included cannabis oil, an edible chocolate bar and seeds to grow plants. Martin said some might have been disappointed because they were not handing out bags of marijuana, but that was not his group's goal. "We're not about getting people high," he said, Martin said the organization plans to have at least three more events this year, including another in Colorado Springs. Operation Grow4Vets also sponsored an event last weekend in Denver, which Martin said attracted hundreds of people, but the event in Colorado Springs, he said, attracted about 1,000 people. Adults 21 and older were allowed into the event, and a $20 dollar donation for nonveterans was encouraged. Free products were available to people who sent in an RSVP by Thursday afternoon. Future events will be posted at http://www.grow4vets.org. [Source: Colorado Springs Gazette | Stephen Hobbs | Sept. 29, 2014 ++] ******************************** Vet Cremains Update 24 ► 5 Receive a Long-Overdue Official Farewell Five veterans of World War I or II received a long-overdue official farewell 23 SEP at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, in an interment service attended not by relatives but by dozens of military supporters. “Today, you are their family,” cemetery Director John Spruyt told the crowd. The five Massachusetts men died between 1978 and 1993, but no one ever claimed their cremated remains at a funeral home in the Brookline area, according to cemetery officials. The funeral home recently contacted the cemetery, and with the help of the Veterans Administration, the five men were identified as U.S. military veterans. That identification made them eligible for interment at the National Cemetery, according to cemetery program support assistant Barry Hughes. 
Boxes holding veterans’ remains rest on a table at the Massachusetts National Cemetery as members of the Patriot Guard stand by. The World War I veterans were Cpl. Davis Chaet, 89; Pvt. Harold Klarfeld, 78; Pvt. Marcus Myers, 89; and Pvt. Ralph Porter, 93.The World War II veteran was Capt. Arthur Stern Jr., 81. Ethel Porter, 79, the wife of Ralph Porter, was interred Tuesday as well. The thought of the veterans being interred without family members present, though, drew the Patriot Guard Riders. The Patriot Guard is a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure dignity and respect at memorial services honoring fallen military heroes, first responders and honorably discharged veterans. The group's motto is “Standing for Troops Who Stood for Us”. Most of the members ride motorcycles and many are veterans themselves. On Tuesday, 35 of the riders stood in a large L-shape formation holding American flags, in front of a table that held the six square boxes of cremated remains. Behind the riders were about 20 cemetery workers and eight members of a Massachusetts National Guard funeral squad from Bedford, a trumpet player and a handful of cemetery officials. The Veterans Administration regularly receives requests to determine eligibility for unclaimed, homeless or indigent remains to receive military burials. The agency processed about 1,400 requests in fiscal 2013, according to VA spokeswoman Genevieve Billia. Typically, a coroner or a funeral director contacts the agency.VA officials then use sources such as the FBI, the Social Security Administration, military services and other federal agencies or other avenues to identify eligibility for a military burial, Billia said. Massachusetts National Cemetery handles about 50 to 60 burials or interments a week, for veterans, their spouses and any of their children who have disabilities, Hughes said. In all about 60,000 people are buried in the cemetery. An unaccompanied burial or interment is relatively rare, a few a month, and typically involves a homeless or indigent individual, Hughes said. The Patriot Guard Riders likewise rarely have the opportunity to stand in as a family for a veteran burial or interment, possibly one every five years, the group's state captain, Howard Shrut, said Tuesday. In his email to the riders about Tuesday's ceremony, Shrut said he emphasized that the event was an opportunity to show what the group was all about. Usually five to 20 riders will show up, Shrut said. The service Tuesday lasted about 30 minutes and included a rifle volley, the playing of taps and the presentation of an American flag to Shrut. Taunton resident Roger Hoffmann, a rider and state chaplain for the Marine Corps League, had traveled 35 miles on his bike to the cemetery. Hoffman said it was important that all veterans be given a proper burial from the country they served. Shrut stood next to Hoffman, holding the flag, folded into a triangle. “This is the essence of what we do,”Shrut said. [Source: Cape Cod Times | Mary Ann Bragg | Sept. 24, 2014 ++] ******************************** Vet Toxic Exposure~Lejeune Update 47 ► Financial Relief Coming The Department of Veterans Affairs on 23 SEP announced it will soon start to cover out-of-pocket health care costs for Marine dependents who contracted cancer and other illnesses from toxic water at Camp Lejeune, as promised two years ago by law. In 2012, Congress passed the landmark Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act. It provided health care for Marines and family members who had lived on the base near Jacksonville, N.C., from 1957-1987 and who suffered from any of 15 illnesses named in the law. These included cancer related to the lungs, bladder, breasts, kidneys and esophagus, as well leukemia and problems involving female infertility. An estimated 750,000 people were exposed to drinking water at the base that was polluted with chemicals that included industrial solvents and benzene from fuels. The chemicals resulted from spills, a dump site on base, leaking underground storage tanks on base and an off-base dry cleaner. Under the 2012 law, the VA immediately offered full care for veterans who had been stationed at Camp Lejeune, but it told their dependents who suffered from covered illnesses that they would have to wait to be reimbursed. The announcement of final rules on Tuesday meant that the VA later this year will start to reimburse family members under the 2012 law for costs since March 26, 2013, that were not covered by insurance. The date is when Congress appropriated funding. The rules first must be published in the Federal Register, to be followed by a 30-day waiting period before people can file claims. The VA also planned to release a document about health care services to veterans who were on active duty at the base for at least 30 days in the three-decade period. Retired Marine Jerry Ensminger, whose 9-year-old daughter, Janey, died of leukemia in 1985, and Mike Partain, who was born at the base and suffered from male breast cancer, led a long fight to get the law passed. Both said Tuesday that they were dismayed it took two years to put it into effect. “As far as I’m concerned, so many people have already died. They just keep dragging this thing out,” Ensminger said. Partain said “institutional apathy and incompetence” were the reasons it took two years to write and approve the regulations for how the law would be administered. The VA wrote the regulations, and then the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, part of the White House Office of Management and Budget, had to approve them. The office’s website said approval was made on 9 SEP. The White House referred questions to the VA, and the VA didn’t respond to a question about the length of time required for the implementation of the law. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), who proposed the legislation and fought for it to become law and for its promises to be fulfilled, said in a statement that the final regulation “has been a long time coming.” “Unfortunately, many who were exposed to the contaminated water have already died as a result of their exposures and will not be able to receive the help this law provides,” Burr said. “I fully expect VA will now move swiftly to implement all the regulations and extend a helping hand to the victims of this tragic episode in our nation’s history.” Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., who joined Burr in pushing for the legislation when she became a senator in 2009, said her office had been urging the VA to finalize the regulations since Congress passed the bill. “I am relieved that action has finally occurred today,” Hagan said. “Our veterans and their families exposed to toxic water contamination have waited too long for answers, and I am pleased they will now begin to receive the critical health care benefits they deserve.” For veterans, any reimbursement of co-payments would go back to Aug. 6, 2012, when the law was signed. The law does not provide veterans with disability compensation. Veterans and family members can apply for the Camp Lejeune benefits by enrolling with the VA online or at a local VA health facility. The VA said they would have to prove they lived or worked at the base during the prescribed period. Burr and Hagan have proposed legislation that would expand the eligibility dates for veterans and families to 1953. A study by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in 2013 estimated that the water was contaminated with carcinogens as early as that date, four years earlier than previously thought. [Source: McClatchy Washington Bureau | Renee Schoof | Sept. 23, 2014 ++] ******************************** Vet Toxic Exposure~Lejeune Update 48 ► VA Final Regulations The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is committed to providing the best care for Veterans and families related to Camp Lejeune historical drinking water contamination, as required by law. VA is announcing the publication of two regulations: one providing health care for Camp Lejeune Veterans and the other for reimbursing of health care expenses of family members potentially affected by contaminated drinking water at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regulations implement provisions of the “Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012.” The first regulation, entitled Hospital Care and Medical Services for Camp Lejeune Veterans (AO78), will take effect immediately. The second -- Payment or Reimbursement for Certain Medical Expenses for Camp Lejeune Family Members (AO79) – will take effect 30 days after publication. After referring to the attached VA Fact sheet, should you have any questions, contact Mandy Hartman, Congressional Relations Officer, VA’s Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs – Health Team, at (202) 461-6416 or Mandy.Hartman@va.gov. She will be happy to assist you. In the interim reefer to the attachment to this Bulletin titled, “VA Camp Lejeune Final Regulations Fact Sheet”. [Source: Florida St Johns County Vet Council | Bill Dudley | Sept. 23, 2014 ++] ******************************** Vet Smoking ► Battling Tobacco Use in the Home A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that veterans are less likely to implement rules about having a smoke-free home when compared to nonveteran civilians. Smoke-free home rules are policies adopted by household members or landlords that restrict] or ban cigarette smoking inside the home. The study examined national trends in smoke-free home rules among US veterans and nonveterans. It used data from the 2001–2002 and 2010–2011 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey to estimate and compare the existence of smoke-free home rules among veterans and nonveterans for each survey period. The study found that the prevalence of a complete smoke-free home rule among veterans increased from 64.0% to 79.7% between 2001 and 2011 but was consistently lower than were rates estimated for nonveterans (67.6% and 84.4%, respectively). Disparities between the 2 groups increased significantly over time. It concluded that despite the general increase in the adoption of smoke-free home rules, veterans lag behind the rest of the US population. Interventions promoting the adoption of complete smoke-free home rules are necessary to protect veterans and their families and to reduce disparities. This finding, combined with the higher rates of smoking among veterans may contribute to a prior finding that veterans are more likely to report poor or fair health and experience two or more chronic conditions than their non-military peers. The report is available on the American Journal of Public Health website http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2014.301975. [Source: Military.com article Sept. 22, 2014 ++] ******************************** NORC ► A Means to Age Gracefully in Your Home Virgil Petty had no idea he was about to become part of a trend when he moved to a suburban neighborhood in St. Louis several years ago. Petty now views the move as one of the best things that ever happened to him. When he lost his wife last year after 66 years of marriage, “I was ready to go with her,” Petty remembers. The now-91-year-old World War II veteran had never heard of a NORC (naturally occurring retirement community) before, but the local St. Louis NORC came to his rescue. Before long, meals were being delivered to his home, and volunteers began showing up to help him with his extensive organic garden, which he maintains on a power company easement behind his house. He was encouraged to attend NORC-sponsored musical events and field trips, and soon Petty was getting out and about more than he had during his marriage. “It’s been a lifesaver for me,” he says, “because I wasn’t in the habit of going out much at all.” 
The primary goal of a NORC is to help people age gracefully in their homes, so they can get the benefit of support services that, historically, were available only in a retirement community or another institutionalized setting,” explains Philip Moeller, a research fellow at the Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College. “The common element is a group of like-minded older residents who want to come together to help each other by pooling their efforts to get services that are of common benefit to everybody: home maintenance, transportation, and discounts on products and services that seniors use a lot.” The St. Louis NORC is sponsored and operated by the local branch of the Jewish Federation, which began administering its first NORC in New York City in 1986. Since then, the concept steadily has spread and now can be found in more than 25 states. As its name indicates, a NORC is not a planned retirement community; it’s one that has evolved in one of three ways:
Finding new ways to serve an aging population is becoming increasingly important as more and more people join that demographic. Around 40 million Americans are now age 65 and older, accounting for nearly 13 percent of the country’s population. Thirty years from now, that number is forecast to be three times as high. Programs such as Meals On Wheels are vital in helping cash-strapped or homebound seniors stay healthy and well-fed, but they don’t address the social challenges older people often face. As Petty found, however, that’s where NORCs excel. Moeller notes NORCs can help fill the role historically provided by an extended family, when several generations lived under one roof and caregiving was a family affair. Today, families often are widely separated, and although technology helps fill the communication gap, many seniors often need help with some aspects of their daily lives. Of course, that kind of aid is available in nursing homes and other long-term facilities, but studies have shown around 90 percent of older people strongly prefer to remain in their own homes. Another benefit of a NORC is financial. Social Worker Karen Berry Elbert, manager of the St. Louis NORC, says a semi-private nursing home room can cost upward of $50,000 a year, while her organization charges residents $395 a year. For that price, residents enjoy a cornucopia of exercise, recreational, and social programs that keep them healthy and engaged, both physically and mentally, while still remaining in the safety and familiarity of their homes. The cost is kept low through partnerships with local churches, universities, charities, and state and national programs such as AARP Although all NORCs share the same goal — allowing older people to successfully age in place — there is no universal template. “One of the best descriptions I ever heard was from someone who ran one of these programs, who said, ‘When you’ve seen one NORC, you’ve seen one NORC,’ ” says Moeller. “Some are associated with religious or civic organizations, some are inexpensive, while others operate in a more for-profit way, with fees of up to $700 a year. Some have thousands of members; others have just 30 or 40.” No matter how they’re structured, NORCs steadily are making inroads into the lives of seniors across the country, bringing communities together in ways that mirror their residents’ desire for security, social interaction, and a fulfilling lifestyle. As Petty puts it, “The NORC is great; I’m tickled to death that I belong to it. They’re a wonderful outfit, and I’m fortunate to have someplace like that to go. For more information on NORCs refer to http://www.norcs.org/index.aspx. For a Blueprint on how to start a NORC where you live go to http://www.norcblueprint.org/. [Source: MOAA | Mark Cantrell | Sept. 15, 2014 ++] ******************************** Illinois Veterans Homes Update 06 ► New Chicago Home Breaks Ground Ground was broken Sunday on a new $70.5 million Illinois Veterans Home — the first such facility to be built in Chicago and the fifth statewide, officials said. The Chicago region – where 60 percent of the state’s veterans live – does not have one. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs approved federal reimbursement for up to 65 percent — or $45.8 million — of eligible construction costs for the 200-bed facility, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's office said. Construction is to begin in early October. Quinn attended the 21 SEP ground breaking ceremony. The new home at 4250 N. Oak Park Ave. will be five-stories tall, have single occupancy rooms, private bathrooms and common areas for dining and meeting with visitors. It also will have united to provide long-term care for veterans suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The Illinois Capital Development Board is managing the construction project. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs will operate the home. Similar homes are in Anna, LaSalle, Manteno and Quincy which currently house more than 900 veterans. The state department also operates a 15-bed supportive housing facility for homeless and disabled veterans at Manteno. The state veterans' department will qualify for federal payments to provide more than 25 percent of the home's operating budget, the governor's office said. Rodrigo Garcia, acting director of the state veterans affairs department, said residents at state-run facilities currently pay up to around $1,400 a month to live at the homes, as opposed to about $7,000 a month at private facilities. About 20 percent of veterans nationwide are in need of Alzheimer’s care, he added. Currently, more than 100 veterans remain on a wait list to live at one of the state homes, said state veterans affairs department spokesman Ryan Yantis. [Source: Associated Press September 21, 2014 ++] 
Architectural Drawing of New Chicago Home ******************************** Retiree Appreciation Days ► As of 28 Sep 2014 Retiree Appreciation Days (RADs) are designed with you in mind. They're a great source of the latest information for retirees and Family members in your area. RADs vary from installation to installation, but, in general, they provide an opportunity to renew acquaintances, listen to guest speakers, renew ID Cards, get medical checkups, and various other services. Some RADs include special events such as dinners or golf tournaments. Due to budget constraints, some RADs may be cancelled or rescheduled. Also, scheduled appearances of DFAS representatives may not be possible. If you plan to travel long distances to attend a RAD, before traveling, you should call the sponsoring RSO to ensure the RAD will held as scheduled and, if applicable, whether or not DFAS reps will be available. The current schedule is provided in the attachment to this Bulletin titled, “Retiree Activity\Appreciation Days (RAD) Schedule”. For more information call the phone numbers of the Retirement Services Officer (RSO) sponsoring the RAD as indicated in the attachment. An up-to-date Retiree Appreciation Days list is always available online at http://www.hostmtb.org/RADLIST-2014.html. [Source: RAD List Manager | Milton Bell | Sept 28, 2014 ++] ********************************* Vet Hiring Fairs ► 1 thru 31 Oct 2015 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s (USCC) Hiring Our Heroes program employment workshops are available in conjunction with hundreds of their hiring fairs. These workshops are designed to help veterans and military spouses and include resume writing, interview skills, and one-on-one mentoring. For details of each you should click on the city next to the date in the below list. To participate, sign up for the workshop in addition to registering (if indicated) for the hiring fairs which are shown below for the next 4 weeks. For more information about the USCC Hiring Our Heroes Program, Military Spouse Program, Transition Assistance, GE Employment Workshops, Resume Engine, etc. visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s website at http://www.hiringourheroes.org/hiringourheroes/events. Knoxville, TN October 1 @ 10:00 am to @ 1:00 pm Details Register Quantico, VA - Military Spouse Networking Reception October 6 @ 7:00 pm to @ 9:00 pm Details Register Quantico, VA - Military Spouse Hiring Fair October 7 @ 10:00 am to @ 1:00 pm Details Register Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2014 2014 -> For want of a nail 2014 -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 2014 -> Ihbb asian Championships 2014 middle school bowl Round 4 First Quarter 2014 -> Ihbb european Championships 2014 Bowl Round 4 First Quarter 2014 -> International History Bee and Bowl 2013-14 Asian Division Question Set Bowl Round Six 2014 -> United states patent and trademark office 2014 -> Coffs harbour eisteddfod vocal syllabus 2014 -> Listen News Programs Schedule pledge now 2014 -> Slow club announce third album complete surrender Download 479.35 Kb. Share with your friends:
|