Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 3-26-20 E-edition

Rick Curiel — Sanger Editor Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
As Americans, we are noted for bifurcation in the manner with which we handle national emergencies and disasters. Millions always consider the greater good of their actions in dealing with their fellow man during tough times, while a much smaller number see disaster as an opportunity to enrich themselves.
By Nicole Zieba
Guest columnist
The city of Reedley is con- cerned about your health and safety, and is taking all neces- sary steps to plan for a possible outbreak of the COVID-19 vi- rus.
Over the course of the next few days and weeks, you will see many counties and cities throughout California issue Declarations of Emergency. Reedley is one of them, and issued a declaration on March 17. As city manager, many people have leaned in to me to express their opinion about whether this is a necessary step, or whether it is an overre- action to something that hasn’t quite hit us yet. Knowledge is critical in times of crisis, so I wanted to informally provide some background to our com- munity on why these declara- tions are a smart step for a small city to take.
Each level of government in the United States has to abide by a host of strict laws about how we make decisions. These include timelines about how long we have to wait before
certain decisions can be made, the time required to wait be- tween when a decision is made and when it can be implement- ed, how we operate, what bu- reaucratic processes we have to jump through to make pur- chases, etc. If there is an action that we take, you can bet there is a law or regulation govern- ing how and when we can do it. At the local city level, these strict requirements from the State and federal government can really bind our hands and slow us down, as they should for most things, since we are the people’s government and the people deserve the time and notice to be informed and have input on decisions that are made by their government. In times of crisis, however, we don’t always have the luxury of time to wait to make criti- cal public health and safety decisions, or the time to jump through hoops before critical purchases for supplies can be made.
By issuing a Declara- tion of Emergency, some of those timelines and processes change so that we can react quicker and more effectively
if something
happens. It also
allows a city to
be reimbursed
by the state and
federal gov-
ernments for
costs related to
the crisis. For
small, struggling cities, this is important, as there aren’t a lot of extra dollars in reserve for unforeseen circumstances of this magnitude.
In Reedley’s case, we have not yet seen the full force of this crisis hit the Central Val- ley, in terms of actual cases of the virus. However, by is- suing the declaration, we are now ready when it does come, and we can continue to pre- pare our first responders and community emergency medi- cal providers to serve you and your families.
The city is publishing up- dates on our website at www. Reedley.ca.gov, and is providing similar information in Spanish via other modes. If you have any concerns or questions, con- tact the city at (559) 637-4200.
Nicole Zieba is city manag- er for the city of Reedley.
Thursday, March 26, 2020 | A4 | Mid Valley TiMes Editorial & Opinions
Serving the Readers of the Reedley Exponent, Dimuba Sentinel and Sanger Herald.
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Founded March 26, 1891, in a two-story building on the corner of 11th and F streets, by A.S. Jones
Fred Hall — Publisher
In my OPINION Be aware of Medicare
scammers, price gougers
City manager explains decision to declare local emergency in Reedley
Nicole Zieba
Fred Hall
This is usually initiated by a phone call or e-mail in- dicating that the individual is a representative of Medi- care and needs your card number for some made-up reason. Make sure you provide your Medicare number only to your doctor, pharmacist, hospital, health insurer or other trusted healthcare provider.
If someone contacts you on the phone and says they're from Medicare, asking for your Medicare num- ber or other personal information — just hang up. Re- member: Medicare never calls its beneficiaries to ask for or to “verify” numbers. You should always guard and protect your Medicare card. Treat it as if it were a credit card. Take great care to check your Medicare claim summaries for errors and any statements which appear to be questionable.
If you suspect Medicare fraud, please report it by calling Medicare's toll-free customer service at 1-800- 633-4227, or by visiting the website medicare.gov/fraud.
With all of the panic by far too many people being displayed during the current coronavirus pandemic perhaps this would be an appropriate time to define price-gougers as to who they really are. They are, sim- ply put, bottom feeders! There is nothing lower or more disgusting than one of these low lives who would use someone's misfortune in the pursuit of money. You can help to defeat their uncontrollable urge for easy, illicit profits by refusing to panic and hoard supplies which you may see as important.
Merriam-Webster describes a bottom feeder as 'an opportunist who seeks a quick, unwarranted profit usually at the expense of others or from their misfor- tunes. COVID-19 has certainly presented opportunities for these social misfits when coupled with people's gut reaction to hoard.
It is deemed price-gouging when a seller increases the prices of goods, services or commodities to a level much higher than is considered reasonable and fair (usually more than 10 percent).
In the United States, state laws governing price gouging have been found to be constitutional at the state level as a valid use of police power to preserve order during an emergency, and may be combined with anti-hoarding measures. As of January 2019, 34 states had laws against price-gouging. Price-gouging is often defined in terms of these three criteria: 1. Period of emergency: the majority of laws apply only to price changes during a declared state of emergency. 2. Nec- essary items: most laws apply exclusively to items es- sential to survival, such as food, water, and housing. 3. Price ceilings: Laws limit the maximum price that can be charged for given goods.
California permits emergency proclamations by of- ficials, boards, and other governing bodies of cities and counties to trigger the state's price-gouging law. The reporting of any individual engaged in such practice is as easy as contacting The Better Business Bureau. Show these bottom feeders that we're mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore.
One needs to be aware of the fact
that there are Medicare scammers out there trying to steal the Medicare numbers, banking information and other personal data of our senior citizens.
Letters from readers
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Do activities to boost immune system
Do continue with advice medical doctors and the CDC have been giving about sanita- tion. Use necessary precautions if you or someone you love has a compromised immune function.
That being said, the follow- ing are fun activities that boost the immune function:
• Clap your hands and stomp your feet at the same time 21 times at least once/day – there’s a lot of acupuncture points in them – stimulate them.
• Rub and press on your ears and ear lobes – lots of acupunc- ture points there.
• Dancing, movements, or exercise are extremely healthy activities.
• Humming stimulates the Vagus nerves – it travels through the tonsils, lungs, and digestive systems – humming helps with the immune and di- gestive systems.
• Laughter is tremendously healthy for the immune system
and overall health.
• Meditation and prayers are
extremely helpful for the body, mind, and spirit.
• Get good quality 7-8 hours of sleep (9-10 hrs. for children) for good healing.
• Direct sun light for 30 min- utes without sunscreen (unless directed otherwise by your doc- tor) – best source of vitamin D – extremely important for im- mune function.
Overall, don’t panic and min- imize stress – panic, fear, and stress lower the immune sys- tem and affect your digestive system along with your overall health. No bottled water...no problem. Boil tap water. No toi- let paper...no worries. Soap and water will keep you clean.
Instead, let’s eat healthy, have fun, live your life with an attitude of gratitude, meditate, pray, clap, stomp, dance, hug, and laugh your way to health and wellness.
Roman R. Hysell, Doctor of Chiropractic Tevy A. Hysell,
Licensed Acupuncturist Sanger
Praising a dedicated teacher
I would like to give praise to Sanger Unified School District teacher Martha Martinez. Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, she went to school at Cal Poly and majored in teaching education. She graduated from Fresno State and taught at Madison El- ementary School in Sanger. She also taught at Del Rey grammar school for 35 years, teaching English and English as a second language.
She always said that all stu- dents are ours. Praise, respect, and trust!
These are all good things la- dies and gentleman. I have to say she is one of the kindest, sincere teachers that I have ever met.
I am honored to know Mar- tha, she is no doubt the salt of
Letters Policy
MID VALLEY TIMES invites letters from the public on any topic of local relevance. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity or brevity, and we reserve the right to NOT publish them if they could be deemed libelous or profane. Letters should be 350 words or less, and bear the author's name, address, and phone number. Letters can be mailed, emailed, submitted via our website, or personally delivered to: Editor, Reedley Exponent, 1130 G St, Reedley CA 93654.
the earth.
Bill Boos Sanger
QUOTE
“He attacked
everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naive incompetence, and it was often difficult to tell which was which.”
— Douglas Adams (1952-2001)
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