Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, May 29, 2021

Mountain View News Saturday, May 29, 2021 10 

HELPING SENIORS FIND DISCOUNTED HIGHSPEED 
INTERNET SERVICES 

Dear Savvy Senior:

Do you know where I can find cheaper high-speed 

internet services for my home? I’m 70-years old and 

live strictly on my Social Security and would like to 

find something faster and less expensive than I cur


rently have. Surfing Susan 

Dear Susan: 
There are actually two new resources available today that can help you save money on your 
home internet services, but what’s available to you will depend on your income level and 
where you live. Here’s where to begin. 

Internet Discounts 
Depending on your financial situation, a good first step to reducing your home internet 
costs is through the new Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. This is a temporary 
federal benefit that provides a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband 
service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on tribal lands. 

Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, 
desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute $10 to $50 
toward the purchase price. 

To qualify, you’ll need to show that your annual household income is at or below 135 percent 
of the federal poverty guidelines, which is $17,388 for one person or $23,517 for two. 
Or, if you’re receiving certain types of government benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps 
(SNAP), SSI, public housing assistance, veterans’ pension or survivors pension benefit, or 
live on federally recognized tribal lands. 

Households that experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020 due to 
job loss or furlough can also qualify for the EBB program, as long as their household income 
for 2020 was at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers. 

To apply, go to GetEmergencyBroadband.org where you can apply online or print out an 
application and mail it in. 

If you’re already receiving assistance through the federal Lifeline benefit (see LifelineSupport.
org), which is a $9.25 monthly subsidy for phone or internet costs, you automatically 
qualify for the EBB program, and you can receive both benefits at the same time. You can 
apply your EBB and your Lifeline benefit to the same or separate services. 

Or, if your broadband provider already has its own low-income or COVID-19 relief program, 
you may be able to qualify through this program as well. Talk to your broadband 
provider for more information. 

Low-Cost Internet 
If you’re not eligible for the EBB program, another resource for locating cheaper high-
speed internet is Aging Connected, which has a higher income qualification. 

Created by Older Adults Technology Services from AARP (OATS) and the Humana Foundation, 
Aging Connected is a nationwide campaign created to help lower-income seniors 
find low-cost, in-home broadband options in their area. 

Partnering with telecommunications companies, nonprofits and public entities, Aging 
Connected will help you search for services in your area that provide high-speed internet 
at a very low cost. Most participating companies charge around $10 to $15 per month, with 
no contract and no equipment fee. 

Aging Connected also provides referrals to affordable desktop and laptop computers for 
under $160. 

To qualify, you’ll need to show that your annual household income is at or below 185 percent 
of the federal poverty guidelines, which is $23,800 for one person or $32,200 for two. 
Or, if you’re receiving certain types of government benefits similar to the EBB program. 

To search, go to AgingConnected.org and type in your ZIP code, name and email address, 
or you can call 877-745-1930. 

Other Search OptionsIf you find that you’re not eligible for either of the previously listed resources, you may still 
be able to save on your internet by shopping and comparing. The best way to do this is at 
websites like InMyArea.com and BroadbandNow.com, both of which provide a list of internet 
providers in your area, along with pricing and download speeds. 

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim 
Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett 


SHOULD YOU LEAVE MONEY FOR YOUR SPECIAL 
NEEDS CHILD IN YOUR WILL? 

No, and let me explain why—when planning for a loved one 
with special needs, you must be extremely careful (and I recommend 
working with a lawyer experienced in this area), 
because if handled improperly, you can easily disqualify your 
loved one with special needs from much-needed government 
benefits. 

Because individuals with special needs often require a lifetime 
of care, most of them rely on government programs to offset the exorbitant costs of such 
care. However, these programs have strict income limits, so if you leave money directly to a 
person with special needs, such as through your will, you risk disqualifying him or her for 
those benefits. 

Instead, the government allows assets to be held in what is known as Special Needs Trusts 
or Supplemental Needs Trusts to provide complementary financial resources for a specific 
person for the rest of his or her life, while preserving their access to government benefits. 

These trusts allow a beneficiary to receive inheritances, gifts, lawsuit settlements, or other 
funds without losing eligibility for certain government programs. The trusts are drafted so 
the assets held in the trust will not be considered to belong to the beneficiary, thereby protecting 
his or her eligibility for public benefits. 

Just as the name implies, Supplemental or Special Needs Trusts are designed not to provide 
basic support, but instead to pay for extra goods and services that could not be paid for 
by public assistance funds. Therefore, the assets in these trusts typically pay for things like 
education, recreation, counseling, and medical attention which go beyond just the simple 
necessities of life. The beneficiary keeps his or her benefits but maintain a standard of living 
above that which benefits alone could provide. 

However, the rules for these trusts are complicated and such trusts are considered advanced 
planning techniques, so if you have a loved one with special needs, be sure to do your research 
and consult with a trusted advisor to make certain that upon your death, your loved 
one with special needs would have the financial means they need to live a full life, without 
jeopardizing their access to vital government benefits. 


Dedicated to empowering your family, building your wealth and 
defining your legacy, A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on amission to help parents protect what they love most. 
His office is located at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.
Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love andfinancial security for your family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.GarlettLaw.comfor more information. 


SENIOR ACTIVITIES IN SIERRA MADRE 

CHAIR YOGA 
Every Monday and Wednesday, 10-10:45 amChair yoga with Paul is coming back! Class be held in the Covered Pavilion in Memorial 
Park in front of the Senior Center. Please join us for some gentle stretching, yoga, balance exercise and overall 
relaxation. Classes will maintain a distance of 6 ft between participants. ALL participants must be wearing 
masks for the duration of the class. All equipment used will be sanitized after each use before it is stored. Each 
participant is responsible for providing their own water, masks and needed equipment or supplies for each class. 
Class size is limited so please call 264-8923 to reserve your spot. 

TAX ASSISTANCE 

If you are in need of assistance with your 2020 taxes please know that help is a phone call away. Don Brunner, Tax 
Saver, is not accepting in person consultations at the moment but available for a phone or email consult. Please 
call him at 626-447-8829 or email TAXSAVERD@gmail.com 

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP 
Have you ever thought about trying your hand at writing? Do you have an idea for a book and no idea how to 
begin? This program may be for you! Katy Nishimoto, Senior Editor with Random House, has graciously volunteered 
her time to lead this incredible writers workshop for seniors. Program participants will be given a prompt, 
a 10 minute writing task and a group reading. Discussions, readings and feedback to help guide your creative 
thinking into creative writing. If you have interest in writing nonfiction, a memoir, fiction or poetry then please 
call or email today to reserve your spot. Class will be limited to 10 participants. No writing skills or experience is 
required. Call Lawren Heinz at 626-355-7394 to reserve your spot and receive class information. 

MUG CRAFT 
Tuesday, May 18 at 11:00 am Join Lawren in making a delightful, colorful and artistic nail polish marbled mug! 
All supplies will be provided for you and we will meet in the Hart Park House patio. Please wear clothes you don’t 
mind getting nail polish on. To reserve your spot or ask questions please call Lawren Heinz at (626) 355-7394 or 
send an email to lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com 

IDEAS

 Do you have any ideas for programming? Is there a class or club you would like to see in our Senior Community? 
Please call or email Lawren Heinz with ideas or questions. 626-355-5278 x 704 lheinz@cityofsierramadre. 
com

 City staff are monitoring email communication daily, and although employees are minimizing direct engagement 
and interfacing less with the community, please note that voice messages, emails, and social media responses 
are being addressed in the most efficient and timely manner. If at any time additional information 
is needed, please contact City Hall Administrative Services at (626) 355-7135, Monday-Thursday from 7:30a 

– 5:30p, as they are taking messages and e-mailing the appropriate per-son. For messages that may trickle in 
otherwise, please note our team is remotely checking voicemail daily at the Community Services Department, 
(626) 355-5278 x702. 
SIERRA MADRE SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 
The City of Sierra Madre is following these procedures to provide current communication in light of COVID-19 
and keep the Senior Community and families informed of essential information and resources. City staff are 
monitoring email communication daily, and although employees are minimizing direct engagement and practicing 
social distancing in the community, please note that voice messages, emails, and social media responses are 
being addressed in the most efficient and timely manner.
If at any moment additional information is needed, please contact City Hall Administrative Services at (626) 
355-7135, Monday-Thursday from 7:30a – 5:30p, as they are taking messages and e-mailing the appropriate 
person.

For messages that may trickle in otherwise, please note our team is remotely checking voicemail daily at the 
Community Services Department, (626) 355-5278 x702.
Community Services Department will continue email communication with Senior residents and aging community 
members.

If you know of family members or neighbors who may benefit from accessing information electronically, and 
to receive the department’s Seniors Newsletter via email but may not otherwise have been included on an email 
group list, please send your request with email address to the following team members: Lawren Heinz Lheinz@ 
cityofsierramadre.com and Clarissa Lowe Clowe@cityofsierramadre.com.
City Social Media will continue via Facebook as well as Instagram, and information sharing will include updates 

as details becomes available. 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …May Birthdays* 

Beth Copti, Marilyn Diaz, Anne Schryver, Jo Ann Williams, Paul Hagan, Lenore Crilly 
Joann Serrato-Chi, Harriett Lyle, Jean Coleman, Birgitta Gerlinger, Donna Mathieson, 
Luciana Rosenzweig, Linda Wochnik, Marian Woodford, Debbie Sheridan, Joanne 
Anthony, Carole Axline, Kika Downey, Shirley Hall, Annie Scalzo, Janet Ten Eyck, Jane 
Thomas, Ray Burley. * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper 
at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

IT’S MY TONGUE I’LL WAG IT IF I WANT TO 

Like everybody else, I have my 

share of trouble. It’s not that I want 

to get into trouble, but trouble al


ways seems to be somewhere near 
where I am at the time. I regret that time when I was 
first introduced to trouble. 

Some trouble I can't prevent. It just happens, and no 
matter what I do, trouble is in the room. I don't think 
there's anything I can do about that, but I hope the 
trouble will not be that bad. 

I know some people in my family get into trouble 
on purpose. The grand goal of their life is to get into 
trouble on a variety of levels. Back in the day, when we 
had family reunions, this person, which will remain 
anonymous, did everything he possibly could to make 
trouble. 

Most of the family just ignored him and forgot what 
he was doing. He wanted to be remembered as the 
family troublemaker. Actually, he was remembered as 
the family Goofball. 

Another form of trouble is what people bring on intentionally. 
For some reason, they want to get into 
trouble, and get a lot of pleasure out of bullying. 

I could never understand this bullying mentality. 
What does anybody get from bullying somebody else? 
I remember in school, several guys got a lot of fun out 
of bullying other kids. 

That went on until Miss Ammon, the fifth-grade 
teacher, showed up. She had her way of unbullifying 
anybody that crossed her path. If she caught you, you 
were in more trouble than you could handle. 

Also, there is the trouble I get in by making a mistake. 
I didn't mean to do it, but for some reason, I did it, and 
as everybody knows, there are always consequences. 
Usually, the consequences aren't worth the trouble. 

I've had experience in just about all levels of trouble in 
one form or another. The steps on the ladder of progress 
and growth are trouble. If you can handle trouble, 
you then are progressing in your maturity. 

As terrible as all of these things are, one source of 
trouble outweighs all others. It has taken me a long 
time to understand the dimensions of this kind of 
trouble. 

What I’m thinking about at this point is my “tongue.” 

This tongue of mine has been the most significant 
source of trouble and problems through out my life. 
As I get older, it seems to get worse. 

A preacher friend of mine would talk about one of the 
older women in his church, and he said, "I often wondered 
if this woman ever had an unexpressed thought 
in her life." 

I know what he means because I often wondered that 
about myself. 

I have not yet learned that because I'm thinking about 
something, I do not need to speak it. Thinking doesn't 
get me in trouble; speaking gets me into deep trouble. 

Sometimes when the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
is speaking to me, I speak out loud without realizing 
it. Then comes the infamous, "What did you say?" 

Whenever I hear this, I know I'm in some kind of 
trouble. Either I didn't hear it right, or I did hear it 
right, and I responded. 

As a veteran husband, I should understand that she 
does not expect an answer whenever she asks a question. 
All she wants from her husband is a positive 
shaking of the head and a greasy smile. 

I know this, but sometimes I forget. If only I could 
train my tongue when to speak and when not to 
speak. There are times when that old tongue of mine 
will wag and wag, getting me into deep trouble. 

One morning right after breakfast, I was getting ready 
to leave when my wife said, “When will you be ready 
to do that job?” 

I looked at her quizzically and said, "What job?" 

She stared at me for a moment and then said, “You 
know. What we were talking about last night as we 
were watching TV.” 

I had no idea what she was talking about. I could remember 
watching TV the night before, but I had no 
idea what the conversation was about. 

“You don’t mean to tell me you’ve forgotten already?” 

Last night while watching TV, she talked about some 
projects she had in mind, and I wag my tongue in affirmative 
action. She assumed I knew what she was 
talking about and that I had agreed to that plan. 

If only my tongue had ears, I might not get into so 
much trouble. 

Now, I need my tongue to wag in a way to get me out 
of the trouble it got me into while it was wagging the 
night before. 

How many right wags does it take to correct one 
wrong wag? 

It would be wonderful if my tongue were attached 
somehow to my ears. Or maybe, better yet, to my 
brain. 

As I get older this seems to be more of a problem. 

In my dilemma, I thought of a verse of Scripture. 
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth 
great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire 
kindleth!” (James 3:5). 

Once you say something, it is impossible to unsay it. 
My tongue has got me into more trouble than all the 
other things in my life. But there's one thing about 
my tongue that can compensate for this. I can use my 
tongue to praise the God who created me. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com