Said Bruen, "Every 10 years, we have a census that goes into the re-drawing of our congressional districts, our state districts and our board of equalization district." The committee relies on public input and public information such as that provided by Westa-Lusk. Said Bruen, "But I'm not going to shy away from the fact that it has an incredible amount of private lobby interest working throughout the process, and Renee stood up from day one when she sent me an email and asked me if I was going to take care of this... This is somebody that not only fully understands the issue, but was advocating for our community in such an incredible way. There was no way I could say no to her."
Westa-Lusk was credited for providing Bruen a list of who's who and what's what in the process. Said Bruen, "I truly believe that, if she had not given me this information, we would have had a different outcome... I can tell the $3.7 billion worth of reconstruction that is happening on our base right now is the direct result of the relationship that Peggy Breeden, Kevin McCarthy, Senator Diane Feinstein and so many other people had to ensure the protection of this community following the July 2019 earthquakes. And that happens because we work those relationships." Westa-Lusk was also quoted as telling Bruen, "If you guys don't care, we are going to lose it." Westa-Lusk praised her husband for standing by her throughout the number of hours she spent watching committee meetings, often times held during the "dinner hours." "I thank Mayor Bruen for making it possible to receive the Key to the City of the Ridgecrest. I also thank all the members of the city council, David Janiek and all the others for their support and giving testimonies for their redistricting hearings." Westa-Lusk said she was humbled in receiving the key. Said Westa-Lusk, "Receiving this Key to the City makes me so thankful for my work on this redistricting for 18 months has not gone unnoticed." Westa-Lusk said she was passionate about working on the redistricting project because she realized the valley needed to be in a district that continues to be "the strongest and most advantageous possible on the state and federal levels of government." Said Westa-Lusk, "I believe in this community and the condition of China Lake, and I will always support you."
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6/1/2022 0 Comments Come to the Party!!!You are invited to come and celebrate the birth of the Christian Church.
WHEN: Sunday June 5th WHERE: St. Michael’s Episcopal Church WHAT TO WEAR: RED This coming Sunday is the birthday of the Christian Church. Please join us for service at 10am with cake and a party immediately following!!! On Sunday, June 5 at 10 a.m., St. Michael's will celebrate the Day of Pentecost with an Ante-Communion Service (the liturgy of the word from the eucharist without the Great Thanksgiving or communion of the people). The Rev. Deacon Cathy Kline will preside and preach. The service will be followed by Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall where we will serve cake to celebrate the birthday of the Church.
The term pentecost means “the fiftieth day.” It is used in both the OT and the NT. In the OT it refers to a feast of seven weeks known as the Feast of Weeks. It was apparently an agricultural event that focused on the harvesting of first fruits. The term is used in the NT to refer to the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1), shortly after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. Christians came to understand the meaning of Pentecost in terms of the gift of the Spirit. The Pentecost event was the fulfillment of a promise which Jesus gave concerning the return of the Holy Spirit. The speaking in tongues, which was a major effect of having received the Spirit, is interpreted by some to symbolize the church's worldwide preaching. In the Christian tradition, Pentecost is now the seventh Sunday after Easter. It emphasizes that the church is understood as the body of Christ which is drawn together and given life by the Holy Spirit. Some understand Pentecost to be the origin and sending out of the church into the world. The Day of Pentecost is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year in the Episcopal Church (BCP, p. 15). The Day of Pentecost is identified by the BCP as one of the feasts that is “especially appropriate” for baptism (p. 312). The liturgical color for the feast is red. God Willing and the People Consenting
The Right Reverend David Cappel Rice Bishop of San Joaquin Will Ordain José Antonio Álvarez Luke Aaron Martínez To the Sacred Order of Deacons in Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church on Saturday, the Eleventh of June Two Thousand Twenty-Two at Ten O’clock in the Morning. St. James Cathedral 4147 E. Dakota Ave. Fresno, CA 93726 Your prayers and presence are requested To RSVP: https://www.diosanjoaquin.org/deaconordination Led by Deacon Cathy. ![]() On May 17th, St. Paul's Book Group begins a new session with a book chosen specifically to coincide with Immigration month in June, The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez: A Border Story. (Available at Amazon.com) What happens when an undocumented teen mother takes on the U.S. immigration system? When Aida Hernandez was born in 1987 in Agua Prieta, Mexico, the nearby U.S. border was little more than a worn-down fence. Eight years later, Aida's mother took her and her siblings to live in Douglas, Arizona. By then, the border had become one of the most heavily policed sites in America. Undocumented, Aida fought to make her way. She learned English, watched Friends, and, after having a baby at sixteen, dreamed of teaching dance and moving with her son to New York City. But life had other plans. Following a misstep that led to her deportation, Aida found herself in a Mexican city marked by violence, in a country that was not hers. To get back to the United States and reunite with her son, she embarked on a harrowing journey. The daughter of a rebel hero from the mountains of Chihuahua, Aida has a genius for survival--but returning to the United States was just the beginning of her quest. Taking us into detention centers, immigration courts, and the inner lives of Aida and other daring characters, The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez reveals the human consequences of militarizing what was once a more forgiving border. With emotional force and narrative suspense, Aaron Bobrow-Strain brings us into the heart of a violently unequal America. He also shows us that the heroes of our current immigration wars are less likely to be perfect paragons of virtue than complex, flawed human beings who deserve justice and empathy all the same. Again the first of the four sessions is Tuesday, May 17, and each session begins at 3.30pm. You can access the Zoom session by clicking here and the passcode is 581362. Reading Schedule May 17 Part One: No Country for Young Women. Chapters1-9 May 24 Part Two: Trauma Red Chapters 10-16 May 31 Part Three: Slipknot Chapters 17-23 June 7 Part 4: Going Away to Come Back Chapters 24-29 (and Epilogue) 4/13/2022 0 Comments Immigration Month is ComingSJRAISE, the Diocesan Immigration Commission, will again be sponsoring Immigration Month this spring focused on immigrant and refugee voices in our midst. On four successive Wednesdays (6:30 - 8:00 PM) members of some of the diverse immigrant communities in our midst will be sharing their experience of being immigrants in the San Joaquin Valley.
May 25: Afghan Voices June 1: DACA Voices June 8: Asian Voices June 15: Voices of African descent All sessions will be held via Zoom. We hope you will join us! To receive the Zoom link for these sessions please register on the diocesan website: diosanjoaquin.org/immigrationmonth At the conclusion of the month’s activities the Diocese will be inviting us to contribute to the work of SJRAISE and their partners: Faith in the Valley, Episcopal Migration Ministries, and Episcopal Relief and Development. Funds gathered will be divided equally between them. Thanks in advance for your generous support.
4/4/2022 0 Comments Holy Week at St. Michael's
3/27/2022 0 Comments News from the Bishop's CommitteeYour Bishop's Committee met on Sunday, March 27.
3/5/2022 0 Comments The Visioning Workshop
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July 2024
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