16 minute read
OPINION
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Resources to help the homeless are available in Glendale
BY JUDGE GERALD A. WILLIAMS North Valley Justice of the Peace
Becoming homeless for many, if not most, can be as simple as a job loss plus a major unexpected bill. When people need food and shelter, their need is often obvious. Legal problems can be just as signifi cant — but are often hidden. Thankfully, there are some resources available.
A place to start is the Arizona Justice Center, which advocates for the homeless and for the working poor. Its services include free legal counseling, marriage and family counseling, addiction counseling, mail assistance for the homeless, and ID document storage for the homeless. It is also a SNAP (food stamps) distributor.
Its offi ce is located at 7142 N. 57th Avenue, Glendale. Its phone number is 623-847-2772.
The Brad Riner Assistance Offi ce at the First United Methodist Church is a little over three blocks away from the Arizona Justice Center. It can provide clothing, toiletries, sack lunches, food boxes and, in some cases, limited assistance with utility bills and with bus passes. The Riner Assistance Offi ce is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays. It is located at the church at 7102 N. 58th Drive. On Wednesdays, there is an informal worship service at the church at noon, which is followed by a free meal.
Maricopa County has a regional homeless court. It is designed to resolve problems for people who have arrest warrants for victimless misdemeanor offenses. Prosecutors, public defenders, counselors and judges work together to resolve cases and to allow people to perform community service in lieu of their fi nes. It is not an easy program and often takes months to complete.
Various justice courts and municipal courts can refer cases to the Regional Homeless Court. The court meets in a shelter, Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS), at 204 S. 12th Avenue in Phoenix. Its secessions resemble more of a graduation ceremony than a traditional court hearing because the judge is usually only giving good news. The Regional Homeless Court can be contacted at 602-506-0063.
Many people are homeless, or about to be homeless, through no fault of their own. If you are not in a position to help cure homelessness as a societal problem, perhaps you are in a position where you could help one person.
Judge Gerald A. Williams is the justice of the peace for the North Valley Justice Court. That court’s jurisdiction includes part of Glendale.
Baseball and politics are America’s pastimes
BY J.D. HAYWORTH Glendale Star Columnist
Whoever thinks there is no divine sense of humor may want to reconsider — especially after the latest occurrence of “the fi rst Tuesday following the fi rst Monday in November.”
In other words, Election Day 2021 or, as it will forever be known in Atlanta, “World Champions Day.”
With an ethereal sense of timing, politics and the national pastime again collided. And in this instance, the “Home of the Braves” prevailed.
The inaugural iteration of this column chronicled a rhetorical baseball “beaning” of the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia, which left both seeing stars — but not all-stars. Opening Day brought a verbal brickbat, delivered by the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue via ESPN, which apparently now stands for Expect Sports Politicized Nonstop.
Sure enough, Joe Biden — though old, slow and confused — apparently possessed enough verbal and muscle memory to use a “woke weapon.” During his ESPN interview, Joe attacked Georgia’s election reform law, calling it an “atrocity” and “Jim Crow on steroids.” He ignored the fact that the new statute expands early voting to 17 days statewide and gives counties the option to add two Sundays of voting for a total of 19 days of casting early ballots.
Never mind that Biden’s home state of Delaware provides no days for early balloting — the fi ctitious fl ames, fanned by ESPN, other outlets within the partisan press and, of course, the White House, soon stoked a “woke fi re.” Ol’ Joe then chimed in with his “remedy” of preference: Major League Baseball (MLB) should move the AllStar Game out of the Peach State.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred — no “Mighty Manfred,” he — morphed into “Rollover Rob” and hastily did Biden’s bidding, with the specious claim that moving the AllStar Game from Atlanta to Denver was the “best way to demonstrate our values as a sport.” If so, it was a curious way to demonstrate a commitment to racial justice.
When the All-Star Game exited Atlanta, a city with a population that’s 51% Black and historically known as a center of Black commerce, the economic loss was estimated at $100 mil-
SMITH’S OPINION – Las Vegas Sun
HAYWORTH FROM PAGE 10 lion.
While MLB placed a higher value on virtue signaling than genuine support of a “majority minority city,” it’s worth noting that “Corporate COVID” also infected Atlanta-based businesses. Both Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines succumbed to the virtue virus, denounced the Georgia election reforms. and were apparently fine with the loss of the All-Star Game.
But an interesting thing happened in Atlanta. The Braves discovered a vaccine for virtue signaling: victory.
Proving that the late, great, catcher-turned-author-turned-broadcaster Joe Garagiola was right when he titled his book “Baseball is a Funny Game,” the Braves had the last laugh.
Defying the odds, and their own winloss record, the Braves finally moved above .500 for good on Aug. 6, then finished the regular season with 88 wins and 73 defeats.
In the post-season, Atlanta outmuscled Milwaukee, leaving the Brewers crying in their beer. They found unlikely star power to defeat the Dodgers and brought the Astros back to earth, winning the World Series four games to two.
The series finale in Houston was especially impressive, as the Braves shut out the Astros, 7-0.
“Shut out” also accurately describes the policy triumphs of the Biden administration in its first year. Simply stated, there are none. An illegal invasion. A shameful abandonment of Americans in Afghanistan. Runaway inflation. Crippled supply lines. Radical school boards and leftist politicians denying parental authority, replacing education with indoctrination.
That last disturbing development prompted a political upset as unlikely as the Braves’ World Championship — and it occurred the same night.
Deep-blue Virginia, dependably Democrat, elected a Republican governor. Glenn Youngkin, who went from underdog to governor-elect, described his victory as a triumph of everyday Virginians, based on fundamental principles — and a rejection of radicalism.
With the congressional midterms and more gubernatorial elections slated for November 2022, Republican hopefuls are shouting, “Wait ’til next year!”
Political aspirants, whatever their partisan label, would do well to remember that electioneering is not a game.
But it is a competition, and with America poised to awaken from its “wokeness,” voters may be inspired by a spark of the “divine.”
As in “The Divine Comedy.”
J.D. Hayworth worked as a sportscaster at Channel 10, Phoenix, from 1987 until 1994 and represented Arizona in Congress from 19952007.
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November 11, 2021
Honor those individuals who wore the uniform
BY JUDY BLUHM Glendale Star Columnist
Will you enjoy a Veterans Day parade? Nov. 11 is the one great day to honor our men and women who served, watch the bands, the flags and the display of pride as we are reminded just how much we owe those who wear and wore the uniform.
The fighting of World War I ceased in 1918 when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This was regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of the Armistice Day in 1919. It was President Eisenhower who in 1954 changed the name to “Veterans Day.”
More than 18 million living veterans served during at least one war as of 2020. Seven million veterans served during the Vietnam War, and 3 million have served in support of the War on Terrorism. As of 2020, only 325,000 World War II veterans were still alive, but 16 million had served in that war. Every Veterans Day there is a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, which commences at exactly 11 a.m. with a wreath laying on the Tomb of the Unknowns.
If you haven’t been to the Anthem Veterans Memorial, you are missing out. The memorial has five pillars that represent the five branches of the United States military. They are staggered in size, and the military seal placements on each pillar are based upon the Department of Defense-prescribed precedence. At precisely 11:11 a.m. on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the sun’s rays will pass through each of the five pillars’ elliptical openings, with the shadows aligning precisely to illuminate a glass mosaic medallion of the Great Seal of the United States. For one thrilling minute, this monument can be seen in its full glory.
My father served in World War II, my husband was in Vietnam and my grandson is in the Navy. When Pearl Harbor was bombed, my father, like tens of thousands of young men, joined the Army Air Forces immediately. Stationed in England with the 450th Bomb Squadron of the 322nd Group, he recalls flying over France on a mission when the propeller fell off the plane. Land the plane in a farmer’s field, find some baling wire, have a French farmer and three airmen get the propeller back on the fuselage, and fasten it on with a wire used for hay.
Take off and make it back to base. To fly again, fight again and try to save humanity from the clutches of evil. So goes the stories of war.
Historians will analyze the effectiveness of wars we fought in, and our elected officials will decide on the new wars we will have to fight. But the “we” is really a group of devoted, loyal, highly trained, brave men and women who chose to join the military. Their commitment never ends, their work often underestimated, their experiences are often unimaginable.
Veterans Day exemplifies how thankful we are and how much we owe our men and women who fought, fight and serve.
Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Realtor. Have a comment or a story? Email her at judy@judybluhm.com.
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$1.92! YES, I want to share my blessings and feed hungry people in our community. Enclosed is my gift: Thanksgiving is just a few days away. But there’s still time to provide a hearty meal and more to a homeless neighbor.
Amount $_________ m My check is enclosed m I’d like to pay by credit card Card type ___________ Card number ________________________________________ Exp. ________ My phone number ( ______ ) _________________________________ Email address ____________________________________________________________ m Please send me email updates on the lives being changed at Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Turkey
Mashed potatoes & gravy
m $19.20 provides 10 meals & hope m $30.72 provides 16 meals & hope m $51.84 provides 27 meals & hope m $105.60 provides 55 meals & hope m $201.60 provides 105 meals & hope m $________ where needed most Mail: Return this slip with a check or credit card donation Phone: (602) 346-3336
Online: www.phoenixrescuemission.org/HolidayFeast
Name Address City/State/Zip You will receive a receipt.
Amount $_________ m My check is enclosed m I’d like to pay by credit card Card type ___________ Card number ________________________________________ Exp. ________ My phone number ( ______ ) _________________________________ Email address ____________________________________________________________ m Please send me email updates on the lives being changed at Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Turkey
Mashed potatoes & gravy
All the traditional Phoenix Rescue Mission PO Box 6708 trimmings Thank you! Phoenix AZ 85005-6708
Pie & coffee
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Complete Meal — Just $1.92
m $19.20 provides 10 meals & hope m $30.72 provides 16 meals & hope m $51.84 provides 27 meals & hope m $105.60 provides 55 meals & hope m $201.60 provides 105 meals & hope m $________where needed most Mail: Return this slip with a check or credit card donation Phone: (602) 346-3336
Online: www.phoenixrescuemission.org/HolidayFeast
Name Address City/State/Zip You will receive a receipt.
$1.92! YES, I want to share my blessings and feed hungry people in our community. Enclosed is my gift: Thanksgiving is just a few days away. But there’s still time to provide a hearty meal and more to a homeless neighbor.
Amount $_________ m My check is enclosed m I’d like to pay by credit card Phoenix Rescue Mission Card type PO Box 6708 ___________ Card number ________________________________________ Exp. ________ My phone number ( ______ ) Phoenix AZ 85005-6708 _________________________________ Email address ____________________________________________________________ m Please send me email updates on the lives being changed at Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Turkey
Mashed potatoes
& gravy U865669643 KD9A7NU UUU A G1 KH X 5
m $19.20 provides 10 meals & hope m $30.72 provides 16 meals & hope m $51.84 provides 27 meals & hope m $105.60 provides 55 meals & hope m $201.60 provides 105 meals & hope m $________where needed most Mail: Return this slip with a check or credit card donation Phone: (602) 346-3336
Online: www.phoenixrescuemission.org/HolidayFeast
Name Address City/State/Zip You will receive a receipt.
$1.92! YES, I want to share my blessings and feed hungry people in our community. Enclosed is my gift: Thanksgiving is just a few days away. But there’s still time to provide a hearty meal and more to a homeless neighbor.
Your generous contribution today will provide somuch more than a meal. This Thanksgiving, help turn a life around forever.
Amount $_________ m My check is enclosed m I’d like to pay by credit card Card type ___________ Card number ________________________________________ Exp. ________ My phone number ( ______ ) _________________________________ Email address ____________________________________________________________ m Please send me email updates on the lives being changed at Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Turkey
Mashed potatoes & gravy
All the traditional trimmings Thank you! Pie & coffee Phoenix Rescue Mission
PO Box 6708 Phoenix AZ 85005-6708
Complete Meal — Just $1.92
m $19.20 provides 10 meals & hope m $30.72 provides 16 meals & hope m $51.84 provides 27 meals & hope m $105.60 provides 55 meals & hope m $201.60 provides 105 meals & hope m $________where needed most Mail: Return this slip with a check or credit card donation Phone: (602) 346-3336
Online: www.phoenixrescuemission.org/HolidayFeast
Name Address City/State/Zip You will receive a receipt.
trimmings Pie & coffee Complete Meal — Just $1.92
YES, I want to share my blessings and feed hungry people in our community.
Enclosed is my gift: m $19.20 provides 10 meals & hope m $30.72 provides 16 meals & hope m $51.84 provides 27 meals & hope Mail: Return this slip with a check or credit card donation m m $105.60 provides 55 meals & hope $201.60 provides 105 meals & hope Mail: Phone: (602) 346-3336 Online: www.phoenixrescuemission.org/ HolidayMealReturn this slip with a check or credit card donation m $_______ where needed most Amount $_________ Phone: (602) 346-3336 Online: www.phoenixrescuemission.org/HolidayHelp m My check is enclosed m I’d like to pay by credit card Card type ________________________________________
Name Card number _____________________________________
Address Exp. ________ My phone number ( ______ ) _________ Email address ____________________________________
City/State/Zip Phoenix Rescue Mission PO Box 6708 m Please send me email updates on the lives being Phoenix AZ 85005-6708 changed at Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Phoenix Rescue Mission
PO Box 6708 Phoenix AZ 85005-6708 Thank you! You will receive a receipt.
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