Congressman Paul Cook's Newsletter: September 22, 2015

Congressman Cook Votes to End Abusive Lawsuits

Congressman Cook voted for HR 758, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act. This bill would prevent the filing of hundreds of thousands of pages of frivolous legal pleadings in federal court.

The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act ensures that judges impose monetary sanctions on lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits, including the attorney’s fees and costs incurred by the victim of frivolous lawsuits. It also abolishes the “safe harbor” provision in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that allows an attorney to avoid sanctions by withdrawing their suit within 21 days after a motion for sanctions has been filed.

This bill applies to cases brought by individuals, businesses, plaintiffs, and defendants. It seeks to reduce the billions of dollars wasted on frivolous lawsuits every year, which force individuals and businesses to spend thousands of dollars on litigation.

Military Academy Nominations

The new academic school year has started, and that means high school seniors from our district will begin the process of applying for college soon. If you are a current high school senior and are interested in attending one of our nation’s prestigious military academies, I encourage you to fill out an application through my office.

Young men and women who attend West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, or the Air Force Academy receive a world-class university education that gives them the skills to not only serve in their nation’s armed forces, but to lead successful careers later in life.

The deadline to apply is December 4, 2015. The application for a service academy nomination can be found by clicking here.

Public Lands Cleanup Set for Saturday

The Bureau of Land Management seeks volunteers for the 22nd Annual National Public Lands Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 26, 2015. National Public Lands Day is the largest single-day volunteer effort to benefit America’s public lands. This year’s theme is Heling Hands for America’s Lands. Volunteers should plan to arrive at 7:00AM at the Slash X Café, and the first 200 volunteers to arrive will receive free lunch provided by Slash X Café and a National Public Lands Day t-shirt. Volunteers will be working the Ord Mountain and East Stoddard Valley areas on general cleanup projects.

Volunteers should wear wide-brimmed hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses for sun protection and are asked to bring work gloves, rakes, wheelbarrows, and shovels. Personal trucks for hauling trash and debris are also welcome and appreciated.

For questions, please contact Cecilia Franklin at 760-252-6000. Volunteer registration forms are available at the BLM office at 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow.

San Bernardino National Forest National Public Lands Day

The San Bernardino National Forest Service is waiving fees on Saturday, September 26. No Adventure Pass is required for use of Standard Amenity Fee sites in recognition of National Public Lands Day.

The focus of National Public Lands Day is to instill a sense of shared stewardship and educate the public about the importance of natural resources. More than 170,000 volunteers are expected to provide assistance in the nation’s largest, hands-on volunteer effort to improve America’s public lands. Local Forest Service activities may range from maintaining trails and cleaning waterways to planting native vegetation.

Local activities on the San Bernardino National Forest include:
Pinyon – 9AM to 1PM - Volunteers will meet at Pinon Flats Transfer Station Rd. at Highway 74 Sawmill Trailhead near Pinyon Flat Campground from. where they will assist with trail improvements, trimming plants, planting native vegetation, removing weeds, sweeping and repairing fences. Please RSVP with Tracy Albrecht at 760-833-7127.

Fawnskin – 9AM to 3PM – 8AM to 12PM Volunteers will meet at the Big Bear Discovery Center and caravan to the Cactus Flat staging area for a day of planting, watering, erosion control, and seed collecting until. Please wear sturdy shoes and dress for working in the outdoors and bring gloves. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP with Deveree Kopp at 909-382-2831.

Lytle Creek – 8AM to 12PM - Volunteers will meet at the Applewhite Picnic Area from where they will pick up trash and also support clearing away dams, overgrown brush and overhanging tree limbs. Please wear sturdy shoes and dress for working in the outdoors. Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

For more information and local events, please click here or contact Jennifer Jenkins at 909-382-2763.

Veteran’s Information Seminar

On Friday, October 9, 2015, the Morongo Basin Chapter #60 of the Disabled American Veterans will be hosting a free informational seminar for disabled veterans and their families. The seminar will provide information regarding specific veteran’s benefits and services from the Veteran’s Administration (VA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other government agencies. Members of the DAV National Service Officer Corps will conduct the informational seminars. These members provide excellent counseling for veterans and their families on claim filing issues.

The informational seminars are free, and you do not have to be a member of DAV to attend. Veterans of all ages and their families, including spouses and children, are encouraged to attend.

The seminars will be held on Friday, October 9, 2015, at Elk Lodge #2134, 6501 Elk Trail Twentynine Palms, CA 92277. For more information, please visit www.dav.org or contact Michael Smith, 2nd Junior Vice Commander, DAV Morongo Basin, CA, at 760-217-4610.

Inaugural Air Rifle Shooting Competition at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center

The Morongo Basin #60 Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans will be hosting the inaugural Air Rifle Shooting Competition at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, CA. The event is co-sponsored by the National Rifle Association, the MCAGCC Marksman Training Unit, and Z107.7 FM.

All veterans are welcome, and any and all disabilities will be accommodated. Sign-in and range safety instructions begin at 7:30AM, and the competition begins at 9:00AM. This is a family-friendly event and no alcohol will be allowed. Families will enjoy shaded bleachers and shooters are encouraged to bring camp chairs. A lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and soda will be provided.

Entry fees are $25.00 per adult and $15.00 per child (16 and under).

Please send contact information (full name, address, phone number, and email address) to the DAV CA-Morongo Basin Chapter #60 Air Rifle Shooting Competition Committee Chairman Keith Brownmiller at 760-831-9821 or at brownmil@gmail.com. Contact information is required to gain clearance to the Marine Corps Base. There will be prizes for different categories of shooters.

TIME CHANGE: Loma Linda VA Holds Town Hall

The VA Loma Linda Healthcare System senior leadership will hold a Veterans’ Town Hall on September 25, 2015 to receive feedback from veterans, their family members or other beneficiaries.

The town hall event will be from 2:30PM to 4PM in the auditorium of the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Medical Center, 11201 Benton Street in Loma Linda.

Senior leadership and other experts from the local VA healthcare system will be present to hear directly from veterans and their families.

LAST CALL: Veterans Apply for High School Diploma

The San Bernardino County Department of Veterans’ Affairs and San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools have launched a new initiative called the San Bernardino County Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project. It allows veterans whose high school careers were interrupted by military service the opportunity to receive their diplomas. The program is open to veterans who received an honorable discharge from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as well as Japanese-Americans who were forced into internment camps during WWII. The program is free of charge with the only requirement being established residence in San Bernardino County.

The deadline to apply for the seventh annual County Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project is September 25, 2015

Applications can be downloaded from the County Schools’ website at https://vdp.sbcss.k12.ca.us/. For assistance with verification of military service and/or discharge papers, contact the County Department of Veterans Affairs at (866) 472-8387 or (909) 387-5516.

For more information, please contact Samantha Koker at County Schools at (909) 386-2412.