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Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 since 1970. It is a time to demonstrate support for environmental protection and an important reminder that we all have a role to play in protecting the planet. For Earth Day 2024 on April 22nd, EARTHDAY.ORG is reinstating its unwavering commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040

 Credit for the Earth Day idea goes to Gaylord Nelson, an American politician from Wisconsin and leading figure in the fight against environmental degradation and social injustice. Rachel Carson, a marine biologist and best-selling author provided the spark for this movement with the 1962 publication of her book, "Silent Spring" which showed the devastating effects of modern pesticides on the natural world.

The wintry west extends his blast,
   And hail and rain does blaw;
Or, the stormy north sends driving forth
   The blinding sleet and snaw:
While, tumbling brown, the burn comes down,
   And roars frae bank to brae;
And bird and beast in covert rest,
   And pass the heartless day.

“The sweeping blast, the sky o’ercast,”
   The joyless winter-day
Let others fear, to me more dear
   Than all the pride of May:
The tempest’s howl, it soothes my soul,
   My griefs it seems to join;
The leafless trees my fancy please,
   Their fate resembles mine!

Thou Power Supreme whose mighty scheme
   These woes of mine fulfil,
Here, firm, I rest; they must be best,
   Because they are Thy will!
Then all I want—O do Thou grant
   This one request of mine.—
Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,
   Assist me to resign.

Robert Burns (1759 – 1796), was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although he also wrote in English. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland. Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them.

One of the most frequent questions I get about Medicare is “Do I need to sign up for Medicare when I turn 65 if I have employer group coverage?” And the answer is: It depends….

It depends on the size of the employer group and some other factors:
• Your cost for the coverage (including premium contribution and out of pocket expenses for deductibles, copays and your annual out of pocket maximum)
• If the employer plan benefits meet your needs (benefits, provider network)

NOTE: If your employer group is less than 20 employees, you should sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B when you are first eligible or face a lifetime late enrollment penalty. Your Initial Enrollment Period is a seven month window:

• 3 months prior to your 65th birthday,
• your birthday month and
• 3 months after your birthday month

With employer groups of less than 20 full time employees, Medicare is the primary payer and your employer group coverage pays secondary based on the benefit plan.

If your employer group is more than 20 employees, and offers medical and prescription drug coverage that is at least as good as Medicare (aka "creditable coverage"), you may not need to sign up for Medicare Part B right away. However, it's important to review the benefits and cost of your employer plan compared to the benefits and cost of Medicare plus a Supplement and drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan. In many cases, people save money by enrolling with Medicare.

There are several options for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans available, and the key is determining which one will offer you the best coverage based on your healthcare needs, your lifestyle and your budget.

Medicare agents must be licensed in the state they sell products and must complete an annual certification and insurance company specific product training each year to assure they are qualified to help beneficiaries in making good choices. If you need assistance with your Medicare decisions, please contact me at 206-569-5415 or by email at suderloy@gmail.com. I am a licensed and certified health insurance agent in WA State and represent multiple health insurance companies. I can help you with your decision and enrollment for the plan that best meets your needs.

On a soaked fence-post a little blue-backed bird,
Opening her sweet throat, has stirred
A million music-ripples in the air
That curl and circle everywhere.
They break not shallow at my ear,
But quiver far within. Warm days are near!

Max Forrester Eastman (1883 – 1969) was an American writer on literature, philosophy and society, a poet and a prominent political activist. Moving to New York City for graduate school, Eastman became involved with radical circles in Greenwich Village. He initially supported socialism but became highly critical first of Stalinism and then of communism and socialism in general, becoming an advocate of free market economics. He was also a leading patron of the Harlem Renaissance and an activist for a number of liberal and radical causes. In later life, he published more frequently in National Review and other conservative journals, but he always remained independent in his thinking. For instance, he publicly opposed United States involvement in the Vietnam War in the 1960s, earlier than most. Wikipedia

"...The Washington Legislature is asserting that legislators have a previously unknown personal privilege to withhold from public disclosure the documents they use in their work for the people. No such “legislative privilege” applies to legislative records. Read more

Saratoga Passage, WA