Happy 4th Of July  

Dear Friends,  
 
     I want to wish you all a very happy Fourth of July.  This is our Country's 241st birthday and I am very proud to be part of our Democracy.  I thank you for the privilege of representing you and allowing me to take an active part in what it means to live and work in this great Country!   
 
Veterans' Information and a Thank You!    
     The Fourth of July also reminds us that we all owe a debt of gratitude and appreciation to all our active military and our veterans. Your service continues to make us all proud and free and I want you to know you are appreciated. I receive job notices and other important information for veterans from the Maryland Department of Veterans' Affairs. You can receive these newsletters as well by signing up at http://veterans.maryland.gov/   I have reprinted their most recent notice below. You may want to note that it details changes to fees for internment in veteran cemeteries and medical studies notifications. 

     I am also including a link to one of their Jobs for Maryland Veterans Newsletters which has information on job fairs and openings for veterans. The MDVA sends these on a regular basis so I encourage you to sign up if you, or a veteran you know, is looking for employment.  Veteran Newsletter

Summertime Heat Information 
     Summertime in the D.C. area also means thunderstorms.  I have attached links to a newsletter from BG&E regarding some consumer tips and numbers should you need them this summer. BGE News Release  

     Heat can also be a dangerous to our animals.  Here is a link to tips for keeping our pets safe this summer and phone numbers should you need them.  Practice Proper Pet Protection During the Summer Heat

IRS Debt Collection     
     IRS scams continue to be a big business in the country.  The Maryland Volunteer Lawyer's Service (MVLS) sent me a newsletter recently which had some news I thought worthy of sharing.  I have reprinted it below.  Remember, even though the IRS is now using private debt collection services, you will always be contacted by the IRS first by U.S. mail and you will always pay the IRS directly not the debt collector. See the notice from MVLS below.

"Low-income residents are often targeted for a variety of scams and cannot afford to lose what few resources they have access to. For many years, we've been able to say if the IRS is calling you to collect a debt, it's a scam. However, as of last month, the IRS has begun contracting with four debt collection agencies to collect old debt.   
If a client has IRS debt older than two years, they may have gotten a letter from the IRS about their account being transferred to a private debt collector. Clients in this position will receive two letters explaining the process. The first letter will be sent from the IRS and the second letter will be from one of the following private debt collection companies: CBE, ConServe, Performant, and Pioneer. 
The private debt collectors will not ask for the client to pay directly. They will request an electronic payment through IRS.gov/payments or ask them to send a check made out to the US Treasury. People who call claiming to be from the IRS and ask them to make payments over the phone are scammers. The authorized debt collectors will always be live on the phone, rather than
pre-recorded messages. They will reference the authentication number that the client can find in the letters from the IRS. 
For more information, click here . "
    
Job Fairs and Training 
There are two upcoming job events which may be of interest to you or someone you know.
     The first is a one day Workforce & Training Round-Up offering connections to partners offering over 200 free training and programs to help Prince George's County resident increase their skills and gain employment.  The Workforce & Training Round-Up will take place on July 13th at 1pm at the Prince George's One Stop.  The Round-Up will provide residents with access to all of our local service providers and partners, and expedite their assessment and enrollment processes.  Workforce & Training Round-Up Flyer
     The second event is an upcoming Bilingual Latino Job Fair and Career Readiness Sessions which is being put on by the Prince George's Economic Development Corporation.  All events will take place between July 19th - July 21st at the Prince George's One Stop. This will be a great opportunity for our Bilingual Latino Community to update their resumes, prepare for interviews and meet with local employers about their current job openings. Bilingual Job Fair and Career Readiness Flyer

MAGLEV Meeting Reminder 
       MAGLEV officials are scheduled to make a presentation to the Bowie City Council on July 10th at Bowie City Hall at 8 p.m. I urge you to attend and learn about this issue.  It appears that the decision on the final proposed routes target many neighborhoods in Bowie and may have a substantial impact on our town.
Geraldine Valentino-Smith
Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith
6 Bladen Street Room 427
Annapolis, MD  21401
301-858-3101/410-841-3101

By Authority of Friends For Geraldine Valentino-Smith, Elizabeth Ryan, Treasurer