Volume 23 Issue 2 October 2014

Bay Area
Retired School Personnel

Officers
President
Sandy DeWaele
josandew@charter.net

1st Vice President
Joyce Sigelko

2nd Vice President
Betty Defrain
Janet Brandt

Interim-Secretary
Margaret Bird

Treasurer
Phil Bosco

Past President
Dr. Mary Boettger



BARSP
Luncheon Meetings
Lumber Barons
Brewery
804 E. Midland St.
2nd Floor
11:00
October 13
November 10
March 9
April 13
May 11


Presidents Message

October is always an important BARSP meeting. Make your reservation for
Monday, October 13, 2014 to hear Laurie Zammarelli, Manager of Accounts
for MPSERS, explain Current Insurance Benefits. One change Laurie will mention is
the following procedural update I received from Joan Hildinger.

Insurance Change: Ken Kelley, MARSP Area 21 Director informed us that the MARSP
Executive Committee announced that as of July 29, 2014, medicare members are not
mandated to return Blue Cross Health Assessment nor receive a wellness physical in
order to receive deductible reductions for 2015. In other words medicare members will
automatically receive the deductible reduction as they did in 2014. However, non-
medicare members must return the assessment and receive the wellness physical exam
sometime between October 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015, in order to receive the deducti-
ble.
Calling Committee Disbanded: I want to give a personal thanks to all who volunteered
to be part of the BARSP calling committee formed in 2012. Im proud to report that the
calling committee has met its purpose of getting to know our members better with the
idea more members will attend BARSP meetings if they felt a personal contact with
someone. The committee achieved its goal to personally contact each member with a
phone number in the Directory, on a rotating basis. Thanks again calling committee
members for your service. Just because the committee has disbanded does not mean
we cant reach out and invite people to attend the meetings with us. As I always say, the
Each One Reach One philosophy is very effective. There is power in personal contact!

Community Service: We will be collecting used magazines for the hospitals at our Oc-
tober meeting. Please remove or blacken out the mailing labels. I have labels to affix to
the magazines that read: Donated by Bay Area Retired School Personnel-BARSP.
Thanks JoAnn Vanover and Lois Gottleber for volunteering to apply the labels and de-
liver the magazines. I am not as pleased with the response received for volunteers to
help with this years Community Services Projects. It is important for BARSP to make its
name and purpose known. The community needs to be aware that BARSP is not only a
group that protects retired school personnels pensions and benefits but also cares
about and supports the community. JoAnn and Lois will need more volunteers to assist
them with the magazines. Please consider helping them in October.
Legislation: With all three branches of state government once again in conservative
control, we not only need to be aware of public policy activity in Lansing, but also be pre-
pared to do our part to protect our retiree benefits. Each of us has to be ready to call,
write and meet with our legislators to let them know how we stand on new legislation.
Read the VANGUARD and register at MARSP.org to keep informed. Remember to
vote on November 4, 2014!!!
Sandy
VOLUME 23 ISSUE 2 BAY AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL PAGE 2
From the Magazine Committee
We need you to help deliver used magazines (no older than 6 months) to places like: nursing
homes, Redi-med centers, Samaritan rescue mission, beauty shops, doctors offices, Laundro-
mats. Come and join us! Remember to drop off your magazines as you come in the door at
Lumber Barons.
Insurance Report
Non-Medicare Members: colonoscopies continue to be a problem. Have the doctor write it up as diagnostic. The doc-
tor's office can get it approved by Blue Cross before the test. (That's a good idea for any type of test.) I heard several
horror stories where the colonoscopy was written as screening by the doctor or the testing site. The patient was billed
for thousands of dollars. They had a terrible time trying to get it changed, and in one case it never got changed. They
are paying the bill. (This was also discussed in the March/April Vangurd issue page 10.)
Remember, the free annual wellness exam within the first quarter of 2015. You can schedule your appointment Janu-
ary - March 31 of 2015. New Medicare Members (or soon to be): Catamaran may not get your new prescription card to
you on time. If you are close to the first of the month in which you are turning 65 and have not received your new card,
contact them. They can give you numbers to use until your card arrives.
Catamaran Rx
www.mycatamaranrx.com
(855) 577-6517
Medicare Members: The survey from John Hopkins was on a volunteer basis. However ,if you don't return it you may
get a phone call or another survey. If you do the survey, you should get a note from them on items to discuss with your
doctor on your next visit. I understand that medicare members may not be required to do the Living Well program for
2015 to receive the lowest deductible. The Blue Cross/Blue Shield representative will be at our October Meeting.
Greeters for 2014-2015
October, 2014 Grace Chevalier, Lois
Gottleber, Rosanne Heme
November, 2014 Kathryn Bremer,
Joan and Ron Hildinger
March, 2015 Sandra Hines, Stella
Peoples, Barbara Wall
April, 2015 Patricia Anderson Janet
Dixon, Dolores Maillette
May, 2015: Betty Clifford, Marilyn
Morales, Jeanine Link

Thanks All!! JoAnn
Dr. Mary Boettger
Dee Bishop
Kathy Bremer
Grace Chevalier
Shirley Clemens
Betty Clifford
T. Betty DeFrain
Sandy DeWaele
Janet Dixon
Mary Ida Doan
Deb Faccio
Mary Garcia
Brenda Gary
Franklin Grant
Rosanne Heme
Joan Hildinger
Ron Hildinger
Bill Jones
Marion Jones
Ruth King
LeRoyce Lather
Carl Learman
Janine Link
Kathy McMillan
Shari Neuman
Phil Paulus
Sandy Paulus
Avis Peppel
Sue Post
Cindy Shaheen
Joyce Sigelko
Joan Sinke
Warren Sinke
Barb Skowronski
Rika Smith
Kay Tremble
JoAnn VanOver
Phyllis Woody
Thanks
Carl Learman

October Pre-Pays
Mary Gomez
Becky Thompson
Jo Brozewski
William Jurgens
Ellen Holes
John James
Clifford McMahan
Phyllis Mohr
Linda Rivard
Mary Post
Diana Tuttle
Kay Bridenbaugh
Anne Harris
Martha Moody
Carol Roszatycki
In Memoriam
Norman Wolner
Evelyn Perry
Lillian Jenkins
Harold Schultz
Cindy says...
Please check your newsletter address
label. It should read A15 (Active through
June 2015), or LIF (Life membership) or
HON (Honorary for those 90+ years old).
If it is A14, you need to pay your dues.
Some of our members paid MARSP for a
three year membership and thought the
$90 included BARSP dues. It does not, so
if you want to remain a BARSP member
please get your dues paid.
If you did not pick up your directory in Sep-
tember, please pick it up at the October
meeting. All others will be mailed.
Encourage your friends to join BARSP
after the first of the year to get the most for
their money. They can be your guest until
next spring.
SNOW-BIRDS: Contact Cindy Bosco with
your travel plans. Include a forwarding
address and the dates you will be gone.
Thanks and ENJOY!
Anyone looking for a fun and interesting
way to help BARSP? I would love to hand
over the position of Membership Chair.
Contact me even if you are just slightly
interested.
Cindy Bosco Membership Chair
989.274.8862
p-c-bosco@sbcglobal.net

Welcome Aboard
VOLUME 23 I SSUE 2 BAY AREA RETI RED SCHOOL PERSONNEL PAGE 3
BARSP Meeting September 8, 2014 (Minutes)
Meeting was called to order by President Sandra Dwaele.Sandra
led the Pledge of Allegiance. Cindy Bosco led AMERICA THE
BEAUTIFUL. Deceased members names were read: Norma Wol-
ner, Evelyn Perry, Lillian Jenkins, Harold Schultz. New members
are: Mary Gomez, Becky Thompson, Jo Brozewski, William Jur-
gens, Ellen Holes, John James, Clifford McMahan, Phyllis Mohr,
Linda Rivard, Mary Post, Diana Tuttle, Kay Bridenbaugh, Anne
Harris, Martha Moody, and Carol Roszatycki. September birthday
celebrants were wished Happy Birthday in song.
PROGRAM: Beth Eurih from the Bay County Division on Aging
spoke on the services that are provided to Bay County residents
age 60 and older. Programs are funded through senior millage
funds, donations, cost-shared contributions, and fees from sen-
iors, as well as grants from the State and Federal government.
Some of the programs are: home delivered meals, senior dining
centers, homemaking, caregiver training and personal care. If you
are interested in any of these programs, please call 989-895-4100
Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. A monthly
newsletter lists activities and meal menus. Please call 895-4100
to order your copy. You can access their website at
www.baycounty-mi.gov/Aging. A certificate of appreciation was
presented to Beth. President Sandra Dewaele asked if there were
any corrections to the minutes for May. A motion to accept the
minutes was made by Dr. Mary Boettger and seconded by Kath-
ryn Heyl. Motion carried.
TREASURERS REPORT: Phil Bosco reported the following








We were able to give one time donations this year to: Santa
House $400, Helen M. Nickless Volunteer Clinic and Imagination
Station $500 each. At our March 2014 BARSP meeting, a motion
was passed to give $500 to the MARSP Voluntary Benefit De-
fense Fund (VBDF) in memory of our deceased members , in-
stead of the MARSP Lower Level Project. We raised $803 in ad-
ditional contributions from our members. This enabled us to send
a check totaling $1,303 for the VBDF, to support them in their
efforts to keep our health and pension benefits. Motion to accept
the treasurers report was made by Susan Curtiss and seconded
by Florine Schutkowski. Motion carried. A motion to accept the
proposed budget of $4,500 for 2014-2015 was made by Marty
Gilkey and seconded by Avis Peppel. Motion carried.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT: presented by Dr. Mary Boettger. State
Representative Charles Brunner,a member of BARSP,is running
for re-election. He is a retired Midland Public School teacher and
has worked hard to keep our benefits . Ron Mindykowski is run-
ning for the State Senate. He teaches in the Bay City Public
Schools and has experienced school cutbacks. He will work for us
if elected. The Senate seat is currently held by Mike Green who is
chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council, which works
behind closed doors to rewrite laws to bolster corporate profits.
The aim of this group is to wipe out public pensions for present
retirees and those who hope to retire one day. The MARSP Leg-
islative Committee is not a Political Action Committee (PAC). We
are not being told how to vote, but we are being given information
to help us make our own informed vote. Efforts to reduce public
employee retiree benefits will not stop when the legislators reduce
the states budget again. Study the facts and be a knowledgeable
voter in November. Remember to vote November 4, 2014. Read
the VANGUARD and register at MARSP.org to keep informed.
PRESIDENTS REPORT: MARSP has 103 chapters. We were
one of only 35 chapters that received the Chapter Recognition
Award Gold Seal in 2014 for supporting the programs and goals
of MARSP, as well as maintaining contributing programs within
our local community. Congratulations to all. Keep up the good
work! The MARSP Executive Committee announced that as of
July 29, 2014, medicare members are not mandated to return
Blue Cross health assessment form, nor receive a wellness
physical in order to receive deductible reductions for 2015. In
other words, medicare members will automatically receive the
deductible reduction as they did in 2014. However, non-medicare
members must return the assessment and receive the wellness
physical exam sometime between October 1, 2014 and March 31,
2015 in order to receive the deductible. More information on
health insurance will be coming at our October meeting. A big
thank you to all who volunteered to be part of the BARSP calling
committee. By making a personal contact you have strengthened
our membership.
Please bring your used magazines to our October meeting.
Please remove or blacken out the mailing labels. We will affix
labels to the magazines that read: Donated by Bay Area Retired
School Personnel BARSP. JoAnn Vanover and Lois Gottleber
have volunteered to deliver the magazines. More help will be
appreciated. It is important that we let the community know that
BARSP is not only a group that protects retired school person-
nels pensions and benefits but that we also care the about the-
Bay Community.

(continued page 4)
Make check payable to BARSP and mail by October 7
Carl Learman
6353 Lawndale Rd.
Saginaw MI 48604

Current Insurance
Benefits
Laurie Zammarelli

BARSP Meeting Reservation Form
Monday October 13 , 2014 at Lumber Barons Brewery on Midland St.
$9.50 per person
Name(s)_________________________________________ ________________________________________

No. Attending ________________ Amount Enclosed __________________________(please do not staple)
Income $5,915.88
Expenses $4,461.26
Check Acc. $7.352.44
Sav. Acc . $ 837.27
CD $7,000.00
Life Acc $7,000.00
VDF $1,303.00

Presorted
STANDARD
U.S. Postage Paid
Bay City, MI
Permit No. 30
VOLUME 23ISSUE 2 October 2014
BAY AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL
2245 Carroll Road
Bay City, Michigan 48708
Meet Dee Bishop

Dee (Helen) Bishop has lived in Bay City since 1976 and retired from the Pinconning Area School District in 2010. Her
career in Pinconning began in January, 1977, when she was hired to teach sixth grade at Central Elementary. Through-
out the next 33 years she taught at Linwood Elementary and Pinconning Middle School, where she taught math and
American history.
Dee was born and lived in upstate New York, mostly in Fredonia, until her second year of high school, when her father took
a job in Caro, Michigan. During the next few years she had the opportunity to live in Honolulu, Hawaii, Seattle, Washington and
Palm Springs, California. In 1976 she returned to Western Michigan University and completed her student teaching in Bangor Town-
ship. She took an educational leave of absence in 1981-1982 to attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and
earned a Master of Arts in Education and Human Development (Special Education). While there, one of her most memorable and
rewarding experiences was orchestrating a field trip of middle and high school students to the Air and Space Museum. The entou-
rage arrived with numerous wheelchairs, aides, attendants and one teacher!
Dee is very involved with the Humane Society of Bay County and has served on its board since 2008. She is currently vice
president and chair of the annual fundraiser Canines, Cats and Cupids to be held on Valentines Day next year. She also served
on the board of directors in Pinconning and has always been involved with educational issues. Dee also enjoys the theater, espe-
cially musicals. Her involvement with OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) keeps her busy attending classes and going on trips.
She enjoys traveling and recently returned from a trip to Alaska.
September Minutes (cont. )
Sue Post reported that non-medicare members are entitled to a free wellness visit and blood work but they must make sure when
they call the doctors office that it is written up as a wellness visit not a physical exam. You also have to fill out the wellness form
and declare a primary home physician. Those over 65 do not have to fill out the wellness survey. Wellness exam visit is free.
LUNCH RESERVATIONS: Carl Learman reported 85 reservations and 85 attendees.
50/50 Drawing Winners: Linda Cauchy Niedzwiecki (Guest) $57, Janet Brandt $19, Leroyce Lather $19
Special free lunch drawing given by Ron Mindykowski: winner Beverly Shelburg.
Special free lunch drawing given by Charles Brunner: winner Janet Dixon. Blessing given by Joan Hildinger. Geraldine Welter will
give the blessing in October. Our next meeting will be October 13
th
at 11:00 AM at Lumber Barons Brewery. Motion to adjourn meet-
ing was made by Nancy Kasperski. Barbara Skowronski seconded it. Motion passed.

Submitted by Secretary Ann Waterman