Around the District

Lancaster School Board
Last week my staff honored Lancaster School Board Members Mel Kleven and John Miller. Thank you to both of you for your leadership, commitment and service to the families and students of the Antelope Valley.

Thank you Mel Kleven and John Miller

An Update in Porter Ranch
My staff attended the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council meeting on December 3 to gather information about the ongoing gas leak. We will continue to post updates as we learn more about the next steps in solving this issue.

Honoring Unsung Heroes
Congratulations and thank you to the Wagner Family, the Bomberger Family, Earle “Rusty” Moore, Pegah Hunt, and Sandra Manning for everything you do for the Santa Clarita community without asking for praise or recognition. My office honored these “unsung heroes” last week at the SCV Community Volunteer Recognition Luncheon.

Last week’s SCV Community Volunteer Recognition Luncheon

Leadership Simi Valley
On Friday morning I spoke about legislation and local issues at the Leadership Simi Valley program. This is a ten week program through the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce that identifies and develops effective leaders in the community.

Leadership Simi Valley

Simi Valley Senior Center
I visited the Simi Valley Senior Center last week to provide a legislative update and discuss how my office can help with any issues regarding Social Security, Veterans Administration, IRS, Medicare. If you are having difficulty with one of these, or any other federal agency, visit my website here.

Free Clinic of Simi Valley
Thank you to the Free Clinic of Simi Valley for providing me with a great tour of your facility on Friday. This clinic provides many needed services at no cost for the residents of Simi Valley. More information on them here.

Lancaster Christmas Parade
What a joyous time to participate in the Lancaster Christmas Parade on Saturday morning. I love seeing the community come together to celebrate the holiday!

Getting festive in Lancaster

Military Academy Appointments
My Military Academy Appointments Selection Committee spent their entire Saturday conducting interviews with candidates. Thank you to all the committee members for your commitment! Stay tuned for updates on who was selected this year.

My Military Academy Appointments Selection Committee

Stuff–a-Bus
Over the weekend I stopped by the West Lancaster Walmart to see the Stuff–a-Bus program in action. Stuff–a-Bus is a great way to help Antelope Valley Transit Authority collect new toys and clothes for local children in need this holiday season. For more information on how to participate, visit here.

AVTA’s Stuff-a-Bus

App Challenge
Don’t forget, my office is taking submissions from high school students for the Congressional App Challenge through January 15! For more information, visit my website here.

Heroin Briefing Last week I attended a briefing on the prevalence of fentanyl in heroin as part of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic. I gathered some good information that built on the input that I recently received from the Simi Valley Task Force on Heroin Prevention. Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic Red Cross On December 1st the American Red Cross hosted a Holiday Mail for Heroes event at the Capitol. I stopped by the write some letters to our brave servicemen and women who are deployed overseas. More information on the Holiday Mail for Heroes program here. Holiday Mail for Heroes Preparing for El Nino On Tuesday my office participated in a conference call with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to get an update on how they are preparing for next year’s El Nino. Now is the time to take steps to protect your home and your family from the storms, so please visit this website to learn about how to prepare. Calling All Interns! Do you know anyone who is looking for work experience or wants to gain firsthand knowledge of the legislative process? My Washington, D.C. Office is currently accepting interns for 2016. Qualified candidates are encouraged to visit my website. Come intern in DC, just like Ashlyn!