Political Watch 9/25/14

• The League of Women Voters is holding one more forum in September regarding the 2014 election; it will be held at the Betteravia Government Center, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria. The forum will lay out the pros and cons of Measure P on Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be two speakers in favor and two against. League of Women Voters members will hand out blank cards so audience members can write questions for the speakers to answer. The forum is free, and the public is invited to attend. The League is a national, non-partisan organization dedicated to the informed and active participation of citizens in government.

• Vandenberg Village Community Service District candidate Robert Bumpass is holding meet and greets on two different mornings at the Village Coffee Shop. Bumpass will be available to answer questions and meet the public on Sept. 28 from 9 to 11 a.m. and Oct. 11 from 9 to 11 a.m. For more information, contact Bumpass at [email protected].

• The Lompoc Vandenberg branch of the American Association of University Women will sponsor a Lompoc city candidates forum on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Grossman Gallery of the Lompoc Library. All mayoral and City Council candidates have been invited. After all the candidates respond to prepared questions, the moderator will collect written questions from the audience and present selected questions to the candidates. For more information, contact Mary Ellen Brooks at 733-3462.

• On Sept. 17, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to help prevent childhood obesity by encouraging healthy eating and physical activity in after-school programs. Senate Bill 949 establishes a voluntary California Distinguished After School Health (DASH) recognition program. It proposes standards for physical activity, screen time, and the serving of fruits and vegetables for after-school programs. The after-school programs that choose to meet the proposed requirements will be awarded a DASH certificate. Under the bill, parents can access the list of DASH-certified programs on the California Department of Education’s website. “Childhood obesity is a challenge we should be tackling on a number of fronts,” Jackson said in press release. “Good eating and exercise habits, when developed early, can add to the long-term quality of life and reduce the costs of healthcare later on.” To be DASH-certified, after-school programs must limit television or computer screen time; serve fruits or vegetables as daily snacks; serve no fried foods, candy, or sugary or high sodium foods, or foods with transfats; and limit the sugary beverages served. The bill also requires 30 minutes to an hour of physical activity a day and staff training on healthy eating and physical activity standards for DASH certification. The certificates would be valid for a year, and can be renewed yearly if programs continue to meet the standards. SB 949 takes effect on Jan. 1, 2015.

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