By Neil Rubenstein

Observer Columnist

It is always a delight being in the Steam-Refrigeration-Air Conditioning & Pipe Fitters Union Hall in Gardena. On Saturday, February 7 over 400 government elected officials, organized labor leaders and VIPs met for breakfast and to honor Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her steadfast support of working families.

I first met her a dozen or so years ago and all this time she has been a strong voice for the issues we all believe in. I am still hearing persistent rumors that when L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas is termed out of office he will be running in the Democratic primary against Maxine. Can it be true that, mysteriously, Waters’ campaign contributions might dry up and cause a retirement?

Doctor Oz’s magazine, “The Good Life,” reported in the March 2015 issue that three cups of coffee a day may help to detoxify the liver.

The Culver City Post 617 of the Jewish War Veterans (Jerry King, Commander) now meets the first Thursday of each month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 11160 Washington Place. Pizza will be served. Jerry King can be reached at (310) 556-2581.

If you plan to be in New York City before June 14 be sure to stop at the Museum of Biblical Art (www.Mobia.org) as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. The must-see exhibit features 23 sculptors dating back to the first half of the 15th century. Many of the works on display have never before left Italy. So, if you cannot get to Florence, the exhibit just might be your best option.

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No doubt your internist told you that people who eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and stay away from highly processed foods decrease their risk of developing depression and anxiety.

Maria, AKA the Wild Gypsy Lady, wasn’t surprised when she learned on Channel 34 that an assistant district attorney in Ferguson, Missouri distributed to the grand jury in the Darren Wilson case a copy of an outdated statute governing the use of force by police. Lawrence O’Donnell, on MSNBC’s The Last Word, revealed that a 1979 Missouri Law stating it was legal for police to shoot fleeing subjects was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court back in 1985 (from Page 8, February 2015 issue of “The Progressive”).

Check with your CPA. A law enacted in December 2014 authorizes tax-advantaged savings accounts for people with disabilities.

Sunday, March 1st grocers will offer substantial discounts and coupons on a variety of frozen foods. March is Frozen Food Month.

I was amazed to learn our Defense Department has title to almost 30 million acres whose value exceeds $750 billion with 500,000 or so structures that are 53% occupied.

I finally managed to read my copy of the January 2015 issue of “Town Hall” magazine. The article on Page 18, “Missouri Legislature takes Early Action on Criminal Justice Bills,” was very insightful as the bills included provisions for revised police training, police evaluations, required police use of camera recording equipment, constricting the use of tear gas, prohibited officers from shooting an unarmed suspect standing more than 20 feet away and barred police from shooting to kill unless the suspect posed a danger to others.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ appointee Ronnie Jayne was recently elected Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Consumer Affairs Commission.

If you can correctly answer this question you just might win a three pound can of MJB coffee from the Market Basket supermarket located in Culver Center. Which country in 2016, according to the International Monetary Fund, will outpace China? If you said India, you’re a winner.

Britain voted on February 3 to become the first country to allow three- parent in vitro fertilization, a technique used to prevent inherited diseases by taking DNA from a mother, a father and a female donor.

For those who get ants, here is a tried and true method to eliminate the problem. Mix one part vinegar with three parts water, put in a spray bottle and spritz whenever you see the little stinkers.

How many veterans know the Purple Heart is America’s oldest medal? Started by President George Washington in 1782, over two million have been issued to those wounded in combat and to the families of those killed.

Ever hear of MicroBiome Therapeutics? Neither have I, but it’s a small company near San Francisco working on a prebiotic that could help type 2 diabetes patients better respond to Metformin. A major breakthrough might not be that far away. Stay tuned.

The veterans Administration (VA) launched the Veterans Health Library, a comprehensive online tool designed to empower vets by giving them wide- ranging health information. See http://www.veteranshealthlibrary.org.

The average cost to prepare itemized federal and state tax returns for 2014 is $273 according to the National Society of Accountants; for returns with no itemized deductions, the average is $159. Your cost will vary depending on where you live and the complexity of your return.

The Novartis Company is working on a National Institute of Health (NIH) approved clinical trial and expects to publish the results by 2017. The procedure is to drill a tiny hole in the stapes bone located in the inner ear and inject a drug that carries a gene triggering regrowth of hair cells. Hearing in rats improved in two months. The treatment may help people with damaged hearing, but not those with genetic hearing loss.

What famous New Orleans style French restaurant will soon feature live jazz? If you said Harold & Belle’s on the corner of Jefferson and 10th Avenue you know the best place to eat with reasonable prices and great service.

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