text:
XYoungstown Branch of the American Association of University Women will meet at 10 a.m. March 5 in the gathering room at Park Vista, 1216 Fifth Ave., Youngstown. Patricia Chaloupek, past president of Ohio AAUW, will give a talk, "Diversifying Your Membership," and hostess will be Jackie Gawron. For reservations call (330) 533-9368.
XYoungstown Panhellenic Association will meet at 6:30 p.m. March 8 at Boardman Library, 7680 Glenwood Ave., for a program by Homer Laughlin China Co. For information about the meeting or membership, contact Rosemarie Bisignani, president, at (330) 797-9150.
XMcDonald Basketball Boosters meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the high school cafeteria.
XMcDonald Sideliners meet every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Blue Devil Room at the high school.
XDistrict 8 Auxiliary of VFW will meet March 6 at Newton Falls VFW Post Home, 433 Arlington Road. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., registration will be held from 7:30 a.m. to noon and the meeting will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a membership transmittal pickup, and a memorial service will be held afterward. Sandra Graves will preside.
XFlora MacDonald Auxiliary will meet at 1 p.m. March 5 with Madeline Shanks and Alice Maxwell as hostesses.
XSalvation Army Women's Auxiliary will meet at noon Tuesday for lunch and a program by Lorraine Fleming on "Celebration of All That We Are and All That We Do." Donations for a Chinese auction in April are being accepted.
XVFW 7538 Auxiliary will have a dinner meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Elmton. Dorothy McLaughlin will preside. For reservations call Eleanor Goskie at (330) 755-2051.
XGirard Band Boosters will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the high school cafeteria.
XThe Rayen School Class of 1955 will meet for lunch at noon March 5 at West Fork Roadhouse in Liberty. Plans will be made for the 50th class reunion on Sept. 17. For more information call (330) 757-4490 or (330) 542-0721.
XChapter CE of PEO Sisterhood will meet Wednesday at Canfield Presbyterian Church for a noon luncheon and meeting. Election and installation of officers will be held. Shirley Lyon and Betty Whitman will serve as hostesses.
XPoland Center Homemakers will meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Poland United Methodist Church for a casserole luncheon. Items needed for the craft are plastic foam or papier-m & acirc;ch & eacute; eggs, beads, buttons, straight pins and a glue gun. Hostesses will be Rose Scarfo, Alexandria Simon and Regina Shuluga.
XTri-County Chapter of Medical Assistants will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Trumbull Career and Technical Center, 528 Educational Highway, Lordstown. A speaker from Hospice will discuss caring for the terminally ill patient. A business meeting will follow.
XWarren Women's Connection will have a "Happy Trails" luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14 at Aulizio's Banquet Center, 4395 Youngstown Road. The cost is $10 and includes western apparel presented by Mark Sorrentino and Joan Wurst as speaker. Reservations are required by March 10; call Joyce Faiver at (330) 539-5837 or Diana Pishotti at (330) 638-1386. A free nursery will be provided by reservation.
XYoungstown American Hungarian Club will hold a bring-a-friend meeting Sunday for its membership drive. Upcoming events to be discussed include a stuffed cabbage rolls sale on March 5 and Easter dobos torte sale March 16.
XYoungstown South Christian Women's Club will present "Spring is in the Air" from noon to 2 p.m. March 10 at Antone's Banquet Centre, 8578 Market St., Boardman. Featured will be Civil War Period Fashions by Chris Martini and "Life is an Adventure" by guest speaker Star Paterson. Cost is $10 and reservations are due by Thursday; call (330) 793-6676 or (330) 757-1920. Nursery reservations are to be made at (330) 757-9806.
XYoungstown Women's Connection will have a "Believe It Ladies -- A Cowgirl and a Beauty Queen" luncheon featuring Miss Ohio Amanda Beagle at noon March 8 at Italian American Veterans Centre, 115 S. Meridian Road, Youngstown. Joan Wurst will speak on "A Cowgirl Who Never Gave Up Her Dreams." Cost is $6.50. For reservations or free child care call (330) 793-6381 or (330) 792-1058; cancellations for either are a must by March 7.
XGirard Knights of Columbus Council No. 2935 will meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Girard K. of C. Hall, 122 S. State St.
XMcDonald Knights of Columbus will meet at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the K. of C. Hall, Illinois Avenue.
XA general meeting of Boardman-Poland Junior Women's League will be held at 7 p.m. March 7 at Glenellen, 9661 Market St. New members are being accepted. For information, send your name, address and phone number to: Membership Chairwoman, BPJWL, P.O. Box 3412, Boardman, Ohio 44512, or call Linda Crish at (330) 757-7990.
XFriends of the Poland Library will meet Tuesday in the meeting room at the Poland Library for coffee at 9:30 a.m. followed by a business meet at 10. Liz Nohra, director of the Children's Museum of the Valley, will be guest speaker, and hostesses will be Ritchie Jones, Joanne Barns, Angie Ciavarella and Pauline Ciavarella. Book and magazine donations for the book cart may be taken to the meeting. Guests are welcome.
XWarren Republican Women's Club will meet at a new time, noon, on Thursday at the Warren Women's Club, 708 N. Park Ave. Guests will need to make reservations. For further information call (330) 759-1211 or (330) 399-4874.
XSt. Michael Altar Guild will meet at 6 p.m. March 7 at the parish center for a light Lenten meal and entertainment by the Youth Ministry. The rosary will precede the meeting at 5:30 in the church. Hostesses are Lori Pugh, Pat Lettau, JoAnne Jones, Fran Pezzuolo and Alvira Schultheis.
XSt. Rose Altar Rosary Society will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the church basement hall for a day of recollection.
XSt. Rose Quilting Group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday in the parish house.
XSeton III will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Ursuline Motherhouse. Sr. Kathleen Menchin will speak on the Ursuline Sisters' assistance to AIDS sufferers. Members are asked to take personal or paper products to help the sisters in their ministry.
XGirard-Liberty Kiwanis will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Scenna Family Restaurant, 1901 N. State St.
XGirard-Liberty Rotary will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Holiday Inn MetroPlex, Liberty.
XD.A.R.E., a social group for divorced, widowed or separated people will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Boardman Christian Church, 565 Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman. Also planned are the following: Tuesday, dance lessons with Judy Conti at 7 p.m. at Wedgewood Plaza, cost is $5; Wednesday, walk at Southern Park Mall at 6:30 p.m., meet at the food court; Thursday, new-member meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the church; and March 4, movies at Movies 8 in Boardman, meet in the lobby at 6:30 p.m.
XSingle for Any Reason members will go out to eat at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Ground Round, 3701 Elm Road, Warren, followed by a board meeting at 7:30 and a general business meeting at 8. Cards and snacks are planned at 7 p.m. March 4; call (330) 372-7124.
XFowler Township Historical Society will have its regular monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Fowler Community Center, state Route 193. The program will be about antique glass and is free to the public. For more information call (330) 637-2006 or (330) 637-1020.
XGirard Historical Society will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Girard Free Library.
XLowellville Village Historical Society will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at The Little Red Schoolhouse at the corner of Center and Struthers roads, Poland, to tour the Poland Historical Society's museum there. New members are welcome.
XEast Liverpool Breast Cancer Support Group will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Dawson's Family Center, 220 W. Fifth St. For more information call (330) 533-0546 or (888) 227-6446.
XMultiple Sclerosis Services Agency Mahoning County Support Group will meet at a new time, 6 p.m. on Tuesday at AustinWoods Health Care Center, 4780 Kirk Road, Austintown. Toni DiMargio, a counselor, will be the speaker. For information call (330) 792-8900.
XOvarian Cancer Support Group will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the American Cancer Society office, 525 N. Broad St., Canfield. For information call (330) 533-0546 or (888) 227-6446.
XSmokers Anonymous will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Health Center, 667 Eastland Ave. S.E., Warren, in Classroom No. 2 on the second floor. For information call (330) 533-0546 or (888) 227-6446.
XStatus Weight Support Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Simon Road Church of God, Boardman. Weigh-ins are from 6 to 6:30. For information call (330) 965-7647.
XTOPS 327 will meet at 6:15 p.m. Monday at Christ Church Presbyterian annex, 3425 Hopkins Road, Boardman. The first meeting is free. Guests are welcome. For information call (330) 793-4378 or (330) 757-9368.
XTOPS 822, Struthers, will meet Tuesday at Struthers Presbyterian Church, 110 Poland Ave. Weigh-in will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. prior to the meeting.
XTOPS 1262, McDonald, will meet Wednesday in the senior citizens room at the post office building. Weigh-in is from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and the meeting will follow. New members are welcome.
XTOPS 2005, Niles, will meet Monday at Fairview United Methodist Church, 21 Fairview Ave., Niles. Weigh-in is from 6 to 7 p.m. with the meeting following at 7:15. For information call (330) 652-9098.
XClub news is published on Fridays and Saturdays. Please submit information about upcoming activities to the Society Department by 5 p.m. each Thursday.


text:
NHS Service Directory
Kings Lynn Wheelchair Service
Ace Centre does not run this service, this page is part of a directory of NHS services. To contact this service provider please use the contact details in the box below. Do not contact Ace Centre directly.
Queen Elizabeth HospitalGayton RoadKings LynnNorfolkPE30 4ET
Contact details
Phone: 01553 613761
Email: [email protected]
Services offered
Wheelchair services
NHS Wheelchair Services assess people with mobility needs, to decide what sort of wheelchair or other mobility equipment they should be provided with.
Answering common queries and concerns.
Can I view the service coverage data on a map?
Where does the data come from?
What kind of services can you tell me about?
How do you know my location?
What can I do if the information is wrong?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The team here at Toyota of Slidell is excited to welcome the 2020 Toyota GR Supra to our dealership! This remarkable sports car is perfect for any driver who wants to get around New Orleans or Covington in style. But don't just take our word for it! Stop by our showroom in Slidell today to take a tour of this elegant sports car's most noteworthy features and amenities. We are confident that you will be impressed by what you see.
When you first lay eyes on the new GR Supra, don't be surprised if you audibly gasp. There is a good chance that the beauty of this fabulous sports car will take your breath away in an instant. From its LED taillights to its double-bubble roof, this vehicle was designed to impress everyone who sees it.
The 2020 GR Supra is available in a wide range of unique and vibrant colors, including Nitro Yellow, Renaissance Red and Downshift Blue. As such, you are sure to be able to find one that looks perfect parked outside your house at night.
Are you a member of the U.S. military? If so, you may be able to grab a $500 rebate when you finance or lease a stylish new GR Supra from Toyota of Slidell. It's our small way of thanking you for your bravery and dedication.
The team here at Toyota of Slidell believes that you will be thoroughly impressed by the GR Supra's abundance of gadgets and tech features. This contemporary sports car offers a Head-Up Display that gives you access to your speed and navigation info at a glance, as well as a Qi-compatible wireless charging station that lets you keep your smartphone charged up while you are on the go. In short, the new GR Supra isn't just a car. It is a 21st-century tech hub.
Toyota offers a wide range of generous incentives on the high-tech new GR-Supra. Don't forget to check them out before visiting our showroom in Slidell, LA. They may just be able to save you some money!
The 2020 Toyota GR Supra is a ton of fun to drive. It has the ability to offer such a thrilling driving experience because it is equipped with high-end performance features, such as:
Adaptive Variable Suspension
8-Speed Automatic Transmission with Paddle Shifters
Launch Control
Does the new 2020 GR Supra sound like the kind of car that you would like to drive around New Orleans or Hammond every day? If so, why not stop by the Toyota of Slidell showroom today to take it for a test drive to see if the reality matches up to your expectations? Be warned, though: Once you take this sports car out on to the open road, you may not want to drive home in anything else.
During your visit to our showroom, our helpful finance department can also help you to complete our short credit application form. Once you have finished, we will walk you through your financing options and help you select the best one for you. Before long, we'll have the paperwork processed and you will be the proud owner of a brand new GR Supra.


text:
Course Open
No Buggies
Designed by 6 times Open Champion Harry Vardon, and 5 times Open Champion James Braid, Nationally renowned Llandrindod Wells Golf Club is one of Wales' most loved golf courses. It provides a challenging test of golf in a breathtaking setting in one of the most beautiful and scenic parts of the Principality. The undulating fairways and fast true greens are all that would be expected of a championship quality course. Combine this with the stunning views and you have the perfect golfing location. The course has been voted in the top 3 Inland courses in Wales, and recently moved up to Number 17 in Golf World Magazines 'Best Welsh Courses', the highest ranked of all Mid Wales courses.


text:
Medical Equipment Appraisal Specialists
— All Medical Specialties —
Our Certified Medical Equipment Appraisal Specialists appraise all medical office equipment and office furniture.
We Provide Services to the Following:
- X-Ray
- Dental
- Nursing Homes
- Ophthalmology
- Tattoo Facilities
- Veterinary
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- Hospitals & Surgi-Centers
- CT Scan
- Family Practice/Internal Medicine
- Dialysis Centers
- Complete Medical Clinics
- Medical Equipment Appraisal on Leased Equipment
- Litigation/Court Medical Equipment Appraisals
- Retirement/Succession Appraisals
- Estate/Probate Medical Equipment Appraisals
- Merger/Acquisition Medical Equipment Appraisals
- Divorce Medical Equipment Appraisals
- Partnership Dissolution Medical Equipment Appraisals
- Office Furniture
- Surgical Instruments
- Supplies- Disposable
- Supplies- Non-Disposable
- Business & Medical Equipment
Medical Equipment Appraisal Specialists is an appraisal services company in Cleveland, Ohio. We specialize in hard asset appraisals of medical offices, hospitals, and nursing homes. Our certified specialists conduct informed, high-quality appraisals armed with over 50 years of experience, insight, and knowledge. Equally important, our medical appraisers are always one step ahead of changes within the fast-moving health-care industry.
Comprehensive Reports
Medical Equipment Appraisal Specialists can ascertain the fair market value, wholesale, or replacement value of your equipment. Our equipment evaluation reports are included with a photographic record of the complete appraisal, plus a list that describes the manufacturer, model number, and serial number.
Our Clients Include:
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We're here to help you.
We have an extensive list of satisfied clients. Let us add you to our list.
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Our team of professionals in finances and expert consultants will be there for you and to serve you with all the necessary information.


text: A UC survey released in October 2014 shows high satisfaction, career success, low unemployment, decreasing student loan debt and overall degree satisfaction among UC doctoral alumni. The survey included University of California's 10 campuses and surveyed the last 40 years of doctoral alumni from 1968-2008. Topics surveyed included career preparation, community service, awards, student loan debt, degree satisfaction and academic preparation. This UC-wide survey was inspired by a UC Berkeley survey, which was developed and administered in 2012 by Andrew K. Smith, Assistant Dean for Research and Planning in the Graduate Division. "The other campuses found our approach so illuminating that they replicated it for all the other nine campuses," Smith said. His team at Berkeley initiated the alumni survey, according to Smith, after hearing doctoral students express concern over finding faculty jobs after they graduate because the job market did not seem promising. "We wanted to find out if that was actually the case or not," he said. Respondents The Berkeley survey—sent to 11,500 doctoral alumni and garnering roughly 2,500 respondents—was conducted using both email and postal mail, because a majority of alumni did not file a valid email address with the university. Smith aims to collect close to 80% of alumni email addresses for the next survey planned in 2015. Survey Highlights Career Preparation A promising result was that Berkeley alumni finding job placement in colleges and universities was higher at 55% than the national average of 41%. "That's encouraging, since many students enter doctoral programs with this ambition," said Smith. 90% of respondents said they felt "well-prepared" or "prepared" for their career after completing a UC doctorate 78% reported staying within the same academic field after graduating 91% felt "practice of academic professional writing skills" is a "very important" academic skill in doctoral education 35% who were employed in colleges and universities remained in California Student Debt Survey findings showed that the majority of doctoral alumni graduated without education-related debt (graduate and undergraduate). Of those with debt, the majority were able to pay off loans quickly. Although debt is more prevalent among recent graduates, student debt has declined since the early 1990s. 68% graduated without student loan debt Students in the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Resources took out loans more frequently Students in Engineering and Physical Sciences took out loans less frequently For students graduating with loan debt, nearly half were able to pay off education-related loans under five years University Satisfaction 95% of respondents would pursue a doctoral degree again 95% would choose graduate study at Berkeley again 86% would select the same field of study at Berkeley again 75% cited the reputation of the campus and their program as top factors in landing a job A comprehensive report that will include more data breakdown will be made available in the coming months, according to Smith.


text:
It is not secret that the wokerati are making steady inroads into the domain of the hard sciences (physics, chemistry, engineering, etc). But Nature magazine, although left of center, might have been thought immune from the sillier aspects of the PC culture.
Not so. After publishing an article recently about the coming "supremacy" of quantum computing over conventional supercomputers, Nature has published this letter, signed by 13 scientists, which I reprint here in its totality, because you have to read it, not to believe it:
We take issue with the use of 'supremacy' when referring to quantum computers that can out-calculate even the fastest supercomputers (F. Arute et al. Nature 574, 505–510; 2019). We consider it irresponsible to override the historical context of this descriptor, which risks sustaining divisions in race, gender and class. We call for the community to use 'quantum advantage' instead.
The community claims that quantum supremacy is a technical term with a specified meaning. However, any technical justification for this descriptor could get swamped as it enters the public arena after the intense media coverage of the past few months.
In our view, 'supremacy' has overtones of violence, neocolonialism and racism through its association with 'white supremacy'. Inherently violent language has crept into other branches of science as well — in human and robotic spaceflight, for example, terms such as 'conquest', 'colonization' and 'settlement' evoke the terra nullius arguments of settler colonialism and must be contextualized against ongoing issues of neocolonialism.
Instead, quantum computing should be an open arena and an inspiration for a new generation of scientists.
I'll say it: this is supreme idiocy.


text:
Most pieces can be made with just a small spoonful of ash. If a piece calls for more, it will be noted in check out. We ask that you package the ashes very well, include your name and contact info, and take them to a US post office to get a tracking number. The US Postal Service is the only courier that handles cremation ash. You must include your name and contact info along with the ashes.
Since these items are so heartfelt, we will include you in the process. Once your package arrives, we will call you to make sure we have your order correct. Upon completion, you'll be sent a tracking number. Any unused ashes will be returned with your order.
*Chain not included


text:
We write what matters.
We are journalists.
We tell impactful stories.
Let us tell yours.
We are often asked what our name means. It is a tribute to our roots. We are a content agency founded by three journalists, who spent years finding answers to complex issues, interviewing people for their insights, and analysing data to detect trends.
We developed a knack for turning any information into captivating stories. We took these skills and built a business. Today, we are still hooked on the rush of crafting compelling narratives and communication campaigns for local and global brands.
The nutgraf is a journalism term. It refers to one paragraph that sums up the story in a nutshell. So here's our nutgraf: We know how to produce content that people will read, remember and more importantly, resonate with. We do so with warmth, wit and a dash of swag.
Everybody loves a good story. It will draw you in, entertain, enlighten, influence or even persuade - a great way to market your business.
But how do you tell a good story? You don't, because you leave it to us.
We will conceptualise content strategies to help you communicate effectively and evocatively across all platforms. We have won over even the toughest of audiences - children (there may or may not have been sweets involved).
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We are fast in producing content. Way faster than we are on the running track. Our speed also comes with accuracy.
With a strong team of over 10 full-time scribes, we can write multiple reports in 1 day or a 200-page book in 2 months.
Countless quality checks, from conceptualisation to editing. Your project will get the best treatment, like a spa package. We know you knead that.
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If you are looking for a quotation, a reason to collaborate or catch up over coffee, hit us up. Tell us your needs, we'll do the rest.
Or do it the old-fashioned way and visit us.
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Singapore 369585
Visit our LinkedIn. We are active there too.


text:
"...the events in GLASS HOUSES challenge Gamache's conscience unlike any of the previous audiobooks, with Bathurst prying open the hero's heart and soul and laying it bare for listeners to experience at a visceral level." — Audiofile Magazine
AN AUGUST 2017 LibraryReads PICK!
When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines one cold November day, Armand Gamache and the rest of the villagers are at first curious. Then wary. Through rain and sleet, the figure stands unmoving, staring ahead.
From the moment its shadow falls over the village, Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, suspects the creature has deep roots and a dark purpose. Yet he does nothing. What can he do? Only watch and wait. And hope his mounting fears are not realized.
But when the figure vanishes overnight and a body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to discover if a debt has been paid or levied.
Months later, on a steamy July day as the trial for the accused begins in Montréal, Chief Superintendent Gamache continues to struggle with actions he set in motion that bitter November, from which there is no going back. More than the accused is on trial. Gamache's own conscience is standing in judgment.
In Glass Houses, her latest utterly gripping audiobook, number-one New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny shatters the conventions of the crime novel to explore what Gandhi called the court of conscience. A court that supersedes all others.
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- LOTR Read by Andy Serkis
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text:
HouseCashin is America's largest platform for off-market properties that connects home sellers and real estate investors.
- Website: HouseCashin.com
- Website type: Investors
- Industry: Real Estate
REB's team needed to figure out how HouseCashin could differentiate themselves and stand out in the ultra-competitive real estate investing market by providing their home seller customers with a unique and one-of-a-kind value proposition that none of their competitors do.
REB custom website design team's primary objective was to come up with a visually-appealing, clean, engaging and credible design that will help convert more visitors into customers.
Real Estate Bees' web design team came up with a user-friendly, visually-appealing and converting design that streamlined the entire process of requesting a cash offer on customer' home in a few easy steps. With that easy-to-use and user-friendly design, we doubled conversion rates throughout the entire site.
Real Estate Bees' website design team starts each project with a thorough approach by creating a clear and thought-through prototype of every single page on the website. This way our customers will have an idea how their future website's structure will look like
Design elements
Real Estate Bees' website design team comes up with matching colors, fonts and other important visual elements that will match client's overall branding.
Home page
highly converting design
City pages
various geographical locations
Cash offer request form
Investor registration page
Partner page
Other pages
pages with an engaging and
user-friendly design


text:
A new skirmish in the California vaccination wars breaks out. Science will prevail
ROBIN ABCARIAN – Los Angeles Times
I thought the vaccination wars in California pretty much fizzled out in 2015 after we outlawed religious and "personal belief" exemptions for children whose parents don't want to immunize them against diseases like pertussis, measles and mumps.
Silly me.
Lack of faith in scientific consensus is a sad but permanent feature of our social media-driven world. Paranoia is an effective business model.
Parents who oppose vaccines are not stupid; in fact, they are often surprisingly well-educated, considering the pseudoscience and unfounded claims they are willing to embrace.
It should come as no surprise, then, that many have found a way around the law, which still allows for medically necessary exemptions.
They have turned to physicians willing to provide bogus medical exemptions, which is why Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician, is pushing for the passage of a law that would require health officials to sign off on medical exemptions to ensure their validity.
The law, co-sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, makes good sense.
Predictably, it has aroused a tremendous amount of anxiety among parents who believe their children have been "vaccine injured" or are "medically fragile," or those who simply don't think the government has the right to stick its nose into the patient-doctor relationship.
Carrying babies, pushing strollers, holding the hands of their youngsters, angry parents turned out by the hundreds in Sacramento on Wednesday at a Senate Health Committee hearing to protest the bill. One by one, for more than four hours, they stated their objections.
Some took a moment to vilify Pan, who also led the 2015 battle to end religious exemptions.
"They're my kids, they're not your guinea pigs," said one father.
"Shame on you," said a mom holding a "Pan lies" sign.
"You're a tyrant," said a man who described himself as the father of a "a healthy, fully unvaccinated child."
"Sen. Pan, I believe you are committing crimes against humanity," said a Bay Area mom.
Pan stood at a lectern, listening respectfully, as he was accused of violating the Nuremberg Code, the U.S. Constitution and of imperiling his mortal soul.
"I am a pediatrician. My job is to help children and protect children," Pan told me Thursday morning, after his bill passed in committee on a party-line vote of 7 to 2. "I have tremendous sympathy for the parents there whose children may be suffering from something. If you have a loved one who is sick, you want to know what caused it."
Sometimes, there simply are no satisfying answers.
Vaccination rates in California, thankfully, have gone up, in some cases dramatically, which shows the effectiveness of legislation like Pan's. However, there are still pockets of resistance. As my colleague Soumya Karlamangla reported last July, in a big chunk of the state's elementary schools, 90% or less of kindergartners had all their required shots. At 20 schools, more than a quarter of the children had medical exemptions, a statistical impossibility given that about 3% of the population may have a legitimate medical reason to forgo vaccines.
To prevent outbreaks of highly contagious illnesses like measles, epidemiologists say, 95% of children in a school should be immunized.
But where there is a will to avoid vaccines, parents have found a way.
One legislative staffer sent me screenshots of parents advising each other on where to find physicians willing to write the exemptions and how much they charge. ("The doctor I went to gives medical exemptions for eczema," said one mom. "Paid upfront $285.")
Last month, Voice of San Diego reported that a single physician has written one-third of all medical exemptions given in the San Diego Unified School District since 2015.
There are very good reasons for some children to avoid vaccines — a child with severe, life-threatening allergies, for example, or a child whose immune system is depressed by HIV/AIDS or chemotherapy.
The idea for Pan's bill came from West Virginia, which has one of the most stringent vaccination policies in the country and has not had a confirmed measles case since 2009.
Imagine that: California, which is ranked the No. 1 state for public health, is using West Virginia, which is ranked 49th, as a role model.
On Thursday morning, California public health officials announced that 38 cases of measles have been diagnosed this year, 15 of them in the last week, including at UCLA and Cal State L.A. That afternoon, UCLA officials announced that more than 100 students and staff members would be quarantined for at least a day.
Young adults who were not vaccinated as children may be at particular risk because they were too old to be affected by California's 2015 law. Their parents were probably influenced by the discredited work of Andrew Wakefield, the British physician whose license to practice medicine was revoked after he alleged a link between vaccines and autism in the late 1990s.
Vaccines do not cause autism. This is a fact.
I expect to be deluged with responses from readers who believe otherwise. Yes, I know there is a vaccination court that pays money to people who can convince it that they have been injured by vaccines. Yes, I know you cannot sue pharmaceutical companies for harms you think are caused by vaccines. (That's why the vaccine court was created; so lawsuits would not drive vaccine makers out of business, because vaccines are so important to our health. The court has not awarded a cent to anyone claiming that a vaccine caused autism.)
Yes, I know that a very small number of children have had adverse reactions to vaccines, some catastrophic.
And yes, there still exists a kind of hysteria about vaccines among certain portions of the population, and this is why we are seeing a resurgence in diseases like measles, once believed to have been eradicated.
Vaccines — cited by many scientists as a more important human advancement than antibiotics — are a victim of their own success.
More than one parent in Sacramento on Wednesday claimed to be the parent of "healthy, unvaccinated children."
But that's the thing.
You are healthy until you are not. If a child is not vaccinated and comes in contact with someone who has measles, or chickenpox or another preventable disease, that kid may get sick.
And perhaps the kid will transmit the disease to someone else's child who cannot be vaccinated because he or she has cancer, takes immunosuppressant drugs or is severely allergic to vaccines. Even if you are willing to gamble on your own kid's health, repugnant enough, you shouldn't be able to gamble on the health of someone else's child.