Ralph Stewart’s dreams and hard work have now made his "God Bless America Week" a reality. Stewart has always been a tireless worker for Neighborhood Watch and is the Director for the Seven Oaks’ Emergency Preparedness team. He always has been a champion for the cause of freedom and patriotism, having chaired patriotic week-long God Bless America Week celebrations and pageants in the past in the then Murphy Stadium, which included parades, talent, celebrities, fireworks and, finally, the July 4, 1976 Bicentennial Celebration. Stewart says he is appreciative of the help of Ollie Tallerday, John Hoaglin, Jerry Coats, manager of Seven Oaks Community Center and the RB Chamber of Commerce.

Soon after the 9-11 tragedy, he established a new God Bless America Week, Inc.(GBAW) and became its first president. He enjoined the help and has received Proclamations from Councilmember Maienschein, Supervisor Slater, the California Assembly, and Congressman Cunningham, who now acts as Honorary Chairman of GBAW. Stewart hopes Cunningham’s October 2, 2003 Concurrent Resolution 293 to the 108^th Congress will make this week a National Observance. The Resolution which was "Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress supports the goals and ideals of God Bless America Week; and encourages the people of the United States to recognize this occasion by displaying their American flags and participating in patriotic events."

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Don’t lose your identity. There are ways to protect your personal information, even when you have to reveal it:

• Ask your bank to require a personal password of anyone accessing your account.
• You may want to have your name and address deleted from marketer's lists.
• Cancel unused credit cards.
• Have your name removed from lists sold to companies offering pre-approved credit cards by calling one of the credit agencies.
• Call your credit card company if your card has expired and you have not received a new one.
• Ask stores at which you are applying for credit how they safeguard credit applications. Ensure that they are treated as secure documents.
• Sign your credit cards in permanent ink as soon as you obtain them.
• Do not sign a blank charge slip. Draw a line through all areas for recording charges above the total.
• Verify the details with any government agency that is involved in an offer. You can find the phone number for every government agency in the blue pages of your telephone book.
• Ask what information about you may be tracked and how it is used before agreeing to provide the information. For instance, supermarket scan cards enable you to get special sale prices, but your purchasing history could also be sold to other companies.
• Screen your calls.
• Talk about privacy concerns with your children and other household members.
• Use a credit card instead of a debit card. With a credit card, you can always dispute charges.