CHAMBER PRESIDENT/COMET CHAIRMAN RESIGNS!

Mentone Matters regretfully publishes the following:

“I am writing to notify you of my decision to resign as President of the Mentone Chamber of Commerce, and the Chairman of COMET.

“I am aware that the Board authorized the Film Festival without approval of the County Health Department.  I thought we had agreed in October, at our monthly meeting, that we would not support community meetings.  I was not informed until mid-December that the event took place.  I am also aware that you intend on holding in person meetings of both organizations.  I will not support that decision.  While a significant segment of Mentone believes that COVID-19 is not real, I have lost some good friends to this awful disease.  I also have over a dozen friends that have become ‘long-haulers’ after surviving the disease.

“I have also learned that Gabe [Ed.’s note: Gabe De La Rosa, Chamber Vice-president and COMET Vice-chairman] has been authorized to negotiate, and sign, contracts on behalf of the Chamber.  I have learned of this by accident.

“No matter what I attempt to send to the members it is rebranded under Gabe’s signature.  None of the materials sent to the Chamber members are sent to me.  I have been receiving information by forwarded emails.

“I have no desire to sit through a vote of ‘no confidence’.

“My resignation is effective 28 December 2020.  This allows adequate time for the Board to set up either their in person meeting, or another way of meeting.

“I wish you all good health.

David W. Wilder”

Wilder explained his concern in a separate e-mail to mentonematters@aol.com:
“My concern is that as the President of the Chamber I can be held legally responsible for all actions of the Chamber.  If I am not even informed of what is going on, I could lose everything that I have.  Ignoring the County, and State, stay at home orders is a serious issue.”

Wilder was nominated in 2018 by Pastor George Everett, who was President/Chairman for several years prior but decided to step down. Wilder was secretary of both organizations for 15 years prior to his election.

Wilder, who is legally blind, is also a member of the California Senior Legislature as a Senior Senator; was recently appointed by the Director of the California Department of Aging to serve on the State Aging and Disability Resource Connection Advisory Committee; serves on the Board of the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program Board of Directors; is the elected Vice-Chair of the County Senior Affairs Commission and chairs the Access Committee; is President of the Senior and Disabled fund of San Bernardino County and the Vice President of Rolling Start Inc., the Independent Living Center for San Bernardino County. He travels to Sacramento each year to participate in Senior Legislature business.

Anyone is eligible and welcome to join the Chamber and COMET, which stands for “Community of Mentone Empowered Together,” even if they don’t own a business. Chamber dues are $25/year.