Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Press Release: MVMA Adopts Placer Hills Park

The Meadow Vista Merchant Association has officially adopted Placer Hills Park (Behind the local pool) and we have coordinated our first day of training and cleaning. Saturday, April 21st from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm is our first scheduled "Work Day" at our newly adopted Placer Hills Park (by the pool).  April 22nd is Earth Day, so this dates coincides nicely. 

We need all interested merchants and friends to notify us by April 10th, so we can notify ARD with the number of participants.  ARD representatives will be on hand to show us how to properly maintain the park and what will be expected of us as a group adopting the park.  Bring your family members and friends and bring something to B-BQ.  It will be a great way for all of us to catch up with one another, give back to our community and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.

Marc Krupin with Cascade Gardens is graciously heading up this function.  If you have specific questions, please contact him at marc@cascadegardens.biz or 530-878-4801.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Press Release: Quarterly Meetings

Fellow Merchants,

A big thank you to all of you for re-joining our Merchant Association for another year.  You will continue to have your name and company listed on our website and through our Facebook page, which reaches viewers GLOBALLY.  You also continue to have the opportunity to advertise and share your knowledge in our bi-monthly VIEW magazine.  Our organization would be nothing without YOU and we value you as a member.

MEETINGS ARE NOW QUARTERLY! 
After discussing the pros and cons of monthly meetings, our budget, and recently low attendance record, your newly elected board would like to announce a change for 2012.  Although monthly meetings have been great for networking, building relationships, laughing over a slice of pizza, and keeping up on MV activities, we will now only meet quarterly, on the second Thursday of February, May, August, and November.  These quarterly meetings will be more in the style of  "board meetings" but all members are welcome to attend.  In place of the monthly meetings you will receive important merchant information, board decisions, and other opportunities via email.  Likewise, if you have any issues, suggestions, or concerns regarding the Merchants Association or this meeting format change please email or call your board members.   It is extremely important to keep your emails up to date with the MVMA secretary: Traci Eichenhofer or myself.  Secondly, read your emails from the merchants and reply!.  There may just be a great business building tip,  speaker, or need that will boom your profits.   Long story short, there is no meeting in March or April.  The next "meeting" is May 10th.     

THE MERCHANTS HAVE ADOPTED A PARK! 
Many of you were instrumental in helping the MV Pool Project and have great memories of spending time as a family at the park behind the pool.  ARD has opened up their parks for "adoption" by organizations, and we have adopted Placer Hills Park, by the pool.  Right now we have a tentative date of March 24th from 8-12 set for us members to come to the park, "learn" how to maintain it from ARD representatives and get busy sprucing it up.  Monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly future sprucing dates will be emailed to you.  A plaque with our name will be erected at the park, showing our organization as the sponsors.  This is a great way for us to give back to our community!

ADA WORKSHOP 
Senator Ted Gaines emailed me wanting to let all of our members know about an ADA Compliance Workshop that he and his wife will be putting on in Rocklin on March 26th from 6-8 pm at the Rocklin Event Center (Main Hall.)  The purpose of this workshop is to educate businesses about state and federal ADA laws and present guidelines to avoid lawsuits for non-compliance.  For more information call 916-783-8232.

Thank you for reading this whole email and being a part of our organization!

Christine Schlittenhart, President
Meadow Vista Merchant Association

Friday, March 2, 2012

House Under Water? Lifesaver Coming!

By Toni Ryan, First Priority Financial

New guidelines for the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) were released by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on November 15th, 2011.  The goal of expanding HARP is to allow borrowers who are upside-down on their homes or who have little equity to refinance at today's low interest rates. The hope is that this will both stabilize the housing market and boost the overall economy, by putting extra dollars in the pockets of consumers who are likely to spend them. Not everyone who is underwater will qualify for HARP 2.0. Below is a summary of the basic requirements:
1. The loan must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (See how to find who owns your loan below)
2. The loan was sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or before May 31, 2009.
3. The loan was not refinanced under HARP previously, unless it is a Fannie Mae loan that was refinanced under HARP from March through May, 2009.
4. The loan's current loan-to-value (LTV) is greater than 80%.
There are several changes to  the HARP program that give the program greater accessibility to more borrowers As long as your new HARP monthly payment is not more than 20% greater than your current payment, specific credit and income guidelines do not apply. The lender will have to determine that the borrower is an “acceptable credit risk” (and what that means is yet to be determined). A HARP lender can approve a loan that has one late mortgage payment in past 12 months, as long as it did not take place in the last six months. Your HARP loan could be approved, regardless of how recently a borrower filed bankruptcy or experienced a foreclosure. HARP loans are no longer restricted only to owner-occupants.
 

 Although applications may be submitted for new HARP 2.0 mortgages now, many lenders believe the bulk of HARP mortgages will not be approved until March, 2012. Both Fannie and Freddie must update their automated loan underwriting/approval software by March, 2012. Until then, lenders may approve HARP mortgages by manually underwriting the loans. 
 To see if you qualify for a lower rate - check the following websites to see who owns your loan:
www.FannieMae.com/loanlookup and www.FreddieMac.com/mymortgage   Take control - Call your mortgage professional for further details.

Business Marketing during the Recession

By Ashlei Jackson, Qlixite

When the economy is struggling, it's not uncommon for businesses to react defensively by cutting their advertising budgets and waiting for the economy to right itself. Studies show that in a down economy, approximately 75% of U.S. companies react this way.
 

As bad economic times cause consumers to be more selective and value-oriented in their purchasing decisions, this strategy is shortsighted. It makes it difficult for customers to select, and trust, a company that curtails its communication with them. What kind of confidence and staying power is demonstrated by a business that suddenly limits its information and support to its audience?
 A down economy can be an opportunity. It is an opportunity for smart businesses to re-energize their marketing efforts and increase market share. Savy businesses can put their money into cost-efficient media channels that deliver growth opportunities and a
positive return on investment.
 

History has given the U.S. 20 recessions over the last 100 years11 since World War II.
Successful businesses have chosen to use these trying times as an opportunity to create a long-term competitive advantage- to separate themselves from their competitors in the marketplace. Advantages include better media pricing because demand is lower. Businesses can obtain better rates from media outlets allowing them the opportunity for more aggressive market presence without increasing their advertising budget.
 Less competition is a key. As their competition chooses to market and advertise less in a down economy, smart businesses who advertise find that their message is more likely to be seen or heard. Less marketing “noise” = more marketing recognition. Over time, such “uncontested” exposure will lead to increased market share and brand recognition leading to increased consumer trust in your organization.

 Businesses that refuse to “follow the herd”, and react pro-actively with continued or increased marketing efforts, have a golden opportunity to increase brand recognition, market share, sales, and profits for their organization. Are your ready for a great future?

Robert Haslam Riding Freestyle Motorcross

Claim to Fame: Riding Freestyle Motocross for a living and loving every minute of it. Performing at various events all along the west coast throughout the year with Justin Homan of Metal Mulisha.
How I got started: I started riding FMX in my teen years because I had always ridden motorcycles and took a liking to jumping. I rode my first show with some friends from British Columbia Canada and began networking. Shortly after I was given the opportunity to ride an event with Justin Homan and became good friends there after.
Who inspired me most: I always grew up watching top guys in the sport and wanting to do what they did. Homan being a local pro, was a big influence and I had always wanted to meet my idols. Now I am friends or have met a lot.of the guys I still look up to today.
Day in the life: During the week I hold a normal job and on weekends is when I travel to and from events year round. I feel its important to balance everyday life and work in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Current project/training efforts: Currently I am busy year round traveling to various events performing exhibitions for large crowds while trying to balance everyday life. I try to maintain a healthy diet and keep my body in good physical shape to be best prepared for FMX.
Biggest Challenge: The biggest challenge for me is trying to find a balance between staying healthy and uninjured while continuing to push my own limits on my bike throughout the year.
Next step/event: My next big event is coming up at the end of March where I will be traveling to the country of Haiti for a three day benefit event for the Luis Palau Organization.
Future/ultimate goal: Future goals would have to be staying healthy for the rest of the year and beyond taking care of my body, to have a longer career and make it onto a bigger known team such as Metal Mulisha. Find Robert Haslam at facebook.com/robertjameshaslam)


Gold Country Community Parish Events

The Gold Country Community Parish (“GCCP”) is a cooperative parish made up of three United Methodist Churches who work together to serve the communities of Meadow Vista, Colfax and Dutch Flat and the surrounding areas along the I-80 Corridor.  The three churches are united in faith, love and service and support each other in a variety of worship events, fundraising activities, training events, and mission work. 
Pastor Romy Velasco serves all three churches and resides in Meadow Vista.  In addition to offering regular Sunday services at all three churches during the Advent season, our Parish will be holding the following events in February & March:


• Saturday, February 18th at Placer Hills UMC (M.V.) Mari Gras Celebration with food and entertainment.
• Special Lenten Series
- Wed., February 22nd… Ash Wednesday Service at the Colfax church:  6:00 p.m. soup supper; 7:00 p.m. Service.             
- Wed., February 29th at the Colfax church:  6:00 p.m. soup supper;  7:00 p.m. devotional.
- Wed., March 7th at the Colfax church:  6:00 p.m. soup supper; 7:00 p.m. devotional.
- Wed., March 14th at Placer Hills Church:  6:00 p.m. soup supper; 7:00 p.m. devotional.
- Wed., March 21st at Placer Hills Church:  6:00 p.m. soup supper; 7:00 p.m. devotional.
- Wed., March 28th at Placer Hills Church: 6:00 p.m. soup supper; 7:00 p.m. devotional.
• Easter Sunday,  Sunrise Service in the Meadow Vista Park with breakfast following at Placer Hills Church in Meadow Vista…more in next issue of the ”View.”

We encourage you to seek out a spiritual home and find joy in serving your community. We always welcome you to any of these events or others listed on our website www.gccparish.com.  We look forward to getting to know you better as we work together as the hands and feet of our Lord in our communities.

Are You at Risk for Diabetes?

By Richard L. Peatman, Pharm.D., Meadow Vista Pharmacy

Did you know that one in four people have diabetes and don't even know it? Could you be one of them? About 26 million Americans have diabetes. And, another 79 million adults in the U.S. have a condition that could turn into diabetes (prediabetes).  Diabetes happens when your body can't use glucose (a type of sugar) the right way. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose enter cells, where they use this sugar as a source of energy. With diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or it can't respond well to insulin. Then you can have symptoms of too much glucose, such as increased urination, extreme thirst, and weight loss for no known reason. 
 Certain people are more likely than others to get diabetes and genetics plays an important role in who gets the disease.   Native Americans  and Alaska Natives are more than twice as likely to develop diabetes as are Caucasian Americans.  Individuals of Asian descent are also at increased risk.  Other risk factors include diet, obesity (especially weight around the middle) and sedentary lifestyle.  
 Diabetes is not something to ignore. If left uncontrolled, it can lead to a whole host of complications, including high blood pressure, kidney failure, eye problems, and nerve damage.  It doubles your risk of heart disease.  That's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A deadly duo can be in store when diabetes is combined with other health problems. For reasons not well understood, women with both breast cancer and diabetes have a 50 percent increased risk of dying.  Also, diabetics with depression have a greater chance of death.  It could be that people with depression may find it harder to take care of themselves.  So you can see why it's so important to address both conditions.
 How can you help prevent this serious disease? The steps are simple, but not always easy to do. Healthy diet and weight control are critical. So, too, is physical activity. A recent Australian study showed that the more you walk, the lower your risk of diabetes. They tracked nearly 600 middle-aged adults for five years, giving them a pedometer to use. Here's what they found: People who walked 10,000 steps daily at least 5 days a week were three times more protected against diabetes than those who walked just 3,000 steps a day  even when other factors such as diet, smoking, and alcohol were taken into account.  
 For more information about this growing health problem, go to the American Diabetes Association online at http://www.diabetes.org/.  And don't forget to get regular checkups with your healthcare provider.

Protect Yourself from Cyber Criminals

Provided by J.C. Harrison, Simplified Business & Tax Service

The Internal Revenue Service receives thousands of reports each from taxpayers who receive suspicious emails, phone calls, faxes, notices claiming to be from the IRS. They fraudulently use IRS name or logo as a lure to make the communications as more authentic and enticing. The goal of these scamsknown as phishingis to trick you into revealing your personal and financial information. The scammers can then use your informationlike Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbersto commit identity theft or steal your money.

Here are five things the IRS wants you to know about phishing scams.

1.  The IRS never asks for detailed personal financial information like PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

2.  The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email request personal or financial information. If you receive an inquiry from someone claiming to be the IRS or directing you to another site:
 a. Do not reply to the message.
 b. Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain malicious code that   will infect your computer.
 c. Do not click on any links. If you clicked on links in a suspicious e-mail or  phishing website and entered confidential information, visit the IRS website and  enter the search term 'identity theft' for more information and resources to help.

3.  The address of the official IRS website is
www.irs.gov. Do not be confused or misled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. If you discover a website that claims to be the IRS but you suspect it is bogus, do not provide any personal information on the suspicious site and report it to the IRS.

4.  If you receive a phone call, fax or letter in the mail from an individual claiming to be from the IRS but suspect they are not an IRS employee, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to determine if the IRS has a legitimate need to contact you. Report any bogus correspondence. You can forward a suspicious email to phishing@irs.gov.

5.  You can help shut down these schemes and prevent others from being victimized. Details on how to report specific types of scams and what to do if you've been victimized are available at www.irs.gov. Click on “phishing” on the home page.

Keeping Your Home Electrical Panel Safe for Your Home

By Chris Gilwee, Gilwee Electric

The last thing on anyone’s mind is their electrical panel and circuit breakers but a residential call I had last week made me think. My client's clothes dryer had stopped working. They had called an appliance repair man and he informed them that their problem was electrical so they called me. After testing the circuits, I needed to check for a faulty connection. I found a junction box under the house which had caught fire and melted the wiring. The joist near the junction box had been charred. The melted and burnt up wiring inside the junction box was still “energized”. The panel did not signal the problem - faulty equipment. The idea is this..... If you have a short circuit or an overload condition, you want your breaker to trip!   In some cases, breaker replacements are available for certain panels. Unfortunately, breakers can be costly as some panels are no longer made. If you have a Zinsco Panel, (You can identify these by noticing if your breakers are red, light blue and light green) we recommend a panel replacement. Go to.... www.ismypanelsafe.com for more information on Zinsco and FPE panels. 
HOMES BUILT 30 PLUS YEARS AGO NEED AN ELECTRICAL SERVICE INSPECTION. A CIRCUIT BREAKER AND PANEL UPGRADE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IF NECESSARY.
 

There have been some significant house fires in our area so I discussed this issue with the Fire Chief Ian Gow. “The two biggest causes of house fires in this area are fireplaces, chimney stacks and old electrical systems” Ian stated.
 “Unfortunately, chimney stacks and electrical systems in our homes are 'out of sight, out of mind'. People assume that they are O.K. until a fire starts on the roof or an electrical receptacle sparks when an appliance is plugged in. If people were more informed about the real dangers of their receptacles and circuit breakers being out of date, we would probably have a lot less house fires.”


Some things to consider for fire safety:
• If your home was built before 1980, have a licensed electrician inspect your panel and circuits.
• If you plug something in to an outlet and it feels loose or starts to fall out, replace the outlet.
• If your light switch slides rather than making a good mechanical “snap”, replace it. We recommend switch and outlet replacement for homes built before 1980.
• If the circuit breakers in your panel are loose or “slide” rather than “snap” on or off, these breakers are suspect and should be replaced.
Fire safety starts with prevention. A safe electrical system saves lives.

Meadow Vista Lion's Club April May Events

Meadow Vista Lions would like to say “THANK YOU” to their loyal customers for purchasing their Christmas See's Candies from our fundraiser.  With all of your support to this fundraiser the proceeds were over $2,500.  This year's See's Candies proceeds will be provided to Sierra Reach Ministries Food Closet to assist them with their weekly distribution of food for people in need.

Thanks to all who came to our Annual Crab Feed at Auburn Fairgrounds
It was great to receive such wonderful support from our community! The proceeds from this event will allow the Lions to do their community events.


Dates of upcoming Lions events to remember:

Saturday, April 7, 2012  Easter Egg Hunt
    If you show up one minute late, you will miss the event!
    Starting time is 10 a.m. SHARP!  Details will announced soon


Sunday, May 13, 2012  Mother's Day Breakfast
    Details will be coming soon!


Should you have questions regarding Lions, please visit Lion President Mark at True Value Hardware, or visit a meeting on the second and fourth Wednesday night at the Meadow Vista Grange hall, starting at 7 p.m.

Resolutions for Success and Goals

By Tonya Elliott-Walker, LMFT, Morningstar Counseling & Wellness Center

So here we are again, it's 2012 and it's the time of year when we make promises to ourselves about all the things we would like to change. What is that you have committed to change for this year? Do you have weight loss goals? Do you have personal relationship goals? Maybe you would like to overcome a bad habit. Or maybe you are a business owner and you have some new goals for your business. How many times have you committed to these particular goals without success? Have you ever wondered if there are any secrets to keeping these New Year's Resolutions? Here are a few tips to keeping your New Year's resolution this year:   
 1. Only make commitments that you are willing and intend to keep. Keeping the commitments that you make to yourself will increase your self-confidence which will increase the likelihood that you will succeed in other goals as well.  2. Play 125%. Most people only give about 50%-80% of the necessary energy to achieve a goal and statistics show that people usually give up right at about the time when they are most likely to succeed. Go as far as you think you can and then streeeeeetch. If you commit to play 125% in this new goal you will not only achieve your outcome you will undoubtedly exceed your own expectations. 

 3. Make sure that your goals are aligned with your values not someone else's. When you make a commitment to make someone else happy, then your success is dependent on someone else's actions. Instead, evaluate your goals and make sure that they are consistent with your values, in this way you are tapping into your internal motivation rather than relying on external motivating factors that you really have no control over. When your goals are aligned with your values you can only be successful.   


 When we set out to achieve an outcome that is new and different from our current reality, we often experience some internal dialogue or mind chatter about all the reasons why we won't be able to achieve it.  This is normal for most folks. The key is having the courage to make a different choice. This year make a choice to have victory over that mind chatter. Remember, if you have made a 125% commitment to a goal that you are aligned with and is consistent with your values then you can only meet with profound success.  So silence that internal mind chatter and recommit to play 125%. Stick with it, have a little faith and your outcome will manifest itself in perfect and divine order.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods & Healing

By Dr. Randall Hensley, D.C. & Julie Asquini, Holistic health Advocate
If you are what you eat: think twice, eat once. Nutritionists, researchers, and most of us would agree that certain foods have a positive or negative effect on healing and disease.  For example back in 2002 The Clinical Journal of Nutrition revealed that processed sugars and other high-gylcemic starches increased body-wide chronic inflammation and raised blood sugar levels.  This in turn raised the risk of coronary heart disease especially in Diabetics.  With that in mind, please remember the following foods when fighting off disease and healing from injuries.

Anti-inflammatory foods you should be eating include:

  • Salmon, especially wild Alaskan Salmon are high in super healthy fats with Omega 3's.
  • Walnuts, pumpkins seeds, flax oil: all have high Omega 3's.
  • Olive Oil: contains oleic acid, raising insulin function and lowers blood sugar.
  • Salads: Dark green lettuce and spinach are high in vitamin C and anti-oxidants.
  • Cruciferous Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, and kale are also high in anti-oxidants, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals which fight cancer causing carcinogens.
  • Cherries can reduce inflammation and are packed with anti-oxidants.
  • Blueberries are great for your brain and reduce chronic inflammation.
  • Turmeric, Ginger, Garlic, and Green Tea are all high levels of natural anti-inflammatory compounds.
  • Grass feed beef and lean meats have higher levels of Omega 3's than grain-feed pen raised beef.
  • Whole grains, colorful fruits and veggies
  • Foods high in B6 (tuna, salmon, chicken, potatoes, pumpkin seeds and turkey) which support the nervous system and aid in the breakdown of sugars an starches raw and high fiber foods. 
  • And plenty of clean filtered water!
Foods to avoid, especially when injured:
 When trying to recover from injury or fighting off chronic conditions, avoid foods with processed sugar, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, saturated fats, partially hydrogenated oils, white breads, simple carbs, dairy, coffee, soda, and alcohol.  These foods increase inflammation, lower defenses, delay healing, and prolong recovery times. 
 By following these guidelines and those readily available online under “anti-inflammatory foods” or “anti-inflammatory diets”, you can help yourself get better faster and stay healthy longer. Check out
www.whfoods.org  for detailed nutritional information and nutrient specific recipes. Enjoy life, eat smarter, get regular chiropractic care and help your body help itself.

Meadow Vista Friendly Neighbors Thank You

By Etta Gross, Meadow Vista Friendly Neighbors

Meadow Vista came through at Christmas with their enormous generous contributions to the Meadow Vista Christmas Basket Program.  It was pleasing to see how many people during the continuing downward slide in the economy were still willing and able to help their struggling neighbor during the Christmas Holidays.  
 The Meadow Vista Friendly Neighbors Club would like to say thank you to the following business for their monetary donations to the Meadow Vista Christmas Baskets: The Meadow Law Group LLC, Sierra Pacific Real Estate, Meadow Electric Inc., Meadow Vista Barber Shop, Dr. John A. Oshetski DDS, MSD, Inc., Qlixite.com, Fairgate Car Wash, and Lively Locks & Dead Bolts.   A special Thank You to Placer County Association of Realtors for their assistance with the purchasing of turkeys and chickens for the food baskets.  The MVFN club wants to say Thank You to all those individuals that made monetary donations to the Christmas Basket Program! The MVFN club members want to say thank you to the following for their monetary, canned food and toys contributions:  Placer Hills United Methodist Church, AGAPE Fellowship Methodist Church, Meadow Vista Area Lions Club, Meadow Vista Garden Club, Meadow Vista Grange, and Auburn Rotary.
The Winchester Ladies Golf Club made several families Christmas much brighter this year by their generosity of gifts for families in need.   Thank you Ladies!
 

Mr. Fred Adam and Ms. Jill Kirkland organization of the canned food drives at Sierra Hills and Weimar Hill Schools were successful this year because of their efforts!  Thank you for your joint venture of contributing over 4,000 cans of food.The Cub/Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H Club, Auburn Recreation District and Winchester residents canned food drives helped the Christmas Food Baskets tremendously.  Thank you!Wells Fargo Bank in Meadow Vista generosity of allowing the ornaments for toys in their bank was greatly appreciated.  Thank you Wells Fargo.  
 For all those volunteers on Friday, December 16 at Sierra Hills School  THANK YOU  without your physical labor of packing the boxes that night, the finishing phase to this project would not have been completed!   
 Thank you to all those who made donations in the cash collection cans and canned food barrels throughout Meadow Vista. The Meadow Vista team effort supplied 138 families with a Christmas Food Basket and 70 Christmas Toy Baskets.
 You all made many smiling faces on Christmas this year!  Thank you for supporting the Meadow Vista Christmas Basket Program.

Recipe: Hawaiian Chicken

Historical Clipper Gap by George Lay

From George Lay's collection, this old picture is marked as "Giant Powder Works" circa 1909. The white building in the lower left is the two story home still standing near the freeway on-ramp across the street from Oliver's gas station on Lake Arthur Road . The current picture below is taken by Dr. Randall Hensley, DC as he is looking across I-80 & the Clipper gap on-ramp.