Meadow Vista True Value Spring Sale

The Child Custody Mediation Process

By Sue McCurnin, Attorney, A. L. Harvey Law, PLC

If you are going through a divorce, and you and your partner have children under the age of eighteen, then child custody is most likely one of the issues you are most concerned with. In California, custody mediation is required by most courts before a court order is made. Mediation has many advantages: it is less threatening, parties are usually willing to compromise more frequently, the mediator is an unbiased third-party, it is less expensive and finally it offers a quicker solution than going to court.  Prior to mediation you should take the following actions in order to be fully prepared:

• Write out your current daily schedules for you and your child(ren).
• Write out a custody and visitation proposal that you would like to present at the mediation session.
• Put together a folder or binder of your child’s records.
• Consider getting professional legal advice from an attorney who can advise you on relative legal matters.

The child custody mediation process can be broken down into five steps. This five step process will take significantly less time depending on the intricacy of custody issues and the parents ability to reach an agreement.

Step 1: Meet With The Mediator:  At this initial meeting, the mediator will cover the rules of the
process and the confidentiality factors.

Step 2: Identify and Organize Issues: After making a list of all issues that need to be covered through mediation, it is necessary to prioritize those issues with the mediator.
Below, are some issues and topics to discuss during mediation:

• Custody and visitation scheduleand exceptions such as holidays and vacations 
• Parental communication
• How will you communicate with your ex-partner regarding your child? Ie: face-to-face during drop-offs, text, email, call and/ or video chat.
• Religion
• Medical and/or healthcare
• Extracurricular activities
• Education
• Future changes agreement

Step 3: Discuss Solutions to Issues: Each party should provide solutions to the issues at stake. It is
essential to honestly discuss what you believe is fair and you must be willing to work in your child’s best interest.

Step 4: Draft A Custody Agreement: After the issues are presented and solutions are provided, the mediator will prepare the custody agreement. It is advised you have your attorney review this agreement since it is a legally binding contract.

Step 5: Sign The Custody Agreement: Coming to a custody agreement through the mediation process will
avoid the stressful and heart-wrenching child custody battle in court.
Through all of this, it is most important to put your child(ren) first and give them the best childhood as possible.  This should not be construed as legal advice.

Recipe: Honey Glazed Easter Ham

Meadow Vista Friendly Neighbors Update

Submitted by Etta Gross

The Meadow Vista Friendly Neighbors Club says THANK YOU Meadow Vista Community for another successful Christmas Basket Project in 2017.  It would have not been possible without your financial and physical support.  Special Thank You to all those that purchased the $5 Brown Bags at Holiday Market in the month of November.  Those we EXTREMELY helpful to the Christmas Basket Food Program.  And for those that donated toys through Wells Fargo Bank in Meadow Vista, we are greatly appreciative of you all too!  Those toys provide a smile to the children’s face on Christmas.  Not to forget all those that came to Sierra Hills School on Friday night to assist with the packing of the food boxes. We say THANK YOU everyone did a great job.  The Colfax Ladies Soccer Team and the Colfax Baseball Team did an excellent job at assisting us with the physical part of this project! 
We had a special donation this year from Ms. Jones who teaches at Sierra Hills.  Ms. Jones wanted to recognize her wonderful group of volunteers who are Beverly Bell, Brooke Stuart, Anthony Grady, Jessica Keller, Kristin Kolster, Jeanette Mentas, Lorey Moore, and Molly Richardson.  We are thankful that Ms. Jones made a special generous donation to the Christmas Basket in her volunteer’s names to honor their outstanding volunteerism.
Please look for us in front of Holiday Market the second and third weekend in March this year selling See’s Easter Egg Candies.  All proceeds will be used for the many projects we do throughout the year!
Any questions please visit our website at www.meadowvistafriendlyneighbors.com

Meadow Vista Lions Club News

Submitted by Lions Club Secretary, Etta Gross

For all those attendees at our Meadow Vista Lions Annual Crab Feed held on February 3, 2018, we want to say THANK YOU for your support.  This event is our annual community account fundraiser.  This fund is used for School Hot Dogs, the Tablet Reading Program, School Sport Support, Mother’s Day Breakfast, Easter Egg Hunt and many more projects.  We say THANK YOU so these events and projects may continue in our community.
Thank you to all those See’s Candies purchasers at Christmas.  Those proceeds went directly to Sierra Reach Ministries Food Closet and Meadow Vista Friendly Neighbors Club Christmas Basket program.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Saturday, March 31, 2018, EASTER EGG HUNT  (Ages tots to 10)

10: AM SHARP!   It is over at 10:05 so PLEASE BE EARLY!

Placer Hills Campus Soccer Field in Meadow Vista

Remember to bring a basket to collect eggs in!

Mother’s Day Breakfast

Sierra Hills School on Mother’s Day (May 13, 2018)

Starts at 8 a.m. – ALL MOMS are free.  Everyone else is charged a very small amount.

Come see what being a Lion is about by visiting a meeting on the second or fourth Wednesday, starting time is 7 pm at Meadow Vista Community Center.

Any questions please visit our website at www.meadowvistalions.com or our email address is meadowvistalionsclub@gmail.com.

Meadow Vista Community Center Update

2018 Meadow Vista Community Service Award Nominations

Attention Sellers: Take Advantage of the Spring-Summer Real Estate Market!

By Christine Schlittenhart, Vista Realty Group DRE#01704242

Spring to early Summer marks the beginning of the busiest home-selling and home-buying season in our area. With the warmer weather, more daylight, and the impetus to get a new house in order before the next school calendar begins, buyers are more likely to shop during this time of year, with home buying peaking in June. 
Below are a few reasons why you should take advantage and list during this “On-Season”:

• Higher Exposure: There’s no doubt spring is when properties shine. The flowers are in bloom and buyers are out. Daylight saving time also gives buyers more time to look at houses, which means your property can be seen by more buyers during the day, leading to more exposure. More exposure means a bigger chance for more interested buyers.
• Advantage of Bidding Wars: Bidding wars are a headache for buyers but a big plus for sellers. Bidding wars mean more money in your pocket. They also usually mean buyers are less likely to make repair requests or other demands. Additionally, cash buyers are some of the more aggressive bidders, so you might find a buyer with a fistful of dollars with a fast lane to closing day.
• Higher Sales Price: Unlike other markets, where more inventory means lower prices, the housing market works the opposite way: Prices are highest in the prime season, when most homes are listed.

It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s a function of demand being very seasonal, driven by weather and school year. There are also more buyers in spring and summer, as this is the most convenient time for most people to move. So relative to demand, the supply of homes is actually tighter in spring and summer than in fall and winter.

• Stronger Appraisals: When your house is being valued, the appraiser will look into data for comparable homes sold in your neighborhood. But if the most recent data is from a home that sold for cheap in the winter, it can hurt your valuation. With more homes selling in the On-Season, the comparable data (or "comps") are more accurate. 

Call one of your local Real Estate professionals today to take advantage of selling during our most marketable real estate season.  Spring + Summer = SOLD!

350 Placer Helping the Planet, One Question (and One Beer) at a Time

On Thursday, March 8th from 6-7:30pm, the group 350 Placer will be holding its third “Hot Climate, Cold Beer” trivia night at the Moonraker Brewing Company in Auburn. The night will be a great time for old and new friends to support a local business and enjoy some beer, while learning about climate change. Admission is free and there is a suggested donation of $5 to participate in the trivia game. Funds raised will help with the group’s future efforts.
350 Placer is a group of residents who joined together to promote clean, sustainable living in Placer County. Since its formation in early 2017, its focus has been on educating residents about climate change. It also holds small gatherings at local venues to promote the consumption of food from local farmers. The group is inspired by the international group 350.org, a grassroots organization dedicated to reducing carbon levels to no more than 350 parts per million. The number 350 is the level of carbon believed to be safe and sustainable for life on our planet.
One of 350 Placer’s primary goals is to help educate the community about small things we all can do today to make a big difference.
As current science states, it is not too late to change our course if we act now. “Hot Climate, Cold Beer” will address ways we can help. 350 Placer can be found on Facebook and at www.350Placer.org. Questions about the “Hot Climate, Cold Beer” or the group can be directed to Danielle at 916-320-7584. “Hot Climate, Cold Beer” will be held at the Moonraker Brewing Company located at 12970 Earhart Ave in Auburn.