With Your Family in Mind

As the number and percentage of individuals 65 and over has increased in this country, so has the incidence of elder abuse.  Unfortunately, the prevalence and nature of this growing problem generally remains hidden from public view.  It is imperative that we become more aware of the many issues surrounding this sensitive topic.  While there are no exact statistics on elder abuse, it is estimated that 90,000 cases are reported to Adult Protective Services (APS) in California annually, and for every reported case, five to seven go unreported.

EFC stands for Expected Family Contribution.  It is how much money your family is expected to contribute to a college education for one year.  The EFC is a measure of your family’s financial strength calculated according to a formula established by law on taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits (such as Social Security or unemployment).  Schools use the EFC to determine your federal student aid eligibility and financial award.  Lowering your EFC can increase the financial aid awards available.

I have been preparing for a large civil trial which is supposed to start next week.  I represent a defendant corporation in a dispute with two individuals.  We attempted to resolve the matter through court ordered mediation, but the parties were not able to come to an agreement.  In a conference with the Judge that will be trying the case, he told us about a case he had recently presided over where the plaintiff had demanded $600,000, the defendant offered $400,000 and the plaintiff refused to settle.  The case proceeded to trial and the verdict was in favor of the defendant, meaning that the plaintiff was awarded nothing.

Currently, if you die and your estate has a value of less than 5.12 million, no Federal Estate Tax is due because of your death.  If Congress does nothing, this value will change to one million and the estate tax rate will be 55 percent on any funds in excess of this amount in 2013.  It is estimated 52,500 estates will be affected by the decline in the exemption back to one million if Congress fails to take action.

Scott Andrew has been counseling and life-coaching in Santa Clarita for almost 10 years now; learning from the good families and individuals who have trusted him with their goals, issues, problems and dreams.

“They often tell me how disappointed they’ve been when they’ve gone to conventional therapists.

Halloween, when you’re separated or going through a divorce with children can be a spooky time if not approached with your children in mind.  Halloween is one of those tricky holidays where both parents want to have that ‘fun and scary experience.’

While Halloween isn’t nearly as tough on divorced families as other Holidays, it is difficult in that it is only for one night.  This year Halloween is on a school night so the opportunities to expand into the weekend can present greater challenges. 

Every child deserves to have a safe, loving and permanent home.  Children’s Bureau needs foster families who will care specifically for infants and toddlers during the reunification process with their parents.  There are also 114,000 children currently in foster care who are unable to return to their families of origin.  Children’s Bureau is seeking caring families to consider adopting these older children and large sibling sets.  The agency is holding a monthly information meeting for those interested in learning more on Saturday, October 27 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Community Room at the Westfield Valencia Town Center located at 24201 West Valencia Boulevard in Valencia.

I have heard people rant and rave and bellow

That we’re done and we might as well be dead,
But I’m only a cockeyed optimist
And I can’t get it into my head
— Rodgers and Hammerstein – South Pacific

In a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, Real Life Church announced to the city and surrounding community, plans to open Savia: A Community Partnership. Real Life Church has leased the incomplete Tressierras grocery store property at 23870 Newhall Avenue in Newhall, California and will construct a 23,000 square foot facility inside. It will house business offices and meeting space for three local non-profits: A Light of Hope, Single Mothers Outreach, and the Domestic Violence Center – all tackling issues that destroy families and erode communities. Real Life Church will also move their Spanish-speaking service, Vida Real, to the new multi-use 285-seat auditorium on the weekend. In addition, the facility will house a coffee and juice bar with a wi-fi work lounge, classrooms, an outdoor playground area, and conference rooms -- all available for community use throughout the week.

American high school students say that around 17 percent of their peers use drugs, alcohol or cigarettes during the school day—a total of around 2.8 million teens—according to the 17th annual back-to-school teen drug-use survey from the National Center on Addiction and Substances Abuse at Columbia University (CASAColumbia).  Eighty-six percent of the high-schoolers surveyed confirm that this happens.  And almost half of them know where to buy drugs at school.  As for what’s on offer, 91 percent of kids surveyed report cannabis for sale on school property, and 24 percent prescription drugs.  Private high schools are also rapidly catching up with public ones: 54 percent of such students now say drugs are rampant at their schools—that’s shot up from just 36 percent in 2011.

Great questions about the voiceover business continue to come in from readers of The Magazine of Santa Clarita.  Here’s a recent tech question:

Q: I recently bought the Rode NT1-A and am looking into what mixer/audio interface to buy.  I’ve looked at both the Alesis MultiMix 8 USB 2.0, the Mackie ProFX8.  The Akai EIE Pro was recommended to me.  Buyers of most of the mixers I’ve looked at seemed to have more issues than positive things to say.  What is your recommendation? –Colin S., Castaic, CA.

We all know that car accidents happen when you least expect them.  There is no specific time when or where one could happen, so it’s important to be sure that in the event of a collision, your insurance has you and your automobile well covered.  Generally, collision coverage reimburses you the amount needed to repair or replace your damaged vehicle, minus the deductible.  This coverage is normally required if your vehicle is leased or if you have an outstanding loan on the vehicle.

Honorees Kiki and Jeff Hacker, Marian and Richard Sandnes and Eileen and Marc Winger.The Boy Scouts of America announced the honorees for the Sixth Annual Santa Clarita Valley Leaders of Character Recognition Dinner.  The list of distinguished honorees from Santa Clarita Valley business, government, and philanthropy include Kerry & Kristie Carmody, Don & Cheri Fleming and Laurene Weste & Jim McCarthy. 

Sip, stroll and savor the sounds, all for a great cause!  Comfort Keepers In-Home Care is proud to be the title sponsor for this years Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley’s The Wine Affair.  The event will support the Sheila Veloz Breast Imaging Center, as well as Henry Mayo’s NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans age 65 and older will double in the next 20 years.  This means that:

Oh, my closed heart!  How do I live with an open heart and still protect myself.  How do I let down my guard?  How do I trust again?  Would I ever love again?  All these questions I have been pondering for years getting no answers... always trying to believe in the light but not manifesting it.  How long would these same records be playing in my head?  Would I die with the unresolved issues of an unopened heart?

Many Californians, as well as those living in other states, believe that if a person has been cohabiting for a certain number of years, this constitutes a “common law” marriage; meaning the cohabitors are now deemed married just because they have cohabited for “x” number of years.  This belief is completely false in California.  Marriage only exists when a man and a woman (and possibly soon, same-sex couples) come together to establish a legally binding marriage contract to which they consent to becoming married.  This includes both obtaining a marriage license and the public performance of a sacrament or solemn ceremony with all appropriate ritual, called solemnization.

Federal funding for children dropped in 2011.  State funding continues to be a challenge as California deals with the effects of the recession, and programs that specialize in the care of children continue to struggle.  Thriving communities depend on the vast number of activities undertaken by nonprofit organizations to keep children engaged, active, and enjoying life.  Many programs that care for the emotional and social needs of children are at risk.