With Your Family in Mind

Golden Oak Adult School now teaches Masonry.  A licensed contractor teaches students the history, tools/equipment, safety, prep/application, and use of masonry products. 

Valentine’s Day is coming - that day when romantics all over the world do their very best to find clever ways to express their love to their Valentine with things like chocolates, hearts, roses, poetry, and surprises.  As for the rest of us, well, thank goodness for Hallmark!
I just wonder… is candy and cards our best shot at expressing love to someone?  I hope not, because chocolate is going to get old after awhile!  God has some wonderful ideas about love that can take us beyond chocolate and cards.  Now, don’t get me wrong – chocolate is good, but I think we can do better.  In fact, there’s a chapter in the Bible called “The Love Chapter.”  In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, God gets very specific about the value, expression, and purpose of love.

In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, a debtor or his attorney must complete a form, which establishes a current monthly income to help determine whether the debtor qualifies for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  The form is often called the “Means Test.”
The current monthly income is calculated using the income received in the six –month period prior to the month in which the case is filed.  That six-month total is converted into a yearly income by multiplying the number by two.  When the yearly income falls below the state median income for that debtor’s family size, a Chapter 7 case is usually an option.  When the yearly income is above the median, the Means Test gets more complicated.

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement
Santa Clarita Christian Fellowship has been selected for the 2010 Best of Canyon Country Award in the Places of Worship category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).  The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country.  Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category.  These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Most seniors probably don’t think of this, but some of the delights of Valentine’s Day, such as romance, wine, fruit and chocolate can be down right good for the heart, according to research from the University of Michigan.
Of course, moderation is always key when enjoying food and wine, but there are components in cherries, grapes and wine that can lower blood pressure and protect heart muscle.  According to Steven F. Bolling, M.D professor of cardiac surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, cherries contain compounds which can also be very good for the heart. 

Dependable Senior Assistants want to help spread joy to older adults in our community this holiday season by offering some useful tips and advice.  For most people, the holidays represent a wonderful time of year to share the joys of family and friendship.  But for some older adults, this time of year can be extremely difficult.
“For many older adults, the memories of holidays past outshine present day celebrations, and they find it difficult to experience joy in the present,” said Dmitry Sherman, General Manager, Dependable Senior Assistants.

The City of Santa Clarita Transit has been chosen to receive a 2010 Best APWA Project of the Year Award from the Southern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA).  The APWA award recognizes public agencies for their outstanding projects and programs.
Golden Valley Road Bridge is part of the Cross Valley Connector, a major east-west corridor that reduces travel times and directly links State Route 14, State Route 126, Interstate 5, and Sierra Highway.

Can you believe it is 2011!  Wow!  Guess what?  You made it!  I know it wasn’t easy.  I know you had some ups and some downs.  I know you experienced some highs and some lows – but no matter what 2010 threw your way, you can officially look back and say, “I made it!”  You made it through the heartaches, the headaches, the disappointments, the negativity, the pains, the discouragements, and the depressing situations. 

Every child in America deserves to have a safe and nurturing home!  Children’s Bureau is holding a monthly information meeting for those interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent on Saturday, January 29 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Westfield Valencia Town Center located at 24201 W. Valencia Boulevard, Valencia 91355.  The meeting will be in the Community Room next to Ann Taylor Loft between J. C. Penney and Prince of Jewelers.

How to make “Easy, Healthy and Nutritious Meals on a Budget” will be the topic for the next LifeForward workshop offered by Zonta Club of the SCV from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 22.  The workshops, offered free to local women, have been on hiatus for a few months while Zonta sought a new location where they could offer childcare.  The workshops are now scheduled at Desert Streams Church, located at 26873 Ruether Avenue in Canyon Country.
Free childcare for pre-registered participants will be provided by Single Mothers Outreach, which has recently relocated to the same complex.

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:
1. Millions of adult children will be exposed to the demands of caregiving as their parents age; and
2. Spouses will become caregivers as their elderly husbands and wives suffer the effects of advanced age.  

It’s not too late to make New Year’s Resolutions, and to get our legal and financial houses in order.  Here are some resolutions we can all accomplish:
1. Organization:
• Label and store all closed bank and financial accounts.
• Place an up-to-date summary of your family’s assets and debts in an Assets file.

Under California law, employers with two or more full-time employees, including the owner are guaranteed group coverage should they choose to purchase it, regardless of the health status of the employees.  To qualify, employers need only have been in business longer than two months, comply with insurer requirements regarding the employer’s contribution and employee participation, offer coverage to all eligible full-time employees, have not committed fraud against the insurer and continue to pay their premiums.

According to the US Census, with 44 states and the District of Columbia reporting, the number of marriages which occur per year are 2,077,000.  The marriage rate is 6.8 per 1,000, meaning close to seven of every thousand persons get married per year.  Astoundingly, the divorce rate is 3.4 per 1,000.  So, the amount of divorces is exactly half of the amount of marriages per year, meaning that for every two people getting married, one person is getting divorced.  That’s a lot of divorces.

As 2010 came to a close, the people of NorthPark were learning to listen to God.  Pastor Dave White did a fascinating series in the book of Mark during the Christmas Season called “Whispers of Wonder.”  Over the last four weeks of the year, we looked at four vignettes in the scriptures in which people were compelled by their faith to step out and trust God and expect Him to work in their lives.  Dr. White challenged us to be grounded in our understanding of God as He has revealed Himself in the Bible and not our own invention. 

Are you one of the many who make this crucial mistake you will regret later in life?
Every year new clients tell me that they regret not beginning their child’s and family portrait documentation at the very beginning of their child’s journey through life.  It’s not that they don’t value or see the importance of creating these timeless photographs.  Being a new parent or welcoming a new child into your family makes a busy life even busier.  It’s very easy for the years to slip by.  I know this first hand because of my brother.  Like most parents, he simply does not have as many fine portraits of his youngest daughter Dona, while he has a very adequate collection of portraits of his eight year-old daughter Gina. 

Well, the holidays have passed and all over town new skateboards, all terrain vehicles and bicycles will be taken for a spin by novice riders.  And parents will hold their breaths and hope for the best – as parents have been doing forever.  In many ways it was simpler when those same parents were growing up.  The rules were few and clear:  come in when the street lights go on; be respectful to adults; obey your teachers; tell the truth.  But children today have many more influences on their behavior.  As communication opportunities have expanded, so have the number of potential dangers.

Following the season of gift-giving and warm tidings, the year 2011 may begin with resolutions.  You may start out with practical ideas that include saving money, losing weight, increasing time for exercise, and considering how you can reduce stress.  Let me propose something else.  Please consider what you can do to help a child or group of children have a fresh start in 2011.