With Your Family in Mind

Are you a “Terry” or are you an “Alex”?  Terry: Cruising right along, it’s a day-to-day grind.  Before you know it, it is September.  Most of the year is gone; the holidays and 2009 are right around the corner.  No worries, right?

Many taxpayers have IRA’s, 401-K’s and other deferred-compensation accounts as part of their financial planning strategy.  Such accounts enable taxpayers to defer the payment of income tax until they retire – when they supposedly will have less income and withdrawals will hopefully be taxed at a lower tax rate. 

Local voters who go to the polls on November 4 will find a bond measure on the ballot to fund construction of new facilities in the William S. Hart Union High School District and complete modernization programs at the district’s existing schools.  The bond was authorized by the district’s governing board at its July 16 business meeting, following a presentation of the district’s needs by Chief Operating Officer Rob Gapper.

Any time I see new construction I’m immediately curious as to what is being built.  And if you’ve driven by Bridgeport Marketplace on the corner of Newhall Ranch Road and Mc Bean in Valencia, you’ve seen constant construction for several months now.  Everything from Red Mango to Kabuki to Walgreen’s are quickly opening.  But what is being built behind the fence on the northeast corner of the property?  That is the future home of Real Life Church!  The building will be 40,000 square feet complete with a 1,200 seat auditorium, exciting children’s space, coffee house and meeting space for community and neighborhood events.  The building will also be environmentally friendly.  Partially subterranean, this structure will demand far less energy to heat and cool. 

This year’s Macy’s West 2008 Bag Hunger Food Drive collected over 3.5 million pounds of food for local communities throughout the nation.  In Santa Clarita, Macy’s Valencia exceeded its goal and through the generosity of the associates raised $1,709 which will be matched through Macy’s Employees Match Funds Program with another $1,360 plus an additional $500 for reaching “goal.”   The total donation from Macy’s Valencia through the Macy’s 2008 Bag Hunger Food Drive to the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry was $3,569.

Everyone knows, even in a general sense, that when you are involved in a legal dispute, you are entitled to “your day in court”.  It is no different in divorce court. However, what is often very shocking for participants is that the “day in court” is really spent as a spectator rather than an actual litigant.  If you go to any family law courtroom, before you even walk in the door, you will find a list of cases to be heard that day hanging outside the door.  Generally, a list of cases on calendar can run anywhere from 30 cases or more. 

With nearly 85,000 children in California removed from their parents’ homes due to abuse or neglect and 9,000 foster children in California waiting for adoptive homes, there is a great need for caring adults to provide loving, nurturing homes as either foster or adoptive parents.  A parent information meeting will be held Thursday night, August 21 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church located at 27265 Luther Drive, Canyon Country, for those interested—adults single or married are welcome (English and Bilingual Spanish speaking).

One of the useful devices in the estate planning toolbox is the Power of Attorney.  This document gives another person the grantor’s authorization to act on his/her behalf in either limited or unlimited transactions.

Much has been written about community property, a characteristic that causes an equal division between divorcing couples.  But, just as important is the identification of property that is owned by one of the spouses which will not be divided in the divorce.  Separate property is property acquired before marriage, after the date of separation or during the marriage if acquired by gift or inheritance.  Included are the rents, profits and income from the separate property.

There are as many different kinds of loss as there are people on the planet.  Sometimes, it happens fast. Other times, it’s excruciatingly slow. Sometimes it’s a complete surprise. Other times, you can see it coming a mile away.  Either way, life still goes on.  You need to get up in the morning, go to sleep at night, and do a lot of things in between.  The emotional roller coaster may make it difficult to do even the most elementary of tasks. 

Recently a five-year-old African American little boy came to the attention of the authorities after suffering horrendous abuse at the hands of his parents.  This abuse included cigarette burns to his entire body, including burns to his genitals, a hand that at this time he cannot fully open due to having it burned on the stove, a broken tooth with an exposed nerve, and finally, it is understood that he was made to sit in his own urine and feces.

Have you dreamed of becoming a voice actor?  Want the inside info on what it takes to be successful?  Let a professional help you.  Cashman Commercials is one of the few production companies in the country that offers comprehensive courses in voice acting.  Specializing in commercial voice acting, Creative Director and owner Marc Cashman creates, casts and produces copy and music advertising for radio and television clients such as Kroger, Charles Schwab, Quizno’s, Pella Windows, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and many more.

With the value of real estate property down significantly from just a couple of years ago, many homeowners find themselves underwater with their real estate loans.  The value of the real estate may be less than the balance on the first home loan.  In these cases, it is possible to “strip” the second, and any other junior lien, on the home in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy and be left with just the first loan.

Ok.  I’ve been reading up on this reverse psychology stuff, and it seems that since childhood, we are more likely to do something if we are told not to do it. 

Now brace yourself, because I am going to use this advanced and powerful “reverse psychology” technique on you!  It is so powerful that you may not even realize that I’m doing it!  Now, let’s see if this works:

Temple Beth Ami is gearing up for a sizzlin’ summer in Santa Clarita!  Join us for our annual Havdalah at the Beach, gear up for our Park Havdalah and Sports event, or stop by an open house and meet Rabbi Mark Blazer and other members of our TBA family.

Are we teaching our children to think?  In today’s changing world of the global economy, what has been referred to as critical thinking, and problem solving skills are of more importance than ever.

When we think of food issues or eating disorders, the common person doesn’t typically group them with addiction problems.  But the characteristics of an eating disorder are so similar that they are actually a form of addiction.  The individual with an eating disorder, such as bulimia, actually experiences a euphoric rush from the act of binge eating, similar to that of a drug user.  The same brain chemistry and pleasure principles are involved in both drug use and binge eating.  This euphoric feeling makes it near impossible for the bulimic to control their behavior, even when they could die from their behavior.

Traveling at just 35 miles per hour, a head-on collision can cause a one-pound article to strike at someone with 100 pounds of force.  This can cause life-threatening injuries.  Stopping abruptly can also turn cell phones and books into deadly weapons.  Buckling up kids in the car seat is essential.  But, what do you do about items on the seats or the family dog?
Most SUV’s and minivans lack a containment area for cargo.  People usually place items into open cargo areas.  This creates a hazard in a collision.