Your Voice. Your Community. Your News.
VOLUME 9
SERVING THE INLAND EMPIRE COMMUNITIES BIRTHDAY
Identity Theft
FREEBIES
is a Growing Problem.
What’s the Best Thing that Happened To You Today?
Protect Yourself. Page 3
ISSUE 12
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Page 7
Growing, Dangerous Fire Season Worsens Pollution in California Page 8
Each year many small businesses in your community suffer financial devastation due to lack of sales from the community’s they serve year-round. The majority of shoppers will go to the Big Guys and THE MALLS. If possible, it would help them greatly if you would stop by their businesses and give them some of your shopping dollars. These small businesses need you to patronize them. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…….. a
It's no secret that retiring in today's economy is harder than ever for seniors. The costs of healthcare, housing, utilities and even food has all skyrocketed. And unfortunately, the Cost Of Living Adjustment just isn't cutting it for some seniors. That's why we've compiled this extensive list of the top ways that seniors can save money and make their retirement last longer. Enjoy! Here are some awesome senior discounts at popular restaurants: Applebee’s gives 10% discount Burger King: 10% discount and discounts on drink items, Denny's: senior menu with discounted prices; IHOP: senior menu as well as 10% off; Sonic: 10% discount; Golden Corral: discounted menu prices for 60 and over; Subway: 10% discount; Wendy's: free drink (or 10% at some locations); Outback Steakhouse: 10% off for AARP members; White Castle: 10% off for 55 and over Check For Mistakes With Your Social Security, you get a Social Security statement every year. Do not assume it is accurate. Check the numbers and report any errors to the Social Security Administration. Remember, your benefits are based on the average of your 35 highest-earning years. A miscalculation for even one or two of those years could impact your benefit for the rest of your life. One of the easiest things you can do to instantly start saving money is to buy in bulk! Retailers often give a MUCH better deal on products such as paper towel, toilet paper, detergent, etc. if you buy in bulk. This might seem like an obvious one, but we often forget how much money we waste by not buying in bulk. Save On Your Property Taxes, did you know that every state has some sort of property-tax benefit for seniors? Several states have programs that freeze property taxes completely for seniors, and 10 limit how much a property's tax value can increase. Also, the homestead exemption can be larger when a homeowner reaches a certain age.
(The larger the exemption, the lower the tax.) In Colorado, seniors 65 and older can exempt up to 50% of their residence's first $200,000 in value. Check with your local township to see ensure you're getting the senior discount! Veterans Get a Massive Discount at Lowes All active military and veterans are entitled to get a 10% discount on all in-store purchases at Lowe's. To make it even better, Lowe's extends this offer to their spouses! Need new tools? How about new appliances? How about a kitchen remodel? Lowe's carries a variety of things, so take advantage of this incredible discount! Ace Hardware is a great store for quick shopping and friendly service. And what makes shopping there even better for seniors is that they now offer a 10% senior discount! This does vary by location, so give your local Ace Hardware a call and see if they offer it. Born Before 1965? Get $3,000/year Taken Off Your Mortgage with The Government's New "Enhanced Relief" Program. Banks Don't Want Homeowners Knowing This. Still unknown to many is a brilliant Government Program called the Freddie Mac Enhanced Relief Refinance Program (FMERR) that could benefit millions of Americans and reduce their payments by as much as $3,000 per year! You could bet the banks aren't too thrilled about losing all that profit and might secretly hope homeowners don't find out before time runs out. So, while the banks happily wait for this program to end, the Government is making a final push and urging homeowners to take advantage. This program could expire at any time. But the good news is that once you're in, you're in. If lowering your payments, paying off your mortgage faster, and even taking some cash out would help you, it's vital you act now and see if you could qualify for FMERR or a better rate in today's marketplace. URGENT: So many homeowners could still benefit today, but sadly, many perceive FMERR to be too good to be true. Remember, FMERR is a free program and there's absolutely NO COST to see if you qualify. See if you qualify now before it's gone
For Advertising, Subscription, or Bulk Delivery information, please call (909) 973-2927. Thank you for reading
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Ways To Save Big During Retirement
Yes We Can Newspaper
Publishers Note
Ethel Martin-Miller It took years for me to get enough nerves to not celebrate Christmas in the traditional way. My children were around 8 and 13 years old. It kept coming to me year after year and I finally made up my mind. I had to let my two children have a Christmas without any presents. That Christmas would be to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ only and to concentrate on the reason for the season. I asked my family members not to give us any presents and we would not be giving them presents. Many of my family members didn’t understand because of tradition, but I knew what I had to do. It was hard, but it was one of the most rewarding Christmas my children had. My son eight at the time said he was too young to understand it, but as intelligent as he was, he got the message. My daughter on the other hand saw the commercial side of it and she got the message. My son is 42 and my daughter is 47 years old today and they still have a real reason for Season ! I Challenge you to Try it One Year………….
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It's that time of year again. December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with family and friends, snow in the yard, stockings hanging in the living room, and shouts of "Merry Christmas" to those who pass us in the streets? Is this really Christmas? For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They don't have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons. Turkey dinners may be only a wish and not a reality for some. Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child. Jesus Is The Reason For The Season! Rejoice!
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Identity Theft is a Growing Problem. By; Contributor Writer Identity theft has become a major issue in recent years, costing Americans over $52 billion per year. But you don't have to be a victim. You can reduce your exposure to identity theft by following some simple guidelines. Here are ten ways you can protect yourself. Bank deposit receipts, credit card statements, old documents, anything with sensitive information should be properly disposed of. If you don't have a fireplace, consider investing in a low-cost paper shredder. Identity thieves can learn a lot from rifling through trash -- don't let yours give away your identity. Shopping online is safe -- when you use secure web pages. Check the bottom of your browser and look for a locked graphic, or look for "https" in the address bar. This means you are on a secure web page and your data is encrypted. Without a secure connection, hackers can eavesdrop on your transaction and grab your private data. Phishing is a technique employed by identity thieves through email or online chat services. The thief pretends to represent a company, such as PayPal or your credit card issuer, and informs you that you need to respond with some information or click on a link. The thief may even claim to represent a charity or sweepstakes giveaway. Don't fall for it. Don't respond and don't click the link, even if it appears to be a legitimate link. Responsible organizations will not contact you in this way. Never give out personal information over the phone to someone who calls you claiming to represent a bank, credit card company, charity, or other organization. People are not always who they claim to be. You could be talking to a scam artist who is sweet-talking you out of your credit card or bank account number. This is an old scam, but still widely practiced today because it works. Don't let it work on you. Computer virus or trojan horse spyware program that sneaks its way onto your computer can compromise your private information. These malicious programs can scan through your entire hard drive and send what it finds out over the internet. To combat this threat, be sure
to run an anti-virus program and at least one anti-spyware program, such as Lavasoft's Ad-Aware. These programs will help defend your computer against those who want to compromise it. According to US law every citizen is entitled to one free credit report each year. You can get the free report from the three major credit agencies by going to Annualcreditreport.com. Verify that the information is correct and check for suspicious activity, particularly mysterious new accounts opened. For even better protection, sign up for a service that notifies you when changes occur to your credit report. Ask your bank about what they are doing to combat identity theft. Call your credit card company and find out if you will be liable for fraudulent charges. Ask your employer about what steps are taken to safeguard sensitive employee data. It's your data; you should know how it is managed. Your social security card, passport, birth certificate and other identifying materials are highly sought -after by identity thieves and can command top dollar on the black market. Be sure that your documents are safely stored, preferably in a locked box tucked away and out of sight. Do not regularly carry these documents on you. When you travel, pay special attention to securing your passport. Leave it in a hotel room safe at all times. Some institutions--insurers, colleges, etc.--prefer to use your social security number as their identification number for you. This is very foolish, as it essentially derivatizes this number. Because your social security number can be used to gain access to a lot of other private information about you, opt out of allowing institutions to use it. Another number can be substituted instead. Of course, tampering with someone's mail is a federal offense, but that doesn't stop people from doing it. Try not to let incoming mail sit in your mailbox for a long time. If you are going to be away, have the post office hold your mail for you. When sending out sensitive mail, consider dropping it off at a secure collection box or at the post office itself. Follow these tips you will minimize your exposure to identity theft. Be safe, and
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Shortly after the doors locked shut on another day at the family business, I often wandered up to my dad’s office in search of something, anything, to eat. A seemingly tireless work ethic often meant my dad could be found in his office well past dinnertime. Perhaps he would have something extra left over? I would approach his desk with caution, so I wouldn’t disrupt the countless piles of paperwork, stacks of boxes full of new product ideas, and knick-knacks scattered about. Desperate for food, I would slowly sink into one of the desk chairs and lazily ask, “What did you bring for dinner?” A natural salesman and professional small talker, my dad would completely ignore the pressing issue at hand—food. Instead, a simple question would roll off his tongue. “What’s the best thing that happened to you today?” he would ask while peering over his computer. The way he would methodically ask, listen, and express genuine curiosity in my answers is something I reluctantly embraced. Over the years, I learned to answer “the question” quickly and without too much detail (any sort of protracted answer surely would lead to the sort of conversation I couldn’t end fast enough to satisfy my insatiable hunger). Occasionally, the irresistible urge to give a more thoughtful answer brought on an avalanche of reflective musings and opened a door or two that otherwise may have been slammed shut in the course of our father/son relationship. Answering “the question” in the office each day is a distant memory for me, but as I have transitioned into fatherhood, mentorship, and being an adult (most of the time), I’ve found that the habits of the past are just as purposeful today. Close your eyes, pause for a moment, and think about the best thing that happened to you today. Say it out loud, even though you aren’t ready. It’s a safe assumption that you might be thinking, “This isn’t as easy as it should be, what’s wrong with me?” More often than not, the first thing your mind will come up with isn’t the best thing that happened. Our days are filled with news headlines, busy schedules, family issues, business issues, and for people like me, hunger. Through all that occurs in a given day, it isn’t always easy to pinpoint that one thing that you appreciated the most and then recognize it when asked to do so. Really, what is the best thing that happened to you today? So, let’s try this again. Take more than a moment to think about your day and see where your thoughts take you. I promise you, it gets easier with practice and your answers are therapeutic, like a daily workout for your soul. Your mind, body, and spirit need a healthy dose of good stuff to drown out all the distractions we face. Like any healthy habit, once you start, you won’t want to stop.
Years of practice and coming up with answers taught me some very meaningful insights worth sharing on this topic: “The question” doesn’t recognize age, gender, or any other demographic factor—it is universal. Young children, grandparents, friends, your spouse, and complete strangers all seem to respond the same. At first, people are a little shaky in their response, but eventually, they are grateful that someone took the time to ask and listen. Start a new tradition in your life; you will not regret taking the time to listen to the answers you receive. Get comfortable with being uncomfortably chatty. It takes some practice to push through the boundaries we create for ourselves. It is much more comfortable to stay in our own bubble. It’s also easy to fall into habits that don’t involve conversations with others. Remember, life doesn’t usually reward people that can’t change out of their comfy pants and put on a pair of jeans from time to time. Call an old friend, talk to a stranger in line at the grocery store, or share a meal with your family and start talking. Many people will respond to you with something terrible that happened today instead. When that happens, listen and then ask them again for the best thing that happened. Repeat until they find something awesome to say, it may take a few tries. Put down everything you are doing and pay attention. Humans multitask better than any other known life form. I challenge you to “mono-task”—it is way harder than you think. Be present, be real, and look people in the eye. Your phone will not leave you if you stop glaring at it for a few minutes, so take the time to really connect with people. The rewards are more than worth the effort. Be the best thing that happened to someone else today. Your relationships are like bank accounts, so in order to make a withdrawal, you also must put something in. Try to deposit plenty of positivity into the lives of those you know! When someone you love tells you that you are the best thing that happened today, there is no better feeling. Taking a step back into my past reminded me how important it is to give before any expectations to receive are met. I find it a bit ironic that in my relentless pursuit to satisfy a very basic need (hunger), I often found real fulfillment through sharing. Try something different the next time your needs aren’t being met. Ask away and be ready to listen—the answers you receive may surprise you.
Is there any good reason to be scared of flying? Dr. Noah Charney explores the myths and reality surrounding air travel, flying phobia, and the science behind our irrational fears. Fear of flying is its own category of phobia, and it is a common one particularly in our current era of high-profile terrorist acts. Never mind that the facts dictate, unarguably, that flying remains one of the safest ways to travel. While flying phobias exist, this mode of transport remains one of the safest ways to travel, even taking into account incidents on small aircraft. The chance of dying in a transportation-related accident in the US, for example, is one in 6,800. The chance of dying in a plane crash? One in 13 million! Yet that doesn’t stop us from getting the sweats when boarding a plane. We don’t read in the news about the 26,678 average annual fatalities among Americans driving cars. But a single airplane crash makes international headlines. So, if you only fly on commercial airliners, you’re in very safe hands. In the United States, there are 0.07 fatalities per billion passenger miles, which translates like this: If you fly 500 miles every day for a year, you have a fatality risk of one in 85,000. In short, flying is, by far, the safest mode of transit. Period! Of course, facts don’t matter when it comes to phobias: The other side of the equation is feeling a lack of control. You’re on a plane. A pilot you can’t see transports you to your destination. You feel bumps of turbulence and the shake of the wheels lowering, but you can’t see the causes of these sounds so they’re alien and frightening. While turbulence is what passengers fear most, planes are now built in such a way that turbulence cannot cause a plane to crash: Most turbulence-related injuries are the result of unfastened seatbelts and falling luggage. Thankfully, there are solutions, and they don’t necessarily require medication, although many doctors recommend a mild sedative to help you sleep and relax during a flight. You can try non-medicinal relaxation products that use harmless electromagnetic pulses to trick your brain into feeling relaxed. You can also meditate, focusing on deep, slow breathing, to naturally relax you. When it comes to turbulence, there’s a good reason why the simulator works. By explaining the mechanics of flying, it helps passengers to understand that the sounds 7
and movements of flight are normal. As Flight Captain explains, “It is the unknown that scares us. In a car, we see bumps in the road. In a boat, we see waves in the sea, but in an airplane, we can’t physically see the turbulence in the sky, because air is invisible.” “We demonstrate the sounds and mechanisms of a flight under normal conditions,” says one Flight Captain, “then demonstrate how the flight crew deal with system failures. Knowledge of what to expect is a strong way to alleviate fears.” The simulator also helps explain the two types of turbulence. During storm-related turbulence, you get an “updraft “and it’s this air that bumps into the plane, causing it to shudder upwards in most cases, pilots navigate to avoid it altogether. The second type is clean-air turbulence; it’s invisible and where air masses smack into each other. If a plane is sandwiched between these air masses, it gets ‘bumped.” Keep your eye on the goal, as the flight is usually a means to a happy one. Once you understand the mechanics of flight, it starts to feel less alien. But there are other ways to psychologically prepare yourself for a smooth flight. Make everything as slow as possible such as going to the airport, checking in, boarding. The trick is not to allow the alarm reaction to kick in, by making sure the approach to the plane is without stress. Never forget the real purpose of the flight, because taking a flight is not a goal in itself. Is it for vacation? Spending good times with friends or family? Keep your eye on the goal, as the flight is usually a means to a happy one. Be occupied instead of preoccupied. Try to write down your impressions, do some art therapy, play games (Candy Crush or puzzles occupy the mind nicely) or chat with (willing) neighbors. Distracting yourself and filling your headspace so you don’t worry, is sound advice. The main point is the flight is a means to an end and that end is (usually) a happy one. Focus on what the flight allows you to do. We hope this may help with your Holiday Season of Flying!
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Smoke waves from wildfires in Southern California spread to the San Joaquin Valley where they are trapped, reversing improvements in air quality and impacting health Pilar Marrero Just days ago, this year's most destructive fire in California was completely extinguished after burning more than 120 square miles and nearly 400 structures in Sonoma County's wine country. Other fires in the Los Angeles area, Ventura and San Bernardino had destructive effects as well. But the impact of these fires fueled by the dry Santa Ana winds at the end of October was not only felt where they occurred, but hundreds of miles away in the fertile agricultural zone known as "America's salad bowl": The San Joaquin Valley. There were no fires there, but the evidence was present: a layer of dense smoke and ash that covered the Valley and remained for days, clearly visible as one descended down the Grapevine Highway in the direction of Fresno from Los Angeles. "Smoke from the fires can travel far and here in the Valley it is trapped without being able to disperse," said John Upton, editor of Climate Central, a nonprofit organization of scientists and communicators who research climate change issues and disseminate information about how it affects the lives of California residents. Although Climate Central clarifies that climate change does not directly cause fires, they do indicate that the state's fire season "continues to grow longer each year, while we have warmer days, which in turn generate more fires Smoke waves from the wildfires continue to worsen air quality in an area nestled in the heart of California, that already suffers from the worst air quality in the country. Barely two years ago, the World Health Organization identified the Visalia-Porterville area as having the most polluted air in the United States and the worsening fire season has not helped. During a recent meeting with ethnic media reporters from California, experts from the San Joaquin Valley explained the effect in their area of the increasingly intense fire season that California suffers. "On days like this, classes are cancelled and people's lives are immediately affected," said Molly Peterson, a journalist who has been writing on the subject for more than a decade. "The smoke stays in the Valley and we see it more and
more often, because we are in a large flatland that is surrounded by mountains, which is excellent for agriculture but terrible for air quality," she added. Children, the elderly and outdoor workers are affected long term. There are 350,000 farm workers working in the Kern, Fresno and Monterey, San Joaquin, Tulare, etc. agricultural zones. As the fire season increases lasting until December there will be more hospital admissions and premature deaths from respiratory illnesses and other causes. "In the San Joaquin Valley, children have twice the incidence of asthma before age 18 and more overall lung problems," said Genevieve Gale, executive director of the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition. "A study at local hospitals found that as pollution increased, so did hospitalizations for heart attacks and asthma." "You have to adjust the activities, maintain a safe space inside the home and get air filters for the home and car," she said. However, this type of protection is not easy to obtain for the low-income community so common in the area. In the Fresno area, for example, there is a wealthier zone (the north) and a poorer zone (the south). As is often the case, there are more pollutants in the south, such as industry and highways "Around the primary school in Malaga there is a biomass incinerator and a glass factory," Martínez said. "This small community already breathes one of the worst airs in the United States, which is also made worse by brush fires.” There is a need to assist these communities, not only with more information but also with subsidies and resources to arm themselves with the tools they need to avoid this contamination, for example by placing air filters in their homes and air conditioners, said the various experts. Jon Christensen, director of the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies and an adjunct professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), said there is "no silver bullet solution" to all of this, but next year state voters will have a chance to vote for $4 billion in resources for "environmental resilience."
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