As Solano residents seek economic recovery there’s some good news for low moderate
income families living here. Instead of spending $300.00 or more on
commercial tax preparation services, households that earned less than $50,000
are eligible to receive free tax preparation services. The Children’s Network of
Solano County , United Way of the Bay Area (UWBA) and the Internal Revenue
Service are pleased to announce the 2012 Solano County Kick-Off of Earn It!
Keep It! Save It! Solano, which provides free tax preparation to and help claiming
the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to low-income families. Lowincome
taxpayers can receive their refunds – every cent! — by going to one of
the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! sites, where they will get free, high-quality tax help
from an IRS-certified volunteer preparer.

The official Solano County Kick-Off will consist of a “Super Saturday” from
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on January 28, 2012, at the Fairfield-Ci vic Center Library,
1150 Kentucky Street, Fairfield, CA. 94533. Free tax preparation for Solano
County residents who earned less than $50,000 in 2011 will be offered. This
year’s event is particularly important in today’s economy; more workers may
qualify due to reduced incomes. EITC can make their lives a little easier.
Last year’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! campaign in Solano County, 109 volunteers
helped 3,407 low-income families file their taxes, which resulte d in a total of
$3,304,552 in refunds to low-income taxpayers in Solano County. Of that total,
$852,649 was Earned Income Tax Credit. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
is the largest and most effective federal aid program for low-to-moderate income
workers.

Eligible residents who cannot attend “Super Saturday” can still receive free tax
help through April 17th at sites throughout Solano County. Call 211 or visit
www.childnet.org/keepit to locate a site.

Saturday January 28th 6:00 no host cocktails 7:00 Dinner – New York Strips
smoked in a barrel and side dishes by Chief- Danny Oriegel And desserts by the
Culinary dept. of Rio Vista High School. 8:30 Reverse Raffle and Auction with the
Booz Brothers 9:00 Dancing to the Primates Cost: $150.00/Couple includes entry
into reverse raffle

Place: Portuguese Hall All proceeds to benefits Rio Vista High School Athletics, Arts
and Academics!! You can get your tickets at Rio Vista High School Office or Lenese
Coughran 707-374-5911.

It’s Super Bowl time again. And whether you’re a sports fan or not, you can probably learn something from the Super Bowl teams that you can apply to other endeavors — such as investing.

What might these les¬sons be?

Take a look:
Pick players carefully. Super Bowl teams don’t usually get there out of luck; they’ve made it in part because they have carefully chosen their players. And to poten¬tially achieve success as an investor, you, too, need carefully chosen “players” — invest¬ments that are chosen for your individual situ-ation.

Choose a diversified mix of players. Not only do Super Bowl teams have good players, but they have good ones at many different positions — and these players tend to play well togeth¬er. As an investor, you should own a variety of investments with differ¬ent capabilities — such as stocks for growth and bonds for income — and your various investments should complement, rather than duplicate, one another. Strive to build a diversi¬fied portfolio containing investments appropriate for you situ as stocks, bonds, gov¬ernment securities, cer¬tificates of deposit (CDs) and other vehicles. Diversifying your hold¬ings may help reduce the effects of market vola¬tility. (Keep in mind, though, that diver¬sification, by itself, can’t guarantee a profit or protect against loss.)
Follow a “game plan.” Su¬per Bowl teams are skilled at creating game plans designed to maximize their own strengths and exploit their opponents’ weaknesses. When you invest, you also can benefit from a game plan — a strategy to help you work toward your goals. This strategy may incorporate several elements, such as taking full advantage of your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and your 401(k) or other employ¬er-sponsored retirement plan, pursuing new investment opportuni¬ties as they arise and reviewing your portfolio regularly to make sure it’s still appropriate for your needs.

Stay dedicated to your goals. Virtually all Super Bowl teams have had to overcome obstacles, such as injuries, bad weather and a tough schedule. But through persistence and a con¬stant devo¬tion to their ultimate goal, they persevere. As an inves¬tor, you’ll face some challenges, too, such as political and economic turmoil that can upset the financial markets. But if you own a diversified mix of quality invest¬ments and follow a long-term strategy that’s tailored to your objec¬tives, time horizon and risk tolerance, you can keep moving forward, despite the “bumps in the road” that all inves¬tors face.

Get good coaching. Super Bowl teams typi¬cally are well-coached, with disciplined head coaches and innovative offensive and defensive coordinators. When you’re trying to achieve many financial goals such as a comfortable retirement, control over your investment taxes and a legacy to leave to your family — you, too, can benefit from strong “coaching.” As your “head coach,” you might choose a financial professional — some¬one who can help you identify your goals and recommend an appropri¬ate investment strategy to help you work toward them. And your financial professional can coordi¬nate activities with your other “coaches,” such as your tax and legal advi-sors.
Unless you’re a pro¬fessional football player, you won’t ever experi¬ence what it’s like to play in the Super Bowl. However, achieving your financial goals can be a fairly big event in your life — and to help work toward that point, you can take a few tips from the teams that have made it to the Big Game.

This article was writ¬ten by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor

John Stoflet
Financial Advisor
700 Main St, Ste 103
Suisun City, CA 94585
(707) 426-9410

Rio Vista C.A.R.E. has teamed up with the Solano County Office of
Education and the River Delta Unified School District to bring the
Career and College Club to Riverview Middle School. The Career &
College club is guided by two fundamental goals:

1) To empower students to take responsibility for planning and engaging
in their own career and college path, and

2) To provide the framework for students to promote a college-success culture among their peers.
All club participants are referred to as “mentors” and all club meetings are
run by “lead mentors” – student participants who rotate through the position.
Each club also has a coach, whose role is to guide, support, and encourage
students as they navigate the curriculum and strengthen leadership skills.
The club’s name places “career” before “college” because the program’s
approach begins at the career level and works its way backwards. Students
explore the types of lifestyles they desire, find out the amount of money it would take to live such
a lifestyle, what possible careers they might be interested in that
would make that amount of money, the different fields of study that lead to
that career, the different colleges that offer those programs, and finally
the necessary steps they need to take in their high school years to get into those colleges.
The program has both a 7th grade curriculum and an 8th grade curriculum.
The curriculum allows the student mentors to creatively explore various future
plans related to their own individual goals and interests. Throughout the 10 sessions of the 7th
grade curriculum, mentors learn the reasons for pursuing higher education,
leadership skills, career options, college preparation, and financial literacy. There will
also be a fieldtrip to a nearby college and a final project that is designed to pass on knowledge the
students learned from their participation in the program and to reinforce a college-success culture
among their peers.

Not only do participants create a solid foundation for their futures, but they also strengthen
the leadership skills that allow them to positively impact their peers.
Research indicates that peers play an important role in keeping students on track to continue
their education. Students are increasingly likely to attend college themselves if they have friends planning to attend college, have frequent contact with peers with college bound goals, and have a peer support system that can help them stay focused, explore future goals, build confidence and make decisions.

Rio Vista CARE is thrilled to be able to offer this wonderful opportunity to Riverview
students. For more information on the Career and College Club, visit www.careerandcollegeclubs.
org. For information about participating in the club, contact Emma Drosten-Brooks at edrosten@rvcare.org or 374-5243.

Beta-carotene is a natural substance abundant in dark colored fruits and vegetables. Mostly reddish orange or dark green in color, it is found in carrots, beats, cantaloupe, mangoes, yams and papayas. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach which are all found in your local grocery store are also excellent. Apples and pears, high in fiber have it in the skin. An added benefit is these are all natural foods that are low in calories. Munch away!!!

Carotene is stored in the liver and although it is quite difficult to overindulge with these foods, a side effect can be a slight coloring of the skin. You would have to eat a lot of carrots but this is more prevalent with heavy dosages of synthetic carotene being ingested. It’s best to get your source from nature’s garden. People who smoke have a slightly higher risk for cancer related to too much synthetic carotene along with possible difficulty of the liver diffusing the carotene and transferring it throughout the body, where it needs to be absorbed. Like everything else, common sense and following your doctor’s advice is always a good idea.
Using fresh vegetables and fruits instead of canned is also a wonderful way to avoid excess sugar and salt. Season your foods with a little pepper for flavor eliminating too much sodium. Dip apples or pears in natural honey for a little sweet boost. I haven’t used salt in my cooking or on my foods for a few years and now if something has even a little I can taste it right away.

One of my favorite snacks is chips and salsa or dip. Substituting celery or carrots for the chips gives you that nice crunch along with the rich flavor of the dip you choose. Bean dip with a little hot sauce is wonderful for the taste and adds the extra benefit of the healthy beans that also contain lots of good fiber.

A good balance of protein, fiber, fruits and vegetables is essential for good health all throughout our lives but as we get older the body is in need of certain nutrients that have dissipated with time. Like a well oiled engine, we need clean fuel and lots of water to keep moving.

We are made up of certain amounts of natural body fat and eating foods high in fat are above and beyond what we need. Low or non fat milk is a good option and although it takes a little getting used to, after a while whole milk tastes too thick. Again, everything in moderation but cutting out certain things that have little impact can save room for a special treat now and then. A little dark chocolate after a meal is my special treat. It has been proven to help reduce stress but more important it tastes great!

Marla Luckhardt is a senior advocate and a member of the Contra Costa Senior Coalition. She is also associated with Med ID and can be reached at marla2054@aol.com for questions or comments

Faith in Action is hosting a volunteer orientation training on Saturday Jan ary 28, 2012 from 9:30am-2:30pm for individuals interested in volunteering to make phone calls, visits, run errands, help with grocery shopping, provide Senior Peer Counseling or transportation assistance for homebound senior citizens residing in Rio Vista. “Handy Men/Women”
for home repair projects are always welcome to lend a hand too!
Volunteer Drivers are very much needed: rides are a top request!!!
the Volunteer Orientation Training is being held at the Rio Vista
Airport Conference Room at 6000 Airport Rd. in the city of Rio Vista.

Neighbors helping Neighbors— Reach out through Faith in Action and resolve to make a difference in the life of a senior here in Rio Vista in 2012!

For additional information and to register call (707) 469-6675

The CHP in conjunction with the Solano County Library will be hosting a class on:
January 26, 2012. This class will be held at the Fairfield Cordelia Public Library at 5050 Business Center Drive, Fairfield. Class will run from 6-8 P.M.

Start Smart is an education program for both teenage drivers and their parents. Statistics show that young drivers who have recently received their driver’s license are five times more likely to be involved in an accident than more seasoned, experienced drivers. Traffic accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for young people, age 15-20.

Start Smart is a review of the rules of the road, some video clips and related movies designed to inform parents of the restrictions on teen drivers and give some important information to those teens that are about to or have recently received their license. There is no cost for the classes and no need to sign up. Parent/guardian attendance is mandatory.

Any questions can be directed to Officer Chris Parker at the Solano CHP Office in Fairfield.
(707) 428-2100

This program is suported by a grant awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety
Administration through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

ARELLANO FAMILY UPDATE:

Here is a thought from a conversation I had with Sonia Arellano the other day as we go through our day to day routines, you don’t really think about “what if something happens to me”? or “what if something happens to my spouse or my children”? (God Forbid) When Albert and Sonia first got married, she talked to him about getting a Personal Insurance Plan to cover them in case of an Illness or Death… He said, No, we will be ok…. We are both young and healthy… She kept on him for about a year and even went through the blood screening and test to get it with an Insurance company…… In the end, He felt it “NOT” necessary to spend the money monthly for something they would probably never Use!!!! Well~ to make a long story short-Now, Albert spreads the word of the mistake HE made- Hoping it will encourage ALL and hopefully make an Impact on the Young & Healthy People just starting out along with the established that thought as HE did. Now he screams~ GET LIFE INSURANCE! You never know when an Accident or Dreaded Disease will hit your family…. Thanks to our community they were able to get the Help and Funds needed for the equipment necessary for his comfort. Now with this beat, they thought they were going to be “good” for a long while. Sadly we report that Albert has had 2 more severe attacks that have made his mobility even more limited. With that said, Albert hasn’t been able to go out since October of last year. What I mean by this is, joining his family grocery shopping and, believe it or not Albert loved going to the Mall to “window shop” and meet new people. Those of you that know him know he loves to talk with everyone that crosses his path. Albert always takes time to encourage people through his Positive Views and help them to continue to follow their dreams and NEVER give up. His wife reports he has been hinting to do just that…”Give Up” She states, “this is so unlike him” This new Wheelchair is very large and almost impossible to put in the van they currently have. It is a 08 Toyota Sienna equipped with a Bruno “Joey Lift” slide ramp that slides out of the van and goes down to the floor to role the chair on (without him in it) and then pick it up and slide back into the back of the van. NOW~ the chair has to be taken apart, and tilted every little bit while sliding to make- just the perfect “V” shape- to fit in the van. After it slides in, it then is pushed in as far as the wheels can go so the glass does not break out of the back. When he has to go to the doctor, it is and extra hour to accomplish this with both of them working together. It is so very stressful and tiring for him, He has had to cancel appointments and talk to the Dr. via phone when possible. He does go with his wife every morning to take the kids to school for the ride. We are reaching out to see if anyone has any knowledge or knows someone that can possibly aid them in getting a van that Albert can just drive into without getting out of his chair. His mobility has worsened these past months which has made the transfer much more difficult.

Update on Cement Donation: The Arellano’s have had their pool taken out and cement and landscape coming into the backyard soon. (Via donations from an unknown cement company and our neighbor/friends Landscape Company is doing the work “gratis”) Resident of Rio Vista has been wonderful in helping this family out. If you know of someone that would like to donate a van so that Albert could get out more with his family. Please contact the Arellano’s at 707-934-7317

The Bank Acct. is still: WHEELCHAIRS –BECAUSE WE CARE at Bank of Rio Vista and the webpage is still http://www.wix.com/jams4b/hhfa#! And Facebook page is: A helping hand for Albert)

A Night Out for Girls 5-13 and Their Escort!
night full of fun!

Date: February 4, 2012

Time: Dinner at 6:00 pm Dancing from 7:00 9:00pm
Place: St. Joseph Hall (220 S. 4th Street)
Cost: $30.00 per couple (Daughter/Escort)
$10.00 per each

Don’t miss an opportunity to enjoy a night out with your beautiful little girl. Spend an extraordinary evening starting with your special little girls receiving a beautiful corsage and then enjoying dinner, dancing, games, gift bags, and pictures. Addtional girl (Escort—dad, grandad, uncle, brother, special friend) Tickets go fast so register by Jan.30th Ticket can be purchased from warren oglove – 707 (374-3477).

This event is presented by Rio Vista Lions and Soroptimist of Rio Vista

The Delta Tea Party Patriots will meet on Tuesday, February 21 6:30 Pm at the
Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 610 St. Francis Way, Rio Vista. Guest speaker will be
Bill Wells, Columnist of the “Delta Rat Scrapbook” in the Yachtsman monthly
magazine. Topic: Preservation and Protection of the California Delta. For more
information: http://deltatpp.org or dtppatriots@gmail.com.