Visit the Nevada County Fair and help your community at the same time
Imagine being able to visit the annual Nevada County Fair at a discount, and be able to help the local Food Bank at the same time? At this year’s Fair, you can! The Nevada County Fairgrounds and The Food Bank of Nevada County are teaming up to help feed those in need.
Bring a can of food (or two or three) to the Fair on Sunday, August 14, and the Fair will give you a coupon for $1 off general admission to the Fair on that day. The Food Bank will have food collection bins available at the Fairgrounds from 10 am – 5 pm at Gates 1, 3 and 5, which is also where you’ll receive your coupon. It’s that simple!
All food collected on that day will be given to The Food Bank of Nevada County, which distributes food to those in need in our county. At last year’s canned food drive, 1,600 pounds of food were collected – enough to feed 750 – 800 families.
It’s the best of both worlds – fun at the Fair, while helping out in the community. It’s all part of Community Involvement Day, sponsored by YubaNet.com, on Sunday, August 14, at the Nevada County Fair.
This year’s Fair is August 10 – 14. Visit www.foodbankofnc.org or call (530) 272-3796.
Wendy Oaks
Publicist, Nevada County Fairgrounds
(530) 273-6217 wsoaks@gmail.com
Bank of America Nevada City Photo by John J. O'Dell
Bank of America has joined the Keep Your Home California principal-reduction program, making it the largest loan servicer involved in lowering loan balances for those with economic hardships.
Making sense of the story
Keep Your Home California is a program offered through the California Housing Finance Agency to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.
Bank of America, which services more than two million home loans in California, joins others servicers involved in the program, including: California Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the California Housing Finance Agency, Community Trust/Self Help, GMAC, Guild Mortgage Company, and Vericrest Financial. Agency officials hope the list will continue to grow, and that the program will continue to gain momentum.
Under the program, qualified homeowners may be eligible for up to $50,000 in assistance. The program requires the mortgage investor to match dollar-for-dollar the amount provided by the program.
Bank of America borrowers who do not qualify for the principal-reduction program will be evaluated by bank representatives to explore other options, including a loan modification.
To be eligible for the program, applicants must: Own and occupy their homes as their primary residence; not exceed $729,750 in current unpaid principal balances on first mortgages; meet low- and moderate-income limits; complete and sign a hardship affidavit to document reasons for hardships; have mortgage loans that are delinquent or “in imminent default;” and have enough income to pay modified mortgage payments according to guidelines from servicers participating in the programs.
For more information about Keep Your Home California, visit keepyourhomecalifornia.org or call (888) 954-5337(KEEP).
The Granholm Family – (from left to right) Kaycee, Danny, Katie and Ben – will be recognized at the Nevada County Fair as the Family of the Year. Credit: Photo provided by Shaffers Originals
By Wendy Oaks
The Danny Granholm Family of Grass Valley has been named the 2011 Family of the Year by the Nevada County Fair’s Board of Directors. The Board chose the Granholm Family because of their ongoing participation in the Nevada County Fair and their commitment and efforts in supporting Nevada County agricultural youth programs.
Danny and Katie Granholm, who were both raised in Grass Valley, have been attending the Fair since they were children. As a teenager, Katie worked at the concerts hosted at the Fairgrounds, and grew up watching her grandparents square dance each year at the Fair. Danny also attended the Fair as a child, and remembers “being unable to sleep the night before the Fair because it felt like it was Christmas Day.”
Most recently, for the past eight years, Katie and Danny have been active in youth agriculture programs. In addition to showing animals with their own children, Danny is currently the President of the Nevada County Ag Youth Boosters and Katie is a past director of the Nevada County Livestock Producers.
As owners of BK Powder Coating, which they started in the garage of Danny’s parent’s home in 1996, Danny and Katie volunteer to donate the powder coating on all Ag Mechanic projects for students from both Bear River and Nevada Union High school.
“It is such a pleasure to work with these students,” said Katie. “They work so hard all year on their Fair projects, and it’s great to be able to come alongside these kids and help them and encourage them.”
Their children, Ben and Kaycee, have also been actively involved in the Fair for many years. Both began exhibiting animals about eight years ago. At the 2011 Fair, Kaycee will show sheep, and Ben will exhibit a hog.
Both Ben and Kaycee have gone on to pursue agricultural education. Ben, 19, graduated from Nevada Union in 2010. He recently completed a year of service to the FFA, where he served as the California FFA State Treasurer. In this role, Ben recently testified at the Senate’s Joint Fairs Committee on behalf of the network of California Fairs. In August, Ben will begin his studies at Fresno State, majoring in Agriculture Business. Kaycee, 17, is a senior at Nevada Union and involved in FFA. She is currently serving as the Superior Region President for FFA, and is preparing for college, where she will major in agriculture.
“Year after year, Danny and Katie dedicate countless hours to the Fair and the agricultural community,” said Sandy Woods, CEO of the Fairgrounds. “They are such a gracious and humble family, with a selfless attitude, and a willingness to give – and they do it all with kindness. They are a nice family and so deserving of being the Family of the Year!”
About being named the Fair’s Family of the Year, Katie says, “We are thrilled and so surprised. It’s a huge honor and we are humbled because there are so many other families who also deserve this recognition. We love being part of the Fair and seeing the community come together to support our community’s youth – and we are honored to be part of that.”
The Granhom Family will be honored at opening ceremonies of the Nevada County Fair, which runs August 10 – 14. They will receive a Fair package of tickets, as well a family portrait created by Shaffers Originals of Grass Valley.
For more information about the Nevada County Fair, visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com or call (530) 273-6217.
Grass Valley, CA (August 2011) – Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital (SNMH) and Sierra Nevada Medical Group (SNMG) are teaming up to present Senior Involvement Day at this year’s Nevada County Fair on Thursday, August 11th, from 10 AM to 12 Noon at the Special Events Tent.
Join healthcare professionals for various presentations to learn about caring for a wide-range of health topics like diabetes management, heart health, wound care, and the importance of annual health screenings and check-ups. Experts from Sierra Nevada Medical Group will include: Dr. George Rice, Family Medicine; Dr. Kesha Hughes, Internal Medicine; and Dr. Ryan Smith, Cardiologist. Also hear what Dr. Evans – from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital – has to say about the hospital’s one-minute, radio health segment, Your Health Report, as well as Emergency care and house calls.
While visiting the Special Events Tent, take time to visit SNMH’s and SNMG’s healthcare tables for additional information.
The Nevada County Fair is August 10 – 14. Visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com for information or call (530) 273-6217. The Fairgrounds are located on McCourtney Road in Grass Valley.
Preparing for the Junior Livestock Auction on Sunday of the Fair are (from left to right): Bear River Ag teacher, Steve Paasch; Paige Lambert, who is raising the Heritage Lamb for the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation; and Ed Mertens, Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation Board Member
By Wendy Oaks
The 2011 Heritage Lamb will be showcased at the Junior Livestock Auction on Sunday, August 14, at the Nevada County Fair. Proceeds from the lamb will be used to assist the Foundation in its efforts to continue to improve the Fairgrounds.
Raising the 2011 Heritage Lamb is 17-year-old Paige Lambert. Paige was chosen to raise the lamb because of her 4H experience in raising animals and for her leadership skills.
Paige has been involved in 4H for 11 years. She has been raising market swine for seven years, and prior to that, as a junior member, she raised chickens and showed eggs. She is currently raising her first steer, Beef Wellington.
Additionally, Paige is currently the junior head camp director at the Nevada County 4H camp and has been camp counselor for the past four years. She has held numerous leadership positions in her club. She was president for two years, secretary, treasurer, and Sargent of Arms. She has also been a California focus delegate and, last year, a D.C. delegate.
Paige has also served as a Junior Swine Leader, where she taught and assisted novice and younger children the elements of showmanship and raising hogs. She has presented market swine twice in the championship round and been three times in the best set of five hog 4H champions.
In addition to her agricultural work, Paige will also dive on the Sierra College dive team in the Fall and snow boards at a national level.
Paige will receive a $500 scholarship for her efforts. For future plans, Paige will attend Sierra College and plans on obtaining a nursing degree. Her goal is to work as an emergency nurse.
The Foundation is currently seeking donors to contribute to the fund for the Heritage Lamb. The animal will be the last in its specie to be auctioned, and donors can bid on the Heritage Lamb at the auction or they may “bump up” the bid on the lamb by contacting the Fair Office or visiting the Livestock Office during the Fair. The Heritage Lamb was donated by the Paasch Family and Our 49er Feed Store donated all the feed.
Drive a car in the fair’s demolition derby and you could win $1000 for your favorite charity.
Back by popular demand, the Nevada County Fair is providing organizations and businesses the opportunity to sponsor and drive a car in the Fair’s popular Demolition Derby, while at the same time raising money for a favorite charity or service organization.
Organizations and businesses can purchase a car for $500 and the Fair will provide a Derby car to use in the Demolition Derby. The organization can choose to provide its own driver or the Fair will provide a driver for the car. Additionally, the car can be picked up on August 5 to customize the car or it can be left at the Fair, where it will have a number painted on it.
The sponsored Derby cars will participate in their own event at the Demolition Derby, held on Sunday, August 14, at 7 pm in the Arena. The last of the sponsored cars moving will receive $1,000 towards the charity or service organization of their choice. Last year’s winner was Dokimos’ Pharmacy, who received $1,000 for their charity, Hospice of the Foothills.
There are only a limited number of cars available. Call the Fair Office at
(530) 273-6217 to reserve your car and obtain a list of rules. Forms are also available at www.NevadaCountyFair.com. This year’s Nevada County Fair is August 10-14.
Art work by Sandy Gold Winner 2011 Fair Art Work Contest
By Wendy Oaks
Buy early and save!
Tickets for the Nevada County Fair are on sale now. Purchase your admission, carnival ride tickets, and arena event tickets before the Fair begins and save money! You can also save time by purchasing your Fair tickets online.
Buy your admission tickets before August 9 at 5 pm and get admission for only $6. Better yet, purchase a ticket to attend the Fair on Thursday, Family Day, and get a “Be A Kid Again” adult admission ticket for only $4. You can also take advantage of other pre-sale offers before August 9, including a five-day Fair pass with unlimited entry for $30; a season parking pass for $25; a carnival ride bracelet, good for unlimited rides for any one day, for $23; or a carnival ride booklet of 30 coupons for $20. If you purchase any ticket to an arena event, the cost for Fair admission is only $6.
There are several ways to get your tickets early. Buy your tickets by calling the Fair Office at (530) 273-6217 by August 8 at 5 pm; or order your tickets on-line at www.NevadaCountyFair.com.
Wendy Oaks
Publicist, Nevada County Fairgrounds
(530) 273-6217
wsoaks@gmail.com
On Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 458 (Corbett) into law. The new law, which contained an urgency clause and became effective upon signing, protects homeowners pursuing short sales by barring first and secondary lien holders from going after sellers for money owed after the short sales close.
A short sale – a transaction in which the homeowner sells the property for less than is owed on the mortgage – must be approved by the lien holder or lien holders, if there is more than one.
Under previous law (SB 931 of 2010), a first mortgage holder could accept an agreed-upon short-sale payment as full payment for the outstanding balance of the loan, but the rule did not apply to junior lien holders. SB 458 extends the protections of SB 931 to junior liens.
The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) sponsored the bill and urged lawmakers to pass this much-needed legislation.
“The signing of this bill is a victory for California homeowners who have been forced to short sell their home, only to find that the lender will pursue them after the short sale closes and demand an additional payment to subsidize the difference,” said C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce. “SB 458 brings closure and certainty to the short-sale process and ensures that once a lender has agreed to accept a short-sale payment on a property, all lien holders – those in first position and in junior positions – will consider the outstanding balance as paid in full, and the homeowner will not be held responsible for any additional payments on the property.”
Although the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal agency created to oversee mortgage lending, only recently opened, the Bureau started looking at ways to protect consumers during the loan-shopping period long before it’s official start date.
Making sense of the story:
The bureau is exploring avenues for combining the two forms that borrowers currently receive – the three-page Good Faith Estimate and the two-page Truth in Lending Act form. These forms tell would-be borrowers the terms of their loan – for instance, how payments on an adjustable-rate mortgage change. They also lay out fees.
Fees can make a big difference when comparison shopping. The simplest way to compare loans is by looking at the Annual Percentage Rate, or A.P.R. That calculation rolls in fees as well as the stated interest rate. Because lenders are required to follow the same formula, useful comparisons can be made.
Borrowers are advised to request a Good Faith Estimate from every lender they approach. While the Good Faith Estimate is in place to help borrowers, according to one lender, some lenders may provide interest-rate quotations that expire almost instantaneously, making it difficult for buyers to comparison shop.
Borrowers should be wary if they receive two or three different Good Faith Estimates and there is a difference of several thousand dollars.
For all your real estate needs Call or email:
John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
O’Dell Realty
(530) 263-1091
<a href=”mailto:jodell@nevadacounty.com”>jodell@nevadacounty.com</a>
This is a video that brought tears to my eyes. The use of fishing nets kills thousands of innocent dolphins, whales and fish every year. At least this whale was saved from a horrible death. This video has had over 2,300,000 views on YouTube.
