Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/383269
DearMary:Re- cently we pur- chased a new stove at Sears. My hus- band agreed to sign up for what we thought was a Sears credit card to save 15 percent on the price. I was surprised by his decision because that's not our normal practice. We use credit, but pay the bills in full every month. What arrived in the mail was a CitiBank MasterCard, not a monthly statement from Sears. We do not want this card and will not use it again, so what's the best way to handle it? If we ask to close the account, will it hurt our credit rating? — Laurie Dear Laurie: Buyer be- ware! Any time you agree to put an item on credit with a retailer, whether it's to achieve monthly pay- ments or to get a 15 per- cent discount, you can be pretty sure that retailer is very happy. Can you say, "Gotcha!"? I believe that Sears still has its own Sears card, but they have also part- nered with Citibank Mas- terCard. That 15 percent incentive was more than likely a campaign to get more people signed up for their branded Master- Card. Clerks are required to push those offers, not to give away Sears' prof- its, but to get more people onto the debt treadmill, which repays the company handsomely. If they're willing to forego 15 per- cent so easily, just imagine how lucrative it must be for them to activate these MasterCard accounts. By signing that credit application, your husband authorized the company to pull credit reports and to issue a new credit account. Statistically, they win because the typical customer will put many more purchases on the new account. Once you have paid off the bal- ance, you can safely close the account. Your credit score should not be affected by this one closure. But get prepared for a hassle. Ci- tibank is notorious for fail- ing to carry through with such a request. They don't like to lose customers. Dear Mary: My husband of 58 years died in 2013. I had to sell my home be- cause it was just too big for me, and I couldn't af- ford the mortgage. Be- cause I wasn't in a house anymore, I had to give up my beloved dog. Fortu- nately, my son was able to take him. Needless to say, it was a lot of loss all at once. I love your organiza- tion, Debt-Proof Living, and your Everyday Cheap- skate columns. Thanks to following your advice through the years, I had a very large contingency fund. I was able to pay the funeral bill, the final med- ical expenses and the de- posit on my new apart- ment. Thank you so much. — Judith Dear Judith: I am sorry for your loss, but grate- ful you were, and con- tinue to be, financially pre- pared. You are a good stu- dent and great example for so many. I am very proud of you. MaryHuntisthefounder of www.DebtProofLiving. com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@eve- rydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheap- skate, P.O. Box 2099, Cy- press, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Retailerdiscountscan have strings attached Mary Hunt The recent Sacramento River Discovery Center Thursday Evening program provided a wealth of knowl- edge about the area's most precious commodity, water, by Allan Fulton, UC Irriga- tion and Water Resources farm advisor for Shasta, Tehama, Glenn and Colusa counties. Fulton examined wa- ter and well challenges by looking at the build- ing blocks of groundwater or the geology of the val- ley and the differences be- tween different regions of Tehama County. The fact that Tehama County mon- itors wells throughout the area puts area residents ahead of most of the state of California in measur- able data about where the groundwater is and some idea of how much might be available. Attendees came from all parts of the county and were provided information about where groundwater levels have increased — not many in that category — and where the most severe declines have occurred. One of ways to avoid sur- prises of having your well go dry is to obtain a copy of a Well Completion Report. You can go online and print out a request form at www.water.gov/groundwa- ter/wells/wellcompletion- reports.cfm. Fill out the re- quest for a well completion report and then mail it to the local address given on the request form. A well completion report is only provided to the pri- vate property owner and is it not available for public consumption. This report will provide you with in- formation about when the well was constructed, what drilling method was used, the types of soils, gravel, and rock observed during drilling, and information about total well depth and type and placement of well screens. Private property own- ers should learn as much as possible about the wells on their property and help is also available through DWR Northern District office at 2440 N. Main St. Attendees were also pro- vided with tips and how to determine actual wa- ter level in the well using sounding tools. Materials distributed by Fulton are available from the Uni- versity of California Co- operative Extension of- fice at 1754 Walnut St. in Red Bluff. Fulton can be reached at aefulton@uc- davis.edu. The October Thursday Evening Program will be "Keeping the Wild Things Away," stories and tips from a trapper with 40 years of experience. This program will be presented 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Farm Bureau Build- ing, 275 Sale Lane in Red Bluff. The SRDC is urging support of the Wilderness Treasures Rendezvous be- ing held Oct. 10-12 at the fairgrounds. This is a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act will feature seven different Na- tional Forests, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Sierra Club and the Backcountry Horsemen of California with many free activities. For more program infor- mation you can visit face- book.com/NorCalWilder- ness50thCelebration. The Sacramento River Discovery Center is located within the Mendocino Na- tional Forest's Red Bluff Recreation Area at 1000 Sale Lane. The center is open 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. or by appoint- ment, Tuesday through Saturday. You can con- tact the center at 530-527- 1196, email bhughe1@te- hamaed.org or visit the webpage;www.srdc.te- hama.k12.ca.us. SRDC Wa te r ou t of s ig ht , no t ou t of m in d CONTRIBUTED Attendees of the Sacramento River Discovery Center Thursday Evening program got a lot of information about water. Local author Sandra Cole, who was born and raised in Red Bluff, has written an inspirational children's Christmas story and she will be signing copies 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Gold Exchange, 413 Walnut St. in Red Bluff. "Perfectly Natalie" is the story of a young girl strug- gling with her place in the world and how to cope with all the changes in her life following an accident that put her temporarily in a wheelchair. The story is centered around the im- portance of family, learn- ing to make the best out of situations and developing a positive attitude. Cole has written inspirational sto- ries and poems since age 12. During her career in fu- neral service at Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers, she wrote a biweekly column for six years for the Daily News on funeral service and grief recovery. Call 528-8000 for more information. Books will be available for purchase. TO DO Local author to sign books at downtown shop Shocked by joint pain? Attend an informative sem- inar to learn about your shock absorbers — your joints. This seminar covers signs, symptoms, causes and treatment options for arthritis of the hip and knee. The public is invited to attend this free event. Michael Manning, DO, fellowship trained total joint surgeon and a new member of the Dignity Health Medical Group — North State, discusses treat- ment options for arthritis of the hip and knee, including minimally invasive tech- niques that can result in a faster recovery. Manning is a board certified orthope- dic surgeon and a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. The seminar is scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 30, at Gaia Hotel & Spa, 4125 Riv- erside Place, Anderson Space is limited and ad- vance registration is recom- mended by calling 888 628- 1948. HEALTH Free seminar to cover joint pain options Today REDBLUFF Business A er Hours: 5:30p.m., hosted by Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce, California HEAT Chorus - Sweet Adelines: 7p.m., Meteer School multipur- pose room, 695Kimball Road, 895-0139 Childbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba Room, 888-628- 1948 Community Action Agency: 3p.m. Board of Supervisors chambers Democratic Central Committee of Tehama County: 5:30p.m., Patio Room, Lariat Bowl, 365S. Main St. Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1, Community Cen- ter, 1500S. Jackson St. Grief Support Group: 3 p.m., St. Elizabeth Commu- nity Hospital, Coyne Center, Kristin, 528-4207 Imagination Train sto- ryhour: 4p.m., Tehama County Library Kelly-Griggs House Mu- seum: 1-3p.m., 311Wash- ington St., group tours by appointment, 527-1129or 527-5895 Live country music, din- ner: 5-7p.m., Veterans Hall Painting session, Red Bluff Art Association: 10 a.m., Tehama District Fair- ground, 529-1603 PAL Martial Arts: 3-5 p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, ages 5-18, free, 529- 7950 Passages caregiver sup- port group: 10a.m., Com- munity and Senior Center, 1500S. Jackson St., 229- 0878or 800995-0878 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Phoenix Community Sup- port Group for chemical dependency: 11:30a.m., Presbyterian Church, 838 Jefferson St., 945-2349 Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30-3:30p.m., 1500S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Red Bluff Exchange Club: noon, M&M Ranch House, 645Antelope Blvd. #1 Red Bluff Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees: 5:30 p.m., 1525Douglas St. Red Bluff Lions Club: 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial, 527-6616 Red Cross Disaster Vol- unteers Meeting: 6-7:30 p.m., CalFire headquarters, 604Antelope Blvd., north side of Antelope, 934- 5344 Reeds Creek School Dis- trict Board of Trustees: 4:40p.m. Rock Choir: 4p.m., 601 Monroe St., free, all wel- come Sacramento River Dis- covery Center Thursday Evening Program: 7p.m., 1000Sale Lane, 527-1196 Senior Chair Volleyball: 1p.m. Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Sunrise Speakers Toastmasters: noon, 220 Sycamore St. Support group for pet loss: 2p.m., Family Service Agency, 1347Grant St., 527-6782 Swinging Squares Square Dance Club: 7p.m., Com- munity Center, 1500S. Jackson St., beginner or review classes, 529-1615 Tehama County Health Planning Council, noon: Elks Lodge, 355Gilmore Road Tehama County Planning Commission: 9a.m., board chambers, 745Oak St. Widowed Persons Dinner: 5p.m., call 384-2471for location CORNING Cal-Fresh and Healthy Family Appointments: 1-3p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488South St., 824-7670 Corning High School Board: 7p.m., 643Black- burn Ave. Corning Patriots: 6p.m., Senior Center, 824-2332 Dance with Juana: noon to 1p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488South St., 824-7670 Dual Diagnosis Group: 1:30-3p.m., 1600Solano St., 527-8491, Ext. 3309 ESL/Citizenship classes: 9a.m.-11a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Improved Order of Red Men: 7p.m. Independent Grange 470, 20945Corn- ing Road, 824-1114 Sewing group: 9a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Soccer training: 4-6p.m., except for holidays and rain, Woodson School Soccer Field, 150N Toomes, 824- 7680 Women's Support Group: 6p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 LOS MOLINOS Diabetes Support Group: 1p.m., Sherwood Manor Community Room, 7975 Sherwood Blvd. Los Molinos Unified School Board: 7p.m., Los Molinos High School cafeteria GERBER Gerber-Las Flores Com- munity Service District: 5:30p.m. 331San Benito Ave. MINERAL Mineral School Board: 5 p.m., 38355Scenic Ave. Friday RED BLUFF Celebrate Recovery: 7 p.m., Bethel Assembly of God, 625Luther Road, 527- 0445or 366-6298 Red Bluff Rotary Club Sunrise: 7a.m., M&M Ranch CORNING Car Show: 5-9p.m., Bar- tels Giant Burger, 22355 Corning Road, local car clubs welcome, 824-2788 Nutrition Classes: 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m., 175Solano St., 824-7670 LOS MOLINOS Narcotics Anonymous: 7-8p.m., 25204Josephine Ave, Wednesday and Friday Saturday RED BLUFF American Association of University Women: 5p.m., 21475Wood Duck Pass, 527-4589 Beef 'n Brew: 5p.m., downtown Chamber Certified Farm- ers Market: 7:30a.m. to noon, River Park 527-6220 Frontier Village Farmers Market: 8a.m. to 1p.m., 645Antelope Blvd. TEHAMA Tehama County Museum: 1-4p.m., 275C St., group tours any day by appoint- ment, 384-2595 Sunday RED BLUFF AA Live and Let Live: noon and 5:30p.m., 785Musick St., seven days a week except Thursday meets at 8p.m. Al-Anon New Comers At Heart: 6:30-7:30p.m., Presbyterian Church of Red Bluff, 838Jefferson Road, Room 2, 941-6405 Kelly-Griggs House Mu- seum: 1-3p.m., 311Wash- ington St., group tours by appointment, 527-1129or 527-5895 TEHAMA Tehama County Museum: 1-4p.m., 275C St., group tours any day by appoint- ment, 384-2595 Monday RED BLUFF Community Band re- hearsal: 7-2p.m., Red Bluff Presbyterian Church, 838 Jefferson St. CALENDAR Cheers Barber Shop 570-2 304 855 Walnut St. $ 8 00 Cuts Monday - Saturday 9 am - 5 pm Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064 South Main St., Red Bluff • 529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 ormore Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 9/30/14 With coupon Reg. $13.95 LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, September 18, 2014 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4