Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/313248
Today REDBLUFF 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 Zentangle — an art way to relax: 6-8p.m., The Green Room, 331Oak St. CORNING Car Show: 5-9p.m., Bartels Giant Burger, 22355Corn- ing Road, local car clubs welcome, 824-2788 Nutrition Classes: 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m., 175Solano St., 824-7670 Saturday RED BLUFF Frontier Village Farmers Market: 8a.m. to 1p.m., 645Antelope Blvd. EBT accepted Watershed Celebration: 9a.m., Sacramento River Discovery Center, 1000Sale Lane TEHAMA Tehama County Museum: 1-4p.m., 275C St., groups by appointment, 384-2595 Sunday RED BLUFF AA Live and Let Live: noon and 8p.m., 785Musick St., meets seven days a week Al-Anon New Comers At Heart: 7-8p.m., North Valley Baptist Church, 345 David Ave., 690-2034 Kelly-Griggs House Museum: 1-3p.m., 311 Washington St., group tours by appointment, 527-1129or 527-5895 TEHAMA Tehama County Museum: 1-4p.m., 275C St., groups by appointment, 384-2595 Monday RED BLUFF Community Band rehears- al: 7-9p.m., Presbyterian Church on Jefferson Street, 527-3486 English as a Second Lan- guage class: 5:30-8:30 p.m., Red Bluff High School Adult Ed building, 1295Red Bud, 736-3308, same time Tuesday and Wednesday and 9a.m. to 12:20p.m. Thursdays, free childcare from 9a..m. to 12:20p.m. classes in Richlieu Hall, 900 Johnson St. Gastric Bypass Support Group: 6p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Co- lumba room, 529-3066 Head Injury Recreational Entity: 10a.m., St. Eliza- beth Community Hospital, Coyne Center, Rusty, 529- 2059 Key to Life: 6p.m., Fam- ily Resource Center, 220 Sycamore St. Ste. 101, 528-8066 Nutrition classes: 10:30 a.m. to noon, 220Sycamore St. #101 PAL Martial Arts: 3-5p.m., ages 5-18, 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, free, 529-7950 Retired and Active Fed- eral Employees: 11:45a.m., Cozy Diner 259S. Main St., call Karen at 585-2494 Red Bluff Senior Writ- ing Class: 10: a.m.- noon,,Executive Room at Sycamore Center, 220 Sycamore St., 527-5762 Salvation Army Writing Class: 9:30-11:30a.m., 940 Walnut St., 527-8530 Sun Country Quilters Community Service Group: 9a.m. to noon, Family Resource Center, 220Sycamore St. Ste. 101, 528-1126 TeenScreen Mental Health Appointments: 10a.m. to 2 p.m., free, by appointment only, 1900Walnut St., 527- 8491, Ext. 3012 Tehama County Military Family Support Group: 6 p.m., Countryside Cafe, 638 Washington St., 529-2416 TOPS Club (take off pounds Sensibly): 8:30 a.m., First Christian Church, 926Madison Ave., 527-7541 or 347-6120, visit www. tops.org US citizenship prepara- tion class: 5:30-8:30 p.m., Red Bluff High School Adult Ed building, 1295Red Bud, 736-3308, same time Tuesday and Wednesday Venture Crew 1914meet- ing: 6:30-8p.m., Moose Lodge on 99W, co-ed ages 14-20welcome CORNING Alcoholics Anonymous, noon Monday through Friday: 5p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Saturday and 1p.m. Sunday, 783Solano St., behind the Church Bingo: 5:15p.m. early bird, 6:30p.m. regular games, Maywood Grange, High- way 99W just past Liberal Avenue, 833-5343 Exchange Club member- ship meeting: 7p.m., Iron Skillet Kirkwood School Board: 5 p.m., 2049Kirkwood Road Narcotics Anonymous: 7p.m., 820Marin St., 824-1114or 586-0245, daily through Saturday: noon Mondays, no meeting the third Wednesday Sewing group: 9a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Spanish Adult Education: 5p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Strategies for Success, Life Skill classes: 1:30 p.m., Family Resource Cen- ter, West and South streets, 824-7670 Weight Watchers: weigh in 5:30p.m., meeting 6p.m., Senior Center, Kayla Deihl leader LOS MOLINOS Senior Dance: 7p.m., Senior Center, Josephine Street, 384-2100 COTTONWOOD Cottonwood Garden Club: 10a.m., 20595Gas Point Road, potluck lunch to fol- low, 347-1281or 347-3852 Bend School Board: 4:30 p.m., 22270Bend Ferry Road Calendar Buyingahome can be exciting and terrifying, all at once. And for first- time buyers, you can probably multi- ply those feelings by a hundred. According to Wendy Highfield, of Inno- vative Real Estate Group in Denver, Colo., "Now is such a great time to purchase a home, especially with the low rates and personalized loan programs available to help families with unique fi- nancial backgrounds." My best advice for any homeowners, but especially first-timers, is to take the time to prepare. Not only will you be ready when the time is right, you'll be more confident. 1. Boost Your Credit Score. Your credit score(s) will play a key role in your mortgage ap- proval and the in- terest rate you'll pay. Order your credit reports now from AnnualCreditReport.com, a free service authorized by federal law. Go over each report, dispute any errors and pay off as much debt as possible. You want to create a big gap between your over- all available credit and the amount you are using at any given time. In the meantime, avoid big-ticket items such as cars or furniture and don't apply for new credit. Trig- gering an inquiry or acquir- ing more debt by buying something can have a dra- matic effect on the mort- gage application and ap- proval process. 2. Pull Together a Down Payment. Plan on need- ing between 20 and 30 per- cent down payment to qual- ify for the best mortgage rates. There are numer- ous programs available now, through FHA, for ex- ample, that allow a smaller down payment. Just be- ware that your interest rate will be higher and you will be required to carry pri- vate mortgage insurance, both of which will increase your monthly payment sig- nificantly. 3. Find the Best Real Es- tate Agent. "Look for a buy- er's agent who specializes in working with buyers and who offers you referrals, re- cent happy clients," advises Wendy. "Call those refer- rals and find out all you can about their experience with this agent." Your friends and family will be a great resource for finding a great Realtor. 4. Get Pre-Approved. Knowing what you can af- ford, what you qualify for and what type of loan you want can help you find the best deal when you're ready to apply for a mortgage. To get started, research the differences between con- ventional and unconven- tional loans and use a mort- gage term comparison cal- culator to get an idea of the cost. Find a great online mortgage calculator to get used to what monthly pay- ments will look like. When you're ready to shop for mortgages, use an online calculator such as the Get a Mortgage Quote tool at Realtor.com. This will al- low you to see current rates and get quotes from lenders in your area. 5. Find the Right Home. Start reading and re- searching as much as you can as soon as you can. Use online resources such as Redfin.com and Zillow. com. Don't wait until you're ready to shop to start look- ing at homes. Start early by researching neighborhoods in your target city and viewing homes online to get an idea of pricing. Once you're ready to shop, you'll have a much better idea of what you want, where you want to live and what you can afford. Take your time; prepare well. Then don't let anyone talk you into anything that makes you feel uncomfort- able. One thing worse than not owning a home is get- ting in over your heads in a house you cannot afford. Wouldyouliketosendatipto Mary? You can email her at mary@everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Preparation steps for first-time home buyers An Enforcement Oper- ation will be conducted on Saturday, May 17 in an ef- fort to lower deaths and in- juries. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas fre- quented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes occur. Officers will be look- ing for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcy- cle crashes. They will be cracking down on both those oper- ating regular vehicles and motorcycles, who are under the influence of drugs or al- cohol, speeding, making il- legal turns or any other dangerous violation. Motorcycle fatalities saw a drop of 37 percent from 2008 to 2010, but then rose 23 percent by 2012. Operations like this one are aimed at curbing any more rises in motorcy- cle deaths and sending the numbers back downward. California collision data reveal that primary causes of motorcycle-involved crashes include speeding, unsafe turning and impair- ment due to alcohol and other drugs. The department is re- minding all motorists to al- ways be alert and watch out for motorcycles, especially when turning and chang- ing lanes. Drivers should be aware that motorcycle lane split- ting is legal if done in a safe and prudent manner. Mo- torcycle riders should con- sult the Lane Splitting Gen- eral Guidelines to learn more: www.ots.ca.gov/ lanesplittinggeneralguide- lines.pdf. Funding for this pro- gram is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. SAFETY RBPDaimstoimprove motorcycle safety PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROL BANWARTH Hummingbirds are pictured here on a home feeder. Careless motorists as well as riders get special scrutiny on Saturday Riders can get training through the California Mo- torcyclist Safety Program. Information and training locations are available at www.CA-msp.org or 1-877 RIDE 411or 1-877-743-3411. CALIFORNIAMOTORCYCLISTSAFETYPROGRAM READER PHOTO Mary Hunt I-5atLiberalAvenueinCorning | 530528-3500 | www.rollinghillscasino.com Monday,May26th $500cashdrawingsstartingat1:00pm! Youcouldwinachancetospintheprizewheelfor Free Slot Play, Free Buffet for Two, or Dinner at Timbers! RUNNINGS ROOFING SheetMetalRoofing ResidentialCommercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane Ownerisonsiteoneveryjob ServingTehamaCounty 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 NoMoney Down! "NoJobTooSteep" " No Job Too Flat" FREE ESTIMATES CA. LIC#829089 Servicing your disposal needs in Tehama County, and the City of Red Bluff including Residential, Commercial, and Temporary bin services. GREEN WASTE OF TEHAMA A WASTE CONNECTIONS COMPANY 530-528-8500 1805 AIRPORT BLVD. RED BLUFF, CA GreenWasteisaproud supporter of local events. STOVEJUNCTION The TheNorthState'spremiersupplierofstoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat9am-5pm• ClosedSun&Mon Now Carrying! GreenMountainGrills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, May 16, 2014 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5