Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/635712
The IRS continues to warn the public to be alert for telephone scams and offers five tell-tale warning signs to tip you off if you get such a call. These callers claim to be with the IRS. The scam- mers often demand money to pay taxes. Some may try to con you by saying that you're due a refund. The re- fund is a fake lure so you'll give them your banking or other private financial in- formation. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may even know a lot about you. They may alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS badge numbers. If you don't answer, they often leave an "urgent" callback request. The IRS respects tax- payer rights when working out payment of your taxes. So, it's pretty easy to tell when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a sign of a scam. The IRS does not: 1. Call you to demand im- mediate payment. We will not call about taxes you owe without first mailing you a bill. 2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the chance to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. 3. Require you to use a certain payment method for your taxes, such as a pre- paid debit card. 4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. 5. Threaten to bring in lo- cal police or other law-en- forcement to have you ar- rested for not paying. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and ask- ing for money, here's what to do: If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 800- 829-1040 to talk about pay- ment options. You also may be able to set up a payment plan online at IRS.gov. If you know you don't owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to TIGTA at 1.800.366.4484 or at www. tigta.gov. If phone scammers tar- get you, also contact the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov. Use their "FTC Complaint Assistant" to re- port the scam. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your com- plaint. Remember, the IRS cur- rently does not use unsolic- ited e-mail, text messages or any social media to dis- cuss your personal tax is- sues. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.govand type "scam" in the search box. SCAMALERT Fiveeasywaystospot a scam phone call When you purchase a new stove, new refrigera- tor or new countertop, at least half of its fresh, new look is owing to the simple lack of dirt. There's no dirt on the surface, in the corners or wedged along any decorative trim. It's new. But then as the days, weeks and months pass, something weird happens. Things lose that wonder- ful, new look. Wouldn't it be amazing if by some miracle your appliances and kitchen could retain that marvelous glitzy new appearance? Well, fasten your seat- belt because have I got a miracle for you! Determine to spend just 10 minutes a day using three simple tools to put that sparkle back in your kitchen by tackling the most often ignored spots. TIMER: This will be your primary motivational tool. Find one on the mi- crowave or on the back of the stove. Or just keep a clock in view. Work your heart out for 10 minutes. When time's up, stop! Un- til next time. TOOTHBRUSH: Teamed with a little water and a drop of dishwashing liq- uid, this is a fabulous tool for erasing dirt from the smallest of crevices, hori- zontal ledges and joints of kitchen surfaces. Follow- ing quickly with a damp cloth. TARGETS: 1. Rim where counter meets sink. 2. Around the base of the faucets. 3. Any grooves on the faucet knobs or levers. 4. Joint where handle meets oven door, refrigera- tor door, microwave door. 5. Ledge at any oven window. 6. Crevice between counter and stove-top, and between counter and wall. 7. Inner lip of the dish- washer door. 8. The often dirt-filled grooves that spell "ON" and "OFF" on the light switch. 9. Horizontal ledges above and below switches and sockets. 10. Screws attaching plates to walls. 11. Right angles where hard floor meets base- boards — all the way around the perimeter of a room. 12. Door thresholds and borders between hard flooring and carpet. Warning: Removing de- tail dirt can lift your spir- its so much you may not want to stop at 10 min- utes. If this happens to you, don't fret. Just set the timer for another 10 min- utes and keep going. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Tenminutestobring back that new look Mary Hunt An unusual vehicle that once rolled around the streets of Red Bluff has ended up on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean on the island of Jersey — and it's just the vehicle to make such a journey. The 1942 Ford GPA am- phibious jeep was pro- duced in Detroit but found its way to Red Bluff be- fore eventually ending up in England, according to owner Mike Higgins, who plans to restore the vehicle and is seeking information about and photographs of its time in Red Bluff. Higgins said the Ford was once owned by a Mr. Hilary Brown who lived on Walton Drive and it had a black and yellow license place with a 1963 sticker. By 1971 it was purchased from Brown by a Mr. Brockman. From there it was sold to a man in Idaho and then to a man in Eng- land from whom Higgins purchased it. Along the way the body was modified and the nose and tail were cut off, ap- parently to convert it to a non-amphibious jeep vehi- cle. The missing body parts are making restoration dif- ficult, so photos of the ve- hicle prior to the modifica- tion are of much interest. Specific information Higgins is seeking in- cludes where it was regis- tered with the licence plate authorities; who owned it before Hilary Brown and when and where did he purchase it; who originally purchased it from the mil- itary disposal agency or surplus dealer and where did this take place; what was the color of the vehi- cle; who chopped off the nose and tail of the vehi- cle and was it the only Ford GPA in Red Bluff and the surrounding area? Anyone with informa- tion is asked to contact Higgins at m.r.higgins@ live.com. Details of former Red Bluff vehicle sought Thechopped-downFordGPAamphibiousjeepthatused to be owned by Red Bluff residents is shown. An intact Ford GPA amphibious jeep vehicle. LOCAL HISTORY Altacal Audubon pro- gram and field trip activ- ities for February are as follows. All programs and activities are free of cost unless otherwise indicated and are open to the public. If you have any questions or want further informa- tion about specific activi- ties, call Wayland Augur at 519-4724 or write to wba@ acm.org. Program Chico Creek Nature Cen- ter. The Surprising Bene- fit of Wildfires — Wildlife Nurseries, Presented by Christy Sherr, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb.15. Severely burned co- nifer forests are one of the most productive and critical habitats for Cal- ifornia birds and wild- life, comparable or better than even late-succession or "old growth" forest. Large, dense patches of standing dead trees are preferred by a host of plants, insects, mammals, and birds such as Black- backed Woodpeckers and Spotted Owls. Surpris- ingly, that includes even many of the most threat- ened and endangered spe- cies. Come find out more about why so many spe- cies of wildlife choose burned areas to raise their young. Christy Sherr is a retired National and State Park Ranger, currently work- ing as a field biologist and Education Coordinator for the John Muir Project of the Earth Island Institute. She is a past president of the Sierra Foothills Audu- bon Chapter, and is proud that her 10-year-old daugh- ter became a birder in a burned forest. Field trips Birding Upper Bidwell ParkSaturday,Feb.20.This will be an easy 3-mile walk in Upper Bidwell Park. Might be a little early for spring migrants but there will be plenty to see with the permanent residents. Meet at Parking Lot E, just past the gun club and then walk up to Day Camp. All birders and nature lov- ers are welcome, especially those just learning about birds or wanting to learn about the birds of Bidwell Park. Bring binoculars — some will be available to borrow — water and a snack. Contact Steve Over- lock at 828-0966 or write to stephenoverlock@sbc- global.net. Genetic Resource Cen- ter and Oxidation Ponds Sunday, Feb. 28. Meet at Chico Park & Ride at 8:30 a.m., closest to State Route 99. The group will take a leisurely stroll around the Genetic Resource Cen- ter to see what high ele- vation birds might still be around, then out to the Chico Wastewater Treat- ment Plant to look for ducks, geese, rails, bit- terns, and shorebirds. Wear sturdy footwear. The group should be back to the Park & Ride by 12:30 p.m. Rain cancels. Call 228-0625 or write to find- forster@yahoo.com for more information. ALTACAL Audubon Society plans events for February As part of its ongoing dedication to help fos- ter education, Pacific Gas and Electric Company this week announced the launch of its fourth an- nual PG&E Better To- gether STEM Scholarship program. The program awards a total of $1 million in scholarships to local high school, community col- lege and non-traditional students pursuing higher education in the fields of science, technology, en- gineering or mathemat- ics — STEM. Scholarship winners will receive up to $20,000 per year for up to five years; program final- ists will receive $2,000 to- ward their studies. "PG&E is investing in promising students today because they are the lead- ers, dreamers and inno- vators of tomorrow," said Helen Burt, senior vice president of external af- fairs and public policy. "The energy industry needs them, our com- munities need them and California needs them. Our Better Together STEM Scholarships are creating opportunities for today's students to reach their full poten- tial." Students pursuing a STEM-related degree are eligible, and must be en- rolled in a full-time under- graduate program at an ac- credited two- or four-year college, university or voca- tional-technical school for the duration of the 2016- 2017 academic year. The deadline to apply is Feb. 29. Scholarship win- ners will be announced this spring. For more in- formation and to apply, visit scholarshipamerica. org/pge/. In addition to the STEM Scholarship Program, PG&E's 10 employee re- source groups voluntarily raise funds for scholar- ships to help offset the cost of higher education. Visit http://www.pge.com/ en/about/community/edu- cation/ergscholarships/in- dex.page. EDUCATION Utility offers STEM scholarships to local students STARTINGINFEBRUARY Kid'sFitProgram NewandImproved&YearRound! 6 Months to 12 Years Old FEBRUARY & MARCH Walk This Way 10 Week Indoor Walking and Exercise Program Indoor Soccer League Fit For Golf Fundamentals/Performance Enhancement Taught by Titleist Performance Professional COMING THIS SPRING "The Patch" Obstacle Course Fitness Volleyball Leagues Strength and Conditioning Sport Specific Training & Injury Prevention for High School Sports Administered by Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialists (CSCS) 2498SMainSt.|RedBluff.CA96080|530.528.8656 www.tehamafamilyfitness.com @7II;@F7DBDA9D3?E Coming To Tehama Family Fitness Center! NorthStateRealty(NSRE) 2515 Park Marina Drive#102 Redding California 96003 (530) 518-8275 (office) jaredchaffin@hotmail.com Jared Chaffin DRE lic. #01460126 530-518-8275 3 bd, 2 ba 1560 sqft. Completely remodeled ranchette backing up to open pasture with detached garage/shop sitting on almost an acre of property. New from top to bottom including, new roof, granite countertops, stainless appliances, new floor coverings, and remodeled bathrooms. With all the work done, this home is move in ready with a huge private back yard for your gardening, R.V.'s, toys, animals, or hobbies. $225,000 Dream ranch property on over 3 acres with two homes, horse arena, stocked pond and 2 barns on two separate parcels!! This beautiful property comes with a custom steel built 90'X150' covered arena with additional 90'X225' sand arena. Next to the arena sits a 84'X34' horse lovers barn with tac room hay loft and 9 stalls along with additional 16'X24' covered panel barn & stall area. If you like bass fishing then bring your pole because there is an amazing huge stocked year around pond with geese, frogs, fish, and fun! Also for sale separately is an adjoining 61 acres that is completely fenced for horses, but also has orchard potential. $265,000 413WalnutStreet•530-528-8000 Sat.-Mon. 10am-4pm • Tues-Fri 10am-5:30pm Se Habla Español www.redbluffgoldexchange.com www.angelsamongusall.com ServingOurCommunityForOver21Years Gold Exchange WANTED CoinCollections and Estates BirthYearCoinSets Make Great Gifts (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff $ 50 .00 No Enrollment Fee with ACH sign up monthly Our Special for February is Coupleconsistsof spouse, significant other, or child under the age of 20. Any children added to that is only $10.00 a month. LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, February 3, 2016 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5