Red Bluff Daily News

Tosomepeople,acob- bler is a lovely fruit des- sert best served warm. To others, it is a shoemaker who repairs shoes — an almost for- gotten trade. But that's changing. Suddenly, shoe repair is coming back. Big time. Sales of luxury goods are down, but it's a good time for people who repair them. Many high-end cob- blers, tailors and jew- elers have seen a spike in business from fru- gal customers, thanks to a trend toward fixing goods rather than replac- ing them. We're quickly moving from a disposable society to one that's learning to mend and make do. According to Randy Lip- son, third-generation cob- bler and owner of Cobble- stone Shoe Repair in St. Louis, Missouri, shoe-re- pair shops nationwide (of which there are report- edly only about 7,500 re- maining — half as many as a decade ago) are re- porting a 20 to 45 percent surge in business. Things are beginning to shift as consumers are learning to make do. And for many, that means getting shoes that fit fixed. Not long ago, I seized an opportunity to sit down with Lipson and I learned a lot, not only about the value of repairing shoes rather than replacing them, but also the fact that a shoe-repair shop does more than just repair shoes. EC: Why should we use shoe repair? RL: Footwear isn't just part of your wardrobe; it is an investment. Spend your money wisely and the return will be more value for your dollar, more com- fort, better foot health and even a sense that you are helping the environment. EC: How do we know if shoes are worth repairing? If they were cheap to start with, shouldn't we just throw them away? RL:?Think comfort. If the shoes fit well, you're probably better off re- pairing them. The ma- terials we use to repair shoes are usually three to four times better quality than the original mate- rials in the shoe. And we use the very same mate- rials to repair a $50 pair of shoes and a $325 pair. Once repaired, they re- ally will be better than new. We repair all kinds of shoes and boots, even Birkenstocks. EC: How can we know if a shoe-repair shop is any good? RL: Ask to see an exam- ple of their work. A good cobbler is proud of the work he or she does. There should be lots of shoes waiting to be picked up that you can inspect. EC: What are the typi- cal shoe repairs? RL: New heels and soles are what we do most, both for men's and women's shoes. And we do a com- plete recondition that in- cludes repairing torn or weakened areas, replac- ing components that are worn-out and bringing those shoes back to their glory. EC: Can you do any- thing to restore the color and finish? RL: Provided the shoes are made of leather, we can do wonders. And we do more than just apply shoe polish. What we do is similar to stripping the paint from a fine piece of furniture and then com- pletely refinishing it. We remove the top lay- ers, then recondition the leather, restain and re- turn the shoes to new condition. EC: What does some- thing like that cost? RL: A simple repair, like for new heels, can run around $20 depending on where the shop is lo- cated. A complete recon- dition can run as high as $100. But if we're talking about a $300 pair of shoes, that's a great value be- cause it means another 10 or 15 years for those shoes. When you think of the cost per wear, repairing shoes rather than replac- ing them becomes a great value. They're even better than new. EC: Other than shoes, what items do you repair? RL: We offer repairs on handbags, luggage, dog collars, belts (we shorten belts all the time, in a way that cannot be detected), and saddles and bridles, too. If you have anything made of leather that needs some TLC, take it to a shoe repair shop. EC: Where can we find reputable shoe repair shops in our local areas? RL: You can find a na- tional store locator on the Shoe Service Institute of America website. Just type in your location and you'll be on your way.Ev A question to you, my readers: Do you know of a great shoe repair shop? Tell us about it! Give a shout out to your friendly neighborhood cobbler. EmailMaryatmary@ everydaycheapskate.com. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Ashoemakerwill save your sole and so much more Mary Hunt The following Altacal Audubon activity is sched- uled in May. All programs and activities are free of cost unless otherwise in- dicated and are open to the public. If you have any questions or want further information about specific activities, call Wayland Au- gur at 519-4724 or write to wba@acm.org. Program Chico Creek Nature Cen- ter. Designing and Build- ing Trails with Form and Function, Presented by Don Beers, 6:30 p.m. Mon- day, May 16. With Cali- fornia's vast wilderness there are innumerable hiking trails into deserts, high mountains, coastal beaches, redwood groves and more. Some of these trails are for hikers of all skill levels or some are for the experienced hiker only and most feature amazing scenery and views. Who designs and builds these trails, footpaths, pathways, walking trails? Don Beers, who worked for California State Parks, where he was responsible for the District's trial con- structionandmaintenance, backcountry road re-engi- neering and maintenance, and watershed restoration project implementation will discuss how trails can be designed to provide the user with a more esthetic and intimate experience and be sustainable. Topics discussed will be use of native materials and curvilinear alignment that blends with the natu- ral setting. How the design and construction must also produce a trial that is sus- tainable that does not have an adverse impact on natu- ral and cultural resources and can withstand the im- pacts of hikers and the nat- ural elements while receiv- ing only routine cyclical maintenance. Designing and building sustainable trails requires the applica- tion of both form and func- tion. Don worked for the Cal- ifornia State Park Sys- tem for over 30 years. The Roads, Trails and Re- source Section that he su- pervised were responsi- ble for the District's trial construction and mainte- nance, backcountry road re-engineering and main- tenance, and watershed restoration project imple- mentation. ALTACAL AudubonSocietyplansChicoCreekNatureCenterprogram April 18 was this year's deadline for most people to file their federal tax re- turn and pay any tax they owe. If you are due a re- fund there is no penalty if you file a late tax return. If you owe tax, and you failed to file and pay on time, you will most likely owe interest and penal- ties on the tax you pay late. To keep interest and penalties to a minimum, you should file your tax return and pay the tax as soon as possible. Here are some facts that you should know. 1. Two penalties may ap- ply. One penalty is for fil- ing late and one is for pay- ing late. They can add up fast. Interest accrues on top of the penalties. 2. Penalty for late fil- ing. If you file your 2015 tax return more than 60 days after the due date or ex- tended due date, the min- imum penalty is $205 or, if you owe less than $205, 100 percent of the unpaid tax. Otherwise, the penalty can be as much as five per- cent of your unpaid taxes each month up to a maxi- mum of 25 percent. 3. Penalty for late pay- ment. The penalty is gen- erally 0.5 percent of your unpaid taxes per month. It can build up to as much as 25 percent of your un- paid taxes. 4. Combined penalty per month. If both the late fil- ing and late payment pen- alties apply, the maximum amount charged for the two penalties is 5 percent per month. 5. File even if you can't pay. Filing on time and paying as much as you can will keep your inter- est and penalties to a min- imum. If you can't pay in full, getting a loan or pay- ing by debit or credit card may be less expensive than owing the IRS. If you do owe the IRS, the sooner you pay your bill the less you will owe. 6. Payment Options. Ex- plore your payment op- tions on our website atIRS. gov/payments. For individ- uals, IRS Direct Pay is a fast and free way to pay di- rectly from your checking or savings account. The IRS will work with you to help you resolve your tax debt. Most people can set up a payment plan using the Online Payment Agree- ment tool on IRS.gov. 7. Late payment pen- alty may not apply. If you requested an extension of time to file your income tax return by the tax due date and paid at least 90 per- cent of the taxes you owe, you may not face a fail- ure-to-pay penalty. How- ever, you must pay the re- maining balance by the ex- tended due date. You will owe interest on any taxes you pay after the April 18 due date. Each and every tax- payer has a set of funda- mental rights they should be aware of when deal- ing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obliga- tions to protect them on IRS.gov. TAX TIPS Things to know about filing late and paying penalties Thisisa1933Desoto3-windowcoupe. The 42nd annual River Park Car Show is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 15 at Red Bluff River Park, 100 River Park Way. Cost for exhibitors is $10 per vehicle paid at the gate. Spectators are free. Exhibitors are asked to enter on Willow Street from Main Street. The event will feature People's Choice trophies for street legal cars and trucks, pre-1980, a 50-50 raffle and merchandise drawings. Food and drink will be available on site. TO DO CAR SHOW IS MAY 15 COURTESYPHOTO 530-526-9887 645 Antelope Blvd. • Suite 8 Red Bluff, Ca 96080 www.countrycaninedayspa.com info@countrycaninedayspa.com Professional Groomer for 10 years, serving Tehama County and surrounding areas Country Canine Luxury Day Spa We care for the whole dog 714WalnutSt., Red Bluff Your One Stop Convenience Store ONE STOP Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 5/31/16 With coupon Reg. $13.95 RobertWood tothe Benny Brown Auto Group Family. Robert can be reached at 530-366-3166 or 530-330-2111 Give him a call, or stop by Robert can answer all of your questions on purchasing a new or used vehicle 545 Adobe Rd., Red Bluff 530-366-3166 WW W.REDBLUFFDODGE.COM Red Bluff Dodge Ram Chrysler Jeep Would Like To Welcome 525AntelopeBlvd,RedBluff (530) 527-5272 Mon.–Fri.8am-5pm Saturday by appointment Locally owned & operated EVICTIONS Fast, Efficient & Affordable 530.527.2104 756 Rio St, Red Bluff www.atwellpropartners.com 734MainStreet 530-690-2477 11am-9pm Mon.-Thur. 11am - 10pm Fri. & Sat. 11am-8pm Sun. 9 CRAFT BEERS ON TAP Pizza Restaurant LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, May 10, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5

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