Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/729810
When it first began in August 1976 by a group of walking and cycling advocates, the race was up Bidwell Park's road to Bear Hole, a quick dip in the creek and then racing back down to where it had started. Everybody met down- town later and they cele- brated and had a ceremony where all the 15 or so par- ticipants got an award. The tradition was born and then with the inven- tion of the mountain bike the Bump moved to the North Rim Trail where it evolved into a race be- tween runners and riders over the challenging trail with the runners coming out on top more than once in the early years of the mountain bike. The mod- ern race uses some of Up- per Bidwell Park's most technical trails but is still advertised as an all level event. This year's race starts at 9 a.m. on the north side of the bridge at 5 Mile Recre- ation Area. Pre-registration is ad- vised, but everyone is wel- come and can join on race day. Day of registration be- gins at 7 a.m. To pre-regis- ter, visit https://www.bik- ereg.com/bidwellbump. The highlight of the event is the test of the ex- pert and pro riders who compete in the Cross-Coun- try in the morning and Downhill in the afternoon, both which conclude near the Bidwell Golf Course on the South Rim Trail. The Downhill race starts at 1 p.m. with riders departing in one-minute intervals challenging the technical Guardian Trail. You might be surprised by the level of expertise of these riders on this unfor- giving trail. Since the Bump encour- ages mountain bike riding for all skills and ages, there are a variety of courses of- fered. For more information find the event on Face- book or visit http://www. bidwellpromotions.com/. The Chico Masters Cy- cling Team host a free kid's race, which will start at 5 Mile at 11 a.m. Registration is 9-10:45 a.m. Bring your kids and let Chico's Race Development Team see who is coming up through the ranks. A portion of the proceeds will go to Butte County Ju- nior Cycling, which pro- vides youth with the op- portunity to enjoy the sport of cycling through a bike loan program. Everyone's welcome to come out and support the annual Bidwell Bump. BIDWELLBUMP REDDING The ducks are getting ready to jump off the Diestlhorst Bridge, so come check it out on Sun- day, Sept. 25 as they make their plunge into the Sacra- mento River. It's not too late to buy duck tickets. You can pur- chase tickets from Red- ding East Rotarians, chil- dren selling tickets in your neighborhoodorattheeven on Sunday between 10 a.m. an 12:30 p.m. at Redding's Caldwell Park. The race is a full day of family fun and there is no cost to attend. Art in the Park features are created by local artists, along with children's activities on the lawn in front of the League at Carter House. Dignity Health will have a photo booth at the event. The boats will leave the boat dock at 1 p.m. Proceeds from Ducky Derby will be used for sub- stance abuse prevention programs and youth devel- opment. Since its inception, Ducky Derby has raised more than $4 million. ROTARY Ducky Derby fundraiser Sunday at Caldwell Park Sometime in late Octo- ber, I'll host the 12th An- nual Friends of Elaine Kortzeborn Medicare Open Enrollment Party. Every year since 2005, I've helped a dozen or so my mom's buddies re- view their Medicare Part D pre- scription drug insurance and make sure it still works for them. At first, I ran into some resistance. Mom's friends didn't want to bother. They had coverage and didn't see why they needed to keep checking their drug plans. After a couple of years, though, that attitude disappeared. We kept finding that, every year, their health needs changed and so did the list of drugs cov- ered by their plans. Shop- ping among the numer- ous plans and choosing the right one could mean saving hundreds of dollars a year. Now, everyone's on board to make sure they have coverage that's right for them. All this is just my way of reminding you that Medicare's annual open enrollment season begins Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. This is the time ev- ery year when you can sign up for a new Medi- care drug or health plan, or switch the one you have now. Any new coverage you select will take effect Jan. 1, 2017. In addition to Part D drug plans, open enroll- ment applies to Medicare Advantage health plans, which are essentially man- aged care plans run by pri- vate insurers approved by Medicare. If you have Original (traditional) Medicare and you're satisfied with it, you don't need to do anything during open enrollment. If you have a Medicare Advantage health plan or Part D drug plan, keep in mind that these plans can make changes each year, including what they cover, how much they charge for monthly premiums and de- ductibles, and which doc- tors, hospitals, and phar- macies are in their net- works. Always review the ma- terials your health or drug plan sends you, like the "Evidence of Cover- age" and "Annual No- tice of Change." Make sure your plan still meets what you anticipate will be your health needs for next year. If you're sat- isfied with your current plan, and your insurer is still offering it in 2017, you don't need to make any changes. Here are resources to help you compare your current coverage with new plan offerings for 2017. You can: • Visit www.medi- care.gov to review drug and health plans, in- cluding costs, available in your area and enroll in a new plan if you de- cide to. This information will be live on or around Oct. 1 (and before that on www.cms.gov.) Medi- care rates the plans on a scale of one to five stars. Open enrollment infor- mation also is available in Spanish. • Call 1-800-MEDI- CARE (1-800-633-4227) for around-the-clock as- sistance to find out more about your coverage op- tions. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Counseling is available in a variety of languages. • Review the Medicare & You handbook. This handbook is mailed to the homes of people with Medicare each fall and it's also online at: https:// www.medicare.gov/pubs/ pdf/10050.pdf • Get free, unbiased, one-on-one counseling from your local State Health Insurance Assis- tance Program (SHIP). Local SHIP contact in- formation can be found www.medicare.gov/ contacts/organization- search-criteria.aspx, on the back of the Medicare & You handbook or by calling Medicare (at the 1-800 number above). People with Medicare who have limited income and resources may qual- ify for Extra Help to pay for their Part D drug plans. There's no cost or obligation to apply for Extra Help, and it can save you thousands of dollars each year. Medicare beneficiaries, family members, or care- givers can apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/ prescriptionhelp or call Social Security at 1-800- 772-1213 to find out more. TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778. SENIORS Time to review your Medicare coverage In the wake of America's big economic crisis back in 2008, dollar stores and thrift stores have seen a big resur- gence. And now, another kind of retail quasi-lender is command- ing all kinds of attention from sellers and buyers: pawnshops. I admit to having grown up with a weird bias against pawnshops. To me, pawnshops were just one level above Vinny the Loan Shark operating il- legally in some dark alley in the bad part of town, just waiting to break some knees. Where did that come from? I have no idea really, but let me quickly follow by saying that it is a most false stereotype. Pawnshops are respectable businesses that offer a vi- able service in many com- munities. These days, busi- ness is booming. A pawnshop, owned and operated by a pawnbroker, makes secured loans on personal property that cus- tomers leave as collateral. The customer can redeem the property when the loan and loan interest are paid off. Think secured loans. Interest rates charged by pawnshops, which in some states are regulated by state and local laws, can range from 5 to 6 per- cent per month. That's high, I know, but we're talking very short-term loans here. And the loans are on merchandise that is often used and in some cases suspect because it's impossible for the broker to predict the collateral's true value, should he have to sell it to recoup the money lent. Pawnbrokers accept a variety of personal prop- erty as collateral — jew- elry, clocks, computers, firearms, art, electron- ics and collectibles. When a pledged item is not re- deemed, brokers are re- quired to notify the cus- tomer that the loan period has expired and give the customer a final opportu- nity to redeem the prop- erty. Once expired, the broker has the right to sell the item. In some states, the pawnbroker gets to the keep the full proceeds from the sale; in others, once the loan and interest is recovered, the balance of the sale price, or some portion thereof, is paid to the pawner. In many states, pawn- brokers are required by law to file a daily list of items that have been pledged, including serial numbers and other iden- tifying information. This gives police the oppor- tunity to recover stolen items. A pawnshop may not be the best place to liquidate items you wish to sell out- right. Sites like eBay and Craigslist, or the local clas- sifieds, would likely fetch a higher price. But for the person who needs some quick cash and is will- ing to put up something of value to secure a loan, a pawnshop could be the right choice. Now, let me point out the upside of a pawnshop: bargains. Go to a pawn- shop if you've never been to one. Expect to find a large variety of jewelry, power tools, electronics, cameras, computer games and computers. You do need to know your stuff; don't expect pawnbrokers to be experts on all of the items they offer. And never forget that a pawnbro- ker is in business to turn a profit. Whether you're a pawner or a buyer, every- thing is negotiable. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE My apologies to pawn shops everywhere Fourth-graders and their families are invited to an action oriented environ- mental education program during National Public Lands Day at the Red Bluff Recreation Area Saturday, Sept. 24. The program is aimed at helping students learn about reducing plastic pollution in creeks, riv- ers, streams and oceans. Fourth-graders will receive an Every Kid in a Park year- long family pass to most federal parks, national for- ests, lakes and trails that have entrance fees. Latinas in Action, a Chico State University stu- dent organization, will join The 5 Gyres Institute and the U.S. Forest Service to host the event. There will be a morning and after- noon session from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. The event will be held in Red Bluff on Mendocino National Forest land at the south end of Sale Lane. The Recreation Area is at 1000 Sale Lane. The signs will guide you to Camp Discov- ery. The focus of the event is to instill a sense of shared stewardship and educate the public about the im- portance of natural re- sources. Thousands of volun- teers are expected to pro- vide assistance in the na- tion's largest, single-day volunteer effort to improve America's public lands. RED BLUFF RECREATION AREA Fourth-graders urged to celebrate public lands CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO The start of the 2015Bidwell Bump race at Upper Bidwell Park. Mary Hunt Mountain bike trail race set for Saturday in Chico Cate Kortzeborn (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff Water Aerobic Classes Monthly Special $ 28 00 a month No Enrollment Fee Stop by or call for information TEHAMA MINI STORAGE 22200 SOLAR ROAD 1-MILE PAST HOSPITAL, THEN GO RIGHTAT MOOSE LODGE 10 X 10 = $35/month 10 X 20 = $70/month VISA • M/C • DISCOVER • CHECK SAFE & SECURE ON-SITE MANAGER CALL: 530-527-5074 RV/Boat $ 30 16 security cameras LaCorona Garden Center 7769Hwy99E,LosMolinos 530-576-3118 General Hydroponics Fox Farm Soil Grow More Fertilizer YaraMila Fertilizer Chicken Feed Garden Plants LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, September 21, 2016 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B3