Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/809886
Formoreyears than I like to admit, I've been collecting and dissem- inating timesaving and money- saving tips. Readers e- mail them to me, hand them to me on little scraps of paper and even send them in the mail. Some are hilarious; others are downright weird. The very best ones are in this column. I will admit that not all of my favorite tips could single-handedly turn a person's financial situation from red to black. Or free up hours every day. Take the tip of sharpening scissors, which is currently in my personal top 10: Tear off a length of aluminum foil. Fold it in half three or four times to create multiple layers. Cut sev- eral times through all those layers with your dull scissors. They'll be sharp as a razor in no time at all. My common sense told me such a tactic would make slightly dull scissors totally worth- less. But I was wrong. This tip really works, and it works so well I of- fered up my good dress- maker shears to its power. OK, so let's look at the big picture here. As much as I appreciate a sharp pair of scissors, I must admit to having never paid to have scis- sors sharpened profes- sionally. I cannot say the effort saved me any money at all. So, if this tip for keeping scissors sharp doesn't really put any money in my pocket, why do it? Or more im- portantly, perhaps, why am I such a fan? Be- cause it empowers me. To know that every pair of scissors in my home has a sharp cutting edge makes me smile. I love knowing that I can do something that brings me pleasure and makes my life a little easier and doesn't require forking out money. Perhaps it's like the 2-year-old who, after learning to dress herself, insists on always doing it herself. It feels grown-up. There's something to be said for finding new ways to be independent and self-reliant. When I can figure out how to launder items that clearly state "dry clean only," I'm giddy with joy. Dry cleaning is anything but cheap these days. When I make a gallon of my own hardwood and laminate floor cleaner (a wonderful substitute for the pricey Bona Pro Series Hardwood Floor Cleaner), I avoid spend- ing at least $15. 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. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE The true value of simple time- and money-saving tips Lassen Volcanic National Park recorded 536,068 vis- its in 2016, the centennial year for the park and the National Park Service. "For over a century, peo- ple from around the world have come to explore the park's dynamic volcanic landscape and enjoy the beauty of these mountains," said acting Superinten- dent Martha Crusius. "The strong increase in visita- tion to Lassen in 2016 over 2015 was due in large part to centennial activities and the Find Your Park cam- paign, which reached new audiences and highlighted lesser known parks like Lassen." The number of visits in 2016 compared to 468,092 in 2015. The year 1972, with 504,641 visits, was the only other year in park history to reach more than half of a million visits. More visitors came for the day in 2016, with 117,122 overnight visits compared to 132,484 overnight visits in 2015. July 2016, with 120,958 visits, had the highest monthly visit count for Lassen since the start of monthly data collection in 1979. Half of national park visitation happened in 26 parks but visitation growth from 2015 to 2016 was greater, by 13 percent to 9 percent, in parks that see more modest annual visitation. The National Park Service centennial and Find Your Park initia- tive, launched with the Na- tional Park Foundation, combined with other na- tional park anniversaries, popular events such as the Centennial BioBlitz, good travel weather and pro- grams such as Every Kid in a Park helped to drive the record visitation. Throughout the National Park System in 2016 there were 330,971,689 recre- ation visits in 2016 — up 7.7 percent or 23.7 million visits over 2015. For more information about visitation, please go to the National Park Ser- vice Visitor Use Statistics web page at https://irma. nps.gov/Stats/. LASSEN VOLCANIC Park visitation exceeded 500,000 in 2016 Passages Health Insur- ance Counseling & Advo- cacy Program is present- ing Welcome to Medicare workshops for those turn- ing 65 this year or younger adults who will be entitled to Medicare due to a dis- ability. As people get closer to Medicare eligibility, there are several things to con- sider. In light of the fact that Medicare's coverage is much like employer group coverage it's important to know what questions to ask: How will my retiree plan work with my Medi- care? Can I delay enroll- ing into Medicare and not be penalized? Do I need a drug plan? Are there pro- grams available to lower my Medicare health and prescription costs? Workshops are set for 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 13 at Lakeside Pavil- ion, 2565 Lakeside Village, Chico and 1-3 p.m. Tues- day, April 18 at Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St., Red Bluff Reg- istration is required by call- ing 898-6716. This free workshop is designed for baby boom- ers and others who will be new to Medicare this year who want to understand how their Medicare bene- fits work. Family members or caregivers are also wel- come to attend. People who are new to Medicare will be deluged with information from different insurance com- panies marketing their products. Ronda Kramer, program manager for Pas- sages HICAP warns sign- ing up with the wrong plan, or not doing any- thing may cost new Medi- care recipients thou- sands of dollars, and they may not be able to make changes if enrollment deadlines are missed. For more information, call 1-800-434-0222. If your group or agency would like a workshop, call Katherine Tilman at 898-5927. HICAP does not sell or endorse any insurance products. For more information about Passages services go to www.passagescenter.org. PASSAGES Medicare workshops set for baby boomers The Mount Lassen Chap- ter of California Native Plant Society will hold its bien- nial Wildflower Show and Native Plant Sale noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 23 at the CARD Center, 545 Vallom- brosa Ave. in Chico. More than 300 species of plantsfromButte,Glenn,Te- hama and Plumas counties will be on display, grouped according to plant commu- nities. In addition, there will be a variety of other activi- ties, including displays, na- ture walks and a microscope table. Books and T-shirts will be available for purchase. The patio area will feature a sale of native plants for the home garden. There is a suggested do- nation of $5 for admission; students and children 17 and younger are free. A visit to the Vina Plains Preserve Vernal Pools is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Sat- urday, April 29. The second of two joint trips with The Nature Con- servancy, this trip will fo- cus mostly on the vernal pools. The larger ones will still have water, but in the smaller ones expect a di- versity of spring flowers. Upland flowers will be in bloom. Wear sturdy shoes, hat and windbreaker or rain gear as needed and bring water. Finish by 3:30 p.m. For more information call Marjorie at 343-2397. To reserve a spot, write to ScottHardageatshardage@ TNC.org. The Altacal Audubon So- ciety's Neighborhood Hab- itat Certification Program and the Mt. Lassen Chap- ter of California Native Plant Society are sponsor- ing a Water-Wise and Habi- tat-Friendly Garden Tour in Chico 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun- day, April 30. Participants will tour Chico gardens that show- case the beauty of the re- gion's native plants; land- scapedesignsforconserving water; methods for lawn re- placement, including sheet mulching; and valuable wildlife stewardship fea- tures that support our local birds, bees and butterflies. Garden hosts will share resources and ideas for cre- ating habitat gardens. Learn how everyone can watch the amazing cycle of life in his or her own yard. More information about gardening with native plants and creating habi- tat is available from www. altacal.org/neighborhood- habitat-certification-pro- gram and http://mount- lassen.cnps.org. Tickets are available from the websites or on the day of the event at Chico Creek Nature Center, 1968 E. 8th St., until 1 p.m. Price is $10 or $6 for student and low income. NATIVE PLANTS Community activities planned for April DNFILEPHOTO Lassen Peak is pictured in the summer time. Mary Hunt In light of the fact that Medicare's coverage is much like employer group coverage it's important to know what questions to ask. 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