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One half of the tasting fees and 10% of the evening’s proceeds
will benefit the SHOC Foundation.

The mission of the Sherie Hildreth Ovarian Cancer Foundation is to provide funding for ovarian cancer research, to educate women about early detection of ovarian cancer, and to empower women recovering from ovarian cancer to find emotional, spiritual and physical balance and well-being.. For more information visit www.shocfoundation.com and www.hatsofempowerment.com.

WineStyles transports wine country directly to your neighborhood and takes the guesswork out of selecting a wine that fits your individual style or occasion. We make learning about wine both easy and enjoyable. And, we offer a myriad of wine-related merchandise and a wonderful selection of gift baskets, which can be customized on the premises. Their address is: 7009 SW Nyberg St., Tualatin, OR 97062. 503-691-7777

A reverse mortgage is a home loan that allows seniors to use the equity in their homes to improve the quality of their lives while keeping their independence. By converting equity into income, a reverse mortgage not only eliminates the monthly mortgage payment, but also could provide a tax-free income that could be used for any purpose including living expenses, healthcare costs, home improvement, vacations, helping the kids or even purchasing another home.

Homeowners who are at least 62 years of age can qualify for a reverse mortgage even if they do not have good credit or much income. The size of the loan depends on the applicant’s age, the home’s value and equity, and interest rates. Proceeds from the loan can be taken as a monthly payment, a lump sum payment or kept on a line of credit to be used whenever the borrower wants to. As long as the borrower remains in the house there are no payments due. Once the last borrower moves out of the house, the loan would need to be paid by selling the house or refinancing by the heirs. The lender does not take title to the house and the borrower or heirs will never owe more then what the house is worth.

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Jim Wagoner is a reverse mortgage specialist at Northwest Mortgage Group in Portland. He can be reached at 503-330-3512.

Starring Ron Howard, Andy Griffith, Henry Winkler. Written By Ron Howard, Adam McKay. Directed by Jake Szymanski

The decision on a modification is generally made by the firm that is servicing the loan under contract to the owner. The owner could be a single lender, or it could be a group of investors who own pieces of a mortgage-backed security collateralized by a pool of loans. The servicing firm is obligated to find the solution to payment problems that will minimize loss to the owner. If the lowest cost solution is a contract modification, that’s great — everyone involved prefers a modification instead of a foreclosure. But if a foreclosure would generate lower costs for the owner, the decision will be to foreclose. The cost of foreclosure to the borrower does not enter the decision.

The loan modification process can take 2 months or more to get it done, if you know what you are doing.  Homeowners can try to do the modification themselves, but the decision is far from cut and dried, and it can be materially affected by whether and how the borrower presents his case. In most instances it is better to hire a loan modification professional to guide you through the process.

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Jim Wagoner is an independent loss mitigation consultant.  He can be contacted through his web site www.westwoodproperties.net.

Are you familiar with glucosamine and how helpful it is to the body?

Well Monavie does.  Monavie knows that the liquid form is 10 TIMES more  absorbent then tablet form so they added it to their product. That is why it really helps the joints. So with that said…
Monavie is a nutritional drink and with just 4 oz you get the equivalent of 13 servings of fruits and vegetables. The crown jewel in the Monavie blend is the Brazilian Acai berry, grown in the fertile soil of the amazon rainforest. For centuries, people of the amazon have revered this unique fruit for health promoting properties. Monavie not only has 19 fruits with the lead berry being the Acai berry, but has liquid glucosamine in it as well.

Why is this so important to know. Well let me tell you about a 12 year old with Rheumatoid Arthritis in her wrists. At 9 years old she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and her child hood had been stolen from her. No longer able to do cart wheels or ride a bike. After drinking 4 oz of Monavie a day for a week, the girl’s father came to me with tears in his eyes. His daughter is doing cart wheels again, is pain free, and he has his little girl back.

Becky is a hair dresser with sever wrist and neck pain from cutting hair for 30 years. She began drinking drink 12 oz of Monavie and the next morning she called me to say her neck pain was gone and her wrists were feeling great.

Why Monavie? The right nutrition, which is found in Monavie combined with the power punch of liquid glucosamine is changing peoples lives. So is the juice worth the squeeze? For these people it is.

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Kathleen Vasconcellos Independent Distributor for Monavie. You can discover more about Kathleen and Monavie at www.monavie.com/vasco or call her at 503-332-7111.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

While construction is still underway on the third floor, many of the rooms are finished and awaiting families. Previously the shelter could house 26 families a year; this new facility will allow them to help more than 120 families.  The demand definitely exists as they routinely turn away an average of 112 families a month.  Residents enjoy a home-style atmosphere that encourages change, structure, accountability, and life-changing classes and services that are tailored to fit the needs of the entire family.

I was very impressed with this beautiful facility; it appears to be a safe and welcoming apartment building from the outside, which I am sure will be a refreshing sight for struggling families; and the inside is just as impressively designed with homeless families in mind.

The Shared Blessing Room

My Father’s House has utilized their extensive experience to develop a building that fulfills long held wishes and dreams. Wide hallways, a store-like room for residents to “shop” for clothes and toiletries, meeting rooms, community room, counseling offices, and small kitchens and private baths in the rooms are just some of the considerations incorporated into the design.

Many corporations have donated materials to this facility including Costco and Home Depot.  Best Buy presented Cathe Wiese with a check for $3,500 this morning to fund their after school program for resident children.  “Good on ya” Best Buy employees and executives.

Best Buy Donates $3,500 to fund after school program.

My Father’s House depends entirely on private donations which has mostly funded the construction of this $3.5 million facility; currently fund raising events are underway to provide the remainder of the funds.  Contact Cathe Wiese (Cathe@familyshelter.org) to purchase tickets in a number of raffles that are going on now to raise the rest of the finances needed to finish the third floor.  If you would like to contribute to the operation of this worthy cause, there are many options to fit every budget.  Simply pledging $10 a month along with 9,999 other people will fund this facility for a year.

If you want to have a greater impact on families, then consider the Room Sponsorship Program.  This provides you with the chance to make the shelter apartment as livable as possible by purchasing the items needed to furnish the apartment.  These items are replaced only when broken or worn out, and the items do not leave with the residents as they move into their own home.  Sponsors will have their name on a plaque outside the door.  This will cost the sponsor $1,900; you may choose to personalize the room by purchasing the essential items yourself.  The cost of these items would be in addition to the sponsorship cost.

One of the furnished apartments waiting for a family to call home.

If you want to share more of your resources and enjoy a “hands on” experience, I recommend committing to a year of the Adopt-A-Room Program.  If you love to shop, this is a fabulous opportunity; participants furnish their adopted room with new, needed items to make residents feel welcome and comfortable.  When a family leaves the shelter, and sets up their own apartment, they take all the items with them to help with their fresh start.  The impact you have on three to four families a year is direct and very rewarding.  The average cost for these items is $400-$500 per family depending on your shopping style.  If you like this idea, but concerned about the cost, consider sponsoring with one or more friends to spread the joy.

Volunteer opportunities don’t need to be just financial.  Your time, energy, and knowledge is also greatly appreciated.  You could help with child care, drive residents to appointments, share a meal on Family Night, help maintain the facility with your handyman (or woman) knowledge, mentor a resident, or be part of a prayer team; these are just a few of the rich opportunities awaiting you.

My 10-year old son has vowed when he becomes President he will eradicate homelessness because everyone deserves a home.  I support his belief, and we plan to volunteer and help this facility as much as we can.  I hope you will also welcome this incredible resource to the Gresham area with your help, finances, and well wishes.  A gallery of pictures from this morning’s ribbon cutting follows.

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• On Sept. 15, The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 500 points — the biggest point drop since the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Following this decline, the market was down about 23 percent from its all-time high last October.
• Facing big losses, two big names on Wall Street— Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers — took drastic steps to rescue their respective businesses, with Merrill Lynch selling itself to Bank of America and Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy protection.
• The U.S. government has bailed out investment bank Bear Stearns, mortgage finance giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and American International Group (AIG).

What’s behind this slew of bad news?  Several factors are involved, but a key culprit is the subprime mortgage crisis, which resulted in enormous losses suffered by financial institutions.

Of course, we’ve seen large market declines before, but what’s happened to these major players in the investment world is something new for most of us. And yet, you shouldn’t confuse the problems of certain financial services providers with the viability of our financial markets as a whole. We still have the most powerful and resilient economy in recorded history, and investment opportunities still abound.

Nonetheless, as an individual investor, you’ll find it hard to ignore the recent market turmoil. How should you respond to this level of volatility?

Basically, you have these weapons at your disposal:

• Patience —  It’s usually not a good idea to let short-term market movements dictate your long-term investment strategy. If the current market decline led you to take a “time out” from investing, you might feel better for a few weeks or months, but you wouldn’t be helping yourself achieve your long term financial objectives. In the past, the market has fallen sharply after a variety of events — wars, assassinations, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, corporate scandals and so on — only to regain its footing and move on to new highs. And since the biggest gains can occur in the early stages of a market turnaround, you could miss out on the possibility for considerable growth if you’re sitting on the investment sidelines.
• Diversification — If a market downturn primarily affects just one type of asset, such as domestic stocks, and your portfolio is dominated by that asset, you could take a big hit. But if you broaden your holdings to include international stocks, bonds, Treasury securities, certificates of deposit (CDs) and other investments, you can potentially reduce the effects of market volatility. (Keep in mind that diversification, by itself, cannot guarantee a profit or protect against a loss.)
• Quality — During market downturns, even quality stocks can lose value. But these same stocks have the potential to recover when the market turns around. Look for good, solid companies whose products are competitive and whose management has enunciated a strategy for future growth.

The last few months have been difficult ones for investors, and we may still have some rough roads ahead. But by showing patience, diversifying your holdings and buying quality investments, you can continue to make progress toward yoour long-term goals — in markets that are good, bad or indifferent.

Excerpts taken from the ASID website:

Whether your project involves new construction, leased property, remodeling, renovation or preservation, an interior designer can help you get the most out of your investment. In addition to their in-depth knowledge of products, materials and finishes, professional designers have the training and expertise to plan, schedule, execute and manage your project from start to finish.

Interior design involves many practical and technical considerations that affect comfort, function and safety. Among these are lighting, acoustics, space planning, organization and storage, scale, accommodation of special needs, fire safety and compliance with local building codes.

Among the many areas of expertise a professional designer commands are:

Space planning and utilization, including organizational and storage needs
Long-term project and lifestyle planning
National, state and local building codes
Safety and accessibility
Ergonomics
Design for people with special needs
Conservation and “green” design
Historic restoration
Interior detailing of background elements, such as wall and ceiling designs
Custom design of furniture, drapery and accessories
Selection of appliances, plumbing fixtures and flooring materials
Acoustics and sound transmission
Audiovisual and communication technology
Construction documents and specifications

What to Expect During a Treatment

The program consists of five sessions during which a person will receive both acupuncture and hypnosis.  A sixth follow-up session is also offered free of charge if a person feels they need it in the following months after the program.  The first session is the longest as the entire treatment is customized for each patient.  This means that a lengthy intake is done and details of a person’s diet and lifestyle, triggers for eating or smoking, goals and expectations are all discussed.  A short hypnotic induction is done along with a few acupuncture needles.  After that each sessions consists of a short intake to see what kind of progress is being made and to get feedback from the patient, and then acupuncture is done followed by hypnosis.  Each session lasts from 45 minutes to an hour.  Patients report feeling energized and rested afterwards and most patients begin making progress towards their weight loss or stop smoking goals almost immediately.

Each person receives a subliminal CD to listen to every day to reinforce the messages that he/she is getting during the sessions.  Everyone also has a choice to receive Chinese Herbs to help with energy, metabolism and digestion.

Cost and Tax Benefits

The best part of all of this is that a Federal Tax Credit is available for the cost of the entire program if a person can get his/her doctor or dentist to recommend that they lose weight or stop smoking.  Five sessions cost $600 with an optional, free sixth follow-up session up to a year afterwards.

Results

Using hypnosis and acupuncture to help smoking cessation and weight loss is a new field.  So far results have been very promising with most people reporting satisfaction in reaching their weight loss and stop smoking goals.  If you’d like to try this new combination of two tried and true methods, please contact the following:

Carey Pivcevich, Licensed Acupuncturist, has been practicing acupuncture for over three years treating a variety of injuries and ailments.  She is also certified in Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, and has been working in combination with a hypnotherapist for the past year.  She’s excited about the results and is looking forward to helping more people become healthier.  She works out of the Mt. Tabor Acupuncture Clinic at 6235 E. Burnside St. and would be happy to see acupuncture/hypnosis patients there.  She can be reached at (503) 810- 4826

Douglas Meacham, Licensed Massage Therapist and Board Certified Hypnotherapist, has been hypnotizing people since 1996 and working together with an acupuncturist for the past three years to help people quit smoking and lose weight.   He works out of Alter Ego Salon at 50 NW 2nd St. in Gresham and can be reached at (503) 319- 7142.