2008 Book Awards Fair Oaks Spring Fest All That Jazz Real Estate News Northern Thousands Two days Accelerate California enjoyed the of free jazz Being Mortgage Publishers and annual Fair Oaks concerts Debt Free Authors honors Spring Fest in Sunrise winners Marketplace Page 4 Page 6 Page 12 Page 16 Volume 3 Issue 9 Serving Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Orangevale & Gold River First Edition for May 2008 DMV Announces New AIR POLLUTION: Online Information Annual State of the Air Clean Air Test Features for Customers Using technology and platform is up and running. innovation to keep customers Current DMV online services: informed, the California Department of Motor Vehicles · Renew driver licenses and vehicle has announced today new features registration available on the DMV Web site. · Purchase personalized plates Customers will now be able to · Check the license status of driver receive the latest RSS (Real Simple education or traffic schools, new Syndication) feeds pertaining to or used vehicle dealers and more DMV news and information, sign · File change of address or vehicle up for instant news alerts; find a transfer forms local field office using a pop-up · Calculate fees and taxes due Google map, and on April 30, · Request refunds 2008 customers can download · Find the nearest DMV offices, DMV driving videos direct to hours of operation and wait times their iPods. · Schedule office appointments “We are very pleased to offer for up to three transactions or for more enhanced online services on three separate customers our Web site,” said DMV Director · Make appointments for both car George Valverde. “RSS is the and motorcycle driving skill tests next step in providing enhanced · Study the Driver’s Handbook, services to an increasingly mobile, the Motorcycle Handbook, the global and knowledge-based Parent-Teen Training Guide and 26 California Counties Still Fail, days. In alphabetical order, they are particle pollution. counties, because air pollution travels. market of DMV customers.” more 19 Counties Receive “A” Grades Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, “We see improvements in some areas This ‘second-hand’ smog drifts into other RSS is a format designed to · Access the DMV’s YouTube El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, of the state, but the levels of ozone and communities and creates further adverse in American Lung Association’s deliver ever changing web content Channel for driver safety videos Kings, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Merced, particle pollution in California remain health impacts. The bottom line is that air directly to a user’s computer. DMV and educational tools Annual Nationwide State of the Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, dangerously high; improvements do pollution hurts our lungs and makes us customers will be able to subscribe · Take interactive driver’s license Air Clean Air Test Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, not mean the problem is solved,” said sick.” From American Lung Association to RSS feeds with the latest practice exams San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Gwendolyn W. Young, board chair American Lung Association of information on DMV laws, Real ID · Answer the most frequently asked of California Stanislaus, Tehama, Tulare and Ventura. of the American Lung Association of California Board Chair Young said that For the first time, a city outside of Nineteen counties received an “A” California. “Both our California scores to ensure progress toward healthier among other content of interest. To questions in extensive archives California tops one of the most polluted grade for either high ozone days or and the national trends tell us loud and air, Congress must keep the Clean Air subscribe to RSS, log into the DMV Don’t Stand In Line, Go lists in the American Lung Association’s particle pollution days, with some of these clear that we have more work to do - Act intact - given proposed changes to Web site at dmv.ca.gov, and follow Online! Doing business with the State of the Air: 2008 report released receiving an F in one category but an A including ensuring the protection of the diminish it - and California must address the subscription prompts. DMV has never been easier. The today. But overall, in a 2008 mixed in another. The A grade recipients for at Clean Air Act - to prevent our families diesel pollution in the state. “We must not DMV field office locations, which DMV offers an array of services to report card, California cities and counties least one category, in alphabetical order, and neighbors from breathing air that’s weaken decades-old protections in the are available on the DMV Web site, customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a continue to dominate the list of places are Calaveras, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, simply hazardous to our health.” Clean Air Act, which serves as a safety will now be enhanced with a Google week through its Web site (www. nationwide with the worst air pollution - Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Unhealthful levels of both ozone and net for our lungs. Without a continued map. Customers will be able to dmv.ca.gov), including online highlighting the ongoing importance of Napa, Nevada, Plumas, San Francisco, particle pollution create serious, even strong safety net in place, we risk falling click on a link that will bring up a appointments for written and the report’s focus on protecting the air we San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa life-threatening risks for many people, back and losing the air quality gains we map with driving directions to every drive tests; vehicle registration breathe. Barbara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou including children, teens and seniors, and have made.” Pittsburgh overtook Los Angeles as the and Sonoma. people with asthma, chronic bronchitis, Individuals can make their voices DMV field office in California and driver license renewals, most polluted city for short-term particle Madera, Santa Barbara, Tuolumne and emphysema, cardiovascular disease and heard with elected officials on these key “With the popularity of the DMV selection of personalized license pollution (soot). Although Los Angeles Shasta counties all improved their high diabetes. Ozone, commonly called smog, air quality issues by joining the American YouTube Channel, customers will plates, changes of address and stayed ranked atop the other two pollution ozone day grades from last year’s report, is a powerful gas formed most often Lung Association of California’s now be able to download these payment of fees via secure debit lists (year-round particle pollution and while Humboldt, Plumas and Ventura when sunlight reacts with vapors when Advocacy Network. Sign up at www. videos to their iPods. Customers, transactions. ozone pollution, or smog), it saw ongoing counties improved their particle pollution vehicles, factories, power plants and other californialung.org. especially teens will be able to DMV is a department under improvements in air quality, cutting its day grades. sources burn fuel. Particle pollution refers Overall, the report finds that 42 percent watch the DMV driving safety the Business, Transportation and year-round particle pollution by about Of the 25 nationwide counties most to the deadly cocktail of ash, soot, diesel of people in the United States live in videos at their leisure,” said Housing Agency, which is under one-third since the 2004 report. It also polluted by ozone, 12 are in California. exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols counties with unhealthful levels of either Director Valverde. the direction of Secretary Dale saw improvements in levels of ozone Ten of the 25 counties most polluted by that enter the air from fossil fuel burning, ozone or particle pollution. If the number The Department plans to offer E. Bonner. The DMV licenses pollution, with the weighted average short-term particle pollution are in the wood smoke and agricultural burning. of unhealthy days was measured against number of days each year with unhealthy state, as are seven of the 25 counties most Besides threatening health, ozone and the new ozone standard, it would show additional web-based customer drivers; maintains driving levels of ozone dropping by 13 (103.3 to polluted by long-term particle pollution. particle pollution also contribute to global that ozone pollution is worse than what services in the future. A new Web records; registers and tracks 90.3) from the 2007 to the 2008 report. In addition, California includes 10 of warming - with rising temperatures in turn the report indicates. To see the grades for Portal is in development which official ownership of vehicles Statewide, 26 of California’s 52 the 25 most ozone-polluted cities, eight expected to increase pollution and related air quality in specific communities and will create a “one-stop shop” for and vessels; investigates auto and counties with air quality monitoring of the 25 cities most polluted by short- threats to lung health. Gerber added, learn how to protect yourself and your DMV customers that is designed to identity-related fraud; and licenses stations received failing grades for either term particle pollution, and five of the “Reducing air pollution should concern family from air pollution, visit www. streamline all transactions. Many car dealers, driving schools, and high ozone days or particle pollution 25 cities most polluted by year-round all Californians, even in cleaner cities and stateoftheair.org. more features may be added once the traffic violator schools. Gospel Quartet to Appear If variety is the spice of life, as the Darrtts, including, but not the USA and Canada, doing then The Dartts are the perfect limited to the sound so traditional, around 200 concerts a year in seasoning for the appetites of western, southern, country, Africa, churches, schools, concert halls, Photo from www.darttmusic.com gospel music fans. Without a South America, Caribbean, fairs, prisons, etc. doubt, there is not another group Hawaii, contemporary, jazz, Pastor Carter invites the whole in gospel music who sings as bluegrass, and even an Irish jig! community to attend.