CANYON NEWS FEBRUARY 17, 2013 Entertainment & Life Style PAGE FIVE GREGORY ABBOTT: SHAKE YOU DOWN WASN T ENOUGH GOING GREEN HELPS IMPROVE HOME S VALUE By Michael St John ' By David Rosenfeld ' HELLO AMERICA!—I first LOS ANGELES—It sounds and water. if it’s right for you and your not. Whether its greater so - met singer, record pro - funny, but it’s not easy going But do your research before family. cial consciousness on the ducer Gregory Abbott in green, with apologies to Ker - you commit yourself to The upside, besides the im - part of many of us, home - the 70s. He was married to mit the Frog. Using envi - adding solar panels, investing proved value of your proper - buyers see going green as ronmentally-friendly tech - in an low-water irrigation ty, is that once you begin the way to go these days. singer Freda Payne who nologies and practices can system, or adding skylights or using this clean energy, by As it is, a home solar pow - was one of the hottest be expensive and sometimes installing other equipment. law, you’ll be able to sell er system will likely pay for it - singers around for her difficult to adapt to your Solar panels are quite ex - power that you don’t use to self in as little as six years, de - songs "Band of Gold" and home. pensive, for the most part, so your local utility, not to men - pending on its size and cost. "Bring the Boys Home." I Since many of these tech - do the math and consult with tion allow you to receive valu - Ultimately, it will be up to you was impressed with the nologies are still relatively an expert to determine just able rebates from your local whether you want to bear many songs he had written new, they can be costly. But how much it will cost versus government that would net the cost of going green, but not only for Freda, but for with some research and hard the benefit it will provide in you thousands of dollars. it’s definitely something to several other singers as work, you can make use of terms of saving energy and You can also look into in - consider as new technolo - them and improve the over - adding value to your home. stalling skylights to improve gies continue to grow and be - well. He appealed to those all value of your home and re - According to industry the use of natural light, thus come more affordable. of us in the business be - duce your utility cost. But it’s sources, the average cost of a reducing your electricity David Rosenfeld is a Real cause was a quiet, gentle not simply a matter of in - home solar power system costs. Moreover, getting rid of Estate broker and president of kind of guys who made creasing property values, it’s ranges between $15,000 and older appliances for newer, Advantage Real Estate, a Real you feel comfortable. There about improving our lives $40,000, but the good news is energy-efficient machines will Estate and investment firm in were no phony affectations, and that of those around us that the price is dropping, also reduce your energy use, Santa Monica, and a Rotary just a young guy who want - by supporting environmental thanks to recent national but may also provide some Club member. He has more ed to be respected for what issues and awareness of the policies removing barriers to benefit from local govern - than 20 years experience in he might be able to offer as value of going green. deploying the technologies ment in the form energy commercial and residential By supporting clean tech - more widely. credits or rebate. property investments and fi - a creative artist. I liked nologies we are doing our A recent check of some These days, many home - nancial counseling. He can be him then and I still do. part in adding more jobs and companies, solar power sys - buyers have become more reached at 310 450-4488 and MSJ: How was life in Hol - steering us away from fossil tems can be bought and in - aware of energy-efficient at dr@advantage- lywood before your first Gregory Abbott. fuels that damage our envi - stalled for just under $10,000, homes and see them as more realestate.com. hit song "Shake You ferings. I noticed the effect ing married to someone ence. It was pure luck that ronment and pollute our air so do your homework to see attractive than those that are Down"? it had on people, who is so recognized in it happened the way it did. GA: It was very produc - how all types of music the business was definite - A few directors and pro - tive. I got to know a lot of THE CARROT, MY ORANGE LITTLE FRIEND made their lives easier and ly a plus. But I still had to ducers spotted me at a few By LaDale Anderson people in the business, es - better to deal with from day prove myself time and time parties and asked me to UNITED STATES—If you starters for soups and broths. green root at top cut off, as sults in your skin turning or - pecially, singers and they to day. So, I played around again. give them a call, and I did. were to ask me the best veg - The great thing I love about well as peeling the initial ange. It’s also a great source wanted to hear some songs writing lyrics, music that MSJ: Of course, you One never knows how etable in the world nothing carrots is the preparation as - skin off. Those carrots just of folate, phosphorous, cal - I had written. So much of represented the lives of weren't known or recog - things will turn to your ad - tops the carrot! It’s a veggie pect. You can slice then juli - taste so much fresher in my cium and potassium. my time was writing and simple, every day working nized as a singer, but main - vantage in this business. that has a mix of fruit in it. enne style which is great for opinion. In my opinion, the possi - playing my stuff to singers folks. Songs about love, ly a MSJ: What is life for you It’s a vibrant orange color salads or you may decide to Our orange veggie contains bility of coming across a per - at Motown, Capitol and all that pops when you see it. It’s chop them into small squares a lot of beta-carotene which fect shaped carrot will never jealousy, struggle and song writer, isn't that right? now after so many years in shaped like an icicle and is a to use for soups or perhaps is good for Vitamin A which happen. They come in vari - the other companies. At dreams and all the rest of it. GA: Yeah, that's right. the business? the same time it was a terrific treat for adults and you may decide to shred the is good for your eyesight. So ous shapes and sizes all great The bottom line is that I re - Of course, I had always GA: It's beautiful. It's kids. The carrot is a root veggie to use in that tasty car - if your vision is not up to par, for nutrition. Tip of the learning experience, as ally enjoy watching and done some singing through productive. Best of all I vegetable. It’s great to eat rot cake. For most of us, we get some carrots in your diet week: carrots are known to be well. I had to get to know talking to people. You can the years, no matter what have been able to survive as cooked or raw. Like celery, tend to buy baby or mini as they can help strengthen used in sweet, spicy and sour what was hot and what learn so much about your - the circumstances, but I an independent creative the carrot is an essential el - carrots which are found in your sight. I’ve said it before, dishes as the veggie provides was not. I learned very self. found it was easier to hus - product. I've had several hit ement of any mirepoix our produce section at the su - be careful not to over in - the right balance when going quickly that it's not healthy MSJ: When you married tle my music first. There songs, developed my own (onions, celery and carrots), permarket. I prefer the good dulge in the veggie as it can from one extreme to anoth - simply to concentrate only singer "Freda Payne" was a time when I worked production company and staple ingredients used as ole carrot that has to have the cause carotenosis, which re - er. on what you do or create, known for her hit "Band of as an entertainment I've been recognized in dif - understanding marketing Gold," did it make life eas - columnist for "Players Mag - ferent parts of the world as THE BANANA, A FRUIT THAT GETS NO RECOGNITION is invaluable -- the bot - ier for you as an artist? azine" a national publica - a singer, record producer By LaDale Anderson tom line is having a clear GA: No, not really. Of tion. I covered concerts, and composer. I've been UNITED STATES—Why are tain its electrolyte balance. The pesky problem with best to keep them on the view of the business as - course, I met many more shows, and did a lot of in - very lucky and I know it! bananas that one staple fruit The banana contains a bananas is the fruit does not counter at room tempera - pect of the music industry.