Autism Awareness

April is Autism Awareness Month, and chances are, you are aware of Autism Spectrum Disorder. At least to some degree. You've either got someone in your family afflicted with Autism, or you know of someone. Either way, with 1 in 68 births resulting in a child diagnosed with the disability, you have a higher chance of knowing someone with Autism than you do knowing someone with identical twins (3 in 1,000 births). MUCH higher.



So, what is Autism Spectrum Disorder? It's an umbrella term used to classify a group of developmental disorders such as Autism Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder - not otherwise specified including atypical Autism (afflicted - NOS), and Asperger's. The spectrum is so broad that these kiddos can present with a variety of different symptoms, at different ages, to parents who may or may not see and address them. The numbers are staggering, and early intervention is key. Hence the need for awareness of the disorder, parent advocacy, and most of all, arrangement of services to support and educate the entire family. 

I know first hand -- my son was diagnosed with Autism Disorder the day before his third birthday. I knew something was amiss with him developmentally and called Alta Regional to self-refer for testing because his doctor's office was taking too long, in my opinion, to arrange the appointment. I asked for my son to get testing for Autism or other developmental disorders. He initiated and maintained eye contact well, so I wasn't personally convinced he'd receive a diagnosis of Autism. I was hoping there was another explanation for what I was seeing; his absence of consistent speech could be caused by a problem with his hearing, or maybe it was simply easier to grab my hand and pull me to the refrigerator, pointing at the gallon of milk instead of using his words. As I sat quietly watching him fail test after test for three hours, I realized my little boy was definitely on the spectrum. 

My heart felt as through it were literally ripping apart. As the psychologist confirmed my fears, I mourned for my child as though his life would be cut short. "Cry", the psychologist advised. "Allow yourself to get it out. It hurts", she acknowledged. "Process this, then it's time to focus. Your little boy needs your help. Now the real work begins."

She couldn't have been more right. The next year was the hardest I'd ever experienced as a mother, and even hearing or seeing the word Autism made me cry. This made educating myself pretty difficult, but I managed somehow. I researched different diets, therapies, and looked to other parents who were going through the same issues for support. I arranged for my son to attend a preschool program for developmentally disabled children immediately, requested in-home therapy services and even equestrian therapy for my little boy, all the while working with the most compassionate service worker with Alta Regional to facilitate my son receiving these services. As a family, we worked hard to understand what he was going through. Amazingly, my son excelled before our eyes. He quickly exceeded the diagnosing psychologist's expectations, and graduated from in-home therapy services way ahead of schedule. 

Today, he is an extremely bright, very vocal, totally well-adjusted 9 year old who displays very few symptoms. He recently told me, "Mom, I used to be Autism, but now I'm not." I thought to myself, you were never Autism. You were always way more than that. All the kiddos who are afflicted are way more than that, and we all have to remember that. I always tell people, my son is not Autistic, he HAS Autism. He's so much more than that. He's a happy little jokester who enjoys playing video games, is fascinated with Earth Science, and who's amazing with electronics. He enjoys researching topics that interest him, and is extremely independent. He builds lasting friendships, and has empathy when appropriate. He's simply amazing.

We are fortunate as a family to have learned how to support and understand him. Not ever family is so fortunate, however, and that's why awareness is so important. We have the most amazing Alta worker who's proactive, patient, and genuinely cares about my son and my family. We were blessed with in-home therapy services administered up to 3 times a week for 3 hours a day with regular meetings to check and assess his progress, and with friends and family who also educated themselves to help support us. In my opinion, we've overcome Autism. If there's someone in your life who's been diagnosed, do everything you can to help that child overcome Autism as well. And if you have any questions or need support along the way, don't forget there are other parents going through the same. Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions, and remember, you are not alone!

Mitzi De La Cruz

CalBRE License 01929064

Real Estate Professional

Lyon Real Estate

cell~(916) 871-8132

e-fax (916) 746-7593 private fax no cover sheet required

email: mdelacruz@golyon.com

www.mdelacruz.golyon.com

To List With Me Or Not to List With Me?

I AM A REALTOR. One of hundreds in Lincoln, CA and surrounding. I have the same access to the MLS, other online real estate sites, and have access to the same buyer pool as any of the other hundreds of agents. My objective is similar to other agents -- I bring buyers and sellers together in real estate transactions, performing my fiduciary duty to whomever I represent to the best of my ability. I've worked with many people to identify their real estate needs and to satisfy them, regardless of whether they are ready to make a move that I can personally facilitate. Real estate fascinates and consumes me, and I enjoy every single aspect of it. To me, it's not just a career, but a deep seeded calling vested in real interest.

On top of having a true calling regarding real estate, I also have an intense need to help others. Seeing other people reach their goals is so rewarding for me that I will go to great lengths to be a part of their success. Sometimes, this can be achieved by motivating and inspiring others to want to do more. Other times, it's as simple as helping them come up with a game plan to make it happen. Even simply listening to someone talk about their future dreams can help them to visualize them and turn them into measurable goals. Whatever it takes, the result is well worth the cost when helping someone move their lives forward. I believe in doing this, I am fulfilled within my professional and personal lives by so doing.

So if I can perform the same as other agents and have access to all of the same systems, what sets me apart? What helps me excel? Sure, I'm motivated to help others, but I'm not the only agent who lives by this philosophy. There are many good agents who do their very best for their buyers and sellers, and are emotionally rewarded when they're doing a good job. They apply their individual strengths and talents to get the job done. We are all set apart by our individual strengths, and I leverage mine to ensure the people around me are able to reach their goals. I do this not only as a road-map to success, but also as a way to ensure that at the end of the day, I know I've treated people exactly the way I'd want my family to be treated and therefore gained a friend for life. Not a customer, but a friend. Someone who trusts me and knows I'd go to any length for them.

If you're interested in listing with someone dedicated, intuitive, and driven to perform consistently and effectively, call me today. You'll be so glad you did! :)

Mitzi De La Cruz

CalBRE License 01929064

Real Estate Professional

Lyon Real Estate

cell~(916) 871-8132

e-fax (916) 746-7593 private fax no cover sheet required

email: mdelacruz@golyon.com

www.mdelacruz.golyon.com

Thinkin' About Lincoln? Great Schools You Must Be Seekin'!

If you've ever visited my blog, you've probably come to 3 conclusions about me: I'm totally in love with Lincoln, extremely passionate about real estate, and that my family is everything to me. My children are my "why" for everything that I do, including moving to Lincoln almost a decade ago and pursuing a career in Real Estate. As my oldest natural child approached kindergarten, I began to panic at the thought of her going to school in the school district where we resided. I knew I could provide her a better educational foundation elsewhere, so I got busy researching school districts in nearby communities. I found exceptional schools in beautiful high-dollar areas, but found that high-dollar areas have high-dollar housing expenses. The problem was that I didn't have high-dollars!

 This was me; too much month at the end of the money. Regardless, I knew I needed to provide the best education possible for my babies. Somehow, I stumbled upon a growing community that offered reasonable housing expenses AND superior schools! Lincoln had it all and I quickly realized we were home at last! My daughter immediately began kindergarten at Creekside Oaks Elementary, located at the corner of First Street and Joiner Parkway. The school offered music and science specialists, an accelerated reader program, and a community garden as well as many other aids in my daughter's learning. I was thrilled to send her to a school that offered so many programs to enhance her learning experience.


A couple years went by and my niece joined our household and began attending Creekside Oaks as well. She loved it there and immediately flourished. My oldest son entered kindergarten at Foskett Ranch Elementary as part of the Special Day Class for special needs children with various diagnoses including Autism. Foskett Ranch was wonderful at facilitating my son's Individual Educational Plan, or IEP for short, and provided early intervention programs to ensure his academic success. These included: Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and behavior support, to name a few. With a Distinguished California School Designation, I knew my little boy was in the right place! 
By this time, I had both a second and fourth grader at Creekside Oaks, a kindergartner at Foskett Ranch, and was able to enroll my toddler in a Head Start Program in the neighboring community of Sheridan. Although the Sheridan Head Start location is no longer utilized, the program remains with school sites at the corner of First and O Streets in Lincoln and on the Carlin Coppin Elementary School campus as well. The program focused on language development, nutrition, and hygiene skills such as hand washing and teeth brushing. My little boy received the basics he needed to become successful in kindergarten. At the very end of that school year, we bought a house that fed into the oldest elementary school in Lincoln, Carlin C. Coppin.
 

Carlin Coppin also happened to be the school that housed the Special Day Class program for second and third graders, so my son who'd been at Foskett Ranch transferred over to Carlin Coppin. Meanwhile, my niece entered middle school at Twelve Bridges Middle School. 


With a well-rounded curriculum providing a lot of academic support, Twelve Bridges Middle School demanded that students adhered to assignment deadlines. I embraced this as laying the foundation of accountability that kids should expect in the "real world', beginning with college. TBMS offered an annual opportunity for 6th grade students to visit the Outdoor Learning Experience, or OLE for short. OLE was something the sixth graders looked forward to the entire year and took place at the Lincoln High School Farm. I was thrilled that my children were thriving within a district offering so many opportunities for educational and personal enrichment! The educational foundation I so desperately wanted for my children was achieved by moving them out to Lincoln! 9 years after moving here, we've never looked back.

  

The Special Day Class for fourth and fifth graders was held at Twelve Bridges Elementary, so once again, my oldest son moved to another superior Lincoln school. To give you an idea, that means that my children have been to every elementary school in our district at one point or another except First Street School, Lincoln Crossing, and Sheridan Elementary. First Street School offers a special academic program for GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) identified students. I've heard nothing but good things regarding that program from other parents. Lincoln Crossing has a beautiful campus and offers many academic enhancement features as well. The important thing to note here is that Lincoln students are provided the fundamentals to succeed in school as well as life, all the while thriving within a community that truly cares about each students' future.

This coming year, my niece will enter Lincoln High School. We are extremely excited about the future! She can hardly wait to be a Fighting Zebra! Lincoln High School offers many classes that aren't in many other California High Schools due to budget cuts. Classes like Auto Shop and Home Ec that just don't exist elsewhere. If you're thinking of making Lincoln your new home, rest assured that your children can flourish within our community and our excellent schools. Go Fighting Zebras!!!    

Visit the website for Western Placer Unified School District:
http://www.wpusd.k12.ca.us/index.html


As always, feel free to call me for more information. :)

Mitzi De La Cruz

CalBRE License 01929064

Real Estate Professional

Lyon Real Estate

cell~(916) 871-8132

e-fax (916) 746-7593 private fax no cover sheet required

email: mdelacruz@golyon.com

www.mdelacruz.golyon.com

Prayers for Baby Joe

About a month after his first birthday, a little Lincolnite boy by the name of Joseph Michael Surdyka was diagnosed with brain cancer. Braincancer. As if the word "cancer" isn't devastating enough for a parent to hear, little baby Joe needed a life saving operation to remove a tumor from his brain immediately. The then 13 month old toddler underwent surgery 3 days after his diagnosis while his parents were still digesting the news. After reviewing the pathology results from the tumor removed from Joseph's brain, it was determined that the cancer was anaplastic ependymoma grade 3, a very aggressive brain cancer. Damn. The removal of the tumor wasn't the end of the treatment process for this happy-go-lucky little toddler, it was just the beginning. This little boy's fight would take him and his family across the country while bringing the people of his hometown together in support of this young family, as adversity does when another Lincoln family needs community support.

The next few months would turn into a long journey for baby Joe and his family. Born April 6, 2013, this gorgeous little boy had already been through being sick every day, a diagnosis of brain cancer, and brain surgery by the time he was 13 months old. What's more -- his family would be given the devastating news that he needed 30 proton treatments to ensure the cancer would not return, and that they could not be administered at a local hospital. Instead, the family would need to travel to Boston, Massachusetts and would need to remain there by Joseph's side until August 5 of this year. His mother, Jamie Lynn wrote on Instagram, "Life is a book. Each page is written as you live it. Everyone's story is different and there is always a chapter that will break your heart." Even as I write this, my heart breaks for this family and what they've already endured. They are strong, beautiful, and blessed with a little fighter who hasn't given up. Backed by a community of supportive, caring people who seem to always dig deep for those in need, this family will continue to heal and overcome this horrid sickness. The family has already raised $14,900, only $10,100 from their goal of $25,000. They plan to donate anything left over after covering baby Joe's treatments as well as the debt they've incurred to other families going through the same. These are remarkable people who've gone through every parent's worst nightmare and have shone through the darkest night.

 Who better to tell this story than Joseph's mother, Jamie Lynn? In her own words, "Joseph Michael Surdyka was born on April 6th 2013, he was only 2 days late.. mind you, we were in labor and delivery for 30 hours.. So really, in my eyes our first and only baby was right on time... Joseph's time. The most perfect time. He was 9 pounds 3 ounces.. Much bigger than mommy and daddy thought! He held his head up high hours after he was born while laying on daddy. Joseph hit all his mile stones on time and some further ahead than others born the same time as him. He was so strong early on....All up until early March of this year 2014. He had started taking steps two weeks before his first birthday, which was very exciting for mommy, daddy and everyone close to baby Joseph. All of the sudden, he regressed and stopped trying to walk. At the same time he started puking in the mornings. Once every other morning he puked when he woke up.. And when I say puke I mean.. Joseph was projectile puking, everything that went into his body until everything was out!! The puking increased to every single day, once in the morning. Then he would go to the baby sitter and everything was fine. He would play and act normal. The puking became consistent and his fussiness increase. Everyone who is close to us suggested Joseph was teething. He was getting four teeth at one time. Mommy got a lot of teeth at one time and daddy had a pretty hard time teething too. Everyone who saw him- including his Nanna who is a Registered nurse for over 30 years had deemed it as teething. We had decided to take Joseph to his pediatrician for her opinion of the vomiting because it didn't seem normal to us as new parents. Mommy wasn't able to make it to that appointment but daddy told the doctor that Joseph had been vomiting every other morning for over a week and a half straight and now it's become every day, in the morning. Doctor said his ear looked looked a little red and prescribed antibiotics for possible ear infection. She expressed the importance of getting Joseph off the bottle due to tooth decay and sent us home. The vomiting continued for the next week and progressively got worse each day. Mommy called the on call nurse and told the nurse that he was still throwing up and he recommended we remove all dairy from his diet, so we started feeding almond milk. Mommy and daddy took Joseph back to the doctors that following week and the doctor said to stop the antibiotics cause his ears looked good..but prescribed another drug called Zantac for acid reflux. Mommy asked he doctor about regression on walking and the doctor stated it was normal. The doctor again, expressed how important it was to get Joseph off the bottle. Joseph was given three days of Zantac and feeding him upright, as recommended by his pediatrician. None of this seemed to help the vomiting. Mommy then contacting the on call nurse again who recommended us to go to another location within the practice that was available on weekends, so we went. The doctor we saw wrote a prescription that increased the dose of Zantac, then recommended we take Joseph to get some blood work done at the local Quest diagnostics ...she added that in order to get all the testing to find out what was really going on and to rule out all possibilities was to go to the emergency room. We left the clinic and took him home. Joseph vomited two more times after we got home..so we took him to the emergency room... We spent approximately 10 hours in the emergency room. Joseph had blood drawn, urine samples taken, X-ray and ultra sound with nothing telling us what was wrong and why he was puking so much. The emergency room doctor prescribed a drug called Zophran for nausea, which is usually prescribed to cancer patients going thru chemotherapy. It was very frustrating to be told that babies get sick like this and that it might just pass and we may not ever know what caused it. We took Joseph home and spent the next two days continuing to care for Joseph closely. Joseph refused to drink pedialyte for an entire day, which made him very dehydrated. Two days passed, but on the third morning Joseph threw up dark brown, which looked like blood. Mommy took him back to the emergency room. They hooked Joseph up to IV after taking blood that confirmed he was dehydrated. Joseph was admitted to the hospital where they put him on a clear liquids diet. We spent two days there until we were transferred to another hospital to see a pediatric gastro interologist. They inserted a NG tube down his nose into his stomach to clean Joseph's intestines out from what appeared to be constipation. At the same time, Joseph became lethargic and almost unresponsive. He cried at everything we would try to give him to make him feel better, but nothing worked. Finally, the GI doctors came in scratching their heads as to what was going on. Joseph's grandmother had expressed her feelings of the lethargy and mentioned doing a CT scan of his brain. The doctors agreed to preformed the CT scan. After about 20 mins of taking the scan and getting the images back, the doctors walked in and called mommy and daddy out of the room. We were taken to a computer screen showing images of our baby Joseph's brain. The doctor began to explain what we were looking at. A huge mass that wasn't supposed to be there. We couldn't believe what we were looking at. Our lives changed forever. Joseph had to be rushed up to the pediatric intensive care unit to have a drain place into his tiny skull. The tumor had grown so big that it was blocking his spinal fluid from draining. The spinal fluid had backed up into his brain, causing hydrocephalus. Joseph was experiencing extremely painful headaches, dizziness and puking from the hydrocephalus. Once the drain was place in his skull they needed to performed an MRI to get detailed pictures of the tumor causing all the problems. This all happened on a Friday and they scheduled Joseph for surgery on Monday. Three nights and four days had to pass until they could remove the tumor. Surgery day came and they had Joseph scheduled for the first surgery in the day because this was going to take at least six to eight hours to complete. After a long morning of waiting, the neuro surgeon came out of the operating room and explained tat Joseph was doing well and she believed she was able to get all of the tumor out. Another MRI needed to be completed directly after surgery to confirm all of the tumor had been removed. The doctor told us she believed the type of tumor was called ependymoma based on the location of the tumor and Joseph's age. MRI confirmed the tumor was completely removed and after another week of patiently awaiting pathology results confirmed the tumor was a malignant type. Our perfect baby boy has cancer. That horrible, terrifying word cancer and our baby has it. Now, I did skip over details following Joseph's awakening from surgery. The six days and seven nights following surgery were nothing we could have ever been prepped for. They call it posteria fossa syndrome and Joseph has it. I mean, he did have to undergo brain surgery. Everything we do is ran by the brain. Joseph awoke and his eyes were crossed and it didn't seem like he had control over where they went. He was very upset by this. He couldn't see for about a week. He cried for days and night straight. Eventually, Joseph stopped crying as much and tried to use his arms and we noticed he couldn't control where they went. He couldn't move his head either. During the surgery, they had to cut open the back of his head and neck, separating his neck muscles in the process. It was about a week after surgery when we realized Joseph couldn't do anything and would have to relearn everything all over again. Moving forward to pathology results and the plan of treatment meeting with the oncology team. They gave us a name to this monstrous tumor called anaplastic ependymoma grade III. There are grade I, grade II, grade II, and grade III. There are two types of grade II. Our baby Joseph seriously has a grade III??!! You have got to be kidding me!! My baby had been so healthy. Not a single problem. Deep down my heart knew it was a grade III because of how fast everything happened. Joseph went from being the most perfect baby ever to horribly fussy and upset baby that mommy couldn't even make happy. We all had a meeting with the oncology team of doctors. Mommy, daddy, nana, grandpa, a family friend, the neuro surgeon and our nurse was all in the room. The oncology doctor began to explain the grade of the tumor. He explained there was no chemotherapy treatment that has been proven effective to treat this type of tumor and that Joseph was too young to have photon radiation. My babies future was portrayed to be very grim. We, as a family, asked a lot of questions and expressed how important the quality of life was to us. The team of doctors recommended we could put Joseph in a clinical trial at Stanford where he would receive a couple years of chemotherapy treatments and traditional photon radiation later on at the earliest age of three years old. As a family, we declined further treatments. During the month long stay in the hospital, mommy was able to find a group of parents who have babies and young children who have experienced ependymoma. Even though this story is very sad and unfortunate. There are things to be thankful for. Social media is one of them. I cannot begin to express how thankful and grateful I am to have such an amazing support system. Family and friends and friends of families have been praying for baby Joseph since the days we were looking for answers to the puking. A group of parents online shared stories of the outcomes after something called proton radiation therapy. Who better to get advice from than the parents raising the children who have overcome this thing! I am writing this story now sitting in Boston Massachusetts, where we traveled to from California to receive proton radiation therapy. In four days, Joseph will receive his first treatment. Joseph has to have a port access installed in his chest tomorrow because he is going to have to be put under anesthesia every day he has a treatment. Proton radiation side effects include a lot. The most common are hearing loss, hormone deficiency, thyroid problems, and motor skill challenges. There are many many more side effects that may happen but most of them may not show up until two to ten years after treatment. Even after proton radiation, there is still an 20% chance the tumor will return within five years. Everyday is counted as a blessing.
This family has already overcome so much, and needs continued prayers and support from all of us. Please click on the following links to show your support and provide any kind of monetary donation that you can afford. I've seen so much community support myself, initially learning of this family and their fight while driving down East Avenue in Lincoln and seeing a little boy named Cashie set up one Saturday at his lemonade stand to raise money for the Surdyka family. With his dad supervising, 4 year old Cashie sat out in the heat serving lemonade to collect money for Baby Joe who's family is very close to Cashie's. This touched my heart; Cashie could have been raising money for a video game he wanted or a new bike or whatever. Instead, he wanted to show his support and love for his little friend. There was a car wash on Baby Joe's behalf on June 28th, and other fundraising measures such as t-shirts (https://www.booster.com/josephmichaelsurdyka), a Facebook page to raise awareness and ask for prayers, and an EverRibbon page created for donations https://www.everribbon.com/ribbon/feeditems/17189. Please help! This family's fight is just beginning. Thank you Lincoln for supporting this young family!

What's More American Than a Dawg?

Does this look familiar? It should if you call Lincoln home and attend community events. Dave's Dawgs is a mobile hot dog vendor serving Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties since July 2002. Providing unique and tasty dawgs and fixin's is Dave's specialty. I cannot personally remember a community event I've attended where Dave's Dawgs wasn't present. With great prices and a delicious twist on an all-American favorite, Dave's Dawgs is a great addition to any event. He provides chips and cold drinks as well. Dave's is a one-stop shop, and conveniently, he'll come to you!

My family and I recently attended a re-occurring event on 5th Street in Lincoln -- the Food Truck Mob. The event takes place on the first Wednesday of every month between 5:30 and 8:00 pm. It's a great event for the entire family providing food and drinks from various vendors, live music and line dancing, jump houses for the kids, and even mechanical bull riding. Many Lincolnite families attend, creating community oneness like Lincoln does best. There are many food vendors offering a variety of cuisine. Dave's Dawgs was the choice of a couple of my children, so we got in line. As we approached, Dave had a big, inviting smile on his face. He was kind and patient with my youngest who insisted on paying herself. While chatting with Dave, it occurred to me that familiar businesses such as his help keep Lincoln what it is. I asked him for a card and told him I'd call him next time I have a birthday party for one of the kids or a local open house. After all, why spend precious time cooking during a party and missing the festivities when Dave can handle it for me? And when marketing a listing, who wouldn't want to stop by an open house and enjoy a complimentary hot dog while perusing the home? Sounds like a win-win situation to me. 

Next time you're attending a community event within the greater Sacramento area and surrounding, look for Dave's Dawgs. He'll likely be there providing delicious food, cold drinks, and a positive customer experience. You can also feel good about supporting a local, small business by hiring Dave for any event. He's mobile, extremely professional, and welcomes all opportunities regardless of how big or small they may be. I'm looking forward to calling him for my next event! You can find out more by going to http://www.davesdawgs.com, or by reaching him via phone at 916-532-3647 or email: info@davesdawgs.com. 

Mitzi De La Cruz

CalBRE License 01929064

Real Estate Professional

Lyon Real Estate

cell~(916) 871-8132

e-fax (916) 746-7593 private fax no cover sheet required

email: mdelacruz@golyon.com

Thinking About SOLAR? Your House CHERP'ing For a BETTER SOLUTION? Who Do You Trust??

 Right here in Lincoln, right now, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. A BIG PROBLEM. So big, in fact, it's more like a crisis. An EMERGENCY, if you will. We homeowners are overpaying the power companies for the power we consume, the power we depend on. The power conducive to our very way of life. Desperate to resolve our serious problem, we are OVERPAYING FOR THE SOLUTION! Wait, what?!? Many of you are scratching your heads right now. I'll explain...


 How many Band-Aid's do you think are applied in a hospital emergency room? Not many I'm sure...nobody who simply needs a Band-Aid goes to the ER. The solar revolution is like a Band-Aid. We know we are having a power emergency, but not knowing how to holistically resolve the emergency, we go solar. Problem solved, right? Maybe...maybe not. Sure, our bills are down. We may even be overproducing! Knowing just enough to be dangerous, well meaning friends and neighbors are describing their solution to the same problem we face, however, our home's age, condition, construction, family schedules and habits are all unique to us and must be approached as such. And while on the right track with the right intention, we are potentially setting ourselves up for a big surprise down the line if we're not effectively identifying and resolving the problem of  WHY our energy bills are so HIGH in the first place. Even if you have a newer home, there are potential inefficiencies that lurk within the attics, walls, appliances, and systems. All factors must be considered and addressed!

How many of the solar canvassers in our area carry an infrared laser temperature gun? How about the salesman who show up to provide the quote once the canvasser talked us into the appointment? Were they rolling up with a large decompression fan? Even if you visited the topic of attic ventilation and/or insulation, the recommendation most likely led you right back to the same place -- a brand new pricey Photo-voltaic System, also known as a Solar System. Creative financing makes it attainable, with everything from County PACE programs to Home Equity Lines of Credit (perhaps even offering a tax break) to 0% down options, almost any homeowner can qualify. Whether leased or purchased, all roads seem to only lead to solar as the end all solution. While solar is a great way to increase energy production while reducing our carbon footprint, it's not the only way. Solar should be added in conjunction with other energy efficient measures and upgrades that address the root of the real problem. In order to attain true energy efficiency, our homes should contain airtight, sufficient seals to prevent our money from literally flying out of the window. The concept of "Reduce before you Produce" is being taught in reverse through marketing campaigns and single measure solar contractors. Wouldn't it make sense to know what might potentially be causing these high energy bills prior to investing $20-50K on a "Solar Only" solution? While marketing efforts from renewable energy companies are pushing homeowners to react quickly, there are alternatives to at least consider. When you "Reduce before you Produce", you not only create efficiency that may reduce the size of solar needed, but if done correctly, you maximize utility rebates that exist, increase home value and most important of all, you have a safer and more comfortable home to live in. Ultimately, we think it's about saving money, but in reality we want to have cleaner air quality, stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer without having a heart attack upon a trip from the mailbox!
The BEST part about CHERP, THEY AREN'T SELLING ANYTHING!!! There's no "bottom line" to be met, no pockets to be lined by locking you, the homeowner, into an expensive purchase or a restrictive lease. CHERP is a 501-C3 non-profit funded by grants, other non profits and private donations. The CHERP educators are simply volunteers who care about the economic and environmental future of our region and seek to educate and empower homeowners. They simply educate you as the homeowner on building science, all the financing options available, and facilitate a comprehensive energy audit with "Best in Class" Home Performance Contractors that have been pre-screened and who meet strict State and Utility standards resulting in recommendations that the homeowner is in full control of and that maximize benefits and minimize costs. Keep an eye out for upcoming CHERP Community Workshops, radio guest interviews, local and regional events. Check out the comprehensive CHERP website at www.cherp.net, to see how CHERP helped homeowners receive over $800,000 in utility rebates as a result of following the CHERP education model and process. Sign up for your $250 Gift Certificate for a comprehensive Energy Audit today on the website at http://www.cherp.net/homeowners-1 or feel free to contact Jack Frost at 916-616-7962 / jackfrost@cherp.net or Brian Van Norman at 530-362-6730 / brianvn@cherp.net. Energy is invisible, so by taking the correct steps in a logical order, CHERP helps make the invisible, visible. Don't fall into the trap of sales pressure, solar hype, hearsay or opinions. Get some advice and education from the most successful non profit energy retrofit organization to protect yourself as a consumer. CHERP is proudly recognized and endorsed by the Governors Office, Senator Jim Nielsen, the CA Energy Commissioner, PG&E, SMUD, the Sacramento Board of Supervisors, Ygrene, HERO and many more. See CHERP's letters of endorsement at  https://www.facebook.com/cherpsacramento. 

 

As an active, energy conscious concerned citizen and real estate professional, I highly recommend at least looking into what CHERP offers in the way of "no cost" education, unbiased and third party information about utility rebates, energy efficient measures and processes and much more. See for yourself why other cities are super excited and CHERP'ing about a great community program http://www.cherp.net/testimonials.

Mitzi De La Cruz

CalBRE License 01929064

Real Estate Professional

Lyon Real Estate

cell~(916) 871-8132

e-fax (916) 746-7593 private fax no cover sheet required

email: mdelacruz@golyon.com

www.mdelacruz.golyon.com

Former Fighting Zebra Helps Lincoln "Grow"

IT TAKES A VILLAGE to raise a child. For some of us, that village is Lincoln. Whether we stumbled upon this close-knit, well-rounded and diverse community by accident and fell in love, or whether we chose Lincoln for one of it's many special qualities, we happily make the choice year after year to call this place our home. Many of us buy locally whenever possible, contribute our time or other resources to the growth and development of the Lincoln community, and focus on creating a safe and nurturing home base for our youth. Our village is strong and has turned out many happily contributing young citizens.

Nicolas Marquez, a successful Lincoln entrepreneur, is an example of this. He moved here with his family in 1987 as a young child and has been here ever since. This was long before the Del Webb Community, or Lincoln Hills, was constructed paving the way for rapid population growth in Lincoln. "There were roughly 6,000 people", recalls entrepreneur. "I essentially grew with Lincoln". As a former Fighting Zebra and Lincoln High School Alumni, Nic felt a calling to remain where his heart was. His only challenge -- he needed to satisfy his natural entrepreneur while having flexibility within his schedule to remain involved and productive within his community.

In November of 2008, Nic found a way to accomplish this by founding Total Yard Design and Landscape. Built on solid principles such as integrity and strong ethics, Nic vowed to always do the best by the customer instead of his bottom line. His philosophy -- there's no job to small when it comes to serving the needs of the customer. Providing any service from maintenance to debris removal to full installations, Nic uses Total Yard Landscape and Design as a vessel through which to serve our community and surrounding areas, making beautiful landscaping available to everyone. This philosophy has manifested growth for Total Yard Design, which has contributed to the positive impact that successful local businesses have on our village.

Nic's weekly schedule reflects that success. He retains enough maintenance accounts to solely cover a five day work week, which he had to increase from four to meet the demand. Additionally, he has provided five major installations this year alone, although in prior years, he averaged three per year. He keeps a tight schedule and spends his days within one geographical area whenever possible. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to coach wrestling and track at Lincoln High School as well as volunteer regularly with the Heritage Church. With a big smile on his face, Nic tells me how he was recently involved with the Kid Zone at Heritage and how much fun the kids were having. He also invites opportunities to help with events offered through the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. This also enhances our village and encourages community involvement from others.

There's nothing more powerful than when life comes full circle in a positive way. Lincoln gave Nic what he needed to become the kind of man who looks to give Lincoln what it needs. Seeking to help Lincoln citizens achieve their visions while molding the next generation of leaders, Nic is exactly the kind of business owner that Lincoln needs. He is local, professional, and talented, and makes our village a better place through youth development. His methods are skillful and he truly enjoys his craft! Call Nic today at 916-276-0337 or email him at nmarquez7981@gmail.com. You'll enjoy his work AND feel great about helping our little Lincoln village!

Mitzi De La Cruz

CalBRE License 01929064

Real Estate Professional

Lyon Real Estate

cell~(916) 871-8132

e-fax (916) 746-7593 private fax no cover sheet required

email: mdelacruz@golyon.com

www.mdelacruz.golyon.com

Beth Minardi Comes to Lincoln?!?

ONCE Upon a Time in the Foskett Ranch area of Lincoln...women were forced to travel. They traveled in search of gorgeous hair and makeup, in search of that "fresh from the salon" look that women just love. Salons were all situated on the opposite side of Lincoln and many traveled to Rocklin or Roseville since they were already going to have to journey away from home. The long, daunting journey was treacherous with commuters texting and driving on the legendary Highway 65 and others simply not paying attention. Despite the dangers, the brave women of Foskett did what they had to do to feel gorgeous.

In search of the "city chic" look, some Lincoln women, myself included, traveled hours to a far away land called "The Bay Area". This was even more treacherous, fraught with many more perils, and simply made no sense! Hours spent sitting in traffic were lost to the cause and many a dollar went needlessly into a toll booth operator's hand. We wrote off these senseless acts as necessary evils in the grand scheme of things, rewarded with the most up-to-date styling and color techniques mirroring those of the high-fashion runways. Faced with the difficult decision of style vs. practicality, what was a girl to do? 


Thankfully, one local woman influenced by her world travels decided to provide to Foskett women exactly what they needed. She envisioned a different kind of salon, inspired by her favorite period in European history, to open right there in Foskett Ranch! Her value proposition said it all -- creative professionals dedicated to quality service. Modeling her business after a time period in Europe where self expression was no longer subject to religious and political prosecution nor tainted by the status quo, the Baroque period spoke powerfully to Marie. She could make Lincoln women beautiful in their way by offering a wide range of styles and techniques to inspire them. During the Baroque era, conservative ideals of the arts were stripped away by Baroque artists such as Rembrandt and Bach.  Such artists created paintings that cried out with emotion from their canvass and music that delighted the ears of all who listened. Being an art history major, Marie understood how amazing the philosophy behind the Baroque period was and dreamed about creating a place where the women of Lincoln could connect with their inner Baroque. Parallelling these Baroque-inspired concepts, Salon Baroque would be a place passionate about making women feel beautiful, inside and out. A place where women could define their own style and enhance their own personal look. And we wouldn't have to travel far to accomplish this! Marie would open Salon Baroque on April 1 of this year and make her dream a reality.

 Since opening Salon Baroque just four short months ago, Marie has experienced a lot of success and personal joy from pursuing her dream. She understands that the very nature of beauty and fashion is that it is in a constant state of evolution, therefore Marie herself is always evolving. She takes advaned color and hair cutting classes where she learns the latest and greatest styles and applications by such renowned stylists as Beth Minardi. Minardi's products and techniques are showcased in Vogue Magazine, Milan fashion week, and many other notable fashion publications. Her product lines appear in top of the line salons in the trendiest major cities. Salon Baroque not only carries her product line but also can achieve the looks that Minardi achieves because they stay up on the latest trends through constant education. Marie is also a certified hair extension specialist in addition to being a certified Balmain specialist. She believes in giving back to her community as well and will be hosting a "girlfriend's day" in September providing hair and make up services while a friend showcases her jewelry. Marie's portfolio is expansive and very impressive, and her clientele is growing by the day.

Marie impressed me with her eagerness to donate to Lincoln Sober Grad Night 2014 although she'd just opened her doors when I ventured in out of nowhere asking for donations. She created three gift cards to be raffled off to the graduating seniors totaling almost $200 in services! That made an impression on me, and I hoped one day to be able to speak to how amazing she truly is. I wanted to write this article from first-hand experience, so last Thursday, I went to see Marie for a whole new look! Being the perfectionist and talented artist that she is, she spent over 4 hours making me look like a rockstar! Thanks to Marie, I have a whole new fall look that excites me ever time I look in the mirror!!! Whatever the look you're going for, Salon Baroque will help you accomplish. The products are superior, the prices are reasonable, and the ambiance is simply enchanting. Check out my before and after pictures:
before...
and AFTER!!!

Pick out YOUR new look at salonbaroque.com/ca, by visiting the Salon Baroque page on Facebook, by calling 916-253-9861, or simply stop by! 2290 Nicolaus Rd Ste 102, Lincoln. They're at the corner of Nicolaus Rd and Lakeside in the Pizza Round Up parking lot. You'll be so happy that you did!!! 

Mitzi De La Cruz

CalBRE License 01929064

Real Estate Professional

Lyon Real Estate

cell~(916) 871-8132

e-fax (916) 746-7593 private fax no cover sheet required

email: mdelacruz@golyon.com

www.mdelacruz.golyon.com

Local Entrepreneur Sets Lincoln "Ahead of the Curb"

Being a concrete curb is not easy...there are a lot of responsibilities to handle. Responsibilities like keeping the mulch and bark in the area where it belongs, creating definitive outlines for flower beds and other differences in the landscape, and allowing proper drainage. By keeping the areas distinctly separate, flower bed material doesn't travel onto the lawn to be sucked up into the mower blades. Instead, the mulch does it's job of keeping weeds out the flower bed. A useful border separating differing areas, the curb has been used in America for the past 30 years with no love...until now.



Although the mighty concrete curb serves many purposes, it is traditionally VERY BORING!!! With very few design options to select from, the aesthetics of the most widely used types of curbs leave much to be desired. The concrete blocks are laid piece by piece in a strip, plagued by problems such as theft or erosion. To top it off, old school formulas lacking sufficient hardening compounds tend to lift over time and create shelving from one stone to another, ruining the look of the mow strip even worse than the big ugly crack between the stones. And that's one ugly crack!


 Thanks to the efforts of this Lincolnite man, we can SAY NO TO CRACK!!! A seasoned paramedic with a beautiful, supportive family and a dream, Ryan Esparza knew there had to be a better way to curb. After launching his business, ECM Curbing, he heard about a state-of-the-art technique that was different from anything else the industry had ever seen -- so selectively taught that only Lincolnites and surrounding communities would have access to the curbs. Lincoln curbs were BORING NO MORE! Ryan paid tens of thousands for the class and equipment that would help him give Lincoln something no other community has for many states. By doing this, he essentially put the Esparza stamp right onto our town while stamping Lincoln right onto the map. And by reinforcing the custom curbs with steel when pouring them onsite, he ensures that all are here to stay.



Customer satisfaction and quality construction are the objective of all jobs performed by ECM Curbing, offered at the best price possible. Ryan and his 3 man crew (with others on stand-by) get the job done right and look for opportunities to pass the cost savings on to the customers. Local jobs are less expensive, for example, due to less fuel and travel time. Ryan lets his work speak for itself and is able to grow his business primarily by word of mouth, a true testament to service and craftsmanship. Meanwhile, only 3 other companies are able to offer what ECM offers IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA!!! Other communities could only hope to be so lucky.

So, if Ryan Esparza is already successfully established and working as a paramedic, why even create ECM Curbing? Why invest money into a business venture in an industry so new that many of his tools don't even have names??? The reason is simply, artistic expression. Adding functional beauty. Creating something TANGIBLE that he can proudly display to his wife and little girls.Come on folks, he's offering us Lincolnites the opportunity to be ahead of the curb! I personally look forward to the transformation that ECM Curbing will make to my yard, transforming the landscape into an oasis of modern style enjoyable for years to come. To learn more or to read the outstanding customer reviews earned by ECM, go to https://www.facebook.com/classiccurbsllc, or call Ryan directly at 916-812-4472. He'll provide you a quote free of cost or obligation, so call him today before the neighbors do!!! You'll be so happy that you did!

Mitzi De La Cruz

CalBRE License 01929064

Real Estate Professional

Lyon Real Estate

cell~(916) 871-8132

e-fax (916) 746-7593 private fax no cover sheet required

email: mdelacruz@golyon.com

www.mdelacruz.golyon.com