College savings month starts
SACRAMENTO
– State Treasurer Bill Lockyer kicked off College Savings Month
Sept. 1, announcing events across the state to inform families
about planning and investment tools to help them give their
children the college education needed to compete for jobs.
”
While it may be difficult to set aside extra money in today’s
economy, planning and saving early for college is still a critical
component to ensuring success for our children,
”
Lockyer said.
”
A college degree provides increased opportunity, better jobs and
higher earnings in the emerging national global economy. I
encourage all parents and families to use College Savings Month to
develop their plan to fund their children’s higher education
expenses.
”
College savings month starts
SACRAMENTO – State Treasurer Bill Lockyer kicked off College Savings Month Sept. 1, announcing events across the state to inform families about planning and investment tools to help them give their children the college education needed to compete for jobs.
“While it may be difficult to set aside extra money in today’s economy, planning and saving early for college is still a critical component to ensuring success for our children,” Lockyer said. “A college degree provides increased opportunity, better jobs and higher earnings in the emerging national global economy. I encourage all parents and families to use College Savings Month to develop their plan to fund their children’s higher education expenses.”
ScholarShare, California’s 529 college savings plan, is sponsoring events throughout the state, including a “ScholarShare Free Second Sunday” at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose Sept. 13; a “ScholarShare Free Day” at the Explorit Science Center in Davis Sept. 20; and a “ScholarShare Children’s Book Festival” at Fairytale Town in Sacramento, Sept. 26-27.
Lockyer is the chairman of the ScholarShare’s governing board. The program is named for the section of IRS code under which the accounts were created and it offers tax-advantaged status. Earnings on investments grow tax-deferred, and disbursements, when used for tuition and other qualified expenses, are federal and state tax free.
ScholarShare accounts can be opened online with as little as $50, or $15 when combined with regular, automatic contributions of at least $15 a month. There is no maintenance fee or income limit. Up to $320,000 can be contributed to the accounts. There are currently 250,000 529 accounts.
To open an account, or for more information, visit www.treasurer.ca.gov/scholarshare.
CSUMB business program starts in October
MONTEREY – The next start date for the Executive MBA program at California State University, Monterey Bay is Oct. 12.
CSU Monterey Bay’s 100 percent online EMBA program is designed for success in today’s global market. The program is designed for business executives who are looking to gain an edge in a diverse business environment.
The program teaches students how to:
– Analyze organizational effectiveness
– Make marketing decisions based on target markets, variables and feasibility
– Think strategically about employment and management relations
– Identify and evaluate leadership
– Prepare and analyze financial statements and projections
– Examine innovation from the product, process and organizational perspectives
For more information, visit http://emba.csumb.edu. Admission advisers are available at 866-757-5172 to answer questions and to start the application process. Sept. 21 is the application deadline.
Local business offers advice for World Water Monitoring Day
MORGAN HILL – World Water Monitoring Day is Sept. 18, and American Leak Detection, which serves San Benito County, San Jose, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Monterey County and Santa Cruz County is offering helpful tips and advice for local residents in recognition of the international awareness campaign.
World Water Monitoring Day (http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/) is an educational outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting and preserving water resources around the world. According to James Quinn, owner of American Leak Detection, water is an essential resource and should be monitored as much as possible. Although local residents may think monitoring water use is a difficult task, Quinn said all it takes is some helpful advice.
“The more water-wise you become, the more natural it will be for you to preserve the amount of water you use on a daily basis,” Quinn said. “Your small investment of monitoring the water you consume can pay large dividends. For example, buying a low-flush toilet can save more than 18,000 gallons of water a year. It takes all of us – both individuals and businesses – to save the earth’s resources.”
Quinn recommends local residents follow American Leak Detection’s Water Conservation Checklist to preserve water.
General tips
* Check all faucets for drips. If a drip fills an 8-ounce glass every 15 minutes, it will lose about 180 gallons per month. That’s equivalent to 2,160 gallons a year, enough for more than 30 showers or baths, Quinn said. Drips can usually be fixed by replacing inexpensive washers or valve seats.
* Install flow restrictors or other conservation devices on all faucets. With these in the shower alone, you can cut your water use from about 5 to 10 gallons per minute to as low as 1.4 to 3 gallons per minute.
* Wrap exposed indoor and outdoor pipes to prevent breakage in freezing weather.
Kitchen tips
* Check kitchen cupboards beneath the sink once a week for wet spots or bowed cabinetry.
* Keep drinking water in the refrigerator so you don’t have to run the tap until the water gets cold enough to drink.
* Only run full loads in your dishwasher.
Bathroom tips
* Check grout and tiles in shower area. Are any loose? Is grout missing, allowing water to flow beneath the tiles?
* Check toilets for leaks. Drop a teaspoon of food coloring into the tank. If the color appears in the bowl after 15 minutes, have the flapper valve replaced.
* Replace older toilets with new ultra-low flush models or put water displacement devices inside every toilet tank. Make them from plastic water bottles weighted down with pebbles. Do not put bricks in your tank; they can dissolve and clog siphon jets.
Outdoor tips
* Walk around your property once a week to look for spongy or mushy ground where broken pipes might be hidden.
* Check sprinklers for jammed or malfunctioning heads.
* Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to slow moisture evaporation. Landscape with native plants that take little water, and pull weeds as they steal water from desirable plants.
“Residents can easily hang this list in a handy place, such as in the kitchen on their refrigerator door or in the utility room,” Quinn said. “We recommend that they do a check for these items at least four times a year.”
For more information about American Leak Detection, The Original Leak Specialists, call James Quinn at 408-842-5325.
