Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, December 9, 2017

B2 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 9, 2017 
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS B2 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 9, 2017 
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS 
Jeff’s Book PicsBy Jeff Brown FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett 


the hospice, Harold believes thatWhat Unites Us: Reflections 

as long as he walks, Queenie willon Patriotism by Dan Rather ,

live. A novel of charm, humor, and 
“I find myself thinking deeply about

Elliot Kirschner 

profound insight into the thoughtswhat it means to love America, 

and feelings we all bury deep withinas I surely do.” —Dan Rather.At a

our hearts, The book introduces 
moment of crisis over our national 

Rachel Joyce as a wise—and utterlyidentity, venerated journalist Dan

irresistible—storyteller. 
Rather has emerged as a voice ofreason and integrity, reflecting on—

Before We Were Yours by Lisa 

Wingateand writing passionately about—

For readers of Orphan Train andNow, with this collection of 

what it means to be an American. 

The Nightingale comes a “thoughtoriginal 
essays, he reminds us of the

provoking [and] complex tale aboutprinciples upon which the United

two families, two generations apartStates was founded. Looking at 

. . . based on a notorious true-life 
the freedoms that define us, from 

scandal.”Memphis, 1939. Twelve-
the vote to the press; the values

year-old Rill Foss and her fourthat have transformed us, from 

younger siblings live a magical lifeempathy to inclusion to service; the

aboard their family’s Mississippiinstitutions that sustain us, such as 

River shantyboat. But when theirpublic education; and the traits that

father must rush their mother to 
helped form our young country,

the hospital one stormy night, Rillsuch as the audacity to take on

is left in charge--until strangersdaunting challenges in science and

arrive in force. Wrenched from all 
medicine, Rather brings to bear

that is familiar and thrown into a 
his decades of experience on the

Tennessee Children’s Home Societyfrontlines of the world’s biggest

orphanage, the Foss children arestories. As a living witness to

assured that they will soon be 
historical change, he offers up an

returned to their parents--but theyintimate view of history, tracing

quickly realize the dark truth. Atwhere we have been in order to 

the mercy of the facility’s cruel 
help us chart a way forward and

director, Rill fights to keep herheal our bitter divisions.With a 

sisters and brother together in afundamental sense of hope, What

world of danger and uncertainty.
Unites Us is the book to inspire

Aiken, South Carolina, presentconversation and listening, and to

day. Born into wealth and privilege,
remind us all how we are, finally, 

Avery Stafford seems to have itone. 

all: a successful career as a federal 
prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, 
and a lavish wedding on the

The Unlikely Pilgrimage 

horizon. But when Avery returnsof Harold Fry: A Novel by 

home to help her father weather a“Rachel Joyce’s beguiling debut is a

Rachel Joyce

health crisis, a chance encounter 
modest-seeming story of ‘ordinary’

leaves her with uncomfortable 
English lives that enthralls and

questions and compels her to take amoves you as it unfolds.”—People

journey through her family’s long(
four stars).Meet Harold Fry,

hidden history, on a path that willrecently retired. He lives in a

ultimately lead either to devastationsmall English village with his wife,

or to redemption.Based on one of

America’s most notorious real-life 
scandals--in which Georgia Tann, director of aMemphis-based adoption organization, kidnappedand sold poor children to wealthy families all overthe country--Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching,
and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, eventhough the paths we take can lead to many places,
the heart never forgets where we belong. 

Maureen, who seems irritated byalmost everything he does. Little differentiatesone day from the next. Then one morning a letterarrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl,
from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twentyyears. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and iswriting to say goodbye. But before Harold mailsoff a quick reply, a chance encounter convinceshim that he absolutely must deliver his messageto Queenie in person. In his yachting shoes andlight coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgentquest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to 

All Things By Jeff Brown 

E. WALDO WARD,SIERRA MADRE’S 100 YEAR OLD 
JAM AND JELLY COMPANY! 
Back in 1891, a man named Edwin 


In 1915 he retired as a salesman 
Waldo Ward Sr. moved to Sierra 

and for three years experimentedMadre, California with a dream. 

with marmalade making. By 1918,
He purchased 30 acres of land

he began his preserving business.
from the town’s founder, Nathaniel 

The business thrived, and for years,
Carter, and planted the land with

when dining was a fine experienceNavel oranges.. At the time, he

on trains crossing America, Ward’swas a salesman for James P. Smith 

marmalade was the only one 
& Co., a New York importer of

served on several trains. WWI also 
luxury foods. He married in 1900

cut off food imports from overseasand built the beautiful home and 

and Ward was ready to supply thethe red barn on 273 E. Highland

market here. Other products haveAvenue in 1902. Both buildings

been added since then and today,
are still used today. Ward certainly

marmalade is only 10% of the fineknew the fine-food business and 

foods they produce.The Ward homemade important contacts over 

built in 1902 and still used by thethe years. And these were all

family today.Behind the home isadvantages in later years when he

the Ward canning factory building.
started his business. His dream was 

Today, about 10 to 15 people areto make English style marmalade.

employed. Many are long-timeAn English friend was travelingemployees. But the company willto Spain and Ward gave him money to purchasealways remain small in order to preserve thetwo trees of the special variety of the orange treehigh quality which is the Ward standard.Thethat was needed. These trees arrived in America products are made using the best ingredientsand became the grafting stock for a grove thatand methods possible.They have an abundancenumbered over 600 trees.Ward’s big dream was toof jams, jellys,chutneys and marmalades,over 200produce his own marmalade here on the ranch. products.,626-355-1218. 


GIFT GIVING THE 
TAX-FREE WAY 


Although it’s the season of giving, no one wants toshare with the IRS. Luckily, the law provides you manyopportunities to give gifts to family, friends, and charitiestax-free. Some are straightforward, while others mayrequire the help of a professional. 

Your Yearly CouponsEach year on January 1st, everyone receives what can bethought of as yearly coupons for tax-free gifts. There areseveral different ways you can redeem these coupons:

. 
Annual exclusion gifts. These gifts are transfers ofmoney or property that do not exceed the annual gift taxexclusion. These gifts can be given on one or more thanone occasion throughout the year, the key is that you addup the gifts throughout the year. In 2017, you can give upto $14,000 ($28,000 for married couples) per recipientwithout owing any gift tax or filing a gift tax return. Thesegifts can be cash or property but they must be of a “present”
interest. Without giving a “present” interest – for example,
if you plan on using a trust or an LLC to make your gift, it’sbest to work with a professional.
. 
Pay medical bills. The IRS also allows you to pay anunlimited amount of someone’s medical bills, without 
worrying about the gift tax. However, the payment mustbe made directly to the doctor, hospital, or other medicalprovider in order to qualify.
. 
Pay tuition. Additionally, you are able to pay an unlimitedamount of tuition bills for the benefit of someone else, as 
long as the tuition is paid directly to a qualified educationalinstitution. One big issue here is that the gift must be onlyfor tuition - books, fees, living expenses, travel, and othercosts of education do not qualify.
. 
Give to charity. For those of you who are 
philanthropically minded, you can give as much moneyor property to a qualified charity as you want withoutworrying about the gift tax. As an added benefit, unlike 
the gifts above, you may also be entitled to an income taxdeduction for the charitable gift. 

Your Once-In-A-Lifetime CouponIn addition to our annual coupons, we all have a once-ina-
lifetime coupon for taxable gifts, those that exceed ordo not qualify for the annual exclusion, called the unifiedcredit. It’s called a unified credit because it unifies the 
gift tax with the estate tax into a coordinated tax system.
Unlike the annual coupons you read about above, onceyou spend the value of the unified credit coupon for ataxable gift, it’s gone.

Many people assume that because it says taxable gifts,
they’ll have to pay the gift tax. Luckily because of the unifiedcredit coupon, most people will never have to actually payany gift tax. You only have to pay gift tax if your lifetimegifts exceed the unified credit coupon. Under current law, 
the amount of the unified credit increases each year, butit never resets (unlike the yearly coupons you read aboutearlier). In 2017, the unified credit amount is $5.49 million 
and is scheduled to increase to $5.6 million in 2018. 
However, If you make a taxable gift, you are required tofile a gift tax return with your income taxes. Although theunified credit is currently applicable for gift and estate tax,
it is worth noting that the gift tax continues on in the taxproposals being considered by Congress, even as an estatetax repeal is on the agenda. 

When should I talk to an estate planner?

If you plan on making a gift in excess of $14,000 in 2017($15,000 in 2018), then you should talk with a trustedprofessional first. Sometimes the best way of making a giftis to just write a check, but other times giving in a trust,
through an LLC, or with an undivided interest in propertycan make more sense and offer your recipient greaterbenefits (like privacy or asset protection).

While we don’t suggest you give away anything that youmight need, if you do have some surplus, gifting programsare a fun way to see your loved ones enjoy your generosity

– as long as you do it without drawing the attention of theIRS! 
Dedicated to empowering your family, building yourwealth and creating your legacy, 


A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a missionto help parents protect what they love most. His office is 
located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 
91024. Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk aboutensuring a legacy of love and financial security for yourfamily by calling 626.587.3058 or visit www.GarlettLaw.
com for more information. 

His office is located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra 
Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an appointment to sit downand talk about ensuring a legacy of love and financialsecurity for your family by calling 626.587.3058 or visitwww.GarlettLaw.com for more information. 

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