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Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, June 23, 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||
B2 BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 23, 2018 Jeff’s Book Pics By Jeff Brown FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier by Mark Adams From the acclaimed, bestselling author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu, a fascinating and funny journey into Alaska, America’s last frontier, retracing the historic 1899 Harriman Expedition.In 1899, railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman organized a most unusual summer voyage to the wilds of Alaska: He converted a steamship into a luxury “floating university,” populated by some of America’s best and brightest scientists and writers, including John Muir. Those aboard encountered a land of immeasurable beauty and impending environmental calamity. A hundred years later, Alaska is still America’s most sublime wilderness. As ever, it remains a magnet for weirdos and dreamers. Armed with Dramamine and an industrial- strength mosquito net, Mark Adams sets out to retrace the 1899 expedition. Using the state’s intricate public ferry system, the Alaska Marine Highway , Adams travels 3000 miles, following the George W. Elder’s itinerary north through Wrangell, Juneau, and Glacier Bay, then continuing west into the colder and stranger regions of the Aleutians and the Arctic Circle. Along the way, he encounters dozens of unusual characters and investigates how lessons learned in 1899 might relate to Alaska’s current struggles in adapting to climate change. What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City by Mona Hanna-Attisha The dramatic story of the Flint water crisis, told “with the gripping intrigue of a Grisham thriller” (O: The Oprah Magazine)—an inspiring tale of scientific resistance by a relentless physician who stood up to power. Flint was already a troubled city in 2014 when the state of Michigan—in the name of austerity—shifted the source of its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Soon after, citizens began complaining about the water that flowed from their taps—but officials rebuffed them, insisting that the water was fine. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at the city’s public hospital, took state officials at their word and encouraged the parents and children in her care to continue drinking the water—after all, it was American tap water, blessed with the state’s seal of approval.But a conversation at a cookout with an old friend, leaked documents from a rogue environmental inspector, and the activism of a concerned mother raised red flags about lead—a neurotoxin whose irreversible effects fall most heavily on children. Even as evidence mounted and protests grew, Dr. Mona knew that the only thing that could stop the lead poisoning was undeniable proof—and to get it, she’d have to enter the fight of her life. The book is the inspiring story of how Dr. Mona—accompanied by a team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leaders—proved that Flint’s kids were exposed to lead and then fought her own government and a brutal backlash to expose that truth to the world. Paced like a scientific thriller, this book shows how misguided austerity policies, and callous bureaucratic indifference placed an entire city at risk. And at the center of the story is Dr. Mona herself—an immigrant, doctor, scientist, and mother whose family’s activist roots inspired her pursuit of justice. The book is a riveting, beautifully rendered account of a disaster that became a tale of hope, the story of a city on the ropes that came together to fight for justice, self-determination, and the right to build a better world for their children. Maneki Neko: The Tale of the Beckoning Cat by Susan Lendroth (Author), Kathryn Otoshi (Illustrator) kindergarten to 2nd grade. In a small Japanese village, a poor monk and his cat Tama live a simple life at the Kotoku Monastery. One day, a great storm passes through the village, and Tama is caught in the rain outside the temple. She waits under the eaves of a small shrine, cleaning her face and whiskers as best she can with her paw. A noble samurai is also passing through, and stops his horse under the cover of a large tree. But through the rain, what does he see? A cat with a raised paw, beckoning him forward?Curious, the samurai urges his horse forward. Just then, a bolt of lightning flashes and strikes the tree behind him, splitting it in two. The beckoning cat has saved his life. In his gratitude, the samurai brings riches to the small temple and the monk, who shares his wealth with the village.So goes the Japanese legend of Maneki Neko, the beckoning cat. And to this day, the cat with raised paw beckoning guests is a symbol of good luck and good fortune in many Asian countries. Susan Lendroth s retelling of this well-known legend brings warmth to the two monastery companions, while award- winning illustrator Kathryn Otoshi brings them to life in the beautiful landscape of old Japan.Susan is a local Author. A Good Man, a Great Dad and a Loving Husband: Every Man’s Guide to a Brilliant Life by Bradley Brown In this book you will find common-sense approaches to help you to be a good man, a great dad and a loving husband. I have invested fifty-five years into researching this book. Like any good scientist, trial and error have played a major part in my findings. Wisdom is about learning from what we have done or what others before us have experienced, and evolving as a result.The 4 reviews are from Amazon .com. SQUABBLES BETWEEN ALAN THICKE’S HEIRS HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPERLY DRAFTED AND UPDATED ESTATE PLANNING In the 1980s, the late actor Alan Thicke played the wise-but-hip father figure and psychiatrist Dr. Jason Seaver in the sitcom Growing Pains. Following Alan’s sudden death in December 2016, with his children and widow battling over his estate, one can only wonder what sage advice Dr. Seaver would have had for Thicke’s heirs. Alan collapsed and died from a heart attack at age 69, while playing ice hockey with his youngest son, Carter. Unlike some celebrities, he had a fairly comprehensive estate plan. But with three marriages, three sons from two of those unions, and an estate worth an estimated $40 million, the planning is proving insufficient to stave off family feuding. Stepmom vs. Stepchildren Specifically, Alan’s two oldest sons—Robin and Brennan—have been fighting his third wife, Tanya Callau Thicke, for almost two years. At issue was the division of Alan’s $3.5 million ranch in Carpinteria, where he and Tanya lived. The prenup states that Tanya would get 25% of his net estate, including a five-acre parcel of the ranch property. However, the trust—last updated in 2016—doesn’t grant her any ownership of the ranch, only the right to live there provided she pays all the expenses. Robin and Brennan’s petition alleged that Tanya demanded a larger portion of Alan’s estate than she was allocated in the trust and that she planned to contest the validity of the prenuptial agreement. Tanya claimed her stepsons’ legal claim was merely aimed at smearing her in the media, and she never had any intention of challenging the prenup. Other reports allege the petition was retaliation for Tanya’s refusal to allow the brothers to convert the ranch into a medical marijuana farm. Breach of Duty? Tanya recently filed papers accusing Robin and Brennan of violating their fiduciary duties as co- trustees. She claims they’re spending the estate assets recklessly, failing to pay her share of the inheritance, unfairly saddling her with taxes and other expenses that are not her responsibility, and failing to keep her clearly informed about estate proceedings. Tanya plans to file a lawsuit against the siblings if they don’t meet her demands. And her suit may have merit, as trustees owe a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of beneficiaries and account for all financial transactions related to the trust. Lessons Learned Though most of us don’t have $40 million in assets to worry about, this case highlights several important estate planning issues. First, multiple marriages – especially with children from a prior marriage – are always at risk of going down the road of conflict. If you are in such a marriage, it’s critical to plan in advance to ensure the people you love have the best chance of continuing to love each other after your incapacity or death. Second, even with a trust in place, it’s vital the document is regularly updated to ensure it stays current and doesn’t conflict with other legal agreements, like the prenup in this case. Please contact us now if your plan has not been reviewed or updated within the past few years. Finally, this case demonstrates that a trust won’t stay private if the heirs have a conflict that results in court proceedings. One of a trust’s key benefits is that it keeps the contents of the estate confidential. But if a dispute ends up in court, the estate documents can be made public, exposing not only your assets, but all your family’s “dirty laundry” as well. Proper estate planning can keep your family out of conflict, out of court, and out of the public eye. If you’re ready to create a comprehensive estate plan, contact us today. If you already have a plan in place, we can review it to help you avoid similar conflicts. Dedicated to empowering your family, building your wealth and defining your legacy, A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission to help parents protect what they love most. His office is located at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love and financial security for your family by calling 626.587.3058 or visit www.GarlettLaw.com for more information. All Things By Jeff Brown MY FRIEND’S PLACE/A GREAT ORGANIZATION My Friend’s Place assists and inspires homeless youth to build self-sufficient lives.In 1988, Steve LePore and Craig Scholz initiated a volunteer-led, mobile meal program to distribute sack lunches to the homeless youth in the Hollywood community. Soon the volunteers built trust with the young people and realized that youth are driven to the streets by abuse, abandonment and neglect by families and caregivers. The needs and challenges of homeless youth go well beyond the critical condition of hunger.Two years later, the volunteer group first opened the doors of a facility they called My Friend’s Place where they began to offer social services and creative opportunities in addition to basic needs . Today, My Friend’s Place is a thriving, professionally staffed drop-in Resource Center serving over 1,400 homeless youth ages 12 to 25 and their children each year. Each year, they welcomes nearly 1,500 homeless youth between the ages of 12 and 25 and their children. Many are escaping abusive homes, emancipating from foster care with insufficient skills and resources, or were raised on the street caught in the cycle of homelessness.Once on the streets, the necessities of survival and need to cope force youth to compromise their health and well being through high-risk behaviors including survival sex, substance abuse, illegal activity and violence. In turn, they are at great risk of contracting life-threatening diseases, developing drug and alcohol addictions, and engaging in disruptive behavior that increases the likelihood of juvenile detention and incarceration. Our primary goal is to lower barriers to service and provide homeless youth with the opportunity to improve their psychological, intellectual and physical capacity to reach their potential.In collaboration with the leading social services providers and educational institutions in the region as well as over 500 volunteers, we offer a free and comprehensive continuum of care that combines emergency necessities with therapeutic, health, employment and education assistance, and creative arts services through three programmatic areas:Safe Haven Program,Transformative Education Program,Health & Well Being Program.This is a wonderful non profit agency in Hollywood.If you would like to help or contribute go to Myfriendsplace.org or call (323) 908-0011 or 1-888-YOUTH-50. GET BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT: www.mountainviewsnews.com HEALTHY LIFESTYLES THE MISSING PAGE Real Life Tips from LIfe's Instruction Manual MAKING TIME Who has time for all this self- care? When we are busy living life, it feels like there’s no time. Only when we become sick or face a health condition do we evaluate self-care more closely. Disease is the body’s way of placing a limitation. If we don’t create limitations or a framework for wellness, the body will do it for us. The path to healthy living becomes the only one that makes sense. Still, there are barriers to overcome. Does your schedule feel too busy to cook food or do a yoga practice? Often I’ll hear: “I don’t have a free moment to meditate.” Is it really not having the free moment or is the opposition to the quietude and stillness? It is possible that life may need to be simplified. To incorporate meditation or exercise as a regular habit, we first need the motivation and, second, the time! If the plan is to eat healthier to get nutrients from our food, then we need time to cook. Ultimately, creating simplicity and spending more time in acts of self-care will make us more efficient and more effective in our lives. It gives the vital energy that we crave. It’s important to take a look at one’s priorities. If we are care-taking for others, how helpful will we be if we neglect ourselves? How is stress relieved without considered actions that move us toward relaxation and nourishment? It is often the case that we add more caffeine to get by or take a pill to relieve pain. Of course, that’s real life, but what would we do less often if we placed our own health above all else? Yoga is there to help us build awareness. This awareness can provide stillness inside, help us evaluate priorities, encourage simplicity, and get us on the path to healthy living. Make time for yourself, it can make all the difference! Consider bringing yoga into your life to gain perspective about what you want. Please check out what yoga opportunities I offer via my website: www.keelytotten.com. Lori A. Harris GRATITUDE AS A PRACTICE, I created the Gratitude Train App to help people who are on the go and want to establish a gratitude practice. The app is available for free in the App Store and Google Play. The practice of noticing to experience gratitude, remembering to express, and learning to dwell in gratitude is the most effective way to reduce your suffering. A gratitude practice does not require an app. Simply record your gratitude in a small notebook, or an index card, or a slip of paper in your wallet or purse will work. The physical act of putting pen to paper is the very best way to practice because writing activates different neural pathways and stimulates the brain, further grounding your gratitude practice. Let me share what I do, and you can decide how you want to approach it. When I wake up, before doing anything, I think about the fact that I’m grateful to be alive. I do that before placing my feet on the floor. I meditate for a few minutes each day during the week and longer with a meditation group on Saturdays. Then sometime in the morning, I write about why I’m grateful. I give myself a bit of time to feel the gratitude so that my practice does not become rote. I allow myself to reflect and feel my thankfulness deeply. Throughout the day, I have trained myself to notice places to be grateful. I practice by saying thank you aloud. If I find a parking space quickly, I will say thank you out loud. When I have a momentary fright, like being cut off in traffic, I will say thanks because I am very grateful that I didn’t get in an accident. I remind myself that no matter what I am okay and it helps me get through the day. I give a genuine thank you to the bus driver, my secretary, the clerk and I allow myself to get excited that someone helped me. I find that it lifts my mood and the mood of people around me. When you concentrate on what’s going well, it enhances problem-solving abilities. Finally at night, as I get in bed, I reflect on the day and note my gratitude. I encourage my readers to look for and acknowledge growth. When you do something well, it’s important to notice your progress; it will enhance continued growth. Gratitude is for everyone and can help anyone. Did you like this article? Download the app and share it with a friend it is in Google Play and the App Store. -- Lori A. Harris is a lawyer and coach. Learn more about her at www.G ratitudeTrain.com. Check out Peter Dills on our Food Page in Section A Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com | ||||||||||||||||||||