Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 15, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 15, 2022 

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges MEET JANE FULLER: Singer and Guitarist 


[www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]

 Jane Fuller likes to support local business by performing at the local business and bringing 
people in. “I have done Corfu for many years, and I am now working at the Saltner Wine Bar 
in old town Monrovia. They have wine and cicchetti, a place where the owner loves it when 
the people sit and talk to each other,” explains Fuller.
Owner, Julie Kalicki, is bubbly like champagne. She is effervescent and greets every person 
who comes in the door. She’s always positive. She wishes people would put cell phones away 
and enjoy just talking to each other.
“I like that Julie had a vision and a philosophy, a mission, and you can see that in what she 
does,” says Fuller. “She treats the musicians well! I perform there usually the sec-ond and fourth Saturday of 
every month.” 
Fuller’s next date is Saturday October 22, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at 108 E. Colorado Blvd. in Monrovia. You 
should call them at 626) 775-4025 to reserve a spot.
“My band is called Club Coincidents,” says Fuller, “because a lot of incidents happen at the same time. My band-
mate, Mike Gallegos, and I are each are own little incident, our own club.” Gallegos plays guitar, and Fuller both 
sings and plays guitar.
“We have a plan to open up an on-line music club called, "Club Coincidents,” explains Fuller. “We started doing 
online gigs during covid. We do jazz, pop, originals, and for upcoming shows in October and November, we will 
feature autumn-themed and Hal-loween songs."
Fuller adds, “We like to pair music’s greatest genres with the wine flavors that result in perfect harmony. 

MORE ON FULLER 
Fuller wrote a song called "Fool" for local producer/writer, Lisa Mayo's film, The First Knowing, about a young 
woman who walks away from an abusive relationship. The film was meant to bring awareness of domestic violence 
which increased dramatically during the COVID shutdown in 2020. At an international film festival, the film won 
in the "best original song" category. It is up on You Tube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l455RHwU09wShe also scored a remake of a Twilight Zone episode, "Nick of Time," where the main character believes a fortune 
telling machine can determine his fate. “I put in music tracks, added piano parts, sing all the songs on the jukebox 
in the video, and perform the song at the end, ‘Crazy,’ made famous by Patsy Cline.” This video can be viewed on 
You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPwQs7yr8mc&t=669s and cur-rently has over 76,000 views.
Her most recent film scoring project is a remake of Hitchcock's, "Lamb to the Slaughter," about a woman who 
commits a murder and gets away with it. Fuller wrote and per-formed the final track, "Right Under My Nose," 
about the detective who couldn't find the murder weapon. You can see it on YouTube at https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=89VhYbSLVGg&t=302s 

Fuller has produced four CDs; Her music can be purchased online via Apple Music and Spotify.
Fuller began to play the guitar at age 10, when the folk music trend invaded the Catho-lic Church and Masses 
included guitars. “One of the girls at school showed me a few chords, and I had to learn quickly,” she says. Fuller 
explains that she had a strict nun 
in 5th grade who pushed her into 
leadership positions in stage, 
and in organizing the music for 
Mass. “I had to deliver for God,” 
she says with a laugh. “I had to 
learn the new songs for church, 
and this drove me to improve my 
guitar playing.” 

Fuller went to Alverno High 
School, and took classes at 
Pasadena City College. “I studied 
under the famous Bobby 
Bradford at PCC and learned a 
lot about blues and jazz. I really 
learned a lot from him,” she 
emphasizes. 

She earned a Bachelors Degree in Creative Writing and Literature at UC Santa Cruz, and a degree in theatre arts 
from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She current-ly teaches Elementary Theatre Arts in Los Angeles 
Unified School District. 

For more information, see www.janefuller.com 


FAMILY MATTERS 

 
By Marc Garlett 

5 SMART WAYS 

TO PAY FOR 

YOUR FUNERAL 

THAT WON’T 
LEAVE YOUR 
FAMILY TO FOOT THE BILL 

With the cost of a funeral averaging between $7,000 
and $12,000 and steadily increasing each year, at the 
very least your estate plan should include enough money 
to cover this final expense. And if you are thinking 
of simply setting aside money in your will to cover your 
funeral expenses, you should seriously reconsider, as 
paying for your funeral through your will can create 
unnecessary burdens for your loved ones.
Although you can leave money in your will to pay for 
your funeral expenses, your family won’t be able to 
access those funds until your estate goes through the 
court process of probate, which can last years. And 
since most funeral providers require full payment upfront, 
your family will likely have to cover your funeral 
costs out of pocket. Moreover, your loved ones will 
have to deal with all of this while grieving your death.
If you want to avoid burdening your family with such 
a hefty bill and the stress that comes with it, you need 
to use estate planning strategies that do not require 
probate. While you should meet with an experienced 
estate planning attorney to find the solution best suited 
for your unique situation, the following 5 options are 
among the most used methods for covering funeral expenses 
without the necessity for probate.

1. TRADITIONAL INSURANCE. You can purchase 
a new life insurance policy or add extra coverage to 
your existing policy to cover funeral expenses. Unlike 
money left in your will, an insurance policy does not go 
through probate, and it will pay the death benefit to the 
named beneficiary as soon as your death certificate is 
filed with the insurance company. 
2. BURIAL INSURANCE. In addition to traditional insurance, 
you can also purchase burial insurance, which 
is specifically designed to cover funeral expenses. Also 
known as “final expense”, “memorial” and “preneed” 
insurance, such policies do not require a medical exam. 
However, you’ll often pay far more in premiums than 
what the policy actually pays out.
In fact, due to the hefty premiums and the fact such 
policies are sold mostly to the poor and uneducated, 
consumer advocate groups like the Consumer Federaspend 
down before going into a nursing home. This 
is because prepaid funeral plans funded through irrevocable 
trusts are not considered a countable asset for 
Medicaid eligibility purposes.
That said, if you’re looking to buy a prepaid funeral 
plan to qualify for Medicaid, be sure to consult with 
your attorney first, as not all pre-paid funeral plans are 
actually Medicaid compliant, even if the funeral home 
says they are. Moreover, if the irrevocable trust is not 
set up correctly, it may violate Medicaid’s look-back period, 
which can delay your eligibility for benefits.

4. PAYABLE-ON-DEATH ACCOUNTS. Many banks 
offer payable-on-death (POD) accounts, sometimes 
called Totten Trusts, that you can set up to fund your 
funeral expenses. The account’s named beneficiary can 
only access the money upon your death, but you can 
deposit or withdraw money at any time.
A POD account does not go through probate, so the 
beneficiary can access the money once your death certificate 
is issued. POD accounts are FDIC-insured, but 
such accounts are treated as countable assets by Medicaid, 
and the interest is subject to income tax.
Another option is to simply open a joint savings account 
with the person handling your funeral expenses 
and give them rights of survivorship. However, this 
gives the person access to your money while you’re 
alive too, which can put your money at risk if the person 
goes into debt or gets sued and their creditors come 
after your account to pay the other person’s debt.
Given this risk, we recommend you consider other options 
that will allow you to pay your funeral expenses, 
without leaving your finances vulnerable to another 
person’s mistakes or poor money management.
5. LIVING TRUSTS. If you work with an attorney to 
make a revocable living trust, you don’t need to buy a 
pre-built trust from a funeral provider. Instead, you can 
create a customized living trust that allows you to control 
the funds until your death and name a successor 
trustee, who is legally bound to use the trust funds to 
pay for your funeral expenses exactly as the trust terms 
stipulate.
Furthermore, you can change the terms of your living 
trust at any time, and you can even dissolve the trust if 
you need the money for other purposes. Alternatively, 
if you need an irrevocable trust to help qualify for Medicaid, 
a qualified attorney can create that type of trust 
as well, while ensuring the trust stays totally compliant 
with all of Medicaid’s requirements, so you don’t run 
afoul of the program’s many complex requirements. 
TOBY 

Meet TOBY! Those eyes, 
those cheeks! How can 
anyone resist those soulful 
eyes and those cute, 
chubby cheeks! Toby, 
age 1, looks worried in 
these pictures probably 
because he had just been 

rescued off the streets and didn't know that his life 
was about to change. But, now, he is very friendly, 
playful, and affectionate. He likes to sniff noses with 
you. His only fault is that he tends to walk right in 
front of you so you have to watch your step. He likes 
to chase a string with a feather , balls, catnip mice. He will “help” you write your 
emails but will settle down next to you if you object. All in all, he is an affectionate, 
playful and handsome fellow! Find the adoption application on our website, 
www.lifelineforpets.org. Toby will come already neutered, chipped and vetted. 
Can you find it in your heart to adopt this deserving boy? 


Pet of the Week

 Georgie is a beautiful five-year-oldGerman Shepherd mix who is readyfor her forever home. She took some 
time to get comfortable at the shelter,
but now that she has made friends, she 
gets so excited to see them that she’llhappily bark hello and run up to greetthem with a full-body tail wag.

 Shy dogs like Georgie can easily getoverlooked, but this wallflower is readyto blossom into a wonderful familymember. Her favorite people reportthat she loves getting attention andscratches and will gently nudge yourhand if you stop petting her to urge you 
to keep going. She walks well on leash,
knows several commands and is keen 
to learn more. 

At a young five years old, she qualifiesfor our Seniors for Seniors Program.
This means if an adopter is a youngsixty years old or more, then Georgie's 
adoption is free.

 The adoption fee for dogs is $150. 

All dog adoptions 
include spay or 
neuter, microchip,
and age-appropriatevaccines.

 New adopters 
will receive a 
complimentaryhealth-andwellness 
exam 
from VCA Animal 
Hospitals, as wellas a goody bag filled with informationabout how to care for your pet.

 
View photos of adoptable pets andschedule an adoption appointment at 
pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are 
by appointment only, and new adoptionappointments are available everySunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

 Pets may not be available for adoptionand cannot be held for potentialadopters by phone calls or email. 


tion of America consider burial insurance a bad idea 
and even predatory in some cases.
One final point about using insurance to pay for your 
funeral: If you have any type of insurance to cover your 
funeral, it’s crucial that your family knows about it. Far 
too often, insurance policies are never cashed in be-
cause the family didn’t know they existed. Don’t let this 
happen to you—make sure your family knows about 
any insurance policies you have as well as how to locate 
the necessary paperwork.
3. PREPAID FUNERAL PLANS. Many funeral homes 
let you pay for your funeral services in advance, either 
in a single lump sum or through installments. Also 
known as pre-need plans, the funeral provider typically 
puts your money in a trust that pays out upon your 
death, or buys a burial insurance policy, with itself as 
the beneficiary.
While prepaid plans may seem like a convenient way 
to cover your funeral expenses, these plans can have 
serious drawbacks. Most states have inadequate laws 
protecting funds in such plans, putting your money at 
risk if the funeral provider closes or is bought out by 
another company.
In fact, these plans are considered so risky, the Fu-
neral Consumers Alliance (FCA), a nonprofit industry 
watchdog group, advises against purchasing such plans. 
The only instance where prepaid plans are a good idea, 
according to the FCA, is if you are facing a Medicaid 
USE ESTATE PLANNING TO AVOID BURDENING 
YOUR FAMILY 
Although thinking about your eventual death is never 
easy, with the proper planning, you can make dealing 
with the aftermath of your death significantly easier for 
the loved ones you leave behind. To avoid needlessly 
burdening your family with the expense and stress of 
planning and paying for your funeral, make sure your 
estate plan includes the necessary funds to cover this 
expense, and be sure to use an estate planning strat-
egy that will allow your family to access these funds as 
quickly and easily as possible—ideally by using an op-
tion that avoids probate. 
With so many different options to choose from, it is 
important to find an estate planning vehicle that is best 
suited for your particular situation. With professional 
guidance and support, you should be able to develop 
a planning strategy that includes adequate funding to 
ensure your funeral services are handled in the exact 
manner you desire—and your family won’t be forced to 
foot the bill. Best, 
Marc Garlett, Esq.
Cali Law Family Legacy 
Matters 
www.caliLaw.com 
626.355.4000 
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com