Southern California residents are now required to check the air quality before they burn wood in a home fireplace — or risk violating regulations that went into effect this week.  Fines for repeat offenders can be as high as $500.  

As part of the Healthy Hearths™ initiative, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is asking residents to participate in its “Check Before You Burn” program to help improve wintertime air quality by not burning wood in their fireplaces when unhealthful air quality is forecast. 

Under the program, AQMD will issue a 24-hour no-burn advisory for residential fireplaces and wood stoves — from November 1st through the end of February 2012. 

AQMD is the air pollution control agency for all of Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties – the smoggiest region of the United States. 

For more information, exemptions, or to sign up for AQMD email notifications, go to www.AQMD.gov.  Call 866-966-3293 for “Check Before You Burn” information if you
don’t have internet access.

The Wood Streets Green Team is holding a Recycling Workshop on reducing, reusing, and recycling household waste on Sunday, June 12, from 3 pm to 5 pm.  The workshop will be held at theHabitat for Humanity ReStore located at 2180 Iowa Avenue in Riverside.

All attendees are encouraged to bring any household items to the meeting to drop off as a donation to the ReStore.  These will be qualified for tax purposes and receipts will be available.

The purpose of the workshop is to engage and educate the Riverside community on the practices and benefits of recycling.  The workshop will focus on how recycling can be beneficial for the community and the environment.  Recycling resources available to Riverside residents will be discussed.

Some of the questions answered during the workshop are:

• Why should I recycle?  What does it do?  What are the benefits?  Is it worth the trouble?
• What happens to my stuff after I toss it in the blue bin?
• What can I toss into the blue bin?  What can be recycled?
• I’ve heard recycling can actually be harmful to the environment. Is that true, and why?
• What about other waste — paint, construction material, cardboard, batteries, computers, e-waste?
• What about household goods?
• What’s the idea behind Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle?
• How successful is Riverside in its recycling efforts?

For more information, please contact Darin Salazar, Wood Streets Green Team representative, at 951-682-0324, or dsalazar@sbcglobal.net.

If you have time on Sunday, January 23, 2011  between 3 and 5 p.m., ride your bike, or take a leisurely stroll, down to the Hall of Fame (next to the bookstore) on the RCC campus for another informative Wood Streets Green Team workshop.

Why would you put organic food on a dish washed with toxin-containing detergent or buy organic fiber clothing and wash it in laundry detergent that contains harmful chemicals?  This workshop will identify many household toxins, raise your consciousness about their health impacts, and offer alternative solutions.

When:    January 23, 2011 from 3 pm to 5 pm
Location:   Riverside City College (RCC) campus
Street:   Hall of Fame (by the bookstore)
Phone:    (951) 323-7323 — Susan Fahrney

C.U.R.E. is a program that focuses on promoting the value of having a clean city, raising consciousness of litter habits, and improving overall community pride and involvement.

As part of its C.U.R.E. campaign, the city hosts periodic bulky item and electronic waste collection events for items too large to fit into residential trash containers.

If you show proof that you are a Riverside resident (bring your City of Riverside utility bill), you can DROP IT OFF FOR FREE!  Drop what off???  Bulky items like refrigerators, microwaves, furniture, washing machines, electronic waste (computers, televisions, etc.), yard waste, tires (no rims) and oil.  Sorry, but NO hazardous waste* will be accepted.

WHEN:                     Saturday, November 6, 2010
WHERE:                  Agua Mansa Transfer Station at 1830 Agua Mansa Road
DIRECTIONS:         From the 91 Frwy, take 60 Frwy West and exit Market St,
                                 slight right at Market St and drive 1.4 miles,
                                 then turn right at Agua Mansa Road (facility will be on the left).

And please remember to cover your truckload, per DMV requirements, on your drive to the drop-off site.

*For additional information on discarding household hazardous waste, please contact Riverside County Waste Management at (951) 486-3200.

Whether you are a kid, have a kid, or are a kid at heart, you may want to spend some time at a local pumpkin patch this season.  Most patches and/or farms offer much more than just pumpkins!  There are mazes, gift shops, petting zoos, train rides, food, picnic areas, etc.  Some pumpkin patches and farms stay open well into November, so there’s still time!!

Check out these Southern California locations:

• The Pumpkin Patch: Genuine outdoor farm experience with you-pick pumpkins, gift shop, pony rides, jumpers, corn maze, ATV train ride, and special events each week at 32335 Live Oak Canyon Rd., Redlands (10 Fwy and Live Oak Canyon Rd.) until Oct 31st. Sun-Wed 9-6, Thu-Sat 9-9. Free admission and parking (909) 795-8733.
• The Pumpkin Factory: Family farm pumpkins, inflatable rides, bungee, face painting, snack bar, game booths, petting zoo at 1545 Circle City Drive, Corona (15 Fwy and Magnolia Ave). Mon-Thu 12-9, Fri 12-10, Sat 10-10, Sun 10-9. Free admission/parking (800) 719-4420.
• Rileys at Los Rios Rancho: Follows organic methods, pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, horse-drawn hay rides, cider mill, gift shop, refreshment stand, picnic area, ornamental corn and gourds at 39611 Oak Glen Road in Oak Glen. Open year round, 7 days a week 9-5. (909) 797-1005.

The photo above is of  Brooklynn at the Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Patch last weekend.  We didn’t have time to walk the corn maze, but maybe next year because it looked like it would be so much fun! 

Go to pumpkinpatchesandmore.org for state-by-state listings of pumpkin patches, corn mazes and other autumn fun.

A week ago today, Sunday, July 25, 2010, the Wood Streets Green Team organized a workshop entitled “Green Home Conversions with Riverside Public Utilities Rebates“.  About 40 people (mostly Wood Streets residents) attended the workshop and heard Ryan Bullard from Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) explain the new Whole House Rebate Program, a tiered rebate that gets bigger the more environmentally friendly projects you perform.  Click here to learn more about the ever-important RPU rebate program!

Concerned residents who were able to attend the workshop were provided with an opening speech by Justin Scott-Coe, creator of the Wood Streets Green Team, who then introduced Ryan Bullard from RPU and Steven Rawls from REEIS (Residential Energy Efficiency Improvement Specialists).  Those who attended were offered a free home diagnosis inspection from REEIS, and a free “Go Green” reusable shopping bag from RPU.  Tara and I love these bags — we’re even looking into having some reusable shopping bags made for our business so we can give them away and encourage our neighbors and clients to help the environment by shopping responsibly.

Tara and I are proud to live in the Wood Streets neighborhood of Riverside, and are proud to be members of the Wood Streets Green Team!  You don’t necessarily have to live in the Wood Streets to be a member of the Wood Streets Green Team.  This site is a resource where all Riverside residents can share insights, ask questions, and request information about living more sustainably.  Go Green, Go!

Want to save $$$ on energy costs?  Tired of that hot/stuffy room?  Are you afraid to run your air conditioner?  Confused by all the advertisements?  Don’t know where to begin?  The “Wood Streets Green Team” can help!

The Wood Streets Green Team’s mission is to provide resources to assist Wood Streets residents in increasing the sustainability of their lifestyle.  Their website is a resource where all Riverside residents can share insights, ask questions, and request information about living more sustainably. 

Join us on Sunday July 25, 2010 for a workshop entitled ”Green Home Conversions with Riverside Public Utilities Rebates” from 3 pm to 5 pm at RCC‘s Hall of Fame in the Student Union Center (click here for campus map). 

This workshop will feature Ryan Bullard from Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) who will explain the new Whole House Rebate Program, a tiered rebate that gets bigger the more environmentally friendly projects you perform.  Steven Rawls from REEIS (Residential Energy Efficiency Improvement Specialists) will teach you how to determine the most important and cost effective improvements for your home.

The green shape under the words “Wood Streets Green Team” is the map outline of the Wood Streets neighborhood here in wonderful and historical Riverside, California!

This workshop will provide valuable information for everyone concerned about the environment, their community, and their future.  

Though the Team is geographically located in the Wood Streets neighborhood, all Riverside residents are invited to join the Team and attend the workshops!  We look forward to seeing you there.

SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2010 — If you are a City of Riverside resident, you may “drop off for FREE” from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.! 

Bring your load of furniture (sofas, chairs, etc.), large household items (mattresses), appliances (stoves, refrigerators, a/c units, etc.), electronic waste (computers, televisions, etc.), yard waste, and tires (no rims).  Sorry, but NO hazardous waste will be accepted.  Proof of residency is required: bring your City of Riverside utility bill with you.

Take your load to one of the six drop-off sites:

1.  Bordwell Park, 2008 Martin Luther King Blvd.
2.  Bryant Park, 7950 Philbin Ave.
3.  Collett Avenue (between Golden Ave. and Stonewall Dr.)
4.  Fairmount Park, 2601 Fairmount Blvd.
5.  Krameria Ave. (at Cole Ave.)
6.  Riverside Airport, 6951 Flight Road

Please remember to cover your load per California Vehicle Code.

Brought to you by Riverside Public Works Department.  For information, call 951-826-5311.

On November 6, 2009, President Obama signed a bill to extend the tax credit for first-time homebuyers through June 30, 2010 at a maximum purchase price of $800,000!  The bill also opens up opportunities for others who are not buying a home for the first time.

WHO GETS WHAT?

First-time Homebuyers (FTBHs):  First-time homebuyers (that is, people who have not owned a home within the last three years) may be eligible for the tax credit.  The credit for FTHBs is 10% of the purchase price of the home, with a maximum available credit of $8,000.00.

Current Homeowners:  The tax credit program now gives those who already own a residence some additional reasons to move to a new home.  This incentive comes in the form of a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified purchasers who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive years during the last eight years.

THE NEW DEADLINE

 In order to qualify for the credit, all contracts need to be in effect no later than April 30, 2010 and  close no later than June 30, 2010. 

TAX CREDIT VS. TAX DEDUCTION

It’s important to remember that the tax credit is just that… a tax credit.  Tax credit is a direct reduction in tax liability, owed by an individual to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  The benefit of a tax credit is that it’s a dollar-for-dollar tax reduction, rather than a reduction in a tax liability that would only save you $1,000 to $1,500 when all was said and done.  So, if a first-time homebuyer were to owe $8,000 in income taxes and would qualify for a tax credit of $8,000, she would owe nothing.

Better still, the tax credit is refundable, which means the homebuyer can receive a check for the credit if he or she has little income tax liability.  For example, if a first-time homebuyer is eligible for a tax credit of $8,000 but is liable for $4,000 in income tax, she can still receive a check for the remaining $4,000!

WHAT ARE THE INCOME CAPS?

 The amount of income someone can earn and qualify for the full amount of the credit has been increased. 

Single tax filers who earn up to $125,000 are eligible for the total credit amount.  Those who earn more than this cap receive a partial credit.  However, filers who earn $145,000 and above are ineligible.

Joint filers who earn up to $225,000 are eligible for the total credit amount.  Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit.  However, joint filers who earn $245,000 and above are ineligible.

HOW MUCH ARE FTHBs ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE?

An eligible homebuyer may request from the IRS a tax credit of up to $8,000 or 10% of the purchase price for a home.  If the amount of the home purchased is $75,000, the maximum amount the credit can be is $7,500.  If the amount of the home purchased is $100,000, the amount of the credit may not exceed $8,000.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR FTHB TAX CREDIT?

Anyone who has not owned a primary residence in the previous 36 months, prior to closing and the transfer of title, is eligible.

This applies both to single taxpayers and married couples.  In the case where there is a married couple, if either spouse has owned a primary residence in the last 36 months, neither would qualify.  In the case where an individual has owned property that has not been a primary residence, such as a second home or investment property, that individual would be eligible.

IF A PARENT (WHO WILL NOT LIVE ON THE PROPERTY) CO-SIGNS FOR A MORTGAGE, WILL THEIR CHILD STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CREDIT?

Yes, provided that the child meets the other requirements for the tax credit.

ARE THERE OTHER RESTRICTIONS TO TAKING THE FTHB CREDIT?

Yes.  According to the IRS, if any of the following describe a homebuyer’s situation, a credit would not be due:

• They buy the home from a close relative.  This includes a spouse, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild. 
• They do not use the home as their principal residence.
• They sell their home before the end of the year.
• They are a nonresident alien.
• They are, or were, eligible to claim the District of Columbia first-time homebuyer credit for any taxable year. (This does not apply for a home purchased in 2009.)
• Their home financing comes from tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds.  (This does not apply for a home purchased in 2009.)

As always, if you have any questions about your specific situation or would like to discuss how you may benefit from this program, please call or email us. We will be happy to sit down with you.     –Tara and April