By: Irma Haldane

Urbane: polite, refined, sophisticated and courteous

If there is one word to describe the service at Urbane Cafe it’s efficient. With a brief glance into the kitchen you’ll quickly notice the well defined stations that enlist each employee to a designated task. Whether it’s rolling out dough to be cooked in the wood fire grill, seasoning the salad, flipping chicken or putting sandwiches together as high speeds, Urbane cafe knows how to handle the crowds. Good thing, because it’s packed.

Possessing the feeling of classic California fresh cuisine, Urbane offers surprisingly tasty choices under $7. The prices would seem to suggest a lower quality of food but in fact, the recipes are seasoned properly and offer a fusion of Italian and southwest flavors. This fresh new spot in Agoura Hills is just north of the new Trader Joes and south of the McDonalds. A perfect lunch spot for a tast, healthy and relatively inexpensive meal.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Irma Haldane

Pitcher Robert Stock of Agoura High and catcher Chris Notti of Calabasas high are rising in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization. The two play for the Quad Cities River Bandits alongside former Agoura Hills teammate Jason Novak. Coincidentally, many other local sensations play in the Midwest League, a Single-A minor league with teams across the heartland.

Matt Magill of Royal, Cutter Dykstra of Westlake, Mike Gilmartin of Moorpark and Corey Jones of Camarillo all play in the same league. But, despite all the talent, Stock is considered one of the finest prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm system.

Novak and Stock used to play for the Agoura Chargers together and later competed against each other in college. Novak pitched for UCLA and Stock caught for USC. Last year they were roomies for the Johnson City Cardinals in Tennessee and now they live in the same apartment complex in Iowa.

As our local talent continues to play at a higher level, they all hope to play until they physically can’t play anymore. Notti explains, “There’s no timeline. You play until you can’t play anymore.”

We wish our fine local boys good health in the future!

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Irma Haldane

Right across the street from our Sotheby’s office in Agoura Hills, the Regency 8 movie theater will be hosting a Wednesday night series. Tomorrow, they will be showing Rear Window, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and staring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. The film is about an adventuresome free-lance photographer who ends up with broken legs, stuck in his wheelchair in a tiny new york apartment.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Celebrate Fathers Day with Will Rogers

By: Irma Haldane

Say the word “Dad” and you will receive $20 adult/$10 kids tickets for the Glendale Centre Theatre’s to see “The Will Roger Follies.”

There are 3 showings, Friday June 18th and 19th, 8:00 p.m., June 20th at 3 p.m.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Irma Haldane

Don’t Drive Around with Extra Goods:

An extra 100 pounds in the trunk will reduce your fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent in the typical vehicle. Edmunds

Streamline, baby:

Less drag is a good thing: Keep the windows rolled up. Remove those roof and bike racks when not in use.

Controlled Accelerations

Easy, tiger. By accelerating slowly and steadily to our cruising speed, we let the vehicle work more efficiently at becoming an object in motion from an object at rest. If we gun the gas and try to get to speed quickly, then we stand the greater chance of needing to slow down again, losing all of that momentum.

Keep the Vehicle Maintained

Dirty oil means more sludge to work through. Keeping your car maintained means saving you from larger repair down the road. Vehicle maintenance saves money, saves the environment, and could save you from being stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Slow down

In a typical family sedan, every 10 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about 54 cents a gallon. CNN Money

Keep that in mind next time you’re barreling down the freeway to make it to Taco Bell.

Coasting To a Stop

When you see a red light or stop sign coming up, then let of the gas and coast to the stop instead of remaining accelerated and hitting the brakes when you get there. By doing so you not only save gas, but your brakes get less of a workout. You save money in both gas and brake replacement, and the planet saves on valuable resources.

Choose the Best route

Just because it’s the shortest route doesn’t mean it’s the most efficient. You want the smoothest trip as possible while being relatively short. Stop and go routes kill gas mileage.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Irma Haldane

Before we get into the point of this blog, first take a look at this video.

In response the most recent spill in the Gulf, Matter of trust is asking salons, groomers, wool farmers, individuals, pet owners to send in hair. Sounds crazy but it’s very useful.

Here are the instructions from Matter of Trust:

A)  SIGN UP with our donor database program Excess Access. It’s FREE & FAST and it allows us to coordinate masses of people and tons of donations.

B) Click on Activation link that we email to you

C) Login and click on How This Works.

D) Once you have been emailed an address, Please follow our Instructions for sending hair / fur / wool / nylons to “GET STARTED” BELOW.

See Photos

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Irma Haldane

“Sunday afternoon around 5 PM I headed into the Target in Philadelphia, Pa. where crime is VERY RARE and mostly it is with bikes being stolen!!  It was still light outside and I parked fairly close to the entrance. As I got out of my car and began walking towards Target, an older lady shouted to me from the passenger seat of a car about 30 feet away from me.
“Ma’am you must help me, help me please, help me Ma’am!”

I looked at her in the eyes and started to walk towards her when all of a sudden I remembered an email my Mom had sent me a week or two ago about rapists and abductions using 2 elderly people to lure women in. I paused, memorized the license plate and immediately headed into Target to get a manager to come help this lady, just in case something was up.

While the woman manager headed out there, I kept a close watch just because I was curious what was wrong with the lady and wanted to be sure nothing happened. As the Target lady walked up towards the car and got very close to the old woman in order to help her, the back door of the car flies open and a large man with stocking cap on, jumps out and sticks a gun to the lady’s stomach as he shoves her into the back of the car.

I yelled out “call 911″ several times and just as I was saying that, a policeman who happened to be on the other side of the parking lot! And who, luckily had seen the entire thing happen, raced over to the car.   He was able to stop the car and arrest the male as well as the old lady, who was involved in the scheme.

By God’s grace everyone was all right, including my self, although I think we were both shaken up.   Like many of you, I would not in a million years have left an elderly person who was yelling for help if it weren’t for the e-mail I had read last week. So, I wanted to pass this along so you all can be aware and remember that you really can’t trust anyone these days. You just never know when something like this could happen.

I would have never dreamed it to happen to me especially on a Sunday afternoon at a Target in a safe area! It definitely was not a coincidence that my Mom sent that Email just a few days before this all happened.

Please, be careful and always be aware of your surroundings. Just because you individually don’t go over to help someone doesn’t mean you have to leave them in trouble, but don’t go ALONE, you really don’t know what might be going on.

This was checked with 20Snopes.com Snopes
This is true – and they also use children to lure the victim

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

This is Brought to you by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

By: Irma Haldane

Renovations that disturb lead-based paint in older residential dwellings and child-occupied facilities must generally comply with the Lead-Based Paint Renovation Rule of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Realtors who act as listing agents or property managers who advise their clients to perform renovations, repairs, or painting projects for such properties may, as a matter of prudence, also want to inform them about these lead renovation requirements.  One common example is when a listing agent recommends that a seller has a home painted to improve its marketability.

Under the newly implemented rule, renovators of target housing built before 1978 must now be trained and EPA-certified to perform safe work practices to prevent lead contamination. Additionally, renovators must deliver EPA’s lead renovation pamphlet to an occupant within 60 days before a project begins (and, if mailed, at least seven days before a project begins).  Renovators must also obtain the occupant’s signed acknowledgment of receipt or substitute documentation as specified.

The EPA issued this rule in 2008, but delayed implementation until now. The rule generally applies to building contractors, handymen, residential landlords, property managers, and anyone else who is paid to perform renovations or to direct workers to perform renovations as specified. The lead renovation rule does not apply to homeowners renovating the homes they live in.  However, sellers of target housing must, among other things, disclose to their buyers any known lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards (C.A.R. Form FLD).

Renovation work covered by the lead renovation rule is defined as a modification of an existing structure that disturbs a painted surface, such as surface restoration or surface preparation activity. Excluded are minor repair and maintenance activities that disrupt up to 6 square feet of interior painted surface or 20 square feet of exterior painted surface.  Demolitions and window replacements are not considered minor repairs.

For more information about the lead renovation rule, C.A.R. offers a legal article entitled Federal Lead-Based Paint Renovation Rule.  See also EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting webpage which includes the new requirements, pamphlets, and other resources.  To locate an EPA-certified renovation firm, go here.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Traffic tickets are more expensive than you thought

By: Irma Haldane

With California steeped in massive debt, increased traffic tickets are one way our State government is generating a few extra bucks. Many motorists remain unaware that roughly $28 in penalty assessments are added to every $10 of a base traffic fine in Ventura County, according to county records. That’s a 180 percent markup to the original ticket.

As Christina Egan recently experienced, a $100 citation, with mandated penalties, can run as high as $446. Astonishingly, a $20 cell phone ticket adds up to $97 and many times reaches $143. A $35 ticket for driving up to 15 mph over the speed limit will end up costing $217, including traffic school.

According to Automobile Club of Southern California, over the past few years traffic penalties have increased up to seven times the cost of the base fine.

In Ventura County, about 55 percent of the overall ticket revenue goes to the county, 34 percent goes to the state, 6 percent is allocated between the city and county — depending on where a ticket is issued — and 5 percent goes to crime victims.

Hopefully this will serve as motivation to slow down a bit, come to a full stop and obey traffic laws.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

California Car Buyers’ Protection Act

By: Irma Haldane

As we’ve been discussing the move over law and understanding the potential implications for failing to comply with the law, I’ve come across a couple other laws that could be important for our readers. Here’s this weeks law according to the DMV:

“This new law requires a vehicle dealer to pay off the outstanding loan or lease balance on any vehicle accepted in trade within 21 calendar days of taking the vehicle in trade. Additionally, it prohibits a dealer from selling, consigning for sale, or transferring a vehicle accepted in trade before the outstanding loan or lease balance has been paid. This law also raises fees for dealer licenses.”

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.