Preventative Maintenance

By Dave Trux

Preventative maintenance. Two simple words. Now think of your teeth. Most of us practice preventative maintenance every day by brushing our teeth at least twice a day. Some of us carry it a step further by flossing. Why? Because our parents, spouses, partners, and dentists have espoused the virtues of practicing good oral hygiene for as long as we can remember. That’s right, preventative maintenance.

It’s equally important to think preventative maintenance toward the car you drive, yet few people ever do. Instead, the majority of car owners wait until a component fails which, in most cases, leads to expensive vehicle repairs.

Daily, our shop recommends preventative maintenance services to customers. Belts, hoses, fluid flushes, and suspension alignments are all common examples of what we suggest. Most of our customers are receptive to our suggestions because we take the time to explain the hows and whys of preventative maintenance. Additionally, we explain what can happen should specific recommendations be neglected. In most instances, vehicle repairs of poorly maintained vehicles prove to be quite costly.

Please take my advice. The next time your automotive service provider suggests that your vehicle is due for a maintenance item, chances are high that they are looking out for the welfare of your vehicle. Ask questions! It’s your right to know the benefit of investing in a suggested repair.

Lastly, keep in mind that investing in preventative maintenance now will ultimately save you money down the road. Happy motoring!

Ralph Opfer's Floors is more than Floors!

Gregg Lawson, the co-owner of Ralph Opfer Floors, is more than just a flooring installer. He’s also an experienced general contractor and he helped me update my old house. In addition to installing beautiful new floors throughout the house, he removed parts of several walls and installed a beautiful new vanity, shower fixtures and toilets in both bathrooms! His wife Lynn scoured the U.S. for manufacturers and found a floor that matched what I already had, which had been discontinued. Aside from being very professional and efficient, they’re just really friendly. They went out of their way to help me make my dreams come true!

Cathi Slaminski & Mojo the Cat

From Rags to Witches - The Author of Harry Potter’s Rise to Fame & Fortune

By Bob Cox

For the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, life wasn't always gobstones and quidditch (fun and games). Joanne "Jo" Rowling managed to condense a lifetime of emotional and financial hardships in seven transformative years. Before her first book was published in 1997, she was hit hard by personal and financial tragedy. During the early 1990’s, she survived the death of her mother, who had battled multiple sclerosis for years and a divorce from her first husband. After the divorce, she was an unemployed single parent that relied on state benefits to make ends meet.

During those difficult years, Rowling saw herself as a complete failure. Her marriage was in shambles and she was jobless with a dependent baby girl (Jessica). Biographers have speculated that Rowling suffered domestic abuse during her brief marriage. Her estranged husband (Jorge Arantes) traveled from their former home in Portugal to Scotland, seeking both Rowling and her daughter. She obtained an order of restraint and Arantes returned to Portugal, with Rowling filing for divorce in 1994. Desperate for financial help, Rowling signed up for welfare benefits. She described her economic status as being "poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless." During this period, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression and actually contemplated suicide. Her illness later inspired the soul-sucking creatures in her books known as Dementors. Despite all these difficult setbacks, Rowling described these challenges as liberating and allowed her to focus on writing.

Rowling got her inspiration to write a few years earlier (1990), while on a train that was delayed for several hours from Manchester to London. Five tumultuous years later, Rowling finished her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on an old manual typewriter, pecking away in a number of café's though out the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. The manuscript was submitted and rejected by twelve publishing houses.

Rowling refused to quit and finally got her big break a year later when her book was accepted by editor Barry Cunningham from Bloomsbury, a publishing house in London. Her advance was just £1500 (British pound, which is the equivalent of $1.48 U.S. dollars) with 1,000 books in print. At that time, Cunningham advised Rowling to get a day job, since she had little chance of making money in children's books. The following year, Rowling got her second big break and received an £8000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council to enable her to continue writing. In February 1998, the novel won the British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year, and later, the Children's Book Award. Later that same year, an auction was held in the United States for the rights to publish the novel. The highest bidder was Scholastic Inc., for $105,000. Rowling said that she "nearly died" when she heard the news.

From that moment on, Rowling has been riding high on a tsunami of success. She would go on to write six sequals, with Harry Potter becoming the best selling book series in history with over 400 million copies sold. Her books went on to become the basis for a series of motion pictures, which also became the highest-grossing film series in history. She is the United Kingdom's best-selling living author, with sales in excess of £238 million. Harry Potter has become a global brand worth an estimated $15 billion. Through it all, Rowling has maintained creative control on the scripts with final approval.

Despite her dismal circumstances, Rowling found one thing to get truly excited about. One thing to pour her heart, soul and imagination into...her writing. Instead of giving up and laying down on the tracks in front of the oncoming train that was the light at the end of the tunnel, she gracefully moved to the side, gathered her courage and leaped aboard the Hogwartz Express to experience the great unknown. Today, Rowling enjoys living in a seventeenth-century Edinburgh house with her second husband, Neil Michael Murray, along with their daughter Jessica from her first marriage and son, David. Her future appears brighter than a train light. 

Be Smart & Protect your Smart Phone

By Alika Salazar

The cost of an average new smart phone these days runs around $600. I’m not sure if that’s a lot of money for you, but I think that’s a pretty big investment for most of us. For that reason alone, I highly recommend a screen protector for your smart phone. They’re relatively inexpensive and they could save you a costly repair down the road should you drop your phone on a hard surface, like say the road!

There are two different types of screen protectors that are on the market. There is a plastic screen protector, which usually comes in a clear or an anti-glare form. The other type is a glass screen protector. I highly recommend the glass screen protectors because they look and feel just like the glass screen on a smart phone. They don't feel like plastic, so a lot of people don't even know they have them on.

As a matter of fact, we've actually had a lot of people that have come in thinking they have a broken screen and get a quote around $95 to make that repair. Afterwards, our technician may look at their phone and realize that it’s only a broken glass screen protector. The glass on the phone may be totally fine! Of course, when that happens, we’re happy to tell them that their phone is okay and there is no charge. When this happens, we also give them a second option, which is to install a brand new glass screen protector for just $34.99. When compared to the original repair quote of $95, most people tend to say yes because they want to stay protected and they can still walk away saving around $60!

We carry glass screen protectors for all the iPhone models, including the iPhone 4, 5, 6 and 6+. We also carry the Galaxy line, from the S3, S4, S5, Galaxy Note 2, Note 3 and Note 4. We also have screen protectors for the iPad 2, 3, 4 and the iPad Mini. We have these screen protectors in stock in all three stores, so feel free to drop by and please use the coupon from our ad below and save even more!

So, what happens to your smart phone when you drop it in your friend’s swimming pool or even worse, the dreaded toilet? Before you take your soaking smart phone to the local morgue, stay tuned as we’ll talk about that in the next edition! If you don’t want to wait, no worries. Come see us at your convenience; we’re here to help! 

Inspiration

By Bob Cox

Am I the only person that sometimes feels like I’m on auto pilot, trudging through menial tasks that seem to spill over from one day to the next like a conveyor belt in an old factory? Over time, I have become a man of many rituals and far too many are rediculous. The newest one is making sure that the bills in my wallet face in the same direction and must be in ascending order. Stop the madness!

Fortunately, not all of my rituals are that trivial as I've recently recommitted myself to habitually doing the one thing that helps me snap out of “skyway hypnosis” and get back behind the wheel of life: searching for new stories that are truly inspiring. Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time and from anybody, including the kid you knew or thought you knew that decided to throw caution to the wind and go into business for himself.

When I first met Robert Ballard nearly a decade ago, he had just become the proud new owner of Muffler’s USA in Rancho Cordova. I thought he was still a kid. Isn't it funny how the older we get, the older other people get but we still see them as kids? The other day in our park, a mother who lives with her 70 year old daughter was asked about her daughter’s rocky relationship with her older boyfriend. The mother answered, “I don’t care what those kids do as long as it doesn't interfere with my life!

Nevertheless, Robert grew up around cars, watching his father tinker with them for hours at a time. He shared that he was never great in school, but instead of pouting over what he didn't excel at, Robert chose to go after something he had a passion and talent for, the automotive industry. After finishing high school, Ballard went to trade school for three years, earned a welding certificate and worked in the welding industry for another three years when tragedy threw a wrench into his life.

One day, while driving in his beautifully restored 1972 Olds Cutlass, he got rear-ended by a drunk driver. A week later, he received a modest settlement and made a life changing decision. “Even though I liked my work as a welder, it was hard to deal with the boss at times, so I quit my job and I bought that shop (Muffler’s USA). From there it's history… I didn't even know what I was doing at the time but I made it work. I knew how to do the work, but running the business was something I had to learn the hard way”, laughed Robert!

Robert could've stayed in his comfort zone, doing work he loved in his small shop, but there was one unmet desire he wanted to achieve during his lifetime: to own and operate a full service automotive repair facility with his long-time friend Mike Velasquez. Mike called him one day last year and let him know he was ready to make their childhood dream come true. With several years under his belt working as a certified auto repair technician for a local dealership, Mike’s experience, combined with Robert’s talents with the torch have helped them achieve success in their newest venture: Automotive USA in Carmichael, CA.

The next time your looking for inspiration or you just need to fix a blown head gasket or an exhaust leak in your vehicle, don’t dispair. Stop by Automotive USA and tell those “kids” that Bob sent you!

Discover the Charm of Ione

By Bob Cox

My wife Diana had recently suggested that we do something different for a change and take a ride out to the country. When I asked her where, she wasn't sure. A few days later I got a call from Kraig Clark, the owner of Clark’s Corner Restaurant in Ione. He suggested we meet in his restaurant and I eagerly agreed.

Through each passing mile, I felt the stress of the day slowly dissolve into a peaceful euphoria. The sparse traffic and lush green rolling hills covered in hearty Oaks made me feel like I was hours away from hustle and bustle of the city. In reality, the entire journey actually took just 45 minutes from the Sacramento area!

The rustic charm of Ione was undeniable as I pulled up and stepped into Clark’s Corner. I felt as if I stepped back in time to the mid 1800’s, which created some vivid imaginations. Kraig greeted me immediately and suggested we sit outside on their beautiful patio behind the restaurant. I was eager to learn more about this community that reminded me of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show.

Q: Why should people who visit Ione make Clark’s Corner their first stop?

A: A lot of people like to stop for a specialty coffee or meal to relax and plan their day if they are taking a day trip. We have a comfortable atmosphere and we keep up with what’s happening in the community so we can help direct people based upon their interests.

Q: Can you tell us a little about the history of Ione?

A: Ione was an important supply center, rail stop and agricultural hub for gold miners.

Q: Clark’s Corner in Ione is much more than just a restaurant and a great place to eat. Can you tell us about the thought process behind this business?

A: We started Clark’s Corner over six years ago to promote and support the community. I always call it a community center because we’re here to serve the community and we have a lot of community activities that we promote. Because we have a small community, we have to try and satisfy many different tastes and desires for the community. For example, we have story time on Tuesday mornings, trivia (2^nd Thursday), bingo (3^rd Wednesday), prime rib on Friday, live music and dinner specials on Saturdays and Clark’s Kids on Sunday afternoons. We also have a lot of events and activities, such as a cycling challenge once a year in October where we've hosted Grand Tour champion Chris Horner for the past 5 years. We've done unique and eclectic things like a sock hop, car show, one man play, belly dancing, barefoot runner, 3-time world champion boxer and a host of other activities. It’s worked out really well and the community supports what we’re doing, which is the reason behind why we started Clark’s Corner.

Q: What are some of the fun things to see and do here in Ione?

A: We have the historical Preston Castle, which was built in the 1890's. If golfing is your game, we have a really fantastic golf course, which has great views of Preston Castle. We have a group of about 25 people that golf and then dine at Clark’s Corner afterwards. We have the old train engine downtown called Iron Ivan that celebrates the important area railway history. This is also a great area for cycling. We get a lot of people from Stockton and Sacramento because there are great foothill rides here. It’s the perfect place to stop if you’re out for a country drive.

Q: Are there any big events coming up in the next couple months?

A: We have a big Mother’s Day brunch on Mother’s Day (May 10). We also have the Ione Homecoming, which will be the second weekend in May on Friday and Saturday. There’s a great hometown parade that goes through downtown on Saturday morning at 10 am. There will be carnival rides, a soap-box derby and many activities for kids and adults. We have a fireworks celebration that Friday over at Howard Park. It’s a big event and it’s been going on for 139 years!

Q: Do a lot of people book weddings here?

A: Yes, we have a lot of services for people that are booking weddings. We host rehearsal dinners, after wedding parties and wedding-day caterings. We started offering wedding planning services to help the brides plan and coordinate their special day. We’re hosting a wedding fair on June 6^th at Preston Castle and it’s free to vendors and brides. There are twenty-one confirmed vendors and we've partnered with Real Weddings to help with the marketing. There are some great wedding venues in town including Preston Castle, the Heirloom Inn and private ranches, which are beautiful. We’re opening a small two unit bed and breakfast a couple of doors down from Clark’s Corner. This is in a building that was built in the late 1800’s.

Q: I've heard that there are a large number of wineries nearby. Can you tell us about them?

A: Yes, there are over 40 wineries in Amador County. It’s become a popular destination because of the proximity to Sacramento and there are some fantastic wines. A lot of people like to stop at Clark’s Corner either before or after their wine-tasting experience.

Q: It looks like you also have plenty of shops and restaurants to enjoy.

A: Absolutely! We have a diverse selection of restaurants including Don Luis (Mexican), Ione Kitchen (Italian), Paisano's Pizza, Ione Chinese Restaurant, Ione Café and many others. We have some great salons including Platinum Hair as well as some cute boutique shops like Ione-It-Now and Zoey's Place. A lot of people like to pamper themselves at the salons and then come to Clark’s Corner for lunch.

Editor’s notes: For more information about Ione or Clark’s Corner, visit www.clarkscornerione.com, call (209) 274-2233 or stop by their restaurant at 12 Main Street in Ione, CA.

The Tornado the blew away Polio

By Bob Cox

The world’s fastest woman got off to a slow and shaky start in life. Born prematurely on June 23, 1940, in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee, the frail baby girl weighed in at a meager 4.5 pounds. At the age of four, she was diagnosed with infantile paralysis, which was caused by the polio virus. For the next five years, she wore a brace on her left leg and foot and was required to wear an orthopedic shoe for support of her foot for two more years. Her family traveled regularly from Clarksville, Tennessee, to Nashville, Tennessee, for treatments. Before she reached her teens, she had also survived bouts of polio and scarlet fever. The girl’s name was Wilma Glodean Rudolph.

Her entire childhood was extremely difficult for the girl who, later in life would be called The Tornado. “I grew up a lot different from most kids. I grew up with childhood illnesses. I wore braces until I was nine years old. I think the most difficult moment growing up was being teased by my peers and not being accepted to play and do all the things that one wants to do growing up,” said Rudolph.

With sheer determination and years of physical therapy, she was able to overcome the disease and conquer all those physical disabilities. At the age of 12, she finally achieved her dream of shedding her handicap and becoming like other children. “My doctors told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother,” explained Rudolph.

Growing up in the segregated south, Rudolph attended the all-black Burt High School. Her older sister was on the girls basketball team, and Wilma wanted to follow her footsteps. During her teenage years, she grew very tall, to a height of 5’11 and became a basketball star, setting state records for scoring and leading her team to the state championship.

When Tennessee State University track coach Ed Temple saw the tenth grader for the first time, he knew he had found a phenominal athlete. Being discovered by Temple was the major break for the talented young athlete who worked hard to achieve a new dream: To become the most famous woman runner in the world.

While attending Burt High School, Rudolph also joined Temple's summer program at Tennessee State and trained regularly for two years. At just 16 years old, Rudoph won a bronze medal in the 1956 Olympics in Melborne, Australia and four years later set new records in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and won the 400 meter relay in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. She became the first American woman to win three gold medals in Olympic track and field competition. Her triumph was called a miracle and she was hailed throughout the world as "the fastest woman in history".

Rudolph was also regarded as a civil rights and women's rights pioneer. Along with a few other 1960 Olympic athletes, Rudolph became an international star due to the first television coverage of the Olympics that year. When Rudolph returned home to Clarksville, her homecoming parade and banquet were the first fully integrated municipal events in the city's history.

Rudolph retired from track competition in 1962 after winning two races at a U.S.–Soviet meet. In 1963, she earned a bachelor's degree at Tennessee State University and went on to work as a teacher at Cobb Elementary School, coached track at Burt High School and became a sports commentator on national television.