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Community Interest Port of Redwood City Reports Third Highest Tonnage in Modern History Maritime business for the fiscal year that ended June 30 at the Port of Redwood City was the third highest in modern history at 1,487,064 metric tons, up four percent from last year. The increase follows two years of declining tonnage due to the slump in demand for building materials. Port Operations Manager Don Snaman reported to port commissioners that the overall tonnage increase was despite a significant decrease in imported cement tonnage from the prior fiscal year by 205,885 metric tons. The drop-off was offset by large increases in imported sand and aggregates, a combined 424,000 metric ton increase over last year. This ranks sand and aggregates, imported from British Columbia, as the port’s largest volume commodity at 39 percent of total tonnage. It is followed by ferrous scrap metal exports at 22 percent. Gypsum imports from Mexico were 211,118 metric tons for FY 06–07, a 23.8 percent decrease. Pabco Gypsum Company uses the gypsum to manufacture wallboard in Newark for the building industry, and as for cement, the decrease reflects the decline in the demand for building materials. Cemex imported 59,800 metric tons of cement from Asia during the fiscal year, a 77 percent decrease over the previous year and down dramatically from two years ago, which was a record 602,000 tons. Yet other building materials were up significantly. Imported sand was up 177 percent to 318,532 metric tons, bauxite was up 18 percent to 81,888 metric tons and aggregates were up 423 percent to 272,112 metric tons. SimsMetal exported 332,595 metric tons of scrap metal to the Far East during the fiscal year, an 8.2 percent decrease over the prior year. The scrap metal includes thousands of abandoned cars that in days gone by were stored in junkyards or discarded in local landfills. Fiscal year 2008 saw 115 ships and barges call upon the port. www.SpectrumMagazine.net Peter B. Diaz, CPA, Receives 2008 Best of Redwood City Award Peter B. Diaz, CPA, has been selected for the 2008 Best of Redwood City award in the Tax Return Preparation & Filing category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA). The USLBA “Best of Local Business” award program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA award program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising. The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. The organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Their mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America. Dodge Named Port’s Chairman for Ninth Time in 28 Years Dick Dodge, one of the longest serving port commissioners in American history, has been elected chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Port of Redwood City for the ninth time. Dodge is in his 28th year as a commissioner and his current fiveyear term expires in August 2010, when he will be in his 30th year. He is past president of the Pacific Coast Association of Port Authorities and has served on the board of directors and as a regional representative. He also is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority Technical Advisory Council. In his professional life, Dodge is president of Redwood City–based T.H.E. Office City, which he has grown over the past 30 years from a one-employee operation to one of the three largest independent office product dealers in Northern California. Dodge earned a degree in business administration (marketing) from University of Southern California. He and his wife of 43 years, Ginny, have three married daughters and seven grandchildren. Prior to joining the office products industry, he was the western regional manager of Airborne Express. He oversaw the company’s marketing and operations efforts for an area extending from Alaska to San Diego and from Denver to Hawaii. Meet BABI Peninsula 2008 “Empowered Parents, Healthy Families” Sept. 27, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Downtown Redwood City Public Library, 1044 Middlefield Road Library phone number 650-780-7018 Free to public About BABI: Bay Area Birth Information (BABI) promotes awareness of evidence-based care and options in order to reduce unnecessary birth interventions, improve breastfeeding success rates and preserve healthy mother/ baby/family attachments. BABI is a 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization with chapters on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the South Bay region. Please join us for an open house connecting parents with birth and parenting professionals, services and information, covering pre-conception, pregnancy, birth and parenting. Connect with products and services that provide you with factbased options during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Meet with acupuncturists, chiropractors, childbirth educators, doulas, midwives, massage therapists and others. Learn about healthy pregnancy, birth and parenting practices, caring for your newborn, infant massage, wearing a sling, soothing your baby, healthy nutrition, going green for baby, how to take care of you and much more! Bring the whole family and join us for door prizes, personal consultations, kids’ activities, refreshments, demonstrations and more. For more information, contact Sandy Caldwell at 650-261-9008 or caldwell.sandy@gmail.com. Online application available at www. bayareabirthinfo.org. Sequoia Counseling Services Informational Fair Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 165 Arch St., Redwood City Life is stressful and sometimes we don’t know where to go to get the help we need when we need it most. Sequoia Counseling Services is sponsoring a free, no-obligation community service fair designed to introduce the many forms of therapy and their usefulness for various issues. Twenty-minute demonstrations and presentations will be held throughout the day in seven therapy rooms. For more information, call 650- 363-0383. Visit sequoiacounseling. com for a detailed schedule. Peninsula Hills Women’s Club Multi-family Garage Sale 1686 Carleton Court, Redwood City September 6th 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Finance: Strike a Balance Between Saving for Retirement, College By David Amann, Special to The Spectrum If you have young children, you may want them to attend college someday, and you may want to help them pay for it. At the same time, you also need to save for a comfortable retirement lifestyle. Are the two goals compatible? There’s no easy answer to this question. But one thing seems clear: For many parents, saving and investing for their children’s future is every bit as important — and maybe more so — than saving and investing for their own. In fact, two-thirds of parents said they would postpone retirement if necessary to help pay for their children’s college education, according to a survey by Alliance Bernstein Investments, Inc. Parents have good reason to believe that investing in a college education will pay off for their children: Over the course of their lifetimes, college graduates will earn, on average, about $1 million more than high school graduates, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So, since a college education appears to be quite valuable, shouldn’t you do everything you can to help pay for it? Ultimately, you’ll have to weigh your potential college contributions against your need to save for your own retirement. On one hand, you’d like to help your children as much as possible; as a parent, you don’t want your children saddled with enormous debts when they leave college. But on the other hand, that type of reluctance may be based more on emotion than on a sound financial strategy. After all, college graduates seem to find a way to eventually pay off their loans. Furthermore, your children may be able to find grants, scholarships and work-study opportunities. Many students can earn a decent amount of money at summer jobs, too. Nonetheless, you still may feel obligated to pay something toward your children’s college education. But if you’re going to help pay for college, be smart about it. For example, think twice before borrowing from your 401(k). Such a move will slow the growth potential of your retirement funds and it could prove costly in other ways, too. For one thing, if you leave your job, voluntarily or involuntarily, you’ll need to repay your 401(k) loan completely, usually within 60 days. If you can’t, the balance will be considered a taxable distribution, and you may even have to pay a 10 percent penalty on it. Instead of tapping into your 401(k), IRA or other accounts you’ve designated for retirement, look for other ways to help build your children’s college funds. You might decide to open a Section 529 plan, which offers tax-free earnings potential, provided the money is used to pay for higher education costs. You can put whatever you can afford into a Section 529 plan, along with gifts from grandparents or other relatives. Contributions are tax-deductible in certain states for residents who participate in their own state’s plan. Please note that a 529 College Savings Plan could reduce a beneficiary’s ability to qualify for financial aid. You might also want to consider a Coverdell Education Savings Account, which offers another tax-advantaged way to save for college. As you already know, much of your life involves balancing acts of one type or another, so you should be able to handle one more — college for your kids against a comfortable retirement for you. By making the right moves, though, you may be able to reach an “equilibrium” that works for everyone. Senior Activities The Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City, is providing the following activities that are open to the public. Monday Morning Movie Madness (MMMM) September is Shirley Temple Month! Every Monday, 10 a.m.–noon Enjoy a free classic movie in our state-of-the-art movie theater! After the movie, enjoy a hearty lunch for only $4.50. Mmmm good! Call Michele at 650-780-7344 for more information. Monday, Sept. 8: “Heidi” Monday, Sept. 15: “Baby Take A Bow” Monday, Sept. 22: “Poor Little Rich Girl” Monday, Sept. 29: “Little Princess” Wednesday Wii Bit of Fitness! Every Wednesday, 9:30–11 a.m. This ongoing program utilizes the latest and greatest Nintendo technology to help you focus on your fitness goals while having fun. Check out the latest craze with the Fitness Wii. Free for all! For more info, call Michele at 650-780-7344. National Senior Center Week Monday, Sept. 8, through Saturday, Sept. 13 Today’s senior centers are evolving to reflect a new view of aging that empowers the people they serve. They’re connecting older adults with meaningful work and volunteer opportunities, and increasing their access to valuable benefits and resources. Through evidence-based programs, they’re helping them manage their health and finances so they can continue to live in their homes as long as possible. From career counseling and financial planning to tools for staying healthy, there is no doubt senior centers work. Mark your calendars for all of our upcoming events commemorating National Senior Center Week in September! For more information regarding National Senior Center Week activities, please contact Merrylen Sacks at 650-780-7320. Grandparents Day Celebration Monday, Sept. 8, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Refreshments, music and more. Let’s Talk Cars Monday, Sept. 8, 1–2 p.m. Free lecture in the Sunset Room. Relief From Shingles Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1–2 p.m. Free lecture in the Sunset Room. Medicare Part D Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1–2 p.m. Free lecture in the Sunset Room. Nutrition for Your Health Thursday, Sept. 11, 1–2 p.m. Free lecture in the Sunset Room. Walk for the Health of It Community Celebration Saturday, Sept. 13, 8 a.m.–noon Get your walking shoes ready! The VMSC is proud to host its first annual Walk for the Health of It Community Celebration. Festivities will include a community walk (registration begins at 8 a.m., walk begins at 9 a.m.), health and wellness demonstrations, petting zoo, food and beverages, music and more! Event is free and open to everyone. Celebration will be located at Red Morton Park and the VMSC. No pre-registration required. Come out and join the fun! For more information, please call Bruce Utecht at 650-780-7306. To learn more about the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, call 780-7270. Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department provides recreational facilities and activities for all ages and interests, and supplies building and custodial services for city buildings. Redwood City Parks also operates the Veterans Memorial Senior Center and the Fair Oaks Community Center, providing social, educational and cultural activities, as well as information, referral and counseling services to persons living in Redwood City and neighboring communities. Redwood City Parks is more than you think! Its Web site is located at www.redwoodcity.org/parks. The Spectrum 37
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