Westside Reader December 2015

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22 • THE Reader December 2015 a day i n t h e l i F e remembering our veterans r ay t h e r e a lto r® happy holiday real estate! by u.S. Rep. Steve knight Contributing Writer by Ray the Realtor® kutylo Contributing Writer Veterans Day is a day to reflect on the many brave men and women who have risked their lives to protect our country. I am blessed to live in a community that has a large veteran population and is very grateful for that fact. Every year on Nov. 11, there are ceremonies, parades and vigils to commemorate our military men and women throughout the Antelope, Santa Clarita and Simi Valleys. I always make sure that I go to as many of these as possible and that my staff attends the events where I cannot. This year, my day started at my Antelope Valley Office. My staff had been talking for a while with the wife of a gentleman who served in the Air Force in the 1950s who never received his service awards. We tracked down his medals, filed some paperwork with the Air Force, and the awards were delivered to our office. At 0915, fifteen minutes prior to the appointed time, the gentleman arrived excited to finally receive the medals he earned. He brought his entire family… his wife who first contacted our office about the awards, his children who live in the area, and his grandchildren. He was excited to point out that one grandchild was following in his footsteps and would be shipping out to Air Force basic training in December. I had everyone gather in the conference room for a short award ceremony. I am not an officer and he is not wearing dress blues, so there is no formal medal pinning. However, I say a few words about the significance of his medals and thank him for his service. His son then tells him how thankful he is to have a father who has dedicated so much to his country. Lastly, our honoree spoke to all of us about his experience in the service and what his awards meant to him. My next event was down the street at Marie Kerr Park in Palmdale, where the Mobile Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall for the Antelope Valley was on display. Every time I see the Wall, I am moved by the number of names it bears. Each engraving signifies a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation during the Vietnam War. I paid my respects at the Memorial Wall, then found my wife and son who had come for the Veterans Day ceremony. Around 11, the program began. We said the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the national anthem, and heard speeches and poems from veterans around the community. The ceremony concluded with a local choir singing a medley of songs for the various branches of the armed forces, with service members standing during the song of the branch in which they served. Men and women of all ages stood together, World War II veterans alongside those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. When the ceremony was over, my wife Lily and I got in my car and headed toward the Santa Clarita Valley. We had another ceremony that afternoon at Pacifica Senior Living in Newhall, and we couldn’t be late. When we arrived, we were greeted by the Director of Silverado Hospice, who has organized a pinning ceremony for the veterans who live there. The room is full of older service members, their wives and their caretakers. After a quick introduction, I gave a short speech thanking everyone for their service and sacrifice. I called each man by name, and presented them individually with a congressional certificate of recognition and pin a red, white and blue ribbon on their lapel. The process takes a while, but I feel extremely honored to take part in it. The health of many of these men is declining, so I am very glad that they can be recognized for their service while they are still able. After the event concluded, I checked in with my staff, who attended the Habitat for Heroes ceremony off of Centre Pointe Parkway in Santa Clarita. They told me that that the event went off without a hitch. That being said, the events for the day were all finished. I headed home to spend the rest of the day with my family, and to remember all the veterans who risked everything so that I would have the life and freedom I enjoy today. R Steve Knight is the U.S. Representative of California's 25th District, which covers the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys as well as portions of Simi Valley. Bridge to Home continued from page 19 out of homelessness; and those (particularly those with substance abuse or untreated medical issues) who are chronically homeless. After years of helping the SCV’s homeless community, he said the key is to focus on the positive stories and keep pressing forward. “We’ll celebrate the wins,” he said, and added over the past year Bridge to Home has been able to help more than 80 families move into housing. A Hand Up, Not a Handout Angela moved to the Santa Clarita Valley when she was 13 years old. Now 43, she’s spent most of her life here. She’s been homeless for about three years. Raising three daughters as a single mother, and with no child support, her full-time job didn’t provide enough money and they fell behind on rent, leading to an eviction. Her daughters are staying with a relative while she works on getting back into permanent housing. While many active or prospective home sellers and buyers may be taking a break over the holiday season, there are some who want or need to make it happen right now! If either selling your home or buying a home is on your wish list, listen up. This column is for you! This can be a great time to sell your home! There are generally fewer homes on the market from Thanksgiving and into the new year, which means there is less competition for the home seller. In addition, the buyers who are actively looking are motivated! Remember, it only takes one buyer, and the right buyer for your home might be looking right now! Here are some tips for selling your home during the holidays. First, don’t overdo the decorations. While decorations, season’s greetings and holiday cheer will make your home warm and inviting, as always, we want the buyers to be focused on all of the features of your home, not distracted by all of the lights and seasonal decor that you will be taking with you when you move. Consider that, and tone it down a little. Second, work with a Realtor who works year-round and won’t disappear over the holidays. I have a recommendation, of course! But beyond that small solicitation for your business, whomever you use for professional representation, listen to your Realtor in pricing, staging, and negotiating your home for sale. Motivated buyers will be looking for motivated sellers, especially right now, and pricing your home right for today’s market is a must if you want to sell your home. Third, show your home at its finest by making that first impression shine! Buyers For the past several months, she has been using Bridge to Home’s services, and said the organization has made a difference in her life. “This place has given us an opportunity, and a sense of not being looked down on. will generally see the home during the day, so clear the front yard of dead leaves and winter debris, and make sure the entry and front door are clean, fresh, and welcoming! Inside, clear the home of excess clutter and furniture. Pre-pack for your move! We want that clean and neat appearance, for that will get you your best price! Finally, when the home is being shown make sure it is a refuge from the winter cold by bumping up the heat a bit, playing some soft background music, and offering some homemade holiday treats. Remember that any home buyers who are out looking during the holiday season are generally serious buyers, so welcome them into your home, make yourself scarce so that their Realtor can do their job, and if the buyers linger around take some comfort that they like your home just as much as you do. Put a smile on your face and thank them for coming! Home buyers, you know that some of the best deals of the year happen with a holiday home purchase, so take heart with what may be comparatively few offerings, and know that some of the most motivated sellers with some of the best homes are selling this time of year! For each and every one, I wish you joy and happiness, good health, and a wondrous holiday season! R Ray the Realtor® Kutylo grew up in Santa Clarita, and is associated with the SCV Home Team at Keller Williams VIP Properties in Valencia.Call or text us at 661-312-9461 or email at Ray@SCVhometeam.com. CalBRE license number 00918855 A shelter volunteer checks the bag of a client checking in to the shelter for the night on Nov. 19. phoTo By JoSh pReMAko This is a family for us,” she said. “A lot of us on the streets are looking for jobs. . . . I may not have an address, but it doesn’t mean I won’t See Bridge to Home, page 40
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Westside Reader December 2015

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