Susan Neal, Fair Oaks CA Real Estate Broker

Here is an opportunity for those who live in California and/or those who care about California's future to express their wishes for at least one government fleet to switch to clean, domestic natural gas. Now is the time, as T. Boone Pickens explains.

Let's help be part of the solution by encouraging the betterment of our environment. There is nothing political about this, as it will help everyone. Thanks for reading.

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From the desk of T. Boone Pickens:

Hey California Army!

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been working to replace old trucks burning dirty, imported diesel with new trucks running on clean, domestic natural gas.

The program has been working, but too slowly. The way these trucking companies rotate their fleets, this is the year when a huge percentage of the trucks will be replaced. They need to be replaced with trucks running on natural gas.

Click here to sign this petition to push forward the Clean Trucks Program.

In California there are 3,700 premature deaths every year due to air pollution. Pollution-related disease and medical conditions, including childhood asthma, costs Californians $19 billion per year.

Helping truckers trade trucks producing diesel fumes that everyone has to breathe - especially children and the elderly - for new trucks which produce no particulate emissions and a fraction of greenhouse gas emissions is an excellent investment for California. It will also be another example of California leading the country in protecting the environment.

Just the other day, California's Air Resources Board approved regulations for its Low Carbon Fuel Standard which will have a real effect on reducing greenhouse gasses from petroleum-based fuels.

Click here to sign this petition to push forward the Clean Trucks Program.

T. Boone Pickens

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

For the past 60 years, Fair Oaks California has been putting on this great celebration the first weekend in May. It was previously known as Fiesta Days, but only the name has changed. All the fun, games, great food, and one of Northern California's best car shows are still favorites that attract fans from all over.

The fun will include entertainment for the whole family, and the event includes a parade, toilet bowl races, frog jump, children's games, food and craft vendors and much, much more, including some great raffle prizes.

All of this takes place in Fair Oaks Village, at adjoining Plaza and Village Parks, and the theme this year is "Pirates of the American River." Come and join the fun from 10 am - 4 pm each day.

The parade starts off the festivities on Saturday morning, with Miss Fair Oaks presiding.

Last year the car show had more than 200 entries, and if you enjoy classic cars and gorgeous and unusual vehicles, you should be sure to be there on Sunday.

The schedule is set forth below, and for full enjoyment, you may want to come both days. While the village proper will be closed to traffic, there is some parking on surrounding streets, but the best plan is to park across Sunrise Blvd in the parking lot of Scandinavian Designs furniture store (Sunrise Blvd and Winding Way), and a shuttle will pick you up and bring you to the festival.

I'll see you there!

Schedule for Saturday, May 2:

8:00am - 4:00pm Shuttle Service
10:00am - Parade
10:00am - 4:00pm Food / Craft / Information Booths
11:00am - 4:00pm Children's Games / Carnival
11:00am - 4:00pm Fair Oaks Historical Society Display
12:00pm - 4:00pm Frog Jump Competition
12:00pm Children's Play
1:30 - Toilet Bowl Race
2:30 - Martial Arts Demo
3:00 - Raffle Drawing

Schedule for May 3:

8:00am - 2:00pm Shuttle Service
7:00am - 11:00am Pancake Breakfast
8:10am Kid's Fun Run
8:30am 5 Mile Sun Run / 2.3 Mile Sun Walk
9:00am - 3:00pm Car Show
10:00am - 4:00pm Food / Craft / Information Booths
10:00am - 3:00pm Children's Games / Carnival
11:00am - 4:00pm Fair Oaks Historical Society Display
12:00pm - 4:00pm Frog Jump Competition
2:00pm Car Show Awards
3:00pm Raffle Drawing

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

This year's Mother-Son Dance will have a western hoedown theme, and should be a great time! Sons can take their moms to a party as a nice Mothers' Day celebration. Usually we hear about father-daughter dances, and Fair Oaks has those too, but this is a special mom-son date.

There will be refreshments, great music, and lots of fun. Pictures will be taken to remember the evening. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. It is organized and conducted by the Fair Oaks Youth Advisory Board, and if you want to order tickets ahead of time, you can get them at the Fair Oaks Recreation and Parks District Office. Hope you will be able to join the fun! Dads - tell your sons about this special way to honor Mom.

The party will be on Friday, May 8, 2009 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Fair Oaks Community Clubhouse at 7997 California Avenue. For more information, you can call (916) 966-1036 or email kalbers@fairoakspark.org.

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

For me, one of the harbingers of spring is the return of the bumblebee overhead as I am planting and working in my spring garden. Yesterday and today, as I was potting some geraniums, I was watched by a big roly-poly black bumblebee. I took a couple of quick photos this morning of one who was supervising my work.

I guess they can sting, but I have never feared them and think they are like tiny buzzy stuffed animals. The ones I always see are all black, round, and fuzzy, and not at all aggressive. Some have said those are carpenter bees because they are all black, but carpenter bees have a longer body and are shiny. These are round and fuzzy, and they are 1/2 inch or more in diameter.

Both bumblebees and carpenter bees are great pollinators, so they should be welcomed to your garden. Besides - they look pretty cute (I think).

I have heard all my life that bumblebees should find it impossible to fly - aeronautically, they are not built for it, with wings that shouldn't be able to support them. But the bumblebee is happy in its ignorance. It believes it can fly, and it can!

Maybe that is a lesson for us all in this springtime, when we are all wondering how the real estate market will turn next and hearing news stories about how we can't see improvement in our businesses for another year or so. I refuse to believe that, and I intend to operate as if I will continue to do well, and I will!

I put every bit as much effort into my marketing as I did when business was the hottest, and I don't understand those Realtors who are cutting back on marketing themselves and their listings because they aren't making as much money these days. It makes no sense to me. I believe I need to work even harder and put even more money and effort into marketing my listings and making sure that everyone knows I am still in business and that my listings are the best at the best price.

I CAN fly, no matter what the talking heads say. How about you?

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

Here's the perfect partner to spring cleaning: Fair Oaks is having its annual community Spring Garage Sale on Saturday, April 25^th from 8:00 am to noon.

There are spaces for 57 booths at Fair Oaks Park, and this is a true garage sale, with sale items limited to the kinds of things you would sell at your own garage sale. You can rent a booth (if there are any left) for $35. The spaces are 15' x 14' (two parking spaces). If you want to pick up a few bargains, admission is free, as is parking.

Fair Oaks Park is at 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd, Fair Oaks, CA - entrance just south of Madison Ave. Come on out and see what treasures you can find!

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.