Health is a Choice

When you hear about nutrition in the news, the news usually comes from the federal government, and the news is typically never good news.  The government references long-established (read: antiquated) baselines for calorie intake or height-to-weight ratios.  People view health articles about nutrition as (unsolicited) advice and, thus, almost never takes it.  The government and health experts have our best interests in mind when they release statistics about the state of our health.  However, we must consider many factors about our health such as family history for pre-existing conditions, current health conditions, and daily lifestyle, among other factors, when deciding what is best about our daily nutrition.  As a result, there are countless possibilities regarding the best recommendations, and the government has no time to determine every possibility for each of us.

Eva Clarke

Eva Clarke, owner of “Health is a Choice”, fills in that void.  As a nutrition and lifestyle consultant with over 20 years’ experience, she works closely with people and provides personalized services based on their needs with nutritional counseling and detoxification therapy, the cleansing of the body’s internal systems and organs, as some of the services that she offers.  The New Year should never be the only time you think about your health, nor should bad news from the latest government study compel you to act.  Call or email Eva and make that life change!

Health is a Choice

Eva Clarke, owner of “Health is a Choice”

Home: 661.259.2729

Cell: 661.573.3586

Email: eaclarke_00 [AT] yahoo [DOT] com

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

Flores Hardwood Floors: Interview with Francisco Flores, Owner (Part 1)

1. What is your name?
   Francisco Flores
2. What is the name of your business?
   Flores Hardwood Floors Co.
3. What year did you establish your business?
   2007
4. How did you go about getting your business started?
   In July 2000, I started working for a flooring company.  After the first year, I was promoted to installation crew leader.  I soon learned the techniques on how to sand and finish wood floors.  It did not take long before the customers started noticing the high quality of work that I was doing.  I started doing cost estimates and, before long, I was running the day-to-day operations.  Then I thought to myself, “Why don’t I take a chance and start my own business?”  And that is how Flores Hardwood Floors started.

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

Santa Clarita, 1986

There are many, many ways that Santa Clarita has changed since my family moved here at the end of 1986. The following list illustrates just how much things have changed in the last 26 years, and these are just a handful of the changes:

Six Flags Magic Mountain

• There were only two rollercoasters that went upside-down: Shockwave, a stand-up rollercoaster, and Revolution.  The latter is still around, yet quite modest compared to Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom, which opened to the public on July 7, 2012.
• Six Flags divided the park into “areas”: Area 1 (Revolution), Area 2 (Bugs Bunny World), etc..
• They hosted hip hop and R&B concerts there briefly with acts such as Paperboy and TLC.
• Hurricane Harbor would arrive nine years later.

Around town

• The west terminus of Newhall Ranch Road connected to Avenue Scott, next to the old Daily News building.
• Rye Canyon Road was a cul-de-sac, ending in front of HR Textron (now Woodward HRT).
• Copper Hill Drive ended at McBean Parkway.
• The Old Road was discontinuous at its south end, turning into Valencia Blvd. and restarting at Pico Canyon Road.
• Stevenson Ranch did not exist and the land to the west of the freeway was mostly farmland.  I would see the cows grazing next to the southbound 5 freeway between Valencia Blvd. and McBean Parkway on my way to church.
• At the intersection of McBean Parkway and Bouquet Canyon Road, the sole commercial area was Bouquet Center in the northeast corner across the street from the present-day Burger King and Best Buy.
• By the way, Newhall Ranch Road ended just after that shopping center.
• K-Mart was the sole department store.  Target arrived a year later in 1987.
• The southbound Lyons Ave. exit was to the left of Carl’s Jr., not to the right as it is now, and it was without a traffic light.
• If you stood at where Target would be built on Magic Mountain Parkway, you could see clear across the undeveloped land where the Westfield Valencia is now.
• There were no Starbucks(!).
• The computer monitors at Valencia Public Library displayed information in orange.
• The traffic lights at the intersection of Soledad Canyon and Rainbow Glen Drives were not yet turned on.
• People going to the swap meet at Saugus Speedway used to park on Soledad Canyon.
• The south terminus of Whites Canyon Road was next to Ralph’s.  Yes, another cul-de-sac.
• The father of my elementary school classmate owned a lot of the land around Newhall Ranch Road, McBean Parkway, and Decoro Drive.  Chesebrough County Park is named after him.
• The bowling alley, Newhall Bowl, occupied what is now Valencia Lanes.  The theater next door used to show movies weeks into their run.  50’s Cafe occupied what is now Lily’s Cafe.

What other changes have you seen around Santa Clarita? Post them in the comments below.

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

Flores Hardwood Floors

Like most industries, the flooring industry was hit hard by the economic slowdown of 2009.  Industry leaders have fought hard to navigate the economic storms and industry crises that have befallen the industry.  The president of Floorcovering News, aware of the uncertainty that lingers in the industry, has emphasized staying optimistic, focused, and determined while providing practical advice to keep businesses afloat.

Francisco Flores

Francisco Flores established Flores Hardwood Floors in 2007 with the purpose of displaying his capabilities in working with wood floors.  His company takes the time to understand their client’s needs and offers a wide array of services such as traditional wood floor installation, sanding and finishing, and hand distressed finishes.  If you are ready to replace the old, run-down carpet installed in your house, give Flores Hardwood Floors a call!

Flores Hardwood Floors

Francisco Flores, owner of Flores Hardwood Floors
Telephone: 818.321.8449
Email: flores4flores [AT] yahoo [DOT] com

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

EXIT Realty: Interview with Chris Gabledon, Realtor (part 3)

1. Is EXIT Realty looking to hire in the coming year?
   Yes
2. What have you done to go the extra mile for your clients?
   I had a client that was looking to purchase his dream home in the Santa Clarita Valley when, all of a sudden, my client was notified that his company was relocating him out of the area.  Immediately, I switched gears and focused on the area where he would be transferred and within a week, I was able to find my client’s dream home and the family was very happy.

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

EXIT Realty: Interview with Chris Gabledon, Realtor (part 2)

1. What is the niche that makes you stand out above everybody else?
   Excellent client relationship and the ability to get the client from A to Z, whether it’s a purchase or a sale.
2. What products and/or services do you offer?
   Our services at EXIT Realty include helping buyers as well as sellers in their real estate transactions.  We process short sales, loan modifications, relocations and guidance in how to move forward in the real estate market.
3. What kind of promotions do you offer?  What kind of promotions would you like to offer?
   N/A
4. What do you like about working in the Santa Clarita Valley?
   We have been working in the Santa Clarita Valley for over 10 years.  We have established a great relationship with our clients and their families to make the Santa Clarita Valley a great place to live for our kids.
5. In terms of your business, what are you looking forward to in the coming year?
   Reaching out to potential clients who are looking for alternatives to foreclosure and guiding them on the alternative choices that are available to them.  We also look forward to guiding our clients and prospective clients in buying or selling property in a timely manner with the least amount of stress.

   (to be continued…)

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

EXIT Realty: Interview with Chris Gabledon, Realtor (part 1)

1. What are your names?
   Chris & Lisa Gabledon (jointly)
2. What is the name of your business?
   EXIT Realty
3. What year did you establish your business?
   1998
4. How did you go about getting your business started?
   Learning about the business through seminars, training classes, and prospecting.

   (to be continued…)

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

EXIT Realty

According to the Department of Commerce, December saw a 4% drop in new home starts, while 2009 was the worst year in home starts in decades.  However, the outlook for 2010 is much more positive, as the department has seen that builders in 2010 have pulled 11% more permits for home starts than last month.  Builders are forecasting that 2010 will offer a more favorable climate for housing construction and sales as a result of a recovering economy and declining unemployment.

Chris Gabledon, Realtor for EXIT Realty

Chris Gabledon, realtor for EXIT Realty SCV, looks forward to serving prospective home buyers in the coming year.  A realtor in the Santa Clarita Valley since 1998, he provides services such as helping buyers and sellers with real estate transactions, and processing short sales, loan modifications, relocations, and guidance in navigating the real estate market.  If you are looking for a company that can help you buy or sell property in a timely manner, or are looking for alternatives to foreclosure, look no further than Chris Gabledon!

Chris Gabledon, Realtor for EXIT Realty SCV
23734 Valencia Blvd., Suite 307
Valencia, CA 91355
Ph: 661.254.3948 Ext. 213
chrisgabledon [AT] aol [DOT] com
Lic. #01227710

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

Facebook.com/FlowerBlossoms is online!

We’d like to thank everybody for their support in helping us to acquire Facebook.com/FlowerBlossoms, the official URL of Flower Blossoms’ Facebook Page! It took all day, but with your help and at least 25 of you becoming a Fan of Flower Blossoms, we were able to add the link!  We look forward to promoting small and medium businesses (SMB’s) in Santa Clarita, CA, in the coming year.  Thank you very much!

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

Valencia Welding: Interview with Rick Montoya, President (part 3)

1. Are you looking to hire in the coming year?
   Yes, I would like to start hiring once students graduate from the welding program at COC.  They will join the Valencia Welding team to do welding and fabricating services and make repairs on site at local restaurants.  Also, we were invited to participate in the second annual business expo/job fair, which will be held at the OLPH campus in Santa Clarita.
2. Going the extra mile for our customers.
   On one occasion, I was clear across the Santa Clarita Valley when one of our customers called and needed a weld repair on a critical stainless steel mold.  Without this weld repair, they would not be able to proceed with the production of their products.  Plus, the customer was at their facilities waiting to see the production of their product get back online.  So I got a call at 7:00AM in the morning and had to go across town and be at my customer’s facility within the hour to perform the weld repair.  I arrived within the hour, completed the weld repair, and my customer and their customer were very happy with the results and the production went back on track.

Francis M. Unson

FacebookTwitterWordPress

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now