Ellen Bettencourt Realtor - Livermore, California

Nestled between the most inland border of the East Bay of California and the hilly pass to the Central Valley, sits Livermore, CA; a luxurious family friendly town surrounded by the award winning Livermore Valley Wine Country.

Whether you’re looking for a full-time luxury property in Livermore or weekend spot among the Livermore luxury condos, let Ellen Bettencourt be your guide to luxury homes in Livermore. Check out my Livermore Luxury Homes Web Site

Ellen Bettencourt and her husband Henry moved to Livermore in 1978 and over that time have watched the small farming town grow and blossom into a booming city. In 1983 Ellen joined the Livermore real estate community, and together with her real estate broker/ranch-appraiser husband, owned and operated Bettencourt Real Estate and Appraisal Company in downtown Livermore. From then until now, it has been Ellen’s honor to help those with dreams of owning luxury properties in Livermore reach their goals.

If you’re in the market for Livermore luxury homes for sale, turn to Ellen Bettencourt for all your purchasing needs.

- 26 Years Experience in Real Estate
- Member, Bay East Association of Realtors
- Member, California Association Of Realtors
- Certified Distressed Property Expert
- Graduate Of Real Estate Institute

Livermore luxury properties for sale come in all shapes and sizes. Taking into account your specific desires – large kitchen, multiple fireplaces, built-in swimming pool, a half dozen bedrooms, etc – Ellen will find the Livermore luxury property for sale that best meets your needs.

Catchable rainbow trout, (fall through spring) and channel catfish, (summer) are planted by the District in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Game. Aside from the trout and catfish, the District promotes the reproduction and growth of gamefish species in all of its lakes, including bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and sunfish.

Two of the area’s best places for fishing are Lake Del Valle in Livemore, and Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton.

Lake Del Valle
7000 Del Valle Road
Livermore, CA 94550-9533
(925) 373-0332

Only 10 miles south of Livermore, CA, Lake Del Valle sits deep in a valley surrounded by beautiful hills covered with oak trees. Lake Del Valle is the five-mile long centerpiece of the Del Valle Regional Park, offering a variety of water recreation.

Shadow Cliffs
2500 Stanley Boulevard
Pleasanton, California 94566
(510) 544-3230

Shadow Cliffs, formerly a gravel quarry, is a wonder place for swimming and fishing, located only a mile from downtown Pleasanton on Stanley Boulevard.

The Shadow Cliffs Regional Park is a developed 266-acre park with an 80-acre lake, a four-flume waterslide, plus picnic grounds and plenty of parking. The park also includes facilities for persons with disabilities.

There is a main lake at Shadow Cliffs, as well as an arroyo with a chain of smaller lakes and ponds.

Enjoy fresh herbs year round with an indoor herb garden. Growing herbs indoors during winter is as rewarding as it is simple.

1. Decide which herbs you would like to grow.
…Some good choices to grow indoors in the winter include bay, marjoram, parsley, scented geranium, chives, mint, rosemary, winter savory, oregano and sage.

2. Collect containers to put them in.
Any container with good drainage will do, but terra cotta pots are an especially good choice, since the clay allows moisture to vent. Use a high-quality potting soil to grow healthy herbs.

3. Choose a sunny window in which to place your herbs.
Most herbs need at least 6 hours’ direct sunlight, plus an additional 6 to 8 hours of indirect light…use a south-facing window for maximum light exposure…Make sure to rotate your herbs every few days so that each side gets adequate light.

4. Monitor the temperature.
Herbs do best with daytime temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures closer to 55.

5. Don’t forget to water.
…water your herbs every 2 to 4 days. The soil should remain evenly damp but not too wet.

6. If you fertilize, don’t over do it.
…A single application of fertilizer or plant food in the fall should be enough to carry you through the winter.

7. Do not allow the herbs to bloom and flower.
Remove and discard yellow leaves so that the plant doesn’t waste any energy maintaining them. For maximum flavor…pinch back any buds that appear.

8. Use your herbs on a regular basis.
…it will encourage your herbs to continue to put out more leaves, ensuring that you will have a supply of fresh herbs all through the winter.

For more hints and tips, read the complete article: How to Grow Herbs Indoors in the Winter | eHow.com

The top 7 areas that need to be addressed so your herbs can grow in as healthy a garden as possible, are:

1. Light
2. Temperature
3. Air Circulation
4. Soil
5. Fertilizer
6. Water
7. Pests

For more hints and tips, read the complete article: Seven Keys For A Successful Indoor Herb Garden

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Visit http://www.elivermore.com/calendar/evnt_1103.htm for a full schedule of Livermore, CA March 2011 events.

March 4th: New Orleans Bash at the Bothwell
With over-the-top décor that echoes the atmosphere of the French Quarter, to the excess that is Mardi Gras…a chance to step out in style or be Bourbon-Street casual for a night of live music and a great party. Masks are optional – and if you don’t have one, we offer a French Quarter-style shopping experience, where you can purchase masks, beads to wear or give away, and fun souvenirs.

March 4th thru 6th and March 11th thru 13th: Bat Boy at the Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre
Based on a June 23, 1992 Weekly World News story about a half-boy, half-bat, dubbed “Bat Boy”, found living in a cave…The Musical tells the amazing story of a strange boy with pointy ears, his struggle to find a place in the world that shuns him, and the lone that can create both miracles and madness.

March 5th: Northern California Doll & Teddy Bear Show
Show and sale features over 130 tables of lovable dolls and teddy bears in all sizes. There will be a variety of antique to modern dolls…hand-crafted and manufactured teddies and supplies, books and magazines…repair dealers…teddy bear artists

March 6th: Pleasanton Chamber Players
Celebrating the anniversary of Chopin’s 200th birthday, award winning Belgian pianist Evelyne Brancart, chair of the piano department at Indiana University, will perform Chopin’s 24 Etudes, Op. 10 & 25, and Schumann’s Sonata No. 1 in F# minor, Op.11.

March 11th thru 13th: Gem Fair
Gems, Jewelry, Crystals, Beads, Lapidary Equipment, Silver, Gold, All your jewelry needs under one roof at the Alameda Fair Grounds.

March 12th: Used Clothing & Equipment Sale
The Twin Valley Mothers of Twins Club’s Used Clothing & Equipment Sale is held twice a year and features items from approximately 200 sellers…maternity wear, clothing for newborns to teen, car seats, single and double strollers, swings, bouncy seats, baby carriers, cribs, high chairs, safety gates, toys, books, and videos/DVDs

March 12th & 13th: Saint Patrick’s Day Festival – Dublin Civic Center
The 2011 St. Patrick’s Day festival officially kicks off on Friday night with the Dublin Sister City Green & White Gala on Friday night. The 2-day outdoor fun begins on the morning of Saturday March 12th with the Alameda Firefighters Annual Pancake Breakfast, followed by the Dublin Lions Club Parade. The 11th Annual Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk will be held on the second day of the festival, Sunday March 13th.
MORE: Saint Patrick’s Day Festival In Dublin California

March 12th & 13th and March 19th and 20th: Livermore Valley Opera presents Madama Butterfly
Nowhere is the clash of cultures experienced as poignantly as in this heartbreaking tale that takes place in turn of the century Japan…It’s been seven years since Livermore Valley Opera has staged this popular opera which is ranked Number 1 in Opera America’s list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America.

March 18th & 19th: Scrapbook Expo
National manufacturers and local scrapbook retail stores selling all types of tools & products used to create beautiful scrapbook pages & projects…Top-notch workshops and basic classes taught by experts. Exciting events, make & takes, contests, crop nights and more!

March 19th and 20th: 3rd Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend – Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association
Taste wines right out of the barrel, meet winemakers, and more…Each winery will host a unique experience during barrel tasting weekend including at least 1 barrel sample for each ticket holder…This is your chance to pre-purchase wines before they have even bottled (aka “futures”)!

March 22nd: Taylor 2
…Taylor 2 introduces the athleticism, humor and range of emotions found in Paul Taylor’s work. In selecting repertoire for Taylor 2, Taylor chooses dances that span the broad spectrum of his ever-growing collection of 125 dances. Several of the dances performed by Taylor 2 have been re-worked from the Paul Taylor Dance Company’s original, celebrated version to enable the smaller ensemble of dancers to perform them on tour across America.

March 25th: Golden Dragon Acrobats
The Golden Dragons are recognized throughout the United States and abroad as the premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company of today…solidly rooted in a commitment to the highest of production values and an attention to artistic details that is unparalleled in the art form…award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.

March 26th & 27th: Goodguys All-American Get Together
…over 3,000 All American Made & Powered hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and trick trucks. Shop at 100’s of vendor/exhibitor booths or take a trip to the Swap Meet for automotive related parts and Cars 4 Sale. There’s fun for the whole family with an Arts & Crafts Show, Model Car Show and free model make and take plus a kids play area. Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Tax Season is upon us, and if you’re like most Americans, you’re dreading the possibility of owing the Government money. But did you know there’s something else to think about?

Are you sure you’re claiming all the tax deductions you deserve?

Below is an abridged version of TurboTax’s list of their 10 most overlooked tax deductions. For full details on each deduction, read: The 10 Most Overlooked Tax Deductions

State Sales Taxes
This write-off makes sense primarily for those who live in states that do not impose an income tax. You must choose between deducting state and local income taxes, or state and local sales taxes…The IRS even has a calculator on its Web site to help you figure out the deduction, which varies by your state and income level.

Reinvested Dividends
This isn’t really a deduction, but it is a subtraction that can save you a lot of money…Forgetting to include the reinvested dividends in your cost basis—which you subtract from the proceeds of sale to determine your gain—means overpaying your taxes.

Out-of-Pocket Charitable Contributions
…you can write off out-of-pocket costs you incur while doing good deeds. Ingredients for casseroles you regularly prepare for a nonprofit organization’s soup kitchen, for example, or the cost of stamps you buy for your school’s fundraiser count as a charitable contribution.

Student Loan Interest Paid by Mom and Dad
In the past, if parents paid back a student loan incurred by their children, no one got a tax break. To get a deduction, the law said that you had to be both liable for the debt and actually pay it yourself. But now there’s an exception. If Mom and Dad pay back the loan, the IRS treats it as though they gave the money to their child, who then paid the debt.

Moving Expense To Take First Job
…Job-hunting expenses incurred while looking for your first job are not deductible, but moving expenses to get to that first job are. And you get this write-off even if you don’t itemize.

Child Care Credit
A credit is so much better than a deduction—it reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar…it’s easy to overlook the child care credit if you pay your child care bills through a reimbursement account at work…up to $6,000 can qualify for the credit, but the old $5,000 limit still applies to reimbursement accounts.

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Millions of lower-income people miss out on this every year…The EITC is a refundable tax credit – not a deduction – ranging from $457 to $5,666. The credit is designed to supplement wages for low-to-moderate income workers…The exact refund you receive depends on your income, marital status and family size.

State Tax You Paid Last Spring
Did you owe taxes when you filed your 2009 state tax return in the spring of 2010? Then remember to include that amount with your state tax itemized deduction on your 2010 return, along with state income taxes withheld from your paychecks or paid via quarterly estimated payments.

Refinancing Points
When you buy a house, you get to deduct points paid to obtain your mortgage all at one time. When you refinance a mortgage, however, you have to deduct the points over the life of the loan. That means you can deduct 1/30th of the points a year if it’s a 30-year mortgage…in the year you pay off the loan—because you sell the house or refinance again—you get to deduct all the points not yet deducted, unless you refinance with the same lender.

Jury Pay Paid To Employer
Some employers continue to pay employees’ full salary while they are doing their civic duty, but ask that they turn over their jury fees to the company coffers…If you give the money to your employer you have a right to deduct the amount so you aren’t taxed on money that simply passes through your hands.

Visit http://www.elivermore.com/calendar/evnt_1104.htm for a full schedule of Livermore, CA March 2011 events.

April 2nd: BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet
For the past 34 years BeauSoleil has been the very heartbeat of Cajun music and culture, and has carried the torch of tradition while continuing to chart uncharted waters with ingenuity and innovation…daringly [blending] zydeco, Tex-Mex, western swing, blues, New Orleans traditional jazz and Caribbean calypso into their framework.

April 2nd: Cinderella Classic Bike Ride
This unique bicycle tour is for women and girls of all ages and abilities. It winds through the Amador, Livermore, Diablo and San Ramon Valleys. The metric-century (100k/65 miles) is mostly flat with a few moderate hills. The Challenge route of almost 100 miles is for fit, experienced riders only…A Cinderella Ride Patch is awarded to every rider.

April 9th: Best of Doo Wop
…Featuring the great music you know and love such as: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “Pink Shoelaces,” “I Only Have Eyes For You” and dozens of other hit songs from the Doo Wop era! “All New Best of Doo Wop” brings your favorite music back to the Bankhead stage with new groups and a very funny comedy host.

April 15th: Flying Karamozov Brothers
Named after the Dostoyevsky novel, the Flying Karamazov Brothers mix visual fireworks, visceral physicality and theatrical innovation to create a post-modern sensibility where anything is possible. They combine skill and wit to form a work that is both kaleidoscopic and passionate. Objects, musical instruments…and their own bodies are transformed into a fresh polyrhythmic performance.

April 16th: Sotto Voce – Del Valle Fine Arts
“High Art for Low Brass” is how this quartet consisting of two euphoniums and two tubas characterizes its music. After twelve years of performing across North America and Europe, Sotto Voce has firmly established itself as a unique ensemble with an extraordinary sense of musicianship. The members of the group are all stars in the tuba/euphonium world, published composers, and university professors.

April 22nd & 23rd and April 29th & 30th: All Shook Up at the Tri-Valley Repertory Theater
Librettist Joe DiPietro’s exuberant jukebox musical shoe-horns the songs of Elvis Presley into a narrative that’s part camp, part romantic farce. The loopy tale of mismatched lovers in a 1955 Midwest burg incorporates classics that range from sweet romantic ballads such as “Love Me Tender” to the rollicking “Devil in Disguise” and the hip-swiveling title song.

April 28th: David Rakoff – Rae Dorough Speaker Series
A two-time recipient of the Lambda Book Award for Humor, David Rakoff is a regular contributor to Public Radio International’s This American Life and The New York Times Magazine. His latest book of sharply-observed essays is entitled Half Empty, in which he defends the commonsensical notion that you should always assume the worst, because you’ll never be disappointed.

April 30th (and May 1st): Livermore Wine Country Festival
Featuring Premium Wines from 30 local wineries and beer from local micro breweries, shopping & dining, entertainment, arts & crafts…Livermore Valley wine tasting in three locations; beer booths…a Children’s area with activities and games and much, much, more.

Who says you have to be in Ireland to have an authentic Saint Patrick’s Day experience? Not the City of Dublin, California that’s for sure!

WHEN: Saturday March 12th and Sunday March 13th from 10:00am to 5:00pm

WHERE: Dublin Civic Center – 100 Civic Plaza – Dublin, CA 94568

COST: Entrance into the festival is FREE

The 2011 St. Patrick’s Day festival officially kicks off on Friday night with the Dublin Sister City Green & White Gala on Friday night. The 2-day outdoor fun begins on the morning of Saturday March 12th with the Alameda Firefighters Annual Pancake Breakfast, followed by the Dublin Lions Club Parade. The 11th Annual Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk will be held on the second day of the festival, Sunday March 13th.

Enjoy two days of authentic Irish music and dancing, two stages of entertainment, and an Irish Tea Cottage; plus over 150 arts & crafts vendor booths, a variety of food & drink, carnival rides, and a slew of other activities for both children and adults.

It’s a great way to spend a beautiful day, and fun for the whole family!

Friday March 11th: Green & White Gala $65.00 per person; call (925) 829-4758 to make reservations.

Saturday March 12th: Pancake Breakfast located in Fire Station #16 at 7:00am. Tickets are $5 each.

Saturday March 12th: Dublin Lions Club Parade beginning promptly at 9:30am.

Sunday March 13th: Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk. Register on-line at www.Active.com HERE. Last day to register is Wednesday March 7th at 11:59 PM

Union City Information Union City

• City of Union City
• Union City Demographics
• Union City Chamber of Commerce
  (510) 471-3115
• Curbside Recycling Tri-CED Community Recycling
  (510) 429-8030
• PG&E
  (800) 743-5000
• Comcast Cable Television
  (800) 945-2288
• SBC Telephone
  (800) 310-2355

San Ramon Information San Ramon

• City of San Ramon
• City of San Ramon Demographics
• San Ramon Parks and Recreation
• San Ramon Valley Unified School District
  (925) 552-5500
• San Ramon Chamber Of Commerce
  (925) 242-0600
• School Wise Press
• PG&E
  (800) 743-5000
• Comcast Cable Television
  (800) 945-2288
• SBC Telephone
  (800) 310-2355
• Curbside Recycling Information
  (925) 973-2550
• Service Providers for San Ramon

Newark Information Newark

• City of Newark
• City of Newark Demographics
• Newark Chamber of Commerce
  (510) 744-1000
• PG&E
  (800) 743-5000
• SBC Telephone
  (800) 310-2355
• Comcast Cable Television
  (800) 945-2288
• Refuse Collection Waste Management of Alameda County
  (510) 613-8710
• Curbside Recycling East Bay Disposal
  (510) 624-5900