FREE Santa Photos!

Come in for your FREE photo with Santa. Please bring a donation for Northwest Harvest (non-perishable food items or monetary donations). Limit one per family please.

Hosted by SAV-ON Insurance
22815 Pacific Hwy S
Des Moines WA 98198
Sunday, December 13th
11am and 2pm

Protecting Your Stored or Classic Vehicle Against Mice

What’s the best way to keep mice out of my car while in storage during the winter?

First, try to store your car in a location that is free of rodents. Second, remain vigilant in visiting, cleaning, and running your vehicle as often as possible. Many collectors suggest surrounding the outside of the car with mothballs placed a few inches apart. Mice hate the smell and usually will not walk through this "barrier." And just to be safe, consider putting shaved pieces of Irish Spring soap on foil or in small open containers inside the vehicle. The odor from the soap is less objectionable than that from the mothballs, but will still help you deter the rodents. You can also consider one of the electronic deterrent devices available for your garage, but the ultimate protection may just be a "car cocoon" device (www.classiccarcocoon.com), which completely encloses the vehicle and can assist with controlling moisture as well.


Thank you to Hagerty Insurance Company

Donate to Local Charities by Voting

Our friends over at McClain Insurance have done something extra special this year! Vote for your favorite local charity and PEMCO NW Profile.


Check out their website McClainThanksgiving.com to place your vote. They will donate $2 for every vote among 8 fantastic charities until December 15th.

Flood: Get The Facts

Living in a low-risk flood area doesn't guarantee no or little flooding. Just like living in a high-risk area doesn't always mean that there will be a lot of flooding! But either way, flooding damage will almost always mean a lot of damage...and we know a lot of damage means a high cost of repairs.

In 2008, flood damage in the United States exceeded $1.8 billion with paid flood insurance claims averaging $27,974.

Flooding destroys your walls, floors, furniture, electrical system...and your savings! And the effects of a flood will remain long after the water is gone.

Heavy rains, clogged or inadequate drainage systems, and broken water mains can cause flooding putting your home and belongings at risk. Flood insurance is the only way to protect yourself from the financial devastation that even a small amount of water can cause. Don't take it from us, use FloodSmart.gov's interactive tool to find out what a little or a LOT of water can do to your home!


And then contact us!!
Call: 1-888-867-2866
info@sav-on.com
Request Flood Insurance Quote

Construction in Des Moines

Midway Sewer District and Highline Water District will be replacing about 2 miles of under-sized and aging water mains in an area between Pacific Hwy South and 20th Ave S between S 248th St and S. 252nd St. Also, all sewer mains and laterals in approximately the same location will be replaced to improve system reliability and reduce inflow and infiltration into the sewer system. After replacements, all affected roads will be resurfaced with new pavement.

Construction is anticipated to be completed late this year.

FYI, Homeowners Policies DO NOT Cover Flooding

Your regular homeowners policy does not cover flooding. But a flood insurance policy does.

• Flooding is the #1 natural disaster.
  
• Flood damage is not covered by most homeowners insurance policies.
  
• 25% of flood claims are filed by people living in low-to-moderate risk areas.
  
• In high-risk areas, 1 in 4 homes will experience a flood over the course of a 30-year mortgage.
  
• Only 2 inches of water in your home can cost $7,800 or more in damage. (Can you guess what 1 foot would be? Find out the cost with this interactive tool from FloodSmart.gov.)
  
• Disaster assistance- if it's available- is usually a loan you must repay with interest.
  
• Flood insurance is mandatory if you live in a high-risk area and have a mortgage from a federally regulated lender. Check with your lender for details.

Aren't those enough reasons to protect yourself from flood?
If you haven't already, now is the time. Call us 1-888-867-2866, e-mail us, or request a flood quote from the web today.

Flood insurance rates are all federally regulated by FEMA which means, it's the same cost anywhere you go. So why not shop with the Agency that cares, the agency you trust?

Remember, all flood insurance policies have a standard 30 day waiting period!


Thanks to FloodSmart.gov

Veterans & Military Personnel? Enter CARSTAR's Contest!

All veterans & military personnel are invited to come in to Bob Bjorneby’s CARSTAR Federal Way Collision & place their name in an appreciation drawing for gift certificate for dinner at the Space Needle and one night’s accommodation at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle.

No Purchase Necessary
(must show military ID or proof)

Drawing to be held November 30th, 2009.

Note: this drawing is being held in partnership with Federal Way, Des Moines and Kent CARSTAR stores. CARSTAR employees and immediate family members are not eligible.

Bob Bjorneby's CARSTAR Federal Way Collision
1750 So. 327th St
Federal Way WA 98003
Phone : 253-874-9330

Chance of Flooding Decreased, Residents Jubilant but Vigilant

ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Sandbags are lined up around the Green River to prepare for potential flooding.


The Army Corps of Engineers has been working hard to make secure adjustments and repairs on the Howard Hanson Dam and good news arrived last Friday...the chances of flooding have been lowered from a 1 in 3 chance to a 1 in 25 chance!

Since January, they've pumped a half a million gallons into the damaged abutment to hold back water during days of heavy rain. This last Thursday, Corps of Engineers Col. Anthony Wright said that it is, indeed, doing it's job. The grout bonded with earthen materials to slow seepage enough that he was able to increase the capacity of the reservoir behind the dam of about 33% to about 50% of its normal capacity.
Therefore, reducing the risk of causing forced flooding in the Auburn valley region to about 1 in 25 with an overall risk of 1 in 33 with the sandbags and other security features to be installed.

Col. Wright maintains, however, that if we again experience Pineapple Express (a series of storms carrying heavy moisture from the subtropics) like we did in January, he would have to cause flooding by releasing water from the dam.

The new numbers are are fantastic improvement, but residents are still staying on guard.

King County Executive Kurt Triplett stated "the new percentage sounds great, but the reality is we had just that type of storm event 10 months ago. I'm definitely going to be sleeping easier..., but we're not out of the woods."

When the dam is fully restored with a concrete wall built within the abutment, there will only be a 1 in 140 chance of flooding. This could be 3 to 5 years away.

New Radars and Gauges to Fight Flooding

More rain gauges and an experimental weather sensor will be installed in the Green River basin to help boost the odds that federal officials can predict which storms might lead to flooding.

These systems, which are already used in California, measure water vapors in the air and wind speed and direction several miles above Earth's surface. Forecasters may be able to use this information to better predict whether impending storms will have enough rainfall to cause flooding within 24 hours in advance.

The new rain sensors are not foolproof, though, Colman said. They are still experimental, and one of the weather service's most difficult tasks, technologically, is gauging how much rain will fall during a given storm.

"But if before we were calling for 2-4 inches of rain and this lets us refine that to say 2-3 inches ... even removing that bit of uncertainty will be helpful," Colman said.


Thank you to Seattle Times.

H1N1 Tips

Here's a great e-mail regarding Swine Flu...if you haven't gotten it, it's going around! (The e-mail, not the flu :))

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you need to eat or bathe).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt).
H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to #3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga "asanas" to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (i.e. citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.
Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.