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‘Criminal record? Don’t apply for this job’
March 7, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver Care to guess the population of Houston, Texas? Here’s a hint: The same number of people are in U.S. prisons, about 2.2 million, and that is a world record. That’s right, our country has more people in prison than any other, according...
‘Free trial’ Keto scam almost ripped off small business owner
April 20, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver I am the CEO of a service of process and investigation firm in the South and would appreciate your guidance with a frustrating problem. “Process servers and investigators have sedentary jobs. We sit a lot, waiting for someone to...
‘I am not that blond waitress!!’ – Part 1
May 22, 2010 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver For readers who are on medication for high blood pressure - especially anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant - it might be a good idea to have extra tablets handy before reading today's story. You might need...
‘I don’t have to show you any stinking badge’
June 7, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver Readers who enjoy classic American films will recognize the headline of this article as a line from "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948), starring Humphrey Bogart. A similar remark was used in "Blazing Saddles," the 1974 Mel Brooks...
‘I have good intuition and don’t need background checks’
February 28, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver “Over my 25 years of family practice in California’s Central Valley, I’ve always trusted my intuition when making a hiring decision. With two front-office employees retiring, we will soon start searching for replacements. “In this...
‘Our son was arrested for DUI’
March 14, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver Today’s story will be of special interest to families where mom and dad are financially successful and in a world where parents give their children all the “right” things that money can buy, including designer clothing, attending a...
‘You Owe Me a Refund’: Readers Report Challenging Their Attorneys’ Bills
The article about lawyers billing clients for hours of work that AI did in seconds generated quite a response. One law firm even called a staff meeting to say that they're exploring how to address the issue. The other angle of the article — lawyers' unreasonable...
‘I asked for an update on my case and got a $150 bill!’
December 21, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver HANFORD — Over the years, two small law firms in this town have generated more questions from readers about attorney fees and billing practices than any other we have seen, and this column has reviewed bills from across the...
‘I’m afraid of my wife’s business idea!’
July 27, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver “I have been reading your column for years in The Sentinel, and what makes You and the Law so popular is that you tell it like it is, care about the people who contact you and provide common-sense guidance. That’s why I am writing now,...
‘I’m your father, not your friend’
December 03, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Is there a window of opportunity — an age or grade level in school — where a kid headed for trouble has what will likely be the last chance to be helped and steered in the right direction? Hanford School...
‘Love at first sight’ becomes a nightmare for unlucky Eurekan
February 2, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver When 21-year-old Jordan George of Eureka first saw the picture of “this Italian beauty” online, he knew, “She was the one, and only 9 hours away, in Fresno. It was love at first sight!” Jordan imagined a future together, proudly...
‘My kid just can’t be involved with a gang — I would know, right?’
November 2, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver It’s a phone call that Hanford police Officer John Henderson takes no pleasure in making — when he informs a parent that “Their teenage son is in jail, caught along with other gang members in a burglary.” From experience, he knows...
‘My treadmill fell apart’
September 01, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver “I’ve always been a big boy, but then it was clear that I had to do something about my out of control weight,” Greg’s email stated. “I’ve got a real problem. I’ll be in Bakersfield in a few days, and need...
‘Water everywhere — and then two angels showed up’
May 26, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Returning home from a day trip in the early hours of the morning to water everywhere set the stage for a rare positive email from Becky, a retired high school English teacher living in Visalia with her husband....
“I came to you looking for a defense for my 3rd DUI, but you had no mercy!”
July 5, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver A recent column generated a large and highly positive response from readers, who saw in themselves, friends and family members, the same young man we wrote about. According to his mother, “Our adult son either has become or is on the...
“Sonny, You’d Make a Great Vacuum Cleaner Salesman!”
August 2, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver “Dennis, I am a workers compensation attorney in Louisville, Kentucky and have a likeable, outgoing client who’s work injury requires that finding a different occupation. His grandmother suggested that he look into becoming a Kirby...
12 golden rules for small business
November 8, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver “When you go from consumer to running your own small business, you are now in the big leagues of legal and financial responsibility,” observes Bryan Hull, Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Hull shared with You and...
A ‘Fast, Fair and Friendly’ Fail: Farmers Irks Customers With Its Handling of a Data Breach
October 13, 2025 • By Dennis Beaver In early September, I began hearing from readers all across the country who had the same question: "Should I drop my current policy with Farmers Insurance and go with some other company?" This was the first time in decades that so...
A beef with Black Angus Restaurants Ads – Part 2
November 27, 2009 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver In late October the Black Angus Restaurants chain — which came out of bankruptcy in March of this year — began a major campaign to attract customers. Advertising inserts were placed in weekend editions of...
A Cautionary Tale: Why Older Adults Should Think Twice About Being Landlords
June 30, 2025 • By Dennis Beaver "Mr. Beaver, my parents — both in their 80s — have substantial lifetime pensions, no debt and a lot of money in savings accounts, so they do not need any additional income source. Recently, they attended a seminar aimed at older...
A clean credit report can still mean you’re in for a nasty surprise
January 28, 2009 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver In September of 1998 Penny was sued for eviction, but never received any court papers after being served the lawsuit. She didn't go to court, simply moved out. For over 10 years, Penny never thought of the...
A closer look at the perils of shopping on the boob tube
May 11, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver We have all seen the modern version of county fair hawkers on the various home shopping channels. Southern California resident Julia Ortiz was watching Shop HQ in March of this year and saw an item, “That seemed ideal for my 75 year-old...
A cookbook for new sales executives
September 8, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, I was recently put in charge of sales for our plumbing supply company. While I have a great deal of product knowledge and have been in sales for decades, I am unsure of myself in this new role. Do you know of something...
A dose of rotten legal advice revealed in secret recording
September 14, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver It is legal for a lawyer to secretly record a conversation with clients? How about a client, or a client’s friend, making the recording and not informing the lawyer? If you’re thinking, “President Trump and his former lawyer,...
A father’s thanks to the California Highway Patrol
September 6, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver If there is one thing that can turn a pleasant drive sour in an instant it is being pulled over by a traffic officer and receiving a ticket. Even if deep down, we know the cop was right, still, no one is going to think, “This was...
A further look at impact statements – Part 2
June 13, 2009 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last time we began our discussion of victim impact statements — often the only chance for crime victims to be present at the sentencing and explain how their lives have been affected. What if you or someone you...
A Highway Patrol officer tells how to avoid speeding tickets
November 9, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver In a few weeks, “Jay” will retire from the California Highway Patrol, where he has worked “from California's incredibly beautiful forested north, driving past thousand-year-old redwoods to the most barren, dry and desolate places...
A lawsuit filed without legal basis damages
November 17, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver Before a lawyer files a lawsuit, there has to be a justifiable, legal reason to do so. Picture yourself as the client in this situation: An attorney you have been referred to is aware that no provable, underlying reason to...
A lawyer’s reputation begins in law shcool
February 6, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver For the many lawyers who read this column, in the next few minutes, wander the corridors of memory with me, to those hectic weeks before final exams during the first year at law school. It is a time of intense review, study group...
A lawyer’s reputation begins in law school
October 28, 2022 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, several years ago you wrote a story about a lawyer’s reputation – how valuable it is. As a Superior Court Judge in our small Southern town for over 20 years, that is what I tell the law graduates who successfully passed...
A LAX hotel airport parking nightmare
September 15, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Unless we are familiar with parking rates at major airports, airport parking is often one of the last things most of us think of when planning a vacation. Then, our anticipation of a nice trip takes a dive...
A look at the Kirby Vacuum Cleaner warranties
July 7, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver “Last year you had an excellent article about the Kirby Vacuum Cleaner company stepping in, cancelling the contract, arranging for a complete refund to a woman who suffered from a traumatic brain injury who should never have purchased...
A lot of money in your account? You are a target
April 30, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last time we began our story about customers of a major bank who wound up in the hands of either a crooked or incompetent investment advisor who misled them, causing a loss of $2,000. They heard the same...
A Nightmare for Parents: How to Navigate the Legal Boundaries of Tenant Rights During a Family Crisis
November 3, 2025 • By Dennis Beaver There is a great benefit in having a family doctor and lawyer who build strong, lasting relationships, often with several generations of the same family. The result is more personalized, effective health care and prompt access to...
A refund of attorney fees
August 29, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver Our recent articles on ways of improving attorney-client relationships led to highly positive reader feedback from across the country, including a request from a Southern California Bar Association that we serve as a fee arbitrator...
A risk to free speech
September 12, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver You might not have seen the movie, "Network," but it is almost certain that you’ve heard one of its powerful and enduring lines spoken by Howard Beale, a longtime news anchor suffering a meltdown on the air. “I’m mad as hell and...
A tenant’s advice on how to be a better landlord
September 27, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver If you’ve been thinking about buying a rental house, then today’s story will be of special interest as it is advice from a tenant on how to be a better landlord. 34 year-old Motion Graphics Artist Andrew Benninghoff and two...
A Wake-Up Call and a Healthy Dose of Terror: How to Survive Your First Days in Prison
This young man needed to be scared straight after his mother expressed her fear that he was on a path to prison. Hearing these eight do's and don'ts worked. February 10, 2026 • By Dennis Beaver Prison is a place like no other. It is its own world and has rules that...
A word of caution before you cash out your IRA and put it into an annuity
February 23, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver "My parents are both 70, retired and receiving Social Security. They have been savers, live frugally and now have close to $1 million in their IRAs. Recently, they attended a free retirement planning seminar dinner, hosted by an...
Abandoned by their lawyer
December 14, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver Sharon is an extremely busy, solo estate planning and corporate attorney in a San Joaquin Valley town that does not have a surplus of lawyers with her level of skill. “But a highly successful law practice can also be somewhat of a...
Accountability is a powerful predictor of substance abuse recovery
February 2, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver Have you ever wondered what the odds are of remaining drug-free and sober - not relapsing - after going through a substance abuse treatment program? Today’s story will be of special interest to anyone who, once again, has...
Accused of plagiarism and threatened with expulsion
February 15, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver "I am a police detective in a small Northern California town for and enjoy your column which appears in the Eureka Times-Standard. It is one of the first things that I and a number of fellow officers read and discuss. "Several...
Acting entitled on the job is a ticket to nowhere
October 22, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver Recently, for one of my articles, I interviewed Gorick Ng, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right. His book is a wonderfully useful guide for recent graduates...
Active noise-cancelling headphones confusion
April 13, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, I recall an article you wrote some years ago about the popular active noise-cancelling headphones sold by Bose, Sony and others. You were critical, and it seemed of the opinion that many of their ads were close to being...
ADA nightmare for commercial property owners
August 3, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver Long Beach, California attorney John Coates is not someone you want to hear from if you own commercial real property that has, for example, a parking lot open to the public. There’s nothing wrong with Coates, in fact he is a very...
Adult son needs mommy
May 25, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, many years ago you wrote a touching article about a young CPA who was horribly injured in a bicycle accident. Why, I cannot tell you, but for some reason I remembered that story. “Two months ago my nephew, Brian, was struck...
Advice for dealing with claims adjusters
February 21, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver Picture yourself running your own little convenience store in a poor section of town with a large, highly superstitious, immigrant population. It’s Christmas Eve, and normally lots of moms with their kids would be shopping, but...
After a fire loss – dealing with your insurance company
January 21, 2022 • By Dennis Beaver The proper smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms can mean the difference between having a home to live in and employees not out of a job because the boss wasn’t one of the 80% of deaths from home fires that occur between the hours...
Aging parents? Documents you must have
October 4, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver For readers whose parents, grandparents or other family members are over 65, the twin storms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease could be headed in your direction. These joint nightmares steal the very essence of humanity from...
Air Resources Board puts California drivers at risk
February 11, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Unless you live in a handful of California regions — generally over 4,000 feet elevation — there is something which your car certainly should have for safe winter driving, but which is currently almost...
Airport parking: Why cheap can = aggravation
September 22, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last week we began our look into airport parking. We revealed something that few people are aware of when they park at hotels near major airports, such as LAX, expecting to be promptly taken to the airport...
Alert – For All owners of Personal Breathalyzers
November 29, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver Do you own a personal breathalyzer? If it’s been a while since you’ve had it, do you know for sure if the device will correctly display your BAC - blood alcohol level? Have you ever had it calibrated? “Calibrated?” I’ll bet more...
An Executive’s ‘Idiotic’ Idea: Skip Safety Class and Commit a Federal Crime
Several contract medical professionals reached out to say that one of their bosses first tried to force them to take unpaid OSHA courses and then suggested someone else could take the tests on their behalf, which would be a federal crime. What's an employee to do?...
An invitation to being falsely accused of child molestation
May 10, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver The last thing a loving grandmother could ever imagine is being falsely accused by her grandson of molesting him. Grandparents are supposed to love and spoil their grandchildren. It is one of the greatest feelings you can ever have, to...
Annuities — not as safe as you think
November 17, 2012 • By Dennis Beaver Lawyers are generally late to the party, rarely witness to events which can get someone arrested or sued. But occasionally, we are listening to jaw-dropping statements, and this time, it was a stream of absolute lies from two...
Answers to worksplace questions
May 1, 2020 • By Dennis Beaver In late March, my column titled, “Covid 19 — What Lawyers are Saying” featured two Bakersfield Employment Law attorneys, Dan Klingenberger and Jay Rosenlieb, who answered a number of questions about employee rights and obligations in...
Appearance matters in hiring process
April 25, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver Karen, a Hanford reader, phoned our office in tears, explaining that she had just finished an interview for a receptionist position and the owner “told me that I am horribly fat, have no idea what clothing is proper for an interview,...
Are cooking shows legally responsible for the obesity epidemic?
November 6, 2020 • By Dennis Beaver “Recently, some of the largest manufacturers of opiates have entered into multi-million dollar settlements for their role in facilitating America’s opiate epidemic,” began an email from “Pete.” “Shouldn’t the same reasoning be...
Are unethical claims adjusters born that way or made?
November 24, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver A recent article dealt with the consequences of rejecting advice from professional tree trimmers to eliminate the chance of a giant, 75-foot tall eucalyptus tree causing significant property damage or death when it falls. Fall...
Are warning labels needed for houses of worship?
January 14, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, I remember one of your articles that ran several years ago where you had the most extraordinary conversation with a con artist. He would join a church and swindle congregation members in a Ponzi scheme, using religion...
Are we being taken to the cleaners by our lawyers?
July 31, 2010 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver California Superior Courts report that an incredible 90 percent of divorces are now being handled by at least one of the parties without a lawyer, in Pro Per. Frequently cited reasons are that we are too...
Are You a Doormat at Work? The Hidden Cost of Excessive People-Pleasing
July 22, 2025 • By Dennis Beaver "Recently, the insurance property adjusting firm I work for hired a brother and sister, 'Jack and Jill,' who are competent, but their behavior around our supervisor, who is a bully, is creating a toxic environment. They are the very...
Are you able to do your own divorce?
December 6, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Across California and much of the country, over 70 percent of all divorce and family-law related matters are being handled entirely by the parties themselves as a pro per–or pro se as it is called in some states. However, as any...
Are you an emotional miser with your employees?
October 20, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver “Shirley,” from Atlanta, wrote: “Your recent articles about becoming CEO in a family-owned business and how not to treat your sales staff if elevated to a management position are especially relevant to our situation, and I could use...
Are you being overcharged by your lawyer – Part 2
May 9, 2009 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last week, we told you the story of a law student with a part-time job in a San Francisco law firm. He discovered lawyers were performing unnecessary and costly legal services after clients told them to stop all...
Are you dating a crazy?
March 16, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver For anyone in the dating scene–high school, college, divorced or who has lost a spouse, please cast your vote for either (A) or (B): (A) I want to be romantically involved with someone kind, caring, honest, pays their part of the...
Are you headed to law school?
March 2, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver Are you about to enter law school or know someone who is? While law school is demanding and some say “boring,” at many schools technology is making the hours spent studying more productive, practical, and fun. In a moment you’ll...
Are you paying your employees correctly?
October 4, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver If you were to ask just about any business owner if their employees should receive equal pay for equal work or could be paid differently, based on gender, race, color, religion, and national origin, I’m certain that most would reply,...
Are you represented by an addicted lawyer?
December 1, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver Regardless of what area of law an attorney specializes in, this is a high-stress occupation. Law is a “people” business; people and problems, often of their own creation, many expecting the attorney to “fix” it with one phone...
Are You Thinking of Law School?
March 15, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver If you are in college and considering law school, or out in the working world and looking for an occupational change, Los Angeles based attorney Shant Karnikian has some very specific recommendations, and I’ll get to those in a...
Are your dogs barking?
July 23, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver If you’ve been hearing complaints from neighbors — which you doubt — that your dogs are constantly barking, there’s a good chance that we can help reduce some of the tension that probably exists in the neighborhood and save you...
Are your kids using drugs? Part 1
August 16, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver If given the option of making an arrest or helping a family deal with a child’s involvement with drugs and the wrong people, to Narcotics Officer Frank Martinez of the Hanford Police Department there is no real choice at all....
Are your kids using drugs? Part 2
August 23, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Narcotics Officer Frank Martinez of the Hanford Police Department is a soft-spoken, easy-to-like guy, revealing a passion for his job and profound desire to “just help, to make my community a better place.” Blessed with a rich...
Are your parents about to sign a contract?
October 26, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver “Earlier this year, while out running errands for my 83-year-old parents, “Sandy and Robert,” with whom I live, a solar salesman from Utah-based Mint Solar suddenly showed up at their home, and in no time, they signed a contract for...
As a tenant, know your rights
May 31, 2008 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver If you're considering renting an office, or possibly locating your business in a shopping mall, today's story will be of special interest and we may be able to save you quite a bit of money on CAM charges. That's...
As We Age, Embracing Our Own Self-Doubt Can Be a Gift: A Cautionary Tale About Elder Financial Abuse
An aging couple hired a remodeling company that illegally required large deposits, and then they decided to stick with the company even after an employee stole from them and wasn't fired. December 29, 2025 • By Dennis Beaver There is an age when self-doubt —...
Attending law school can be hazardous to your marriage
May 14, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver "We are both 28, have been married three years, and the recession left us out of a job in the financial services field. Now, we are considering law school, but have heard from friends that the law school...
Attorneys earn their low esteem all by themselves
September 17, 2006 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Mr. Beaver, I have a real complaint about lawyers and am sure that you have heard this before. Why is it that most-not all, but I think most-are completely unconcerned with the morality of what they do? I...
Auto dealer failed to provide registration
August 16, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver What are your legal rights, and a car dealer’s obligation concerning vehicle registration? Learning some of the possible legal consequences of driving a car that lacks current registration wasn’t what Joe had in mind when he...
Auto insurance companies expect you to be a mind reader
April 19, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Driving home, on the same road you’ve driven thousands of times, doing about 25 mph, suddenly, with no warning, a car pulls a U-turn right in front of you. Attempting to avoid the accident, you veer to the right, but still collide,...
Auto insurance companies just love these lawyers (and that should scare their clients)
July 07, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney who handles these types of cases to learn your rights and obligations. But in the days immediately following the...
Auto insurance company badly dropped the ball
December 6, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver July 31: Neil Williams, former publisher of the Hanford Sentinel, and his wife are involved in an auto accident when a driver made an unsafe left turn, crashing into them. He immediately reports the accident to his own auto...
Avenal State Prison earned two black eyes
August 2, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver You really have to give credit to the staff at Avenal State Prison, the Department of Corrections and California’s Government Claims Board. In terms of ducking from responsibility and having any sense of just doing the right thing,...
Bad wine? Refund or replace
June 26, 2010 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last week, we began a look at an all too common problem for those of us who enjoy a good bottle of wine: Getting one from a store or restaurant that just doesn't taste right, or which could smell like moldy...
Bamboo bathroom tissue earns a bum rap
September 27, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, you are probably going to think this is a joke,” began a phone call from a Central California reader, “but believe me, it is not. We were in an Albertson’s market in the Los Angeles area and saw a new kind of...
Bank needs to man up
April 23, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Today's story will be of interest to anyone who understands the importance of saving money for that rainy day and retirement. Despite all the bad news, there are still lots of folks who have done the right...
Bank of America has a heart
June 16, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver On occasion, it becomes clear that someone calling You and the Law is suffering from mental illness and has had difficulty in explaining their legal problem to an attorney’s secretary or paralegal in an understandable manner. At...
Be a jerk at divorce meet and confer and you’ll pay
January 27, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver “I am going through a horrible divorce,” Kim’s email began, “and the meet and confer session at my lawyer’s office was a nightmare. We were all supposed to discuss a possible settlement of property, child custody issues, exchange...
Be careful of annuities
May 24, 2008 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver "My parents are both over 60 and close to retirement. Before the real estate bubble burst, they sold farmland — which had been in the family over 50 years — for more than two million dollars. It was purchased by...
Be on top of insurance and annuities
April 20, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver If you have any type of insurance policy from MetLife - in fact from any insurance or annuity company - our story should cause you to take certain steps to protect future payments, and we begin with this question: “Does the...
Be prepared for your first attorney consultation
June 27, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, I have an appointment with an attorney about starting my own computer repair business, and frankly, I am a little intimidated. I’ve never even met a lawyer before and don’t want to look stupid or make a fool of myself. “My...
Be thankful for competent employees
January 20, 2007 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Weott is a small town located in one of the most beautiful parts of Northern California, 45 miles south of Eureka, right off of Highway 101 in Humboldt County. "We've got wonderfully clean air filtered by...
Be wary of robots in your legal future
February 3, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, I’ve been reading about AI — Artificial Intelligence — and Chat GPT that you can talk to and which, because of its enormous database, can actually function as a lawyer, providing advice or even help you manage a lawsuit...
Before buying a camera online, read this story
March 15, 2008 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver If you are looking for a new digital camera, chances are good that you'll research prices online and make a few phone calls. That's just what amateur photographer Marsha Kay of San Luis Obispo did when shopping...
Before buying travel insurance, read the exclusions
September 17, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver E.J. and his wife Anna loved Hawaii, having traveled there many times during their 56 years together. In January, at 74 and 73 years of age, respectively, they planned another trip to the islands for May to...
Before locking him in the basement — protecting Dad from himself and others
February 02, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver We’ve all read or heard this touching first line in a poem about aging, written by poet Robert Browning in 1864: “Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be; the last of life for which the first was made.” “At that time those...
Before taking your cell and smartphone abroad
January 08, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Planning a trip out of the country and want to use your cell or smartphone? Then, today's story will help you from feeling pickpocketed by your wireless provider, potentially saving from several hundred to...
Before thinking badly of your laywer
February 25, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver The day that someone comes into our office and says, “Beav, things are great at home, the wife is happy, our kids are doing well at school, and I love my job,” I will pick up the phone and dial 911, as, clearly we’ve got a lunatic...
Before you bail someone out of jail
May 01, 2010 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Part 1 It's late at night; all is right with the world. And then, the phone rings. The phone did indeed ring for "David," a longtime Hanford reader. "My 28-year-old brother-in-law, Rod, was arrested for burglary...
Before you buy a new air conditioner…
August 11, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver In August of 2008, Christina Couture of Hanford spent close to $9,000 for two energy-efficient Tappan air conditioner units. Less than four years later, both failed because the refrigerant leaked out of the...