New to Citruz Productions: Inside the Inland Valley Street Reporters

Citruz Productions has assembled a very impressive team of Street Reporters. These young, energetic media interns have fanned out to bring Inside The Inland Valley cable television viewers a wide array of unique businesses and great destination stops. These media interns are joined by six other Street Reporters -- all from Southern California!

Photo Credits: (from top to bottom) Leah Stone, Dennise Olvera, Diva Rescia, Brianna Saucerman, and Danielle Howe

The Scariest Thing This Halloween: Sour Acid Candy

According to Erika B. Feltham, a registered dental hygienist, today’s sour candy contains acid levels approaching the levels of battery acid.

She’s studied and researched this destructive candy’s effect for over 10 years. “It is a growing problem and I see it on a daily basis in the dental office I work in,” she explained.

“This Halloween, we are advising adults to think twice about buying sour candies for trick-or-treaters. We are also encouraging parents to comb through their child’s bag at the end of the night to remove sour acid candies and replace them with a small piece of non-sour, sugarless candy or gum.” This past spring, Erika appeared on my cable show, Inside The Inland Valley and gave me a better understanding of the acid levels in candies that are sold in a wide variety of stores across the country.

I was, honestly, overwhelmed by the scary comparison of the acids used to make candy tart and sour and the acid used in car batteries. Sour candy comes in dozens of varieties and forms, including hard, soft, chewy, gummy, gels, liquid sprays, crystals, foam sprays, powders, cotton candy, and chewing gums.

According to Erika, most people think this type of candy is safer because it has less sugar . . . but they don’t know that the acid content is towards the extreme end of the acidic spectrum. “It is not at all surprising that this candy is a contributing factor to acid erosion,” she said. “With repeated exposure and frequency, sour candy can also lead to a host of oral health problems, including increased cavities, tooth sensitivity, staining, soft-tissue sensitivities and loss of shine.”

Because of this, the California Dental Hygenists' Association (CDHA) is offering the following tips for this Halloween:

- Avoid, limit or seriously reconsider choosing or eating candy labeled “sour or tart”;
- Remember that “sour” means “acid” which is bad for teeth;
- Look for the following acids on the back label of ingredients and avoid them citric, lactic, malic, tartaric, fumaric, adipic and ascorbic;
- Don’t be fooled by “concentrated fruit juice extracts,” which is a code phrase for ingredients that can be highly acidic;
- If you choose to consume sour candies, rinse your mouth with water immediately afterwards to reduce the damaging effects from the acids;
- Do not brush your teeth directly after eating sour candy, as the toothbrush and toothpaste are abrasive. This will scratch and will remove more of the already softened enamel.

“Most consumers and even many dental professionals are so focused on eliminating sugar, that they haven’t paid attention to the newer and more serious candy ingredients containing multiple acids.” said Feltham, who believes the problem is so bad that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) should require warnings on all sour acid candies.

“These acids are what make the sour candies so tart and appealing,” she said, “but also what makes teeth more susceptible to oral diseases.”

Photo Credit: http://www.consumerist.com/

Ed Pruitt and Elana Pruitt: A Father and Daughter Interview

I am so proud of my daughter, Elana. She’s not only created this wonderful site for me, but she’s also launched a personal shopping and wardrobe consulting fashion site that’s assisting women throughout the United States. Elana is truly an accomplished fashion writer; she possesses a gift for painting mental images her readers really enjoy.

Recently, she honored me by asking if I would do a telephone interview. I suggested we record the father/daughter interview; not only, for our family archives but to share with our readers as well. The following are excerpts from our telephone interview of October 11, 2008.

Elana: Dad, why do you now feel that having an interactive blog is a great way to network and connect with like-minded people?

Me: Honey, after following your wonderful site and hearing, repeatedly, the excitement in your voice regarding networking with this entrepreneur or that magazine editor . . . Deborah and I both wanted to become a part of what you are enjoying. You’ve been so instrumental in creating my blog and I am so very grateful.

Elana: Of course, Pop! Sooo you now are seeing for yourself, just how much fun this can be, aren’t you Dad? Especially you being the producer of 'Inside the Inland Valley'...

Me: I really am. Your mother is also very excited about sharing childhood education suggestions and ideas on her new blog. You’re pretty sure hers will be up and running real soon, right?

Elana: Yep, should be online in the next week or so!

Me: I chuckle at her reluctance at being considered or labeled an expert in her field. But, with her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and over 25 years of leadership experience . . .

Elana: Dad, what are your gut feelings about ‘hanging a shingle’ and inviting people to network with you from all over the world?

Me: Honey, I feel, if you’re in your area of concentration for the right reasons, and you’re open for suggestions, conversation and yes, criticism too . . . then I feel this is electronic-age networking at it’s best. I’m so glad you turned us on to blogging. Thank you sweetheart.”

Elana: My pleasure Dad. I know this will be exciting for all of us.

Southern California Edison Urges its Customers to Beware of Impostors Posing as Utility Service Workers

I recently received this press release from Lagrant Communications, a public relations firm representing Southern California Edison. Darius Pierce is the account executive I am working with, who arranged to have Dave Ford appear on my television show, Inside the Inland Valley. We thought it would be a great idea to post this information in its entirety:

ROSEMEAD, Calif., Sept. 3, 2008 — Southern California Edison (SCE) is reminding customers how important it is to ask for identification when a stranger comes to the door claiming to be a utility worker. No legitimate utility worker will object to being checked.

If a customer suspects someone may be an impostor, he or she should immediately end the conversation and report the incident to the local police or SCE – especially if the stranger asks for money or threatens to turn off service.

(Gabriell Saeed, reporter for Inside the Inland Valley interviews Dave Ford -- manager of Southern California Edison.)

SCE and law enforcement officials suggest the best safeguard against impostors is to have the worker wait outside until that person’s identity can be verified. If contacted by phone, SCE recommends customers get as much information about the caller as possible, including name, department and a business phone number.

Here are other ways customers can avoid becoming a victim of a scam:

· Never reveal your credit card, ATM, or telephone calling-card numbers (or PIN numbers) to anyone. An SCE employee will not ask for money, credit card information or to use your phone though some authorized agents in rural areas do accept payments in the field. If you have any concerns, call SCE’s toll free number at (800) 655-4555 to verify the collections activity.

· Be suspicious of anyone who arrives at your house without an appointment asking to check an appliance, wiring, or suggesting that there may be some other electrical problem inside your residence.

· If someone calls and requests you leave your residence at a specific time for a utility-related cause, call the police. This could be a burglary set up by the caller.

· Do not let anyone into your home (whether in uniform or not) unless you verify who he or she is by checking identification and asking the reason for the visit. All SCE employees who go to a home or business carry an SCE identification badge with their color photo. Most wear uniforms and drive marked company vehicles.

· If you are at all suspicious of a person representing themselves as an SCE (or any other utility) employee, contact the local police department immediately or contact SCE at (800) 655-4555.

· For more ways customers can stay safe, please see www.sce.com/safety and read the safety tips section.


About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is the largest electric utility in California, serving a population of more than 13 million via 4.8 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

Photo Credit: logo from www.sce.com and image from the studio of Inside the Inland Valley

The Media Interview: Tips from a Local Television Producer

Soooo . . . you’ve just been invited to be interviewed on radio or television. You accepted the invitation and now what? You should prepare for your media opportunity as seriously as you would an important job interview.

Most media interview invitations are because a person is an expert, or at the very least, quite in tune with the subject matter to be discussed. Another key trait the media host looks for, in a good guest interview, is good public speaking ability. As producer and host of “Inside the Inland Valley,” I can tell you that a good, precise, informative, and entertaining interview also makes the host and the show look good.

If you are invited to appear as a guest on a radio or television talk show, these few tips should be of great help:

1. Be sure to request and receive the location, date, time, name of show and host name. Find out what color clothing would be most effective on their set (for TV appearances).
2. Be crystal clear on the subject matter and whether or not the host would like questions to be provided by you beforehand. Make sure questions are faxed, e-mailed, hand-delivered, etc. in plenty of time for the host to preview. Otherwise, have the host send you the questions he intends to ask you. This will ensure good, appropriate responses on your part. You really don’t want to walk into an “ambush.”
3. Find out and agree on how you are to address the host; first name (Bob or Susan), nickname (Bobby or Susie), or last name (Mr. Smithers or Ms. Hinson).
4. If there are any sensitive areas or questions you would rather not answer, let that be known as early on as possible.
5. If you are promoting products, services, such as your new book or your latest play, be sure to request that there be time enough to give pertinent information. Also, have the editor flash contact info at appropriate times.
6. Be yourself, smile, and take full advantage of this wonderful opportunity. This media interview not only promotes what you are known for, remember: it also makes your host look good in the process.

You follow these tips and your media interviews will be fun and mutually beneficial! Read about Larry King's recent media interview mistake, as discussed on The Media Interview.

Photo Credit: http://www.cache.daylife.com/

The Foreclosure Crisis: (An Emotional) Time to Buy Cheap

Ed Pruitt, I'm a real estate broker. A new real estate broker. I’ve had my license, now, for less than eight months, and this foreclosure crisis is the saddest thing to happen to Americans since the great depression. So many dreams, so many memories . . . dashed, with the loss of so many homes.

I think about the newlywed couples, having either received monetary gifts or having borrowed money from relatives to purchase their first home. I think about the thousands of families that refinanced their homes to send kids to college, to buy that desperately-needed 2nd car or to start a business that they had dreamed of their entire working lives.

I think about the devastation to the family and the embarrassment each member feels for losing something that meant more to them than they ever imagined.

Now we see the auctions, the bargain hunters and the thousands of investors ready to pounce on bank-owned houses. You've seen it -- the infomercials, with their fast-talking pitchpeople. . . practically begging you to take advantage of the foreclosures, the bank-owned properties, the vacant houses – the dashed dreams. I understand that there are many cultures in this world that feel to take advantage of someone else’s woe and misfortune would be a bad omen, sinister and forever cast a dark cloud over the situation. Personally, I would have real reservation about living in a house where such sadness, sense of loss, and social devastation was involved.

I would not do it. But what about you? Here are some questions I have for you to think about:


Would you purchase a house that you knew was foreclosed?

Would you reside in a house that you knew was foreclosed?

If you purchased a foreclosure and put it up for rent/ lease, would you disclose to the tenant it had been a foreclosure?

Photo Credit: http://www.bankforclosuresale.com/

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