Amendment No. 3 to Form S-1 Tabk of Contents SAFEWAY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements presented below using appropriate valuation methodologies and market information available as of year end. Considerable judgment is required to develop estimates of fair value, and the estimates presented are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that the Company could realize in a current market exchange. The use of different market assumptions or estimation methodologies could have a material effect on the estimated fair values. Additionally, the fair values were estimated at year end, and current estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the amounts presented. The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments: Cash and equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable. The carrying amount of these items approximates fair value. Short-term investments. These investments are readily convertible to cash, and the carrying amount of these items approximates fair value. Notes receivables. The Company's notes receivables, included in other assets, are comprised primarily of notes receivable resulting from the sale of real estate. The fair value of note receivables is estimated by discounting expected future cash flows using interest rates, adjusted for credit risk, at which similar loans could be made under current market conditions. The carrying value of notes receivables, which approximates fair value, was $108.0 million at January 3, 2015 and $101.0 million at December 28, 2013. Approximately $27.7 million of the notes receivables at January 3, 2015 were Safeway advances to Blackhawk. These advances funded Blackhawk's estimated tax payments on the distribution of Blackhawk shares which are explained in Note B under the caption "Blackhawk'. With the closing of the Merger on January 30, 2015, Blackhawk is not required to repay these advances. Long-ter