The Omanias, a legacy of excellence and hard work

born in Stockton, and the family says her operatic voice came from being raised with roosters cock-a-doodle-dooing. They moved to Concord in 1941 with eight of their 11 children. The last were born in Concord.

They moved from Market Street to a three-bedroom brick house on Detroit Avenue in 1954. Enar saved up $11,000 in war bonds to buy the house.

There was a tank house on the property where the boys all slept except for the eldest, Richard. In Filipino tradition, the eldest was spoiled. His sister Sophia said he had his own room. As soon as he finished school, they packed his belongings and he moved out. They never let him come back.

Enar held three jobs to support his family. Everyone loved him and thought he was a good, hard-working man. He was a machinist at Mare Island during the week and owned his own barber shop called Enar’s. Many prominent politicians and Lions Club members were his clients. He also had his own band that entertained plenty a socialite in the day.

As you can imagine, Paz was just as busy with the home and kids. There was always plenty of traditional food, and friends were always welcome.

After talking to some of their kids, I learned they felt like it was a life filled with fun, love and pride.

The Omania children were educated through the Mt. Diablo School District. Three of the girls were cheerleaders at Mt. Diablo High School.

Take a look at that picture again and look at the beauty of this family. Now, back to the story.

Louie Omania, the second to the youngest, went to kindergarten at the old Masonic

Temple in the ’50s. His grandson Peyton wrestled for De La Salle and then went on to Michigan with a wrestling scholarship. He has graduated after several winning seasons. His goal now is to win a spot at the Olympics.

From 6 to 8 p.m. July 28, the family is renting the Historical Society hall – the same Masonic Temple where Louie went to kindergarten.

If you’re so inclined, come on down and join the celebration with many old friends and family and help Peyton with his Olympic dreams.

Carol Longshore has been a Concord resident since 1950. She is a community leader and past president of the Concord Historical Society. Send comments and suggestions for future topics to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.

Before you raise a toast, understand the long-term effects of alcohol

Living near one of the world’s premiere sites for viticulture, it’s easy for Bay Area residents to develop an affinity for wine drinking.

Good wine is everywhere, and great wine is nearly as readily available. Visiting wineries is essentially a day at

Disneyland for many adults who enjoy alcohol responsibly. However, before we reach for the corkscrew, research strongly suggests that there is a link between even light to moderate consumption and the development of a whole panoply of pathology.

“Alcohol is harmful to the health starting at very low levels,” reports Dr. Tim Naimi, director of the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research.

When alcohol is consumed, the long-suffering liver metabolizes it into acetaldehyde, a chemical that is toxic to cells. This chemical damages DNA and impairs the body’s ability to repair it. This condition promotes the growth of tumors.

To make matters worse, alcohol creates oxidative stress – which is harmful to the cells lining the blood vessels. Oxidative stress can lead to stiffened arteries, resulting in high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.

“It fundamentally affects DNA, and that’s why it affects so many organ systems,” Naimi says.

One recent study suggests that consumption of wine with meals is associated with decreased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

“The effects of alcohol consumption on health have been described as a doubleedged sword because of its apparent abilities to cut deeply in either direction –harmful or helpful, depending on how it is consumed,” says study author Hao Ma, a biostatistical analyst at the Tulane University Obesity Research Center.

Ma notes that few studies have focused on other drinking details, such as the timing of alcohol intake. While that may present a glimmer of hope, consider the unambiguous statement released by the World Health Organization earlier this year: “No studies have shown that the potential existence of a protective effect for cardiovascular diseases or Type 2 diabetes also reduces the risk of cancer for an individual consumer. Evidence does not indicate the existence of a particular threshold at which the carcinogenic effects of alcohol start to manifest in the human body. As such, no safe amount of alcohol consumption for cancers and health can be established.”

So, it is up to each person to decide risk vs. benefit.

Stanford-based neuroscientist Andrew Huberman suggests on his podcast, “The Huberman Lab,” that any degree of chronic, habitual consumption presents the greatest risk of cancer –especially breast and esophageal, although alcohol is linked directly to the development of seven different cancers.

Looked at that way, an occasional glass of wine probably poses little risk to most generally healthy people. However, a habitual pattern, even one glass per day, may significantly increase one’s risk.

Cheers and apologies dear readers for the straight-up, undiluted and thoroughly buzzkill information. Perhaps next we will consider coffee... Please send comments and question to newwavenightingale@gmail.com.